Understanding the Price and Time Axis
Every chart has two axes: the price axis (vertical, on the right) and the time axis (horizontal, at the bottom). Understanding how to read and manipulate these axes is fundamental to chart analysis.
The Price Axis (Y-Axis)
The price axis displays the current price range visible on the chart. The current price is highlighted with a colored label — typically green if the last candle closed up, red if it closed down. You can see the exact price at any point by hovering your mouse over the chart; a horizontal dashed line will appear showing the price level.
Price axis interactions:
- Drag up/down — manually zoom the price scale
- Double-click — reset to auto-scale (fit all visible data)
- Right-click — access scale options (log, percentage, auto)
- The price label on the right shows the current/last price
The Time Axis (X-Axis)
The time axis shows when each candle or bar was formed. The format changes based on your timeframe: intraday charts show hours and minutes, daily charts show dates, weekly charts show week-starting dates, and monthly charts show months and years.
Time axis interactions:
- Drag left/right — zoom the time scale (show more/fewer candles)
- Shift+click — go to a specific date
- Right-click — change timezone, go to date
- Scroll wheel on time axis — zoom time scale only
Auto-Scale vs Manual Scale
By default, TradingView uses auto-scale, which automatically adjusts the price range to fit all visible candles. Sometimes you may want to lock the scale to a specific range — for example, when monitoring a particular price zone. Right-click the price axis and toggle "Auto" to switch between modes.
Pro Tip
If your chart looks "squished" or the candles are too small, double-click the price axis to reset the auto-scale. This is one of the most common issues beginners encounter.
Key Takeaways
- The price axis (right side) shows price levels with the current price highlighted
- The time axis (bottom) shows when each candle was formed
- Drag either axis to manually zoom that dimension
- Double-click the price axis to reset auto-scale
- Right-click either axis for additional options