Unusual options activity insights
Rule-based signals from end-of-day option data for a symbol or a watchlist - open interest build-ups, volume above open interest, IV rank extremes, IV jumps, put/call flips and large money-flow days - each with the numbers and the rule behind it.
Overview
The Insights page checks one symbol, or every symbol on one of your watchlists, against a fixed set of rules and lists what stood out in the latest session. Every card says what happened, shows the numbers it was built from and, under Why this fired, the rule and the threshold it crossed. No AI model writes these cards: they are computed by code from our own end-of-day option summaries, so the same data always gives the same cards.
Before you start
- Insights are part of plans that include AI insights or Advanced analytics. Without either, the page explains which plan includes it; see Account and billing.
- With AI insights alone, up to 5 symbols of a watchlist are checked and the window goes back at most 5 sessions. Advanced analytics checks up to 25 symbols and allows the 30-session window.
- The data is delayed: the rules read end-of-day summaries built after each session (about 16:10 ET). On the free plan the page shows the previous session. The label above the cards always says which session you are looking at.
Steps
- Open Insights.
- Type a symbol and choose Check, or pick one of your watchlists.
- Choose the period: Latest session, Last 5 sessions or Last 30 sessions. Contract-level rules (open interest, volume, IV jumps) look at the latest session; symbol-level rules (IV rank, put/call ratio, money flow) look at every session in the period.
- Read the summary and the cards. Cards are ordered High, then Notable, then Context.
- Use the type chips to show only some kinds of insight. The choice is kept in the page address, so you can bookmark or share it.
- Open Why this fired on a card to see the rule, the threshold and the observed number. Follow the card's link to the chart or screener for the full picture.
The rules
| Insight | Fires when (default thresholds) |
|---|---|
| IV rank high / low | The 1-year IV rank is at or above 80, or at or below 20. Crossing the line today raises the priority. |
| Open interest surge | A contract's open interest rose at least 25 % and at least 500 contracts since the previous session, from a base of at least 100. |
| Volume above open interest | A contract traded at least 3x its open interest, with at least 1,000 contracts traded. |
| IV jump | A contract's implied volatility rose at least 5 volatility points since the previous session, with at least 100 open interest. |
| Put/call ratio rose / fell | The put/call volume ratio crossed above 1.3 or below 0.7 today (a crossing, not just being there). |
| Large money-flow day | Option premium traded was at least 2x its trailing average (at least 5 sessions of history) and at least $1,000,000. |
Administrators can tune these numbers in the platform settings (Unusual activity insight thresholds). Each card lists at most 3 contracts per rule, and at most 10 cards per symbol.
Example
Sample watchlist holds XYZ. After a session, the page shows:
- High - "XYZ 50C 11/20 OI +80% (+4,000 contracts)." Facts: open interest 9,000, previous session 5,000. Why: open interest rose at least 25 % and 500 contracts from a base of at least 100.
- Notable - "XYZ put/call volume ratio rose to 1.45 from 1.10: puts outtraded calls."
These numbers are invented to show the layout.
FAQs
Does "unusual" mean I should trade it?
No. An insight says a number crossed a threshold. It does not say why, and it does not predict a price move. Use it as a starting point for your own research.
Why does a number show "n/a"?
That value was not available for the session (for example a contract that is new today has no previous open interest). A missing number is never shown as 0.
Is AI involved?
Not in the cards. A separate AI narrative may appear under a symbol's cards when AI is enabled; it is labelled as AI-generated and explains the same numbers.
Troubleshooting
"No end-of-day option summaries are available yet"
The summaries for the latest session have not been built yet, or the symbol has no listed options in our data. Try again after 16:30 ET, or check Understanding data freshness.
Some watchlist symbols are marked skipped
Your plan checks only the first 5 symbols of a watchlist (25 with Advanced analytics). Split the list or upgrade.
"Nothing crossed the thresholds"
That is a normal, quiet session. Try Last 5 sessions, or another watchlist.