← THE CHARTSPOD LEDGEROPEN TERMINAL →
CHARTSPOD · DIAGONAL IMBALANCE

ChartsPod Diagonal Imbalance: Settings to Check Before Your First Analysis

Diagonal imbalances compare aggressive buying at one price with aggressive selling one row below. The comparison direction changes which rows get flagged.

By ChartsPod Editorial Team · Reviewed by ChartsPod Research
Published · Updated · 5 min read

Short answer

A diagonal imbalance compares ask volume (aggressive buys) at a price with bid volume (aggressive sells) at the price one row lower, reflecting how the spread steps through the book; a horizontal comparison uses the same row. Before analysis, confirm which comparison the tool uses, the ratio (300% is a common reference), any minimum volume per row and the row size. Switching between diagonal and horizontal changes which cells are highlighted on the same data.

What it shows

ElementMeaning
Diagonal buy imbalanceAsk at P vs bid at P − 1 row
Diagonal sell imbalanceBid at P vs ask at P + 1 row
HorizontalAsk vs bid at the same P
Ratioe.g. 300%
Diagonal vs horizontalDiagonal vs horizontal. Left, Diagonal: Ask(P) vs Bid(P−1); Follows how aggression lifts offers; Common in order-flow tools. Right, Horizontal: Ask(P) vs Bid(P); Simpler; Flags different rows.DIAGONALAsk(P) vs Bid(P−1)Follows how aggression lifts offersCommon in order-flow toolsHORIZONTALAsk(P) vs Bid(P)SimplerFlags different rows
Know which one you are reading. Original ChartsPod editorial graphic.

Settings to check

Diagonal Imbalance checksDiagonal Imbalance checks: Comparison type (diagonal/horizontal); Imbalance ratio; Minimum volume per row; Row size; Venue and contract; Live candle unfinished.DIAGONAL IMBALANCE CHECKSComparison type (diagonal/horizontal)Imbalance ratioMinimum volume per rowRow sizeVenue and contractLive candle unfinished
Record these diagonal imbalance settings with any screenshot. Original ChartsPod editorial graphic.

Worked example

Illustrative rows: at 60,020 ask 30 / bid 12; at 60,000 ask 8 / bid 9. Diagonal: ask(60,020) 30 vs bid(60,000) 9 = 333%, a buy imbalance. Horizontal at 60,020: 30 vs 12 = 250%, no imbalance at 300%.

Related: Stacked Footprint Imbalances: Row Size and Minimum-Volume Effects, Footprint Diagonal Imbalances in Crypto: What Price Response Adds to the Reading.

Open the footprint on a perpetual and apply these checks.

Open the live chart in ChartsPod

A diagonal imbalance compares ask volume (aggressive buys) at a price with bid volume (aggressive sells) at the price one row lower, reflecting how the spread steps through the book; a horizontal comparison uses the same row.

See Diagonal Imbalance on live data in the free ChartsPod terminal.

Open the ChartsPod terminal

Questions readers ask

What is a diagonal imbalance?

Ask at one price compared with bid one row lower.

Why does it differ from horizontal?

It compares different cells.

Which is better?

Neither universally; be consistent.

Sources and methodology

ChartsPod lists footprint and cumulative delta among its order-flow tools (public pages, 17 October 2026). Its public documentation does not enumerate individual footprint view modes or settings, so this guide describes what each concept means and what to check in the terminal; control names may differ. Examples are illustrative.

  1. ChartsPod: product overview, pricing and FAQ — free terminal, venues, modules, no order placement; checked 17 Oct 2026.
  2. TradingView: Volume footprint charts, a complete guide — intrabar method, row size, imbalance, repainting.

This article explains research tools and workflows. It is not financial advice, does not recommend buying or selling any asset and does not predict prices. Crypto derivatives carry a risk of rapid and total loss of margin.

CHARTSPOD EDITORIAL EDITION · RESEARCH AND EDUCATION ONLY · NOT FINANCIAL ADVICE.