# Pillar guide: reading order flow (footprint, delta, absorption, imbalances).

- Source: https://orderflowfutures.com/en/order-flow
- Site: OrderFlowFutures (https://orderflowfutures.com)
- Author: Tom, Trader & founder of OrderFlowFutures (https://orderflowfutures.com/a-propos#auteur)
- Updated: 2026-08-17
- Reuse: free to quote and cite, with attribution to OrderFlowFutures and a link to the source URL.
- Note: this file is a structured SUMMARY of the page, not its full text. The complete page is the HTML URL above.

## What this page answers

### What is a footprint chart?

A footprint opens each candle price by price and splits volume executed at market on the bid from volume executed on the ask. You read delta, imbalances and absorption points: who attacks and who absorbs, where a classic candle only shows the outcome.

### How do you start with order flow?

Start with a single liquid instrument, NQ or ES, and a single read: delta and absorption at range extremes. Add the liquidity heatmap only once you read the footprint correctly. Tick-by-tick replay lets you train on real sessions without putting capital at risk.

### What is absorption in order flow?

Absorption is aggressive volume executing without moving price: buyers hit the offer, the offer takes it and the level holds. It is a more reliable reversal signal than high volume alone, because it shows a passive player accepting the entire flow.

## Verifiable facts

- Partner code OFF applies the best discount available on the DeepCharts platform license, up to -25% depending on the plan during launch season. You enter it when you activate the license.
- The same code OFF applies at prop firm Phidias: -60% on monthly challenges, -50% on Express to Live challenges and -80% on one-time-payment accounts.
- Code OFF covers two separate costs for a futures trader: the evaluation at prop firm Phidias, and the license for the DeepCharts order-flow platform.
- DeepCharts ships two products: DeepChart (footprint and order-flow charting) and DeepDom (liquidity heatmap and order book, refreshed every 0.01s).
- DeepCharts reads depth in MBO (Market By Order): every single order in the book is visible, versus a per-price-level total in MBP.
- DeepCharts pricing has three parts: the platform license (up to -25% with code OFF), the data feed (dxFeed from $19/mo, Rithmic from $57/mo) and MBO depth ($39/mo on CME, +$65/mo on Eurex). Indicative pricing.
- DeepCharts covers the CME complex (NQ, ES, CBOT, COMEX, NYMEX) and Eurex (FDAX), through Rithmic, CQG or dxFeed, from a single platform.
- The DeepCharts build bundled by a prop firm is not the full license: it does not unlock every indicator. For the complete toolset you need your own license.

Full corpus for agents: https://orderflowfutures.com/llms.txt · https://orderflowfutures.com/llms-full.txt