How to Use the Options Flow Scanner - Track Institutional Activity
The Options Flow Scanner surfaces large options trades and unusual activity that may signal where institutional and professional traders are positioning. This tutorial explains how to read the flow data, distinguish meaningful signals from noise, and incorporate flow analysis into your wheel strategy decision-making process without being distracted by every large trade that crosses the tape.
The scanner displays real-time options flow filtered to trades above a minimum premium threshold — typically $50,000 or more — which eliminates retail activity and focuses on institutional-scale positioning. Each flow entry shows the underlying stock, the specific contract traded, the premium paid, whether the trade was a sweep (indicating urgency) or a single-exchange block, and whether the positioning appears bullish or bearish based on the combination of option type, strike, and expiration selection.
For wheel strategy traders, bullish flow on stocks you are considering for cash-secured put entry adds conviction to the trade idea. When institutional traders are buying calls or selling puts on a stock you want to wheel, it suggests they share your bullish outlook and expect the stock to hold above your target strike. Filter the scanner to your watchlist to see flow only on stocks you are actively monitoring, and set up alerts for unusual flow above your chosen threshold on your tracked symbols. Combine flow analysis with technical support levels and the breakout pressure scanner for the highest-conviction wheel strategy entry setups.