Methodology

Transparent about scope. Opaque about edge.

This page explains where our data comes from, what we display, and what we deliberately keep proprietary. We believe traders should know exactly what they're looking at — but we do not publish the recipe.

Data sources

Indian indices & MCX

AngelOne SmartAPI · SmartStream WebSocket. Direct exchange-grade feed for NSE, BSE, and MCX-derived data.

BTC options

Deribit public WebSocket + Binance options WebSocket. Daily + weekly expiries.

Spot reference

Index spot tokens streamed live. Spot for BTC sourced from the same exchange feeds.

No scraping

We do not scrape NSE/BSE web pages. All data flows through licensed API channels.

What we display

  • Open Interest per strike per option type, refreshed every tick.
  • Last Traded Price (LTP) per strike per option type.
  • Put-Call Ratio (PCR) — overall and max-pain-anchored, computed live from the chain.
  • Max Pain — the strike at which combined option-writer pain is maximized, recalculated tick-by-tick.
  • OI Buildup classification per strike: long buildup, short buildup, short covering, long unwinding — derived from joint movement of price and OI vs. their prior snapshots.
  • Entry, exit and resistance markers overlaid on the chain.
  • Index spot, change, change %, day high/low/open/close.
  • Lot size per contract for position sizing.

Refresh cadence

  • Chain refresh: every 3 seconds during market hours.
  • Spot refresh: every 2 seconds.
  • BTC: 24/7. Indian markets: 09:15–15:30 IST on trading days. MCX: per MCX session hours.

What we do not publish

We do not disclose how our signal engine combines positioning factors, what weighting is applied, what thresholds trigger entries or exits, or how reversal markers are computed. Specific formulas, lookbacks, smoothing parameters and decision logic are proprietary and retained as trade secrets. This is a deliberate choice — not because the data is secret, but because the synthesis is the product.

What we are not

  • We are not a prediction engine. We describe positioning; we do not forecast price.
  • We are not a signals service for blind copying. Every output requires your judgment.
  • We are not affiliated with any broker, exchange, or asset manager.
  • We are not a SEBI-registered investment adviser. See full disclaimer.

Data integrity

The platform runs with redundant WebSocket connections and fallback paths designed to survive single-feed disruptions. Per-strike feed health is monitored continuously, and chain-rebuild logic guards against partial-OI states during warmup.

No system is perfect — feeds can lag, exchanges can have outages, and upstream providers can rate-limit. We are transparent about uptime and freshness when it matters. If you suspect data is stale or wrong, the freshness indicator on the terminal will show it, and we encourage you to verify against your broker before trading.

Independence

RetailInterest takes no broker commissions, affiliate fees, payment-for-order-flow, or sponsorship from financial firms. Our incentives are aligned with our users alone.

Questions about methodology, data sources, or coverage? Get in touch.