Turning Research Questions into thinkorswim Stock Hacker Filters
Write the question, choose the universe, define observable criteria, and review what a Stock Hacker result can actually establish.
Translating Inquiries into Stock Hacker Filters
Stock Hacker supports Stock, Option, Fundamental, Study and Pattern filter categories, and results can be saved as watchlists.
Source: Charles Schwab Brokerage — Stock Hacker overview. See also the official Stock Hacker manual.
Set “Scan in” first. In the filter groups, “All” requires every condition, “Any” requires at least one, and “None” excludes matching conditions. Log the universe, thresholds, aggregation, and timestamp. The examples below are hypotheses to examine, with limitations to record.
Stock: a question before a threshold
Stock FilterResearch Question: Which stocks in the selected universe meet a stated share-volume threshold?
Universe: Choose a named list before setting numerical limits.
Observable Criteria: Select an available Stock field such as Volume and set a numerical minimum or maximum. Example hypothesis: recorded session volume is at least 750,000 shares.
Timeframe & Scan: Record when the scan runs and whether the session is complete.
Result Set: Matching symbols within this universe, at this time, under these definitions.
Manual Review: A share count alone does not identify unusual participation. Compare each observation with its own historical baseline.
Option: a question before a threshold
Option FilterResearch Question: Which symbols meet the selected option-data conditions?
Universe: Define the applicable underlying-symbol universe and note whether option data exists.
Observable Criteria: Choose an available Option field in the current interface. Write its unit, bounds, and observation time before running the scan.
Timeframe & Scan: Option observations can vary with contract selection and quote timing.
Result Set: Matching symbols within this universe, at this time, under these definitions.
Manual Review: Review coverage and stale quotes. A stock-symbol result does not establish a suitable option contract or an execution price.
Fundamental: a question before a threshold
Fundamental FilterResearch Question: Which companies meet a stated reported-business criterion?
Universe: Compare companies within a deliberately chosen sector or coverage group.
Observable Criteria: Select an available Fundamental field, document its reporting period, and apply the threshold justified by the question.
Timeframe & Scan: Reported financial measures and daily price measures operate on different clocks.
Result Set: Matching symbols within this universe, at this time, under these definitions.
Manual Review: Check reporting dates, missing values, and sector comparability. Profitability does not imply a future price outcome.
Study: a question before a threshold
Study FilterResearch Question: Which symbols had at least twice their preceding 50-session average volume in the last completed daily bar?
Universe: Use a named universe with adequate daily history; record its membership date.
Observable Criteria: A custom Study can express a relative comparison. This illustrative thinkScript uses the previous daily bar and an earlier baseline.
# Educational observation; not an order instruction
def baseline = Average(volume[2], 50);
plot matches = baseline > 0 and volume[1] >= 2 * baseline;Timeframe & Scan: Select Daily aggregation; [1] refers to the previous bar and [2] starts the baseline before it.
Result Set: Matching symbols within this universe, at this time, under these definitions.
Manual Review: Inspect corporate events and history completeness. Relative volume measures an observation, not the identity or intention of participants.
Pattern: a question before a threshold
Pattern FilterResearch Question: Which symbols match the selected chart-shape definition over the chosen interval?
Universe: Keep the same universe when comparing pattern settings.
Observable Criteria: Choose a supported Pattern filter and document its settings. Stock Hacker permits only one pattern filter in a scan.
Timeframe & Scan: Record the interval and scan timestamp; chart geometry can change with aggregation.
Result Set: Matching symbols within this universe, at this time, under these definitions.
Manual Review: Manually inspect the matched shape and exceptions. A pattern label describes geometry and does not forecast the next move.
Compare Question-to-Filter Mappings
Choose a hypothetical inquiry. These notes specify observations and limits; they are not trading instructions or live scan results.
Select Research Inquiry
Explore Question FormulationRelative Volume Question
Illustrative HypothesisManaging Output Sets in Custom Watchlists
Scanning alone does not generate analytical conclusions. To prevent confirmation bias, candidate outputs must transition cleanly into organized inspection environments.
Save the Scan Query
Save the finalized query under a consistent naming taxonomy (e.g., SCAN_VOL_EXP_D). This ensures you can audit scan integrity without rewriting rule conditions repeatedly.
Record the Observation Time
Record the scan timestamp, aggregation, universe membership, and result count. A saved scan can refresh its matches, so preserve the details of the observation you are studying.
Save Results as a Watchlist
Use the results menu and Save as watchlist to preserve a named list for review. Keep a separate record of the scan query and observation time so the list can be interpreted later.
Customize Analytical Columns
Format your watchlist with customized metric columns: Relative Volume, Distance from 52-Week High, and Beta to contextualize each ticker relative to broader indexes.
Conduct Manual Inspection
Review candlestick structure, order books, and news schedules one by one to eliminate non-standard corporate events, splits, or restructuring disruptions.
Document in Case Workbook
Record outcomes, false-positive counts, and boundary adjustments in your workbook log to refine filter sensitivity across consecutive research cycles.
Independent Workbench Disclaimer
ScanQuestion Workbook is an independent educational publication dedicated to the mathematical and structural logic of market scanning algorithms and quantitative filtering techniques. All references on this page to thinkorswim, Stock Hacker, and thinkScript are provided strictly for educational illustration, workflow demonstration, and user reference.
thinkorswim is a registered trademark of its respective owner (Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. / TD Ameritrade). ScanQuestion Workbook is not affiliated with, sponsored by, endorsed by, or in any way associated with Charles Schwab, TD Ameritrade, or any broker-dealer. We do not provide software plugins, brokerage integrations, account management, financial services, or order execution tools.
All examples, criteria, study snippets, and filter thresholds presented here are intended exclusively for academic study, research methodology training, and theoretical analysis. A match only establishes that the recorded conditions were met. It does not establish a trade signal or future performance.