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ICT Previous Week High & Low — Complete Guide

ICT PWH and PWL explained — 5-day liquidity pools at Level 3 in the hierarchy. 5× denser than PDH/PDL, the primary weekly AMD target, the true week requirement (Sunday–Friday), the PWH vs PDH targeting rule, and multi-week EQH/EQL amplification.
Every trader who shorted the prior week’s high — across five full trading days — placed their stop above it. Five days of those orders accumulating above a single level creates a significantly denser cluster than any single day’s PDH. The PWH and PWL are Level 3 in the ICT hierarchy — the primary distribution target for the week’s strongest delivery days.

Key takeaways

  • PWH = highest price of the prior full week (Sunday open–Friday close). PWL = lowest. Level 3 in the hierarchy.
  • 5-day accumulation = ~5× the stop density of PDH/PDL. Plus weekly-timeframe institutional participants who reference weekly extremes exclusively.
  • PWH = BSL above (primary bullish weekly target). PWL = SSL below (primary bearish weekly target).
  • Standard daily AMD → target PDH/PDL. Primary weekly delivery days (Tue–Wed + clear bias + weekly Judas) → target PWH/PWL.
  • Multi-week EQH/EQL: when 2–3 consecutive weeks test the same high/low = the densest Level 3 pool available.

What are ICT PWH and PWL?

Definition

  • The ICT previous week high (PWH) is the highest price of the prior complete trading week (Sunday open – Friday close). The PWL is the lowest. PWH accumulates buy-side liquidity from five full days of stop-loss and buy-stop accumulation. PWL accumulates sell-side liquidity. Both are primary weekly AMD distribution targets: the current week’s distribution delivers toward PWH (bullish) or PWL (bearish) on primary delivery days, typically Tuesday and Wednesday.

Why PWH/PWL hold denser liquidity than PDH/PDL

PDH vs PWH DENSITYICT
PDH (1-day accumulation) vs PWH (5-day accumulation) — stop cluster density comparison Two panels. Left: PDH with a thin BSL zone above (1 day of stops). Right: PWH with a much thicker BSL zone above (5 days of stops from 5 separate sessions), each layer annotated. PDH — LEVEL 2PWH — LEVEL 3 1-day accumulation5-day accumulation 1 day of stops 1 London, 1 NY AM 1 AMD cycle standard density most AMD sessions target this Mon stopsTue stopsWed stopsThu stopsFri stops 5 Londons, 5 NY AMs 5 AMD cycles + weekly TF participants ★ ~5× density primary weekly delivery days target this MORE DAYS = MORE STOPS = DENSER POOL = STRONGER TARGET
Five layers vs one. Left: PDH has 1 day of stop accumulation (Level 2). Right: PWH has 5 separate layers of daily stop accumulation (Level 3) — each trading day adds another wave of short sellers’ stops, breakout buys, and buy-to-cover orders above the same level. Plus weekly-timeframe participants who reference weekly extremes exclusively.

PWH = BSL, not weekly resistance

Conventional view
PWH = weekly resistance — short at the level

Enter short as price approaches PWH. Expect sellers. Result: stopped out when price sweeps through PWH to collect the 5-day BSL above.

ICT view
PWH = 5-day BSL pool — enter after the sweep

Wait for price to sweep ABOVE PWH. The 5-day stop cluster provides the institutional fill. Enter from the post-sweep PD array — with institutional flow.

The true week — Sunday open to Friday close

The true ICT week runs from Sunday’s opening candle (~17:00 EST Sunday) through Friday’s final close (~16:00–17:00 EST Friday). Many TradingView weekly candles begin on Monday, missing Sunday’s price action. Sunday’s trading can establish significant levels, especially after weekend news. On TradingView: set timezone to America/New_York, switch to 4H, find Sunday’s first candle, track through Friday’s last. Highest wick = PWH. Lowest wick = PWL.

PWH/PWL in the hierarchy

LIQUIDITY HIERARCHYICT
5-level ICT liquidity hierarchy with PWH/PWL highlighted at Level 3 Five nested levels. L5 yearly, L4 monthly, L3 PWH/PWL highlighted, L2 PDH/PDL, L1 Asian range. L5: YEARLY / ALL-TIME — maximum density, macro targets L4: PRIOR MONTH HIGH & LOW — multi-week accumulation L3: PWH / PWL — 5-day accumulation, primary weekly target ★ L2: PDH / PDL — 1-day accumulation, primary daily target L1: ASIAN RANGE — intraday, London Judas target
PWH/PWL = Level 3. Above PDH/PDL (Level 2), below monthly (Level 4). Reached on primary weekly delivery days (Tue–Wed). Standard daily sessions target Level 2. The strongest weekly sessions target Level 3.

PWH vs PDH — the targeting decision rule

Standard daily AMD
Target PDH/PDL (Level 2)

Most sessions. The daily AMD distributes to the prior day’s liquidity. Take full profit at PDH or PDL.

Primary weekly delivery day
Target PWH/PWL (Level 3)

Clear weekly bias + weekly Judas (Monday sweep) identified + primary delivery day (Tue–Wed). Take partial at PDH, let a runner target PWH. The 5-day pool is the primary institutional objective.

The weekly Judas sweep connection

Just as the daily Judas sweeps the Asian range boundary before daily distribution, the weekly Judas sweeps PWH or PWL before weekly distribution. The weekly Judas typically occurs on Monday — price sweeps beyond the prior week’s extreme (collecting the 5-day stop cluster), then Tuesday–Wednesday deliver in the true weekly direction. The Monday sweep of PWH/PWL is the weekly Phase 2. Tuesday–Wednesday distribution is the weekly Phase 3.

How to mark PWH and PWL on TradingView

Switch to 4H chart, America/New_York timezone

The 4H chart shows the full weekly structure clearly. The timezone ensures correct Sunday identification.

Find the prior week’s Sunday open candle

The first 4H candle after ~17:00 EST Sunday. Track from here through Friday’s final candle.

Mark PWH and PWL as horizontal lines

Highest wick = PWH. Lowest wick = PWL. Use a distinct colour (gold/amber) to differentiate from PDH/PDL. Label “PWH — BSL” and “PWL — SSL.”

Check 2–4 prior weeks for multi-week EQH/EQL

If 2–3 consecutive weeks tested the same high = multi-week EQH at Level 3. The densest weekly target available. Mark separately with the week count noted.

Common mistakes

Using the platform weekly candle (Monday start)

Many TradingView weekly candles start Monday, missing Sunday. PWH/PWL may form on Sunday. Use the 4H chart and manually identify Sunday’s open.

Targeting PWH on standard daily AMD sessions

PWH is reached on primary delivery days, not every day. On standard sessions, PDH is the correct target. The targeting rule: weekly Judas + clear bias + Tue/Wed = PWH. Otherwise = PDH.

Shorting at PWH “weekly resistance”

The same reframe as PDH, amplified. PWH has 5 days of BSL above. Price sweeps THROUGH PWH to collect the 5-day cluster. Enter after the sweep, not at the level.

Not checking for multi-week EQH/EQL

When 2–3 consecutive weeks test the same high = the densest Level 3 pool. Not noting this overlap means missing the highest-priority weekly target signal.

Not marking PWH/PWL at all

Without PWH/PWL marked, the trader has no Level 3 reference. On primary delivery days, distributions extend past PDH toward a target that is not on the chart. Mark both every Sunday.

FAQ — ICT PWH and PWL

What are PWH and PWL? +
PWH = highest price of the prior full week (Sunday–Friday). PWL = lowest. Level 3 = 5-day accumulation. Primary weekly AMD targets on delivery days.
PWH vs PDH targeting? +
Standard daily = target PDH (L2). Primary weekly delivery days (Tue–Wed + clear bias + weekly Judas) = target PWH (L3). Partial at PDH, runner to PWH.
Why denser than PDH? +
5 days of accumulation. 5 Londons, 5 NY AMs, 5 AMD cycles. Plus weekly-TF participants. ~5× the stop density of a single-day PDH.
PWH vs weekly EQH? +
PWH = single prior week’s extreme. Weekly EQH = 2–3+ consecutive weeks at the same high = multi-week density at Level 3. The densest weekly target available.

Conclusion — PWH/PWL complete the daily liquidity framework

PWH and PWL are Level 3 — holding ~5× the stop density of PDH/PDL from five full days of accumulation, carrying weekly structural significance, and serving as the primary distribution destination for the week’s strongest delivery days. Together with the PDH/PDL article, this provides the complete Level 2 and Level 3 targeting reference. Mark both each week: PDH/PDL for daily targeting, PWH/PWL for weekly targeting. The interaction between the two — partial at PDH, runner to PWH — is determined by the weekly bias analysis.
The companion guides: the PDH/PDL guide covers the Level 2 daily companion; the liquidity guide covers the full BSL/SSL framework; and the EQH/EQL guide covers what happens when PWH becomes a multi-week EQH. Or join the mentorship for structured guidance on PWH/PWL identification and AMD target selection.
Lio
Founder & ICT trading educator, LiquiditySweeps.com

Lio has traded ICT and Smart Money Concepts on forex majors and US indices since 2021 and built LiquiditySweeps.com to teach the framework the way it should be learned: in sequence, on real charts, with free live tools instead of paid indicators. Every article on this site follows the same rule — nothing gets published that wouldn’t survive a trade review.

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Quick check
It is Tuesday. Monday swept below PWL (weekly Judas). The weekly bias is clearly bullish. PDH is 30 pips away. PWH is 65 pips away. What is the primary target?
✓ Correct. On a primary weekly delivery day (Tuesday with clear bullish weekly bias and Monday Judas identified), target PWH (Level 3) — not just PDH (Level 2). Take partial profit at PDH and let a runner target PWH. The weekly Judas + unambiguous bias + primary delivery day = PWH is reachable.
PWH/PWL checklist
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