Momentum indicators
Williams' %R
Bounded oscillator locating the close within the recent high-low range.
- Engine
- TA-Lib
- Function
WILLR- Input series
- high, low, close
- Outputs
- 1
How it works
Williams' %R compares the current close with the highest high and lowest low over the configured period and scales the result from 0 to -100.
Use case
Use Williams' %R as a bounded momentum feature for relative close position, overbought or oversold context, and range-position changes.
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Default | Bounds or options | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time Period | integer | 14 | 2…100000 | Number of bars used to find the highest high and lowest low. |
Outputs
| Output | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Williams' %R | number | Williams' %R value for the bar, normally ranging from -100 to 0. |
Reading the result
Williams’ %R places the close relative to the recent high-low range using a negative scale. Readings near the top of the range are closer to zero; readings near the bottom are closer to the lower end of the scale.
Its interpretation is closely related to range-position oscillators, but the sign and orientation can differ. Verify the scale before combining it with a similarly shaped feature.
Common mistakes
- Reversing the meaning of the negative scale.
- Treating range extremes as immediate reversal signals.
- Comparing with Stochastic without accounting for orientation and smoothing differences.
- Ignoring unstable behavior when the recent high-low range is very small.
DataCat workflow notes
If a downstream model benefits from a zero-to-one scale, transform the value explicitly and retain the transformation definition. Do not overwrite the raw DataCat output or lose its quality state.