Financial Analyst/ Guest author, RADEX MARKETS
Lee W. is a seasoned professional trader with over 10 years of experience. Passionate about sharing valuable expertise and unique market insights, Lee W. now serves as an external and independent market analyst for RADEX MARKETS.
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You pull up the Alligator Indicator on your trading platform and see three coloured lines twisting together before suddenly spreading apart. Is that the signal to enter, or is it better to wait? Perhaps you have already followed the familiar advice to trade when the lines separate, only to watch the market fold back immediately after you opened the position.
This guide explains what the Jaw, Teeth and Lips represent, how to recognise the indicator’s three distinct states, and which settings to use across different timeframes. We will also work through the entry and exit process step by step, using clear conditions you can check directly against your own forex chart.
The Alligator Indicator consists of three smoothed moving averages known as the Jaw, Teeth and Lips, with each line representing the trend over a different period. Intertwined lines indicate a ranging market where entries are generally best avoided, while lines fanning out in the correct sequence suggest an established trend, but the real signal depends on both their order and distance, not simply whether they have separated.
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The Williams Alligator Indicator is a technical indicator made up of three smoothed moving averages, with each one representing a different layer of the market trend. Introduced by trader and author Bill Williams in 1995, it was designed to help distinguish trending conditions from periods when the market is moving sideways.
Line |
Colour |
Period |
Displacement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jaw | Blue | 13 | 8 bars forward |
| Teeth | Red | 8 | 5 bars forward |
| Lips | Green | 5 | 3 bars forward |
These colours are the traditional defaults, although some trading platforms allow them to be changed. The forward displacement is deliberate: each line is plotted several bars ahead of its underlying calculation, so its position and arrangement help reveal the trend’s direction and strength. By comparing the order, spacing and slope of the three lines, traders can assess the market without relying on a separate numerical reading.
A smoothed moving average differs from an ordinary moving average because its calculation gives more weight to the broader price history, creating a smoother line that filters out more short-term noise. The trade-off is that it reacts more slowly when the market changes direction.
The Alligator Indicator calculation begins with the median price of each trading period rather than relying solely on its closing price.
MEDIAN PRICE = (HIGH + LOW) / 2
This calculates the midpoint between the period’s highest and lowest prices.
For the first bar, the smoothed moving average begins as a simple moving average:
First bar (as a simple moving average, SMA):
SUM1 = SUM (CLOSE, N)
SMMA1 = SUM1/N
These formulas add the closing prices across the selected number of periods and divide the result by that number to establish the first average.
For every bar that follows, the calculation incorporates the previous smoothed value:
Subsequent bars:
PREVSUM = SMMA(i-1) × N
SMMA(i) = (PREVSUM − SMMA(i-1) + CLOSE(i))/N
This updates the average gradually by removing part of the previous value and adding the latest closing price, which produces a smoother line with less short-term noise.
Where:
The three Alligator lines apply the calculation to the median price using different periods and forward displacements:
JAW = SMMA (MEDIAN PRICE, 13, 8)
The Jaw calculates a 13-period smoothed moving average and shifts it eight bars forward.
TEETH = SMMA (MEDIAN PRICE, 8, 5)
The Teeth calculate an eight-period smoothed moving average and shift it five bars forward.
LIPS = SMMA (MEDIAN PRICE, 5, 3)
The Lips calculate a five-period smoothed moving average and shift it three bars forward.
The shorter the period, the faster the line reacts to price. This is why the Lips respond to a new move first and the Jaw responds last, and that difference in speed creates the three market states we will examine next.
The three Alligator Indicator states describe how the Jaw, Teeth and Lips behave as the market moves between ranging and trending conditions. Each state has a chart condition that should be checked before deciding whether to wait, prepare or consider an entry.
Reading condition: The three lines intertwine and cross each other, sit close together, and show no clear top-to-bottom order.
The sleeping state means the market is ranging, with price moving backwards and forwards inside a relatively narrow area. Any potential entry during this stage depends on the boundaries of the range rather than the presence of an established trend.
I have seen plenty of avoidable losses occur here because traders assume tightly grouped lines mean that a breakout is about to happen. A move may eventually develop, but the Alligator has not confirmed it yet, so entering at this point often means being caught by another turn inside the range.
Reading condition: The three lines begin to separate out of their crossed state, but the order is not yet settled, and brief re-crosses can still occur.
The waking state suggests that a trend may be forming, but its direction has not yet been properly confirmed. The Lips usually react first, followed by the Teeth and then the Jaw, although the lines may briefly cross again while the market decides where it wants to go.
This is a stage for watching rather than immediately placing a trade. If the order of the lines keeps flipping, the direction remains uncertain, and treating every small separation as an entry signal is a reliable way to collect false starts.
Reading condition: The three lines fan out in sequence, ordered Lips, Teeth, Jaw from top to bottom in an uptrend and the reverse in a downtrend, with price holding above or below all three lines.
The eating state indicates that the trend is established. In an uptrend, price should remain above the three lines, with the Lips highest, the Teeth in the middle and the Jaw lowest. In a downtrend, price should stay below them, with the Jaw highest, followed by the Teeth and then the Lips.
Two conditions must therefore be present at the same time: the lines must appear in the correct order, and price must be holding on the trend side of all three. Lines that have separated while price remains trapped between them do not qualify as a confirmed eating state.
Trading with the Alligator Indicator requires more than waiting for three lines to move apart. A valid setup combines the correct line order, price position and a second form of confirmation before an order is placed.
The first step is to confirm that the Alligator has entered its eating state. All three lines should be fanning out, pointing in the same direction and arranged in the correct sequence described in the previous section.
For a long trade, the Lips should be above the Teeth, with the Teeth above the Jaw. For a short trade, that order should be reversed. If the lines continue to swap positions, the Alligator is still waking up, and the trend has not been confirmed.
The second step is to confirm that price has moved beyond all three lines in the direction of the potential trade. A long setup requires price to hold above the Lips, Teeth and Jaw, while a short setup requires it to remain below them.
The line order and price position must be present at the same time. Entering while candles are still closing between the lines is one of the most common ways to jump the gun and become trapped in an uncertain market.
The third step is to place the stop-loss on the far side of the Jaw. As the slowest line, the Jaw represents the broader trend and provides a more meaningful invalidation point than the faster Lips or Teeth.
For a long position, the stop can be placed below the Jaw and the nearest relevant swing low. For a short position, it can sit above the Jaw and the nearest swing high. If price moves decisively through the Jaw, the original trend reading no longer holds, so the trade should not be left open simply in the hope that the market changes its mind.
The fourth step is to confirm the setup using a momentum indicator or price action before placing the order. RSI holding above 50 can support a bullish setup, while a reading below 50 can support a bearish one. A strong candle close, breakout and retest, or clear sequence of higher highs and higher lows can provide additional evidence.
Used alone, the Alligator Indicator tends to get chopped backwards and forwards during ranging markets. Its most useful role is therefore as a trend filter, not as a complete entry-and-exit system dressed up as three colourful lines.
Worked EUR/USD Example
Suppose EUR/USD is trading on the four-hour chart and has recently moved out of a sideways range. The Alligator lines now show the Lips above the Teeth and the Teeth above the Jaw, while each line is rising and spreading further apart.
Price closes above all three lines at 1.0850, and RSI is above its 50 midline, supporting the bullish momentum. The Jaw is positioned at 1.0805, while the most recent swing low is slightly lower. A trader could therefore consider:
- Currency pair: EUR/USD
- Timeframe: Four-hour chart
- Potential entry: 1.0850
- Jaw level: 1.0805
- Stop-loss: 1.0790
- Risk per unit: 60 pips
This is an illustrative setup rather than a recommendation to trade at those prices. The position size would need to be calculated so that a 60-pip loss remained within the trader’s predetermined risk limit.
If EUR/USD continues rising, the trade could be managed by trailing the stop below new swing lows or behind the rising Jaw. A candle closing decisively below the Jaw, followed by the lines beginning to contract or lose their bullish order, would provide a clear reason to exit. This gives the trader objective conditions for both entering and leaving the position rather than relying on instinct once money is at risk.
Read more: What is RSI in forex? Meaning, formula and signals
Alligator Indicator settings should reflect the speed of the chart being traded. The figures below are practical starting points rather than fixed rules, with the periods shown in Jaw/Teeth/Lips order.
Timeframe |
Periods |
Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| M5 and below | 5/3/2 | Faster response for very short-term price moves, but more false signals and frequent line crossing |
| H1 to H4 | 13/8/5 | Standard balanced settings that filter some market noise without becoming excessively slow |
| Daily and above | 21/13/8 | Slower settings designed to emphasise broader trends and filter short-term fluctuations |
Using slow settings on a five-minute chart can cause the indicator to react after much of the move has already occurred. However, making the lines too sensitive produces frequent crossings and false eating states. On daily and weekly charts, moderately longer periods can filter out fluctuations that are insignificant within the wider trend.
The standard 13/8/5 combination comes from the Fibonacci sequence rather than arbitrary selection, which is one reason it can filter noise effectively on four-hour and higher timeframes. Even so, no setting is automatically suitable for every currency pair, so any adjustment should be tested across trending and ranging conditions before it is used with real money.
Read more: Trend Trading Strategies: How to Use Indicators with Examples
The Alligator Indicator, a single moving average and MACD can all help traders analyse a trend, but they present the information differently. The best choice depends on whether the trader wants a simple directional filter, a momentum reading or a visual breakdown of the trend’s different layers.
Tool |
What it shows |
Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Single moving average | The average price over one selected period and whether price is trading above or below it | Identifying the general trend direction with a simple chart overlay |
| MACD | The relationship between two exponential moving averages, displayed through the MACD line, signal line and histogram | Measuring momentum, spotting crossovers and identifying changes in trend strength |
| Alligator | The order, spacing and direction of three smoothed moving averages with different speeds | Distinguishing ranging conditions from established trends and timing trend-following setups |
A single moving average operates at only one speed, so it cannot show how the short-, medium- and longer-term layers of a trend are interacting. MACD condenses the difference between two moving averages into lines and a histogram, making momentum easier to assess, but it does not show where price is sitting relative to those averages on the main chart.
The Alligator displays the trend’s layers directly through the arrangement of the Jaw, Teeth and Lips. The trade-off is that the trader must monitor three lines, their order and the position of price, rather than having one number or histogram available at a glance. For this reason, the Alligator is particularly useful as a visual trend filter, while MACD may be the better choice when momentum is the main concern.
Read more: The best forex indicators every trader should use in 2026
The Alligator Indicator is simple to add to a chart, but that does not mean every colourful rearrangement deserves a trade. Over the years, I have seen the same four mistakes appear repeatedly, and I have made some of them myself.
None of these traps represents a fault in the indicator itself; each one comes from treating a single condition as though it were a complete trading signal.
Read more: How to Read Forex Charts for Traders
The Williams Alligator Indicator is not consistently profitable when used by itself, with cited back tests across thousands of trades producing win rates of approximately 28% to 45% and substantial drawdowns in ranging conditions. It is better used as a trend filter alongside a second confirmation tool, which is the approach described in Step 4 of this guide.
There is no single most successful trading indicator because every tool performs differently as market conditions change. Volume is commonly used to confirm market participation, while RSI and moving averages help assess momentum and trend direction; the Alligator’s role within such a combination is to identify the market’s trend state and filter out ranging conditions.
In macroeconomics, the “Big Three” economic indicators are gross domestic product (GDP), the unemployment rate and the inflation rate, commonly measured using the Consumer Price Index. These are macroeconomic measures of economic health, which places them in a different category from chart-based technical indicators such as the Williams Alligator.
The most widely accepted Alligator Indicator settings are Bill Williams’ defaults: Jaw 13 with an eight-bar shift, Teeth 8 with a five-bar shift, and Lips 5 with a three-bar shift. These Fibonacci-based settings are particularly useful on four-hour, daily and higher timeframes, while shorter periods can improve reaction speed on lower timeframes at the cost of producing more false signals, as shown in the settings table above.
The three lines are called the Jaw, Teeth and Lips, and each one is a smoothed moving average calculated over a different period. Together, their order and spacing reveal the short-, medium- and longer-term layers of the trend.
The Alligator is sleeping when its three lines are intertwined, close together and repeatedly crossing. It is waking when they begin to separate, but a properly established trend requires them to fan out in sequence with price holding above or below all three lines.
The Williams Alligator Indicator combines three smoothed moving averages, the Jaw, Teeth and Lips, each calculated with a different period and forward displacement. We have covered the formulas behind those lines, the chart conditions that define the sleeping, waking and eating states, and a four-step process for confirming entries, placing stops and managing exits. We have also examined how its settings can be adjusted by timeframe and how the indicator compares with a single moving average and MACD.
The practical test to take to your own chart is straightforward: do not ask only whether the lines have separated; check whether they are in the correct order and whether price is holding beyond all three. From my experience, the Alligator is misused most often as a standalone entry signal when its proper role is to filter the trend before price action or a second indicator confirms the trade.
Lee W. is a seasoned professional trader with over 10 years of experience. Passionate about sharing valuable expertise and unique market insights, Lee W. now serves as an external and independent market analyst for RADEX MARKETS.
Reviewed by RADEX MARKETS
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