OptionTerminal

Data quality and chart principles

OptionTerminal Data and Chart Methodology

An overview of OptionTerminal data coverage, rolling and fixed chart modes, quality controls, performance safeguards, and known market-data limitations.

Data coverage

OptionTerminal uses read-only market information from connected providers to display Bitcoin, Ethereum, NIFTY 50, BANK NIFTY, and SENSEX option-premium analytics. XAUT analytics are enabled only when the connected Delta provider returns real active call and put contracts. Provider names identify data sources and do not imply endorsement, partnership, or a guarantee of availability.

Data availability and reliability

Market data is validated and processed before it is displayed. OptionTerminal uses short-lived shared response caching, in-process request coalescing, input limits, and API abuse controls to reduce duplicate provider traffic and improve reliability for public visitors. Provider maintenance, exchange sessions, inactive contracts, network interruptions, rate limits, and delayed updates can still affect what is available at a particular time.

Rolling ATM charts

Rolling ATM is designed to follow the market's near-the-money option-premium area as the underlying moves. OptionTerminal applies a consistent internal selection process and retains provider/live-derived values for each candle. Exact selection thresholds, rollover presentation rules, and implementation details are intentionally not published.

Rolling OTM charts

Rolling OTM follows option premiums farther away from the near-the-money area according to the distance selected by the user. Available strikes, contract activity, expiry, and provider coverage can affect the displayed series. OptionTerminal uses the same internal framework across supported markets without disclosing detailed contract-selection rules.

Combined premium view

Combined mode represents the selected call and put premiums together as one chart. OptionTerminal aligns available lower-interval observations and applies OHLC consistency checks rather than simply adding unrelated call and put extrema. The exact synchronization and continuity implementation remains part of the application's private logic.

Historical and live candles

Historical candles depend on the granularity and completeness supplied by the provider. Live candles can update more frequently while the page is open and are reconciled with delayed historical data without intentionally replacing a live-observed candle with a later synthetic shape. For that reason, wick detail and the newest candle can still differ from another platform that uses a different feed or tick history.

Missing and inactive intervals

Far OTM and lightly traded contracts may not receive a new trade or mark during every interval. OptionTerminal applies conservative age/session checks before carrying a previously observed value. It does not claim that a new transaction occurred when none was reported, and periods without sufficient source data can remain unavailable.

Performance and provider safeguards

Successful responses may be cached briefly and identical requests may be combined so many visitors do not create unnecessary duplicate provider calls. Historical Indian chart responses use a longer shared cache when the cash market is closed. Public API endpoints also apply per-client request limits. These safeguards are intended to improve service stability without changing the selected market, expiry, chart mode, or chart formula.

Known reasons for cross-platform differences

Scope of this methodology

This page explains what the chart represents and the limitations users should understand. Detailed source code, selection thresholds, rollover rules, synchronization rules, and other proprietary implementation choices are not part of the public methodology.