Bollinger Volatility Analyzer

The Bollinger Volatility Analyzer (BVA) is a powerful enhancement of the traditional Bollinger Bands indicator, tailored to help traders identify volatility cycles and catch potential breakouts with better precision and timing. It builds upon the foundational concept of Bollinger Bands—using a moving average and standard deviation bands—but adds crucial insights into market contraction and expansion, which can be instrumental in timing entries and exits.

Here's how it works and why it's useful

At its core, the indicator calculates a moving average (called the "basis") and plots two bands—one above and one below—based on a multiple of standard deviation. These bands expand during volatile periods and contract during quiet ones. The width between these bands, normalized as a percentage of the basis, gives us a sense of how compressed or expanded the market currently is. When the band width drops below a user-defined threshold (like 2%), the script highlights this with an orange triangle below the bar. This is the "squeeze" condition, signaling a potential buildup of market energy—a kind of calm before the storm.

What makes this version of Bollinger Bands particularly powerful is that it not only detects squeezes, but also tells you when price breaks out of that squeeze range. If price closes above the upper band after a squeeze, a green "Breakout ↑" label is shown; if it closes below the lower band, a red "Breakout ↓" appears. These breakout labels act as entry signals, suggesting that volatility is returning and a directional move has begun.

This indicator is especially useful in markets that tend to alternate between consolidation and breakout phases, such as forex, crypto, and even individual stocks. Traders who look for early signs of momentum—whether for swing trading, scalping, or position building—can benefit from this tool. During a quiet market phase, the indicator warns you that a move might be coming; when the move starts, it tells you the direction.

In fast-moving markets, BVA helps filter out noise by focusing only on high-probability conditions: quiet consolidation followed by a strong breakout. It’s not a complete system by itself—it works best when paired with volume confirmation or oscillators like RSI—but as a volatility trigger and directional guide, it’s a reliable component of a trading workflow.