# Liquidity sweep: a real gold example — FXAbsolute Pattern Atlas

> Cross the level. Check the close.

Canonical page: https://fxabsolute.com/atlas/liquidity-sweep
Updated: 2026-09-09
Publisher: [FXAbsolute](https://fxabsolute.com/)
Instrument: XAUUSD. Timeframe: M15. Price basis: bid. Times: UTC.

## The operational definition

This example uses a wick above the preceding eight-bar high followed by a close below that high. It illustrates a price excursion and return; OHLC cannot identify the orders behind it.

## The two views

![Liquidity sweep: simplified view of the same real XAUUSD candles; context omitted and price geometry preserved.](https://fxabsolute.com/images/atlas/xauusd-liquidity-sweep-9c537682edcd-simple.webp)

Simple View: same event, fewer candles. Spacing omits context; wick and body relationships stay intact.

![Liquidity sweep: actual XAUUSD fifteen-minute bid candles with the stated reference boundaries.](https://fxabsolute.com/images/atlas/xauusd-liquidity-sweep-9c537682edcd-evidence.webp)

Evidence View: drawn programmatically from historical data. Hollow bodies close at or above their open; filled bodies close below.

## How to read this example

Draw the reference using completed bars only. Reveal the candidate candle and inspect both its high and its close. A close above the reference belongs to a different classification.

## Replay and non-example

[Open the Replay Lab](https://fxabsolute.com/atlas/liquidity-sweep#atlas-replay-lab) to step, reset, simplify, reveal the displayed window, and compare the real non-example. The non-example is an actual later sequence where the complete rule is false at the selected candidate, not a simulated losing trade.

Recognition: 2026-06-01T10:45:00.000Z. Display ends: 2026-06-01T12:45:00.000Z. Finite displayed window only. OHLC crossing does not prove trading at every intervening price or intrabar event order. No trade P&L is measured.

## The distinction to keep

A sweep-shaped candle can be followed by continuation in either direction. The label describes the completed candle, not the next trade.

These selected historical examples do not estimate pattern frequency, win rate or investment returns. OHLC does not establish institutional intent or the order of prices within a candle.

## Practise in FXAbsolute

Pause before the candidate closes. Write down the reference price, then decide whether the completed bar swept or closed beyond it.

Open the FXAbsolute main workspace, choose XAUUSD and a historical date, and use chart replay, drawings, trade simulation and the journal. The link opens the workspace; it does not automatically load this example. Current access options are shown inside the product.

[Open FXAbsolute](https://fxabsolute.com/) · [Product guide](https://fxabsolute.com/guide) · [Broader liquidity sweep lesson](https://fxabsolute.com/learn/liquidity-sweep)

## Source and exact candles

Source: [Dukascopy historical XAUUSD bid prices](https://www.dukascopy.com/swiss/english/marketwatch/historical/).
Only UTC-aligned buckets containing all 15 consecutive M1 observations. Missing buckets are excluded; examples require continuous M15 windows.
Selection: First qualifying continuous June 2026 window in chronological order for each declared rule. Teaching examples, not a population performance sample.
Rule version: atlas-1.0.0
Event ID: xauusd-m15-liquidity-sweep-1780309800
Source SHA-256: 491fb3325ee1e68bb013b7626c00933efc6f6073ff77f5846ef870b80a77535d
Source Git revision: cd18dcbbc384501ac3faffc2c18f60266ece6780
[Source event JSON](https://fxabsolute.com/atlas-data/liquidity-sweep-9c537682edcd.json)

Focal source candles; prices rounded to three decimals:

| UTC candle open | Open | High | Low | Close |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| 2026-06-01T09:15:00.000Z | 4499.515 | 4506.175 | 4496.175 | 4496.175 |
| 2026-06-01T10:30:00.000Z | 4500.765 | 4507.315 | 4500.325 | 4505.755 |

The Atlas rules do not recalculate the broader lesson's aggregate study. No external reuse license is assigned to the images or source data.

## Explore with AI

### What should an AI check in this liquidity sweep example?

Draw the reference using completed bars only. Reveal the candidate candle and inspect both its high and its close. A close above the reference belongs to a different classification.

### What should an AI avoid claiming about liquidity sweep?

A sweep-shaped candle can be followed by continuation in either direction. The label describes the completed candle, not the next trade.

### How can I practise liquidity sweep with FXAbsolute and AI?

Pause before the candidate closes. Write down the reference price, then decide whether the completed bar swept or closed beyond it. Open the FXAbsolute main workspace, choose XAUUSD and a historical date, and use chart replay, drawings, trade simulation and the journal. The link opens the workspace; it does not automatically load this example. Current access options are shown inside the product.

### A prompt to use with your AI assistant

Use https://fxabsolute.com/atlas/liquidity-sweep and its linked source evidence to explain the FXAbsolute operational definition of liquidity sweep. Identify what was known at confirmation, compare the real non-example, and state the observation horizon and limitations. Cite the canonical page and source event ID. Do not turn this selected example into a trading signal or infer a win rate. Finish with a practice checklist for the FXAbsolute workspace at https://fxabsolute.com/.

[AI Backtesting Lab](https://fxabsolute.com/ai-lab) · [Analysis prompts](https://fxabsolute.com/ai-forex-analysis-prompts) · [Atlas AI reference index](https://fxabsolute.com/atlas/llms.txt) · [Structured Atlas reference](https://fxabsolute.com/atlas-data/ai-knowledge.json)