Customizing Predefined Scans

On the StockCharts Predefined Scans page, you'll find results of over 60 scans that are run each day after the market closes. StockCharts members can load any predefined scans into the Advanced Scan Workbench for examination and modification.

We'll walk you through viewing the nuts and bolts of the Strong Volume Gainers predefined scan and customizing it to better meet your needs.

Accessing Predefined Scan Results

Step 1: Load the Predefined Scan Results Report

Click the Charts & Tools tab at the top of any StockCharts.com webpage, then click Predefined Scans in the Reports & More menu on the right side of the page.

Step 2: Find Your Scan

In this example, we're looking for the Strong Volume Gainers report for stocks that trade on the NASDAQ Exchange.

Find Strong Volume Gainers on the Predefined Scan list and click on the number in the NASDAQ column for that scan.

Find your scan in the Predefined Scan list.

When you click the number in Step 2, you'll see a list of the ticker symbols that meet that scan criteria. But how do you know the scan criteria?

Step 3: Edit the Scan

Click the Edit Scan Criteria button.

You'll see the predefined scan criteria in the Advanced Scan Workbench.

Customizing the Scan

In the Strong Volume Gainers predefined scan, StockCharts defines strong volume as at least four times higher than the 20-day simple moving average of volume (see below).

AND [Daily Volume > Yesterday's Daily SMA(20,Daily Volume) * 4]

Step 4: Modify the Scan

If you prefer to define strong volume as five times higher, change that “* 4” to “* 5” in your scan criteria. You can also break the scan into multiple lines so it's easier to read.

Modifying a predefined scan from the Advanced Scan Workbench.

Adding Predefined Scans from the Workbench

There is another way to load predefined scans in the Advanced Scan Workbench, which adds them directly from the workbench.

Say you want to combine two predefined scans: Strong Volume Gainers and New 52-Week Highs. You've already got the first one, but how can you add the scan criteria for the New 52-Week Highs predefined scan?

In the Scan Components area below the scan editor, find Predefined Scans. Choose New 52-Week High from the dropdown menu.

After you've selected the New 52-Week High predefined scan, click Add.

No universe-defining clauses are added in this example since you're not loading the predefined scan from a predefined scan report. When adding from the Advanced Scan Workbench, only the clauses that directly relate to the 52-week highs are added.

Saving the Scan

Once you're happy with your customizations, remember to save your scan.

Click the Save As button above the scan editor, enter a name for your scan, and click the Save Scan button. In this example, we've saved the scan as Strong Volume 52-Week Highs.

Saving this scan didn't make changes to the original Predefined Scan. When you save the scan with your customizations, it becomes a new custom scan in your account.

Explore All the Scans

Predefined Scans are a great way to learn about scanning's many benefits. The collection contains plenty of excellent examples of crossovers, patterns, and trend-detection scans, ready to be reviewed and customized.