> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.innova-trading.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Timeframes

> Understanding timeframes in the InnovaTrading API

## Available Timeframes

InnovaTrading uses **minutes** as the standard unit for timeframes:

| Name       | Minutes | Code |
| ---------- | ------- | ---- |
| 1 Minute   | `1`     | M1   |
| 5 Minutes  | `5`     | M5   |
| 15 Minutes | `15`    | M15  |
| 30 Minutes | `30`    | M30  |
| 1 Hour     | `60`    | H1   |
| 4 Hours    | `240`   | H4   |
| Daily      | `1440`  | D1   |
| Weekly     | `10080` | W1   |

## Using Timeframes in API Requests

### Getting Bars

```bash theme={null}
# 1-hour bars
GET /api/external/bars/EURUSD/60?limit=500

# 4-hour bars
GET /api/external/bars/EURUSD/240?limit=500

# Daily bars
GET /api/external/bars/EURUSD/1440?limit=500
```

### Submitting Indicators

```json theme={null}
{
  "symbol": "EURUSD",
  "timeframe": 60,  // H1
  "indicator_name": "My Signals",
  "points": [...]
}
```

## Timeframe Selection

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Lower Timeframes (M1-M15)" icon="bolt">
    * More data points
    * More noise
    * Good for scalping strategies
    * Higher API usage
  </Card>

  <Card title="Higher Timeframes (H1-D1)" icon="mountain">
    * Cleaner signals
    * Less noise
    * Good for swing trading
    * Lower API usage
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Multi-Timeframe Analysis

You can create indicators that analyze multiple timeframes:

```python theme={null}
# Fetch data from multiple timeframes
h1_bars = get_bars("EURUSD", 60, limit=100)
h4_bars = get_bars("EURUSD", 240, limit=100)
d1_bars = get_bars("EURUSD", 1440, limit=100)

# Find confluence
h1_trend = calculate_trend(h1_bars)
h4_trend = calculate_trend(h4_bars)
d1_trend = calculate_trend(d1_bars)

# Generate signal only when all align
if h1_trend == h4_trend == d1_trend:
    generate_signal(...)
```

<Tip>
  When using multi-timeframe analysis, submit your indicator to the **lowest** timeframe you analyzed. This ensures signals appear on the most detailed chart.
</Tip>

## Bar Time Alignment

Bars are aligned to their **opening time** in UTC:

| Timeframe | Bar Time Example      |
| --------- | --------------------- |
| M1        | `2025-12-12 14:01:00` |
| M5        | `2025-12-12 14:05:00` |
| M15       | `2025-12-12 14:15:00` |
| H1        | `2025-12-12 14:00:00` |
| H4        | `2025-12-12 12:00:00` |
| D1        | `2025-12-12 00:00:00` |

<Warning>
  Always use the `time` field from the /bars response when creating indicators. Don't calculate timestamps manually as they may not align with actual bars.
</Warning>

## Rate Limits by Timeframe

Higher timeframes consume fewer API calls:

| Timeframe | Bars per Day | Recommended Refresh |
| --------- | ------------ | ------------------- |
| M1        | 1440         | Every 1 minute      |
| M5        | 288          | Every 5 minutes     |
| M15       | 96           | Every 15 minutes    |
| H1        | 24           | Every hour          |
| H4        | 6            | Every 4 hours       |
| D1        | 1            | Once per day        |

<Tip>
  To optimize API usage, use higher timeframes when possible and batch your indicator submissions.
</Tip>