Scanner
Real-time stock scanner with 260+ filters. Find stocks matching your exact criteria across price, volume, change, technicals, fundamentals, and more.
The Scanner is why traders choose Scanz. While most platforms make you hunt for opportunities, the Scanner brings them to you - updating every 2 seconds with stocks matching your exact criteria. Define what matters (price range, volume, momentum, float size, technical levels) and the Scanner surfaces every matching stock, instantly.
This guide walks you through mastering the Scanner, from understanding the interface to building sophisticated multi-filter scans that find exactly the setups you trade.
Understanding the Scanner Interface
When you open the Scanner, you’ll see three main areas working together:
The Sidebar lists your saved scans and prebuilt templates. Your custom scans appear under “My Scans” while Scanz provides ready-to-use prebuilts organized by category: Gainers, Losers, Most Liquid, Highs, and Lows. Each prebuilt category offers session variants (Pre-Market, Regular Hours, After Hours, Full Day) so you can quickly switch contexts throughout the trading day.
The Filter Bar runs horizontally across the top. This is where you build your scan logic - each filter appears as a chip showing the metric, session, operator, and value. Filters combine with AND logic: a stock must pass every filter to appear in results. You can show or hide the full filter bar using the “Show Filters” / “Hide Filters” toggle.
The Results Table displays every stock matching your criteria, updating in real-time. Click any column header to sort. Click any row to open that stock in QuickView for deeper analysis - chart, news, Level 2, and Time & Sales appear in a slide-out panel without losing your scan results.
Above the results, you’ll find additional controls: Markets (filter by exchange), Security Type (stocks vs ETFs), Watchlist (limit results to a specific watchlist), and the results count showing how many stocks currently match your criteria.
Trading Sessions
Every session-based filter requires you to specify which trading period to measure. This is fundamental to how the Scanner works - a stock’s “Volume” during pre-market is completely different from its regular hours volume.
Pre-Market (PM) covers 4:00 AM to 9:30 AM Eastern. This is where gapper scans shine. Use PM filters to find stocks moving significantly before most traders are watching. Volume thresholds should be lower here - 50,000-100,000 shares pre-market represents serious interest.
Regular Hours (RH) is the standard session from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM Eastern. Most of your scanning will use RH filters. Volume expectations are higher, and price action is most reliable during this window.
After Hours (AH) runs from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM Eastern. Use AH filters to catch earnings reactions and overnight developments. Liquidity drops significantly, so tighten your price requirements to avoid stocks with wide spreads.
Full Day (FD) combines all sessions into cumulative totals. Useful for seeing the complete picture of a stock’s daily activity, regardless of when it occurred.
When you add a session-based filter, you’ll see the session code (PM, RH, AH, or FD) displayed alongside the filter name - something like “Volume RH” or “Percent Change PM”.
Building Your First Scan
Creating a scan is straightforward: add filters one by one until you’re finding exactly the stocks you want to trade.
Starting from Scratch
- Click the ”+ Filter” button (or “Customize filters” if viewing a prebuilt)
- Select a filter category, then the specific filter
- Choose your operator (greater than, less than, between, etc.)
- Enter your value
- The results update immediately - watch the count change as you tune
Each filter you add narrows your results. Start broad and add filters until the result count is manageable (10-50 stocks is usually ideal). If you see zero results, you’ve over-filtered - remove or loosen constraints.
Starting from a Prebuilt
Prebuilt scans give you a tested starting point. Load one from the sidebar, then click “Customize filters” to create an editable copy. Scanz will prompt you to name your custom version. From there, add, remove, or modify any filter to match your strategy.
This is often the fastest path to a working scan - find a prebuilt close to what you need, then adapt it.
Saving Your Work
Once you’ve built a scan worth keeping, click Actions > Save Scan (for custom scans you own) or Actions > Duplicate Scan (to save a modified prebuilt). Your scans appear under “My Scans” in the sidebar and persist across sessions.
Filter Operators
Every filter supports comparison operators that control how values are evaluated:
Greater than (>) and Greater than or equal (>=) find stocks above your threshold. “Volume >= 500000” returns stocks with at least 500K shares traded.
Less than (<) and Less than or equal (<=) find stocks below your threshold. “Price <= 20” returns stocks at $20 or cheaper.
Between specifies a range. “Price between 5 and 50” returns stocks in that window.
Equal (=) matches exact values, primarily used for categorical filters like Exchange.
Comparing to Other Fields
Some filters let you compare against other metrics rather than fixed numbers - this is where the Scanner becomes truly powerful:
- Last Price >= VWAP finds stocks trading above their volume-weighted average price (a sign of strength)
- Close > Open finds bullish candles where the stock closed higher than it opened
- High >= SMA 20 finds stocks whose high touched or exceeded their 20-day moving average
These dynamic comparisons adapt to each stock’s specific values rather than applying a one-size-fits-all threshold.
The Filters: What They Measure and Why They Matter
The Scanner offers 260+ filters across multiple categories. Rather than memorize them all, understand what each category measures and when you’d reach for it.
Price Filters
Price filters establish the basic universe of stocks you’re willing to trade.
Last Price is the current trading price - your starting point for almost every scan. Day traders often set bounds like $1-$20 (volatile enough to move, cheap enough to size into). Swing traders might prefer $5-$200 for better liquidity and tighter spreads.
Open, High, Low, Close capture session price points. Comparing Last to these values reveals where price sits in its daily range. A stock trading near its High suggests strength; near its Low suggests weakness or potential bounce.
Bid and Ask show current quote prices. The spread between them (available as both dollar Spread and percentage % Spread) indicates liquidity - tight spreads under 0.5% mean you can enter and exit without excessive slippage.
% On Bid and % On Ask reveal order flow. High % On Bid means most trades are executing at the bid (selling pressure). High % On Ask means buyers are lifting offers (buying pressure). These filters help gauge the conviction behind price movement.
Range and % Range measure the High minus Low for the session - a volatility indicator. Higher range stocks offer more trading opportunity but also more risk.
Change Filters
Change filters find stocks that are moving - the heart of momentum scanning.
Percent Change measures the move from previous close. This is your primary momentum filter. Gapper scans typically look for 5-10%+ pre-market change. Intraday momentum scans might use 2-5%+ regular hours change.
Gap specifically measures the opening price versus previous close - the overnight move before any trading occurs. Different from Percent Change, which continues updating throughout the day.
Net Change shows the dollar move rather than percentage - useful when you care about absolute moves regardless of stock price.
Change from Open (both $ and %) measures intraday progress since the session started. A stock might be up 3% from yesterday’s close but down 2% from today’s open - these filters let you distinguish those situations.
Change from High and Change from Low reveal pullback depth or bounce strength. A stock up 10% but currently 5% off its high has pulled back significantly. These filters help time entries during trends.
Volume Filters
Volume is the fuel behind price movement. Without volume, moves lack conviction and are more likely to reverse.
Volume counts shares traded during the selected session. Day traders typically require 500K+ for adequate liquidity. Swing traders can work with less but should still ensure enough volume to enter and exit positions cleanly.
Dollar Volume (Volume times Price) provides a truer liquidity measure. A $1 stock trading 1M shares represents $1M of liquidity. A $100 stock trading 100K shares represents $10M. Dollar volume normalizes this.
Trades counts the number of transactions - distinct from volume, which counts shares. High trade count indicates sustained interest from multiple participants rather than a few large block trades.
Relative Volume (RVOL) compares current volume to the stock’s historical average. This is arguably the Scanner’s most important filter for finding unusual activity. RVOL of 2 means the stock is trading at twice its normal pace - something is happening. RVOL of 5+ indicates extreme interest.
Float Rotation shows what percentage of the tradeable float has changed hands. Above 50% indicates high interest. Above 100% means the entire float has traded at least once today - extreme situations where supply/demand dynamics are most pronounced.
Capital Structure Filters
These filters help you understand what you’re trading.
Float is the number of shares available for public trading - total shares minus insider and institutional holdings that rarely trade. Float is critical for understanding volatility potential. A $10 stock with 5M float can move 50% in a day on modest volume. The same $10 stock with 500M float rarely moves more than 5%.
Low float stocks (under 10-20M shares) are volatile. They move fast when volume arrives because there’s limited supply to absorb buying pressure. This cuts both ways - they can squeeze higher quickly but also dump just as fast.
Shares Outstanding is the total shares issued. Useful for context but less actionable than float for trading purposes.
Market Cap shows the total market value (price times shares outstanding). Useful for filtering by company size: micro-cap under $300M, small-cap under $2B, mid-cap under $10B.
Short Interest Filters
Short interest data reveals potential squeeze setups.
Short Float % shows what percentage of the float is currently sold short. Above 20% is considered heavily shorted. When heavily shorted stocks spike on volume, short sellers rushing to cover can accelerate the move - the famous “short squeeze.”
Short Ratio (also called “days to cover”) divides short interest by average daily volume. A ratio above 5 means it would take shorts 5+ days to cover at normal volume - they’re trapped if the stock runs.
Short Interest provides the absolute number of shares sold short, useful for context alongside the percentage metrics.
Technical Filters
Technical filters let you scan for specific chart conditions across thousands of stocks.
VWAP (Volume Weighted Average Price) is the benchmark price institutions use. Day traders commonly filter for stocks trading above VWAP (bullish) or watch for VWAP reclaims after pullbacks.
RSI (Relative Strength Index, 14-period) measures momentum on a 0-100 scale. Below 30 suggests oversold conditions; above 70 suggests overbought. Contrarian traders scan for extremes.
Moving Averages (SMA and EMA for 9, 20, 50, 200 periods) identify trend direction. Comparing Last Price to these averages reveals whether a stock is above or below key support/resistance levels. Scanning for price crossing above the 20 SMA, for example, catches potential trend changes.
MACD and MACD Signal measure momentum divergence. Positive MACD suggests upward momentum; crossovers generate entry signals.
Bollinger Bands (Upper and Lower) define volatility-based channels. Stocks trading outside the bands are statistically extended and may revert.
ATR (Average True Range) quantifies typical daily movement. Useful for position sizing and setting stop losses appropriate to each stock’s volatility.
Fundamental Filters
While the Scanner excels at technical and momentum scanning, fundamental filters let you overlay basic quality criteria.
Revenue and EPS (Earnings Per Share) filter by actual business metrics. Some traders want profitable companies only; others specifically seek beaten-down stocks with poor fundamentals for potential turnaround plays.
P/E Ratio, P/S Ratio, and P/B Ratio provide valuation context. Low P/E might indicate value; high P/E might indicate growth expectations or overvaluation depending on your perspective.
News Filters
News Count shows how many headlines a stock has today. Filtering for stocks with recent news helps focus on names with catalysts driving their moves.
Last News indicates how recently news hit. A stock moving on news from this morning is different from one moving on news from last week.
Example Scans
These complete configurations demonstrate how filters work together. Each is ready to use - load it and start finding opportunities.
Pre-Market Gappers
What it finds: Stocks gapping up significantly before market open - potential momentum plays for the first hour.
| Filter | Value | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Percent Change PM | >= 10% | Significant gap to attract attention |
| Volume PM | >= 100,000 | Enough pre-market liquidity |
| Last Price | >= $1 | Avoid sub-penny stocks |
| Last Price | <= $20 | Day trading price sweet spot |
When to use: 7:00 AM to 9:30 AM Eastern. Watch how gappers behave as the open approaches - those holding their levels often continue; those fading may reverse.
Variations: Add Float <= 20M for more volatile low-float gappers. Lower the percent change threshold to 5% on quiet market days.
Intraday Momentum
What it finds: Stocks with strong momentum during regular hours, confirmed by unusual volume.
| Filter | Value | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Percent Change RH | >= 5% | Meaningful intraday move |
| Volume RH | >= 500,000 | Active trading |
| Relative Volume | >= 2 | Unusual activity (2x normal) |
| Last Price | >= $2 | Minimum quality threshold |
When to use: 9:45 AM to 3:30 PM Eastern. The Relative Volume filter is critical - it separates stocks moving on conviction from those drifting on light volume.
Variations: Increase RVOL to 3x or 5x for more extreme activity. Add VWAP comparison to find stocks holding above their institutional reference price.
Low Float Runners
What it finds: Small float stocks with volume and momentum - the explosive movers.
| Filter | Value | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Float | <= 15,000,000 | Limited share supply |
| Percent Change FD | >= 10% | Already moving |
| Relative Volume | >= 3 | Well above normal |
| Last Price | >= $1 | Avoid the most speculative names |
| Last Price | <= $20 | Volatile price range |
When to use: Any session. Low float stocks move fast when volume arrives - the limited supply means buying pressure moves price quickly. Higher risk, higher reward.
Warning: Low floats are volatile in both directions. The same dynamics that create 50% squeezes create 30% dumps. Size accordingly.
VWAP Reclaim
What it finds: Stocks pulling back to VWAP then bouncing - a classic institutional entry pattern.
| Filter | Value | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Last Price | >= VWAP | Currently above VWAP |
| Percent Change from High | <= -3% | Has pulled back from highs |
| Percent Change RH | >= 2% | Still positive on the day |
| Volume RH | >= 300,000 | Active stock |
When to use: Mid-morning through afternoon. VWAP acts as a magnet throughout the day - strong stocks often pull back to touch it before continuing higher. This scan catches that reclaim.
Unusual Volume Alert
What it finds: Stocks experiencing exceptional trading activity - something is happening.
| Filter | Value | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Volume | >= 5 | 5x normal volume |
| Volume FD | >= 500,000 | Absolute minimum liquidity |
| Last Price | >= $2 | Quality threshold |
When to use: Continuous monitoring. When a stock trades at 5x+ its average volume, there’s usually a reason - news, institutional accumulation, or anticipation of an event. This scan catches unusual activity early, before the move is obvious.
Tips for Better Scanning
Start Specific, Then Broaden
Begin with restrictive filters. If you get zero results, systematically loosen one filter at a time until you find the right balance. It’s easier to relax constraints than to figure out which of 10 loose filters is returning junk.
Match Session to Strategy
Your filters should match when you’re trading:
- Pre-market: Use PM filters, lower volume thresholds
- First hour: Use RH filters, focus on gap and momentum continuation
- Midday: Add stricter volume filters to ensure activity
- Power hour: Same as midday but watch for end-of-day positioning
- After-hours: Use AH filters, expect thin liquidity
Watch the Results Count
A scan returning 500+ stocks is too broad - you can’t possibly evaluate that many opportunities. Aim for 10-50 results by adding filters or tightening values. Quality over quantity.
Create Variations
Build multiple versions of your core scans for different market conditions:
- “Gappers - Hot Market” (10%+ gap)
- “Gappers - Quiet Market” (5%+ gap)
- “Gappers - Low Float” (add float filter)
This lets you quickly adapt without rebuilding from scratch.
Combine Technical and Structural
The best scans blend technical filters (price, volume, momentum) with structural filters (float, market cap). A stock up 20% means different things depending on whether it has 5M float or 500M float.
Troubleshooting
No results showing Your filters are too restrictive. Loosen values or remove filters one by one. Check that your session filters match the current market period - PM filters won’t show results at 2 PM.
Too many results Add more filters or tighten existing values. Every additional filter narrows results. Consider adding volume, price, or float constraints.
Results not updating Check the session clock in the top right - if markets are closed, data won’t change. Try refreshing the page if you suspect a connection issue.
Saved scan missing Ensure you clicked Save after making changes. Check both “My Scans” and verify you’re looking at the correct account.
Wrong session data Verify your filter session codes (PM/RH/AH/FD) match your intent. A scan built for regular hours won’t show meaningful data during pre-market.
Related Features
The Scanner connects to everything else in Scanz:
- Signals - Get alerted when stocks enter your scan criteria
- News - View news filtered by stocks in your scan
- Alerts - Set price alerts on stocks you’re watching
- Watchlists - Save interesting stocks for continued monitoring
- QuickView - Analyze any result with chart, L2, and news