RSI 101: The Secret of RSI’s WMA45 Line and How to Use ItIn my trading method, I use the WMA45 line together with RSI to help spot the trend more clearly.
Today, I’ll share with you how it works and how to apply it — whether you're doing scalping or swing trading.
Why WMA45?
WMA (Weighted Moving Average) is a type of moving average where recent prices are given more importance.
WMA45 simply means it takes the average of the last 45 candles (could be 45 minutes, 45 hours, or 45 days depending on your chart).
Because it moves slower than RSI, it helps reduce the “noise” and gives you a better idea of the real trend.
This idea is not new — many traders have tested RSI strategies also use this line. I just applied and adjusted it in my own way.
👉 How to set it up on TradingView (very simple):
What WMA45 Tells You
Trending
This line shows you the overall direction of the market:
📉 If WMA45 is going down, the price is likely going down.
📈 If WMA45 is going up, the price is likely going up.
Also, the steeper the line, the stronger the trend is:
Looking at the example above, the WMA45 line starts from the same level in two different phases, but the slope is different. The steeper line shows a larger price range.
This happens because the price was more volatile, which caused the RSI to move more sharply, and that, in turn, made the WMA45 slope steeper.
In multi-timeframe analysis, when the trend on the higher timeframe is strong (shown by a steep WMA45 line), the RSI on the lower timeframe will usually move within a tighter range and react more accurately to key levels.
If you’re not sure what these key RSI levels are, check out my previous post here:
For example, in a strong downtrend on H1, RSI on M5 might not even reach 50:
✅ What does this mean for trading?
Use WMA45 on higher timeframes to define trend bias.
On lower timeframes, watch RSI responses at key zones for optimal entries.
When holding positions, WMA45 helps determine whether to stay in the trade.
Moving Sideways
Here’s something important to note: when WMA45 is flat, RSI will keep crossing back and forth over it.
Depending on where WMA45 is flat, RSI tends to move within that range and creates different sideways price patterns. Here are the main types:
Around 50 → price moves in a box: According to RSI theory, the 50 level is the balance between buyers and sellers. RSI fluctuating around this causes price to move sideways in a rectangular box range.
Above 50 → price goes up in a rising channel: Above 50 is where buyers dominate sellers. RSI operating in this zone will continually create bullish candles pushing the price upward.
Below 50 → price goes down in a falling channel: Below 50 is where sellers dominate buyers. RSI in this zone will consistently form lower highs and lower lows, pushing the price downward.
Trend Reversal of WMA45
WMA45 is calculated from the average of 45 candles, so it's almost impossible for it to reverse direction suddenly. When it's sloping (trending), it takes time for RSI to fluctuate enough to "flatten" it before it can reverse.
As shown in the example, after WMA45 slopes up, before it turns downward, RSI must cross back and forth through it to reduce the steepness => flatten it => then reverse.
Does this align with Dow Theory? It represents the phases: Trend > Sideway > Trend. Sideway is when the WMA45 line is flattened.
✅ What does this mean for trading?
After a trend forms, if you want to enter a counter-trend trade, patiently wait for WMA45 to flatten to confirm the previous trend has ended.
Dynamic Support and Resistance
In addition to being a trend indicator for RSI, WMA45 also serves as a dynamic support/resistance level for RSI.
You will often observe RSI reacting when it encounters the WMA45 line.
In an uptrend, WMA45 acts as support for RSI.
In a downtrend, WMA45 acts as resistance for RSI.
Notably, if the reactions occur at higher RSI values, the resulting price support is stronger. Conversely, if reactions happen at lower RSI values, the price is pushed down further.
In the above example, in the first reaction around RSI 60s, RSI dropped by 9.6 points and price dropped by 12 points. In the second reaction at RSI 40s, RSI dropped similarly, but the price dropped by 25 points.
✅ What does this mean for trading?
You can use WMA45 as an entry zone for your trade: Wait for reactions with WMA45 on the higher timeframe, then switch to a lower timeframe to find a trade entry.
Use WMA45 as a take-profit or stop-loss level: For a short trade near WMA45, you can stop out if RSI crosses above it.
When monitoring these reactions, pay attention to the number of reactions—more reactions require more caution in trading.
Some Trade Setups Using WMA45 and RSI
1. Intraday trading
Trend: Follow the trend on the H1 chart.
Entry zone: At WMA45 of H1.
Entry confirmation: 2 methods:
On M5: when WMA45 of RSI is already flattened, and RSI has crossed above WMA45.
On M5: when a divergence appears in RSI.
2. Scalping
With the RSI’s reaction to WMA45, even on smaller timeframes (M1, M5), you can scalp when RSI touches WMA45.
When WMA45 has a slope and RSI returns to touch it, you can enter a trade with SL behind the candle close (10–20 pips to avoid stop hunts and spread), and TP to the nearest peak.
As mentioned, the first touch gives the best reaction.
My trading system is entirely based on RSI, feel free to follow me for technical analysis and discussions using RSI.
