session boxes indicator for metatrader 5

Related: real-time spread monitor with session stats - another powerful indicator for MetaTrader 5 traders.

session boxes is a custom indicator for metatrader 5 that draws color-coded rectangular boxes on the chart representing the high-low range of the asia, london, and new york trading sessions.

Also recommended: market clock pro: enhanced trading session and candle countdown for mt5 - similar indicator with strong performance on MetaTrader 5.

the indicator uses h1 data internally and supports configurable session hours in gmt along with a broker server offset parameter.

the indicator is built on the concept of trading session analysis — the observation that price behavior and volatility differ across the three major global market sessions: asia (tokyo), london (europe), and new york (us). by identifying the high-low range of each session per day, traders can mark significant price levels for use in breakout, liquidity, and range-based strategies.

technically, the indicator converts broker server time to gmt by applying a configurable hour offset. it then determines whether each h1 bar falls within a given session's gmt window using an hour-range check that correctly handles overnight sessions where the start hour is greater than the end hour. a per-day tracking mechanism ensures that one rectangle object is drawn per session per calendar day, spanning from the session's first to last h1 bar and covering the full high-low range of that period.

each drawn rectangle represents the complete high-low range of a trading session for a single trading day. three session boxes are displayed:

- asia box (default color: slate blue) — marks the overnight consolidation range before the london open. a narrow asia range often precedes a significant directional move during the london or new york session. traders use the asia high and low as reference levels for liquidity sweeps and breakout entries.

- london box (default color: sea green) — captures the european session range, typically the most active and directional period for xauusd and major forex pairs. price that breaks and closes outside the london box during the new york session may indicate continuation or reversal.

- new york box (default color: goldenrod) — represents the us session range. the overlap between the london and new york sessions generates increased volatility, and both session boxes will cover that shared period. the new york box is useful for identifying late-session range extensions or consolidations.

all boxes are drawn on the chart background so they do not obscure candlestick visibility. the number of historical days displayed is controlled by the lookback days parameter.

the indicator can be applied to any chart timeframe — it fetches h1 data internally regardless of the period selected for the chart. it is suitable for any liquid trading symbol; it is particularly relevant for instruments with strong session-based behavior, such as xauusd (gold), major forex pairs (eurusd, gbpusd, usdjpy), and indices (us30, nas100). before using in live conditions, verify the broker server offset value matches the gmt offset of the broker server.

the indicator parameters include:

- asia session start and end hours in gmt

- london session start and end hours in gmt

- new york session start and end hours in gmt

- broker server time offset relative to gmt in hours

- number of past calendar days for which session boxes are drawn on the chart

- fill colors of the asia, london, and new york session rectangles

You may also like: trade sessions indicator - excellent alternative for indicator users on MetaTrader 5.

#property copyright "robotfx"
#property link "https://robotfx.org"
#property version   "1.00"
#property indicator_chart_window
#property indicator_plots 0
input group "=== session hours (gmt) ==="
input int   inpasiastartgmt    = 0;
input int   inpasiaendgmt      = 8;
input int   inplondonstartgmt  = 7;
input int   inplondonendgmt    = 16;

.......

• This tool is provided for educational and testing purposes only.
• Past performance does not guarantee future results.
• Trading involves substantial risk of loss. Use on a demo account first.
• Results may vary depending on market conditions, broker, and settings.
• We recommend thorough backtesting and forward testing before using with real funds.