Intermediate · Lesson 10 of 11 · 7 min read

Using the AI scanners sensibly

BTM’s 14 AI scanners watch the charts and flag setups with an entry, stop and targets. Used well they save hours. Used blindly they are just another way to lose money.

SignalsGradesAI OptimiserPaper first

What a scanner signal is, and is not

A scanner follows a fixed set of tested rules. When those rules line up, it shows a signal with an entry, a stop loss and targets. A signal is an idea that passed the rules. It is not a promise, and it is not financial advice. Some signals will lose; that is normal for any method.

Key idea

Treat every scanner like a new trading method: learn it, test it on paper, then use it small. Trust is earned over many signals, not one great trade.

Read the signal before you act

On the chart	What it tells you	What to do
Grade or confidence %	How strong the setup is (for example ★ Idea up to ★★★ Idea)	Many traders take only the higher grades
The table’s bottom line	STRONG, MIXED or WEAK conditions	Be careful with MIXED, skip WEAK
AI call	Normal, Cautious, Aggressive or Pause for that market	On Pause, there are no new signals for now
Grey ⏸ label	A signal the optimiser held back, with the reason	Do not trade it
Entry, SL, TP lines	Where to get in, your stop and your targets	Always set the stop

The AI Optimiser also pauses signals from 30 minutes before to 15 minutes after big news for that market.

Pick the right scanner for the market

Some scanners are built for trends and some for ranges. Using a trend scanner in a sideways market, or the other way round, is a common reason for a run of losses. Check whether the market is trending or ranging first, and read each scanner’s guide to see what it is designed for. One or two well-understood scanners beat six running at once.

Test it before you trust it

Read the scanner’s one-page guide.
Use Replay or a demo account and take its signals the way the guide explains.
Log at least 30 to 50 signals in your journal, wins and losses.
Only then try small live trades, if the results and your own discipline both hold up.

Worked example

APEX PRO shows a ★★ Idea buy on gold. Before acting, you notice the table’s bottom line says MIXED, and US inflation news is due in 25 minutes.

A sensible trader skips it, or waits until after the news and checks again. Reading the whole picture, not just the arrow, is what using a scanner sensibly means.

Common mistakes

Avoid these

Taking every signal without reading the grade, table or AI call.
Ignoring the stop because “the scanner said buy”.
Switching scanners after a couple of losses.
Going live before testing the scanner on paper.

Check yourself

1. What does a grey ⏸ label mean?

The optimiser held that signal back, so do not trade it.

2. The table’s bottom line says WEAK. What should you do?

Skip the signal.

3. How many signals should you log on paper before trusting a scanner?

At least 30 to 50.

Try it on BTM

AI Optimiser guideAI calls, the news pause and confidence scores.Scanner guidesA one-page guide for each of the 14 scanners.Chart AI guideA plain-English read of what the chart is showing.

For education only, not financial advice. Trading carries a high risk of losing money, especially with leverage. Only trade with money you can afford to lose.

For educational purposes only. Nothing here is financial advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results, and trading carries a high risk of losing money, so only trade with money you can afford to lose. Read the risk warning.