# Standard-deviation Channel Width Standard-deviation Channel Width is an indicator on [Vela](https://vela.luxalgo.com/chart), our next-generation charting platform, written in Pine Script®. Measures the rail-to-rail width of a least-squares regression channel (100 bars and 2 standard deviations by default), quoted as a percent of the midline or in price units. The reading is compared against its own 100-bar average, with a 0.5x compression threshold flagging coiled trends, a dashboard, an optional on-chart channel, and four alerts on average crosses and compression. - Indicator in the LuxAlgo Library, by LuxAlgo, published May 5, 2026. - Access: free. - Concepts: [Standard-deviation Channel Width](https://www.luxalgo.com/library/concept/standard-deviation-channel-width/) (primary) - Open on Vela: https://vela.luxalgo.com/chart?pineScriptCodeId=guj1ovdb5uxqwqlh12ewno8x - Page: https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/standard-deviation-channel-width/ **Standard-deviation Channel Width** reads how tightly price hugs its own trend. Each bar it fits a least-squares regression over the lookback and measures the residuals' standard deviation, plotting the implied channel's rail-to-rail span, the [standard-deviation channel width](https://www.luxalgo.com/library/concept/standard-deviation-channel-width/), as one line. With the trend subtracted first, the reading isolates the noise around a move rather than the move: an orderly trend prints narrow whether steep or flat. The width is judged against its own rolling average, compression tints the pane, and a dashboard restates the reading in price units, percent of midline, ratio to average and trajectory. ## How to Trade the Standard-deviation Channel Width? - **Width below its average**: an orderly, efficient trend; crossings are alerted both ways. - **Compression**: readings under the threshold fraction of the average flag a coiled trend, with Start and Release alerts. - **Trajectory**: the dashboard's 5-bar comparison reads Widening when a trend gets sloppy, Narrowing when it tightens. ## Standard-deviation Channel Width Settings - **Regression Length** (default 100) and **Source** (default close): the fitted window. Widths only compare at a fixed lookback. - **Deviation Multiplier** (default 2.0): the k in rails at k standard deviations; scales the width linearly. - **Deviation Divisor** (default n): population form, or the slightly wider n - 2 variant. - **Display Mode** (default Normalized (% of midline)): percent of midline for comparability, or price units for sizing stops to the noise. - **Average Length** (default 100) with **Show Average** (on); **Compression Threshold** (default 0.5) with **Highlight Compression** (on); **Trajectory Lookback** (default 5). - **Show Regression Channel** (default off): draw the live channel on the price chart. - **Show Dashboard** (on); style: **Gradient Fill** (on). ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How is this different from Bollinger Band width? [Bollinger Bands](https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/bollinger-bands/) measure dispersion around a moving average, so a steady trend holds them wide: trend and noise share one number. This channel subtracts the fitted trend first, so width narrows for a clean move and widens only when price gets disorderly around it. ### Why does the on-chart channel repaint? Each new bar refits the regression, so the drawn channel shifts as the window rolls: it is a context overlay. The width series comes from each bar's own window; its history never changes. ### Should I use the n or n - 2 divisor? n is the population form most charting conventions compute; n - 2 divides by the regression's degrees of freedom. On a 100-bar window the difference is around one percent. Pick one and keep it fixed. ## Related indicators - [Hot Zone Radar](https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/hot-zone-radar/) (Volatility Percentile/rank): markdown at https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/hot-zone-radar.md - [Volatility Signature Plot](https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/volatility-signature-plot/) (Volatility): markdown at https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/volatility-signature-plot.md - [The Range Indicator](https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/the-range-indicator/) (Volatility): markdown at https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/the-range-indicator.md - [Jump Detection](https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/jump-detection/) (Volatility): markdown at https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/jump-detection.md - [Volatility of Volatility](https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/volatility-of-volatility/) (Volatility): markdown at https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/volatility-of-volatility.md - [Garman-Klass–Yang-Zhang Hybrid](https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/garman-klass-yang-zhang-hybrid/) (Volatility): markdown at https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/garman-klass-yang-zhang-hybrid.md - [GARCH-family Clustering](https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/garch-family-clustering/) (Volatility): markdown at https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/garch-family-clustering.md - [Kase Studies](https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/kase-studies/) (Volatility): markdown at https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/kase-studies.md --- Source: https://www.luxalgo.com/library/indicator/standard-deviation-channel-width/ (LuxAlgo Library). Free to use with attribution: https://www.luxalgo.com/library/license/