Fair Value Gaps Explained: How Smart Money Leaves Footprints in the Market

Goal of This Lesson:

To give you a clear understanding of what Fair Value Gaps (FVGs) are, why they form, and how traders can start viewing them as potential zones of institutional intent—without chasing every gap blindly.

By the End of This Lesson, You Should Be Able To:

• Spot basic Fair Value Gaps across different timeframes
• Understand why institutional imbalances form
• Recognize FVGs as areas of potential smart money re-engagement
• Know that confirmation is key—especially via lower timeframe validation

Want to learn how to filter “high-probability” FVGs? That’s inside our full system.

Let’s Start With a Simple Definition:

A Fair Value Gap (FVG) is a price void or imbalance left when the market surges aggressively in one direction—usually triggered by institutional orders that overwhelm the available liquidity.

This results in a short-term “vacuum” where price didn’t efficiently fill both sides (buy and sell). These gaps often attract price back to rebalance or continue institutional flow.

What Does That Look Like on the Chart?

FVGs are typically formed by a 3-candle sequence:

1. Candle 1: Initiation
2. Candle 2: Displacement
3. Candle 3: Continuation

If the wicks of candle 1 and candle 3 do not overlap, the resulting space is a Fair Value Gap.

How to Identify a Fair Value Gap:

These imbalances often form right after price sweeps liquidity or reacts off a major level—but not all gaps are created equal.

That’s why confirmation is critical.

Confirmation: Multi-Timeframe Validation Is Key

When price returns to a Fair Value Gap, don’t just assume it will hold—observe the reaction using a lower timeframe.

This concept is called Multi-Timeframe Analysis (MTFA), and it’s one of the most powerful tools in Smart Money trading.

Here’s how:

• FVG appears on a higher timeframe (e.g., H1 or H4)
• Wait for price to retrace into the gap
• Drop to a lower timeframe (e.g., M1–M5) to observe for:
  • Liquidity sweep
  • Shift in structure
  • Micro Fair Value Gap or Break of Structure
  • Strong reaction candle with volume

Read more on this concept in the ACY education post: Power of Multi-Timeframe Analysis in Smart Money Concepts

This step increases precision, filters fake moves, and dramatically improves risk-reward setups.

Why Institutions Leave FVGs:

• Institutions use large orders that can’t be filled instantly.
• They push price aggressively, leaving behind imbalances.
• These zones often become future re-entry points.
• Instead of flooding the market, they let price return—then scale in again.

This is why price seems to “magnetically” revisit certain levels—it’s smart money engineering.

Real-Life Analogy:

Imagine a courier truck speeding past deliveries due to urgency. Later, it loops back to finish them.

That loop-back is the retrace into the Fair Value Gap. The missed deliveries are the imbalance.

This “return” move is where smart money may re-engage—and where well-informed traders find asymmetric entries.

How to Use FVGs in Your Trading:

We won’t break down the full entry model here—but this is a simplified framework:

1. Identify a clean FVG after a strong impulse
2. Mark the zone and wait for price to retrace
3. Drop to a lower timeframe and look for confirmation
4. Only consider setups where price shows intent (e.g., structure shift, engulfing move, or small FVG inside big FVG)

This helps prevent jumping in too early and improves your win rate.

The detailed checklist, structure shift models, and entry types are exclusive to our private program.

Final Thought:

Fair Value Gaps aren’t magic—they’re clues left by smart money.

But the edge doesn’t come from spotting them.

It comes from combining them with structure, timing, and confirmation.

Check Out Our Market Education

How to Start Day Trading:

5 Steps to Start Day Trading: A Strategic Guide for Beginners

8 Steps How to Start Forex Day Trading in 2025: A Beginner’s Step-by-Step Guide

3 Steps to Build a Trading Routine for Consistency and Discipline - Day Trading Edition

Learn how to navigate yourself in times of turmoil:

How to Identify Risk-On and Risk-Off Market Sentiment: A Complete Trader’s Guide

How to Trade Risk-On and Risk-Off Sentiment — With Technical Confirmation

The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Market Trends and Price Action

Want to learn how to trade like the Smart Money?

Mastering the Market with Smart Money Concepts: 5 Strategic Approaches

Mastering Candlestick Pattern Analysis with the SMC Strategy for Day Trading

Understanding Liquidity Sweep: How Smart Money Trades Liquidity Zones in Forex, Gold, US Indices

The SMC Playbook Series Part 1: What Moves the Markets? Key Drivers Behind Forex, Gold & Stock Indices

The SMC Playbook Series Part 2: How to Spot Liquidity Pools in Trading – Internal vs External Liquidity Explained

The SMC Playbook Series Part 3: Market Momentum Explained: Displacement, Manipulation & Imbalances in SMC

The SMC Playbook Series Part 4: How to Confirm Trend Reversal & Direction using SMC

The SMC Playbook Series Part 5: The Power of Multi-Timeframe Analysis in Smart Money Concepts (SMC)

Trading Psychology and Continuous Improvement Contents:

The Mental Game of Execution - Debunking the Common Trading Psychology

5 Steps to Backtest a Trading Strategy with AI: A Step-by-Step Guide

Managing Trading Losses: Why You Can Be Wrong and Still Win Big in Trading

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This content may have been written by a third party. ACY makes no representation or warranty and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided, nor any loss arising from any investment based on a recommendation, forecast or other information supplies by any third-party. This content is information only, and does not constitute financial, investment or other advice on which you can rely.