Trade Ideas doesn't offer full Level 2 market depth. What it has is Level Q: a display in TI Pro's Advanced Order Entry panel, laid out just like Level 2, that shows the size of the best bid and the best offer in real time, and how buyers and sellers put pressure on each side.
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Level Q on GME: the best bid and best offer, their size and how many are quoting, with the pressure bar between them.
The short answer
Key point
No full Level 2 depth; yes to Level Q. Full Level 2 lists many price levels from many market makers and exchanges. Trade Ideas doesn't provide that. Level Q focuses on the level that matters most when you're about to place an order: the best bid and the best offer. It shows their size live, in the familiar Level 2 layout, so you can watch pressure build or fade on each side, right inside the panel where you place the trade.
Level 1, Level 2 and Level Q
Display
What it shows
In Trade Ideas
Level 1
The best bid and best offer prices, usually with their sizes, as a quote
Yes, in quotes, charts and windows
Level 2
Many price levels below the bid and above the offer, by market maker or exchange
No
Level Q
The best bid and best offer, their size and how many are quoting at each, live, with a pressure bar between them, in a Level 2-style layout
Size building on the bid. More shares waiting to buy at the best bid can mean buyers are stepping up.
The offer getting thin. Fewer shares for sale at the best offer can mean sellers are pulling back.
Sides refilling. When a side is taken and quickly refills, someone may be working a large order at that price.
Count the quotes. Level Q shows how many are quoting at the best bid and best offer, not just the size. Four quotes holding the bid tells a different story than one.
Pressure before you click. Because Level Q sits in the order panel, you see it the moment you decide to trade.
Trader tip
Size at the best bid and offer can change in an instant, and some orders are hidden. Use Level Q as one input alongside your chart, your plan and your stop.
Find the pressure across the whole market
Level Q shows the pressure on the stock you're trading. These Streaming Alerts watch the best bid and offer on every US stock and tell you when something unusual happens:
Large Bid Size: an unusually high number of shares on the best bid.
Large Ask Size: an unusually high number of shares on the best ask.
Market Crossed: the ask is lower than the bid, which happens when a stock is unusually active and often marks a turning point.
Large Spread: an NYSE stock's spread suddenly widens to 50 cents or more.
Large Bid Size: far more shares at the bid than usual.
These are very short-term alerts, aimed at fast, experienced traders. Find a stock with one, open it in the Advanced Order Entry panel, and watch Level Q before you trade.
Where Level Q lives
Level Q is part of the Advanced Order Entry panel in TI Pro, the desktop platform. Brokerage Plus connects that panel to brokers including Interactive Brokers, Alpaca, TradeStation and E*TRADE, plus a simulator for practice, so you read the pressure and place the order in one place. Right below Level Q are one-click buttons to take the other side (buy at the ask or sell at the bid), join the bid or the ask to work the spread, or trade at market. TI Pro runs on Windows, and on a Mac through Parallels.
Not full Level 2 market depth. Trade Ideas has Level Q, a display in TI Pro's Advanced Order Entry panel laid out like Level 2, that shows the size of the best bid and best offer in real time so you can see the pressure on each side.
What is Level Q in Trade Ideas?
Level Q is a Level 2-style display in the Advanced Order Entry panel. It shows the best bid and best offer and their sizes live, and how they adjust as buyers and sellers put pressure on each side.
What is the difference between Level 2 and Level Q?
Level 2 lists many price levels below the bid and above the offer. Level Q focuses on the best bid and best offer, the prices you trade at, and shows their size and pressure live.
Can Trade Ideas alert me to large bids or offers?
Yes. The Large Bid Size and Large Ask Size Streaming Alerts tell you when a stock has an unusually high number of shares on the best bid or best ask, across every US stock. Market Crossed and Large Spread alerts are there too.
Can I place trades from Level Q?
Yes. Level Q sits in the Advanced Order Entry panel, and Brokerage Plus sends orders to brokers including Interactive Brokers, Alpaca, TradeStation and E*TRADE, or to a simulator for practice.
