Direct answer
To find the high and low in forex, pick a specific timeframe (for example, 1H or 1D), then look at the price candles within a defined time window. The high is the maximum upper price extreme (often the candle’s high) in that window, and the low is the minimum lower price extreme (often the candle’s low). This method is mechanical and does not require real-time data.
Explanation: what “high” and “low” mean
A high and a low depend on two decisions:
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Timeframe: If you measure on a 15-minute chart, you will get different highs/lows than on a daily chart. The timeframe controls which prices are included.
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Measurement window: The high/low are relative to the range of time you examine (for example, the last 20 candles, the current week, or a chosen session).
How it works (rule-based):
- Mark the highest candle extreme (the greatest “high”) inside the window → that is the high.
- Mark the lowest candle extreme (the smallest “low”) inside the window → that is the low.
If you use candlesticks, the usual candle extremes are:
- High: the top of the candle wick (or the candle’s high value).
- Low: the bottom of the candle wick (or the candle’s low value).
For smoother visuals, some people use closing-based points, but that is a different definition: a highest close is not the same as the highest high.
Example or checks
Assume you examine a daily chart and define the window as “the last 10 trading days.” Then:
- The high is the largest daily high among those 10 days.
- The low is the smallest daily low among those 10 days.
Useful checks to make the result consistent:
- Rule consistency check: Use the same definition everywhere (high/highs vs close/highs).
- Window check: Recalculate if you change the window length; the extremes can shift.
- Neighbouring candle check: Verify that the marked candle truly contains the extreme within the chosen timeframe.
Limitations and risks (what can go wrong)
- Timeframe sensitivity: Different timeframes can produce different highs and lows for the same date range because the included candles differ.
- Noise and microstructure: Price can briefly print extreme values that may not be meaningful for a different horizon.
- Data quality and gaps: Chart data feeds can differ, and market gaps or illiquidity periods can affect apparent extremes.
- No prediction: Identifying past highs and lows describes what happened in your chosen window; it does not imply future movement.
If you want a stable process, keep your timeframe and window explicit, and document whether you use candle extremes or closes.