Real-Time Options Flow
See every options trade as it happens
What live options flow is
Options flow is the live record of options prints: who is paying up for calls or puts, in what size, with what urgency, and at which strikes and expiries. Unlike equity tape alone, options flow encodes horizon (DTE), leverage, and often intent—though intent is inferred, never certain, from context such as volume versus open interest, execution side, and repetition.
Traders use flow to confirm or question a narrative. A chart move accompanied by repeated ask-side call activity reads differently from one without comparable option activity, but the tape still cannot prove whether those trades are opening, closing, directional, or hedged.
Optionomics presents flow in sortable tables with tags (sweeps, blocks, ISO) and sentiment hints so you can move from “something traded” to “what traded and how it traded,” then branch to Unusual Activity, the chart inside the Terminal, or daily analytics for the next layer of structure.
Who it is best for: Active intraday and swing traders, catalyst-driven names, and anyone building alerts off live prints.
Availability: Gamma plan and higher.
The Flow Table
Each row is a single options trade with these columns:
| Column | What It Tells You |
|---|---|
| Time | When the trade executed |
| Sym | Stock ticker |
| Type | Call or Put |
| Side | Where the trade executed relative to the displayed bid and ask |
| Snt | Sentiment (bullish/bearish/neutral) |
| C | Confidence score (1-5) |
| Strike | Option strike price |
| Spot | Current stock price |
| Exp | Expiration date |
| DTE | Days to expiration |
| Prem | Total premium ($) |
| Size | Number of contracts |
| Vol/OI | Volume vs Open Interest |
| IV | Implied volatility |
| Δ | Delta |
| Tags | Sweep, Block, ISO |
Execution Side
The side badge summarizes where a print occurred relative to the quoted market. Ask-side and above-ask execution can indicate buyer urgency; bid-side and below-bid execution can indicate seller urgency; mid-market execution is less directional. Quote movement, multi-leg packages, and reporting timing can make a badge ambiguous, so use it as context rather than confirmed intent.
Trade Types
Sweeps
Orders that sweep across multiple exchanges to get filled immediately. High urgency, high conviction.
Blocks
Large negotiated trades executed as single transactions. Size does not identify the participant or whether the trade is directional.
ISO (Intermarket Sweep Orders)
Priority orders that cross multiple exchanges simultaneously. Time-sensitive execution.
Dashboard Metrics
At the top of the page, you’ll see aggregated flow data:
| Metric | Description | Interpretation | |——–|————-|—————-| | Sentiment | Bullish/Bearish/Neutral distribution | % of trades by direction | | P/C Premium | Put/Call ratio by dollar spent | >1.0 = more $ in puts (bearish) | | P/C Volume | Put/Call ratio by contracts | >1.0 = more put contracts (bearish) | | Avg IV | Average implied volatility across trades | Higher = more expensive options | | Net Premium | Calls minus puts ($ flow) | Positive = net call buying | | Net Δ | Net delta exposure | Positive = bullish positioning |
Filters
Use the filter control to combine:
- Symbol, premium range, DTE range
- Trade types (sweep, block, ISO)
- Execution side (AA, A, M, B, BB)
- Volume/OI ratio, unusual score
Reading Flow: Quick Guide
| Signal | Interpretation | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Large premium + Sweep + At Ask | Urgent call-side execution | Check whether the print is part of a spread or hedge |
| Block trade + Far OTM | Large negotiated risk transfer | Check news, open interest, and related legs |
| High volume relative to open interest | Activity is large compared with prior open positions | Review whether volume persists and open interest changes later |
| 0DTE activity | Very short-dated exposure | Expect fast sensitivity changes and verify the event calendar |
| Repeated trades at one strike | Concentrated interest at that contract | Compare timing, side, and related expirations |
| Sweep + ISO + Above ask | High execution urgency | Treat urgency as context, not proof of direction |
Important: Large trades can be:
- Opening new positions (bullish/bearish)
- Closing existing positions (profit-taking, loss-cutting)
- One leg of a spread (incomplete picture)
- Hedges for stock positions (opposite sentiment)
Always consider context: news, technicals, overall flow direction.
Live stream controls
Above the flow table you’ll find a Pause / Play control on the live stream. Pause when you want to read a row without it scrolling away; resume to keep reading the tape. Filters narrow the table by symbol, premium, DTE, side, trade type, and more, and chosen filters persist as you switch around. A date selector (Time Travel) lets you replay a prior session’s tape.
Saved Views: once you have a useful filter combination, save it as a named view and reapply it later.
Terminal
For power users with focus on day trading, the Terminal provides:
- Three-column layout: AI tabs on the left, chart and symbol research in the center, and Unusual Activity, Options Flow, Market Scanner, Watch List, or Alerts on the right
- Advanced charting with overlays (S/R, dark pool, GEX, option chain walls, net flow), drawing tools, and indicators
- A preset-based Market Scanner (unusual activity, bullish/bearish flow, whale trades, gamma squeeze, and more)
- AI feeds in one place (Commentary and Ideas, available with Theta or Vega)
Next: Terminal — See flow alongside price action and options-derived overlays.
Remember: Flow shows what traders are doing, not what will happen. Large trades can be hedges, spreads, or wrong. Use as one input in your analysis.
