Start with a market idea, not an indicator
Before clicking filters, write the setup in one sentence: “I want stocks breaking out with strong volume,” “I want oversold stocks turning upward,” or “I want pullbacks inside a long-term uptrend.” This sentence decides which filters belong in the scan and which filters are just noise.
Strong conditions usually have three layers: a direction filter, a trigger, and a quality filter. For example, a breakout scan might use price above a prior high as the trigger, volume above average as the quality filter, and liquidity or index membership as the universe filter.
Choose the operator that matches the behavior
Use comparison operators when you only care about the current state. Use crossover logic when the change from the previous bar matters. “RSI greater than 30” and “RSI bounced above 30” are not the same scan.
Use previous-day filters for bounces and crosses
A bounce needs proof that the stock was on the other side of the level before today. That is why a proper RSI oversold bounce uses two blocks: today above 30, and 1 day ago at or below 30. The same rule applies to moving average reclaims, price breakouts, and indicator crossovers.
Use arithmetic for distance, multiples, and buffers
Arithmetic turns a rough idea into a controlled condition. Instead of asking for “high volume,” compare current volume against average volume multiplied by a number. Instead of asking for price above a moving average, add a small buffer when you want cleaner confirmation.
Reliable condition recipes
RSI oversold bounce
Find stocks that were oversold yesterday and are reclaiming the 30 RSI level today.
The previous-day line is what turns a plain oversold filter into a bounce setup.
Volume-backed breakout
Avoid weak breakouts by requiring price expansion and unusually strong participation.
The volume multiplier filters out many thin, low-conviction moves.
Trend pullback
Look for dips while the bigger trend remains intact.
Use the trend filter first, then add the pullback condition.
Moving average reclaim
Catch price crossing back above a key moving average.
Compare both sides with the same day offset to avoid false crossover logic.
Final checklist before saving a condition
Avoid stacking too many filters just because they look intelligent. Every extra condition should either improve signal quality or reduce a specific risk. If it does neither, remove it.