ICT Intraday Profiles – London Session: 5 Steps + Examples

The London Session is one of the most profitable times to trade using ICT concepts.

It’s when liquidity floods the market, volatility increases, and institutional traders set the tone for the day.

If you know how to read intraday profiles, you can position yourself with smart money and catch high-probability moves.

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1. Why Focus on the London Session in ICT?

The London Session (around 2 AM to 5 AM EST) overlaps with the tail end of the Asian session and leads into the highly active New York session.

Key reasons to trade it:

• It sets the day’s initial direction.
• It often targets liquidity from the Asian range.
• Many Judas swings occur here (false moves before the real trend).

Example:
On GBP/USD, London often spikes above the Asian session high, grabs liquidity, and then drops sharply for the rest of the morning.

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2. ICT Intraday Profile Structure

The ICT Intraday Profile breaks the day into phases:

1. Accumulation Phase – Price moves sideways in a tight range (often Asian session).
2. Manipulation Phase – London session makes a false breakout to trap traders.
3. Distribution Phase – The real move begins in the opposite direction.

Example:
If EUR/USD is ranging between 1.1000 and 1.1015 during Asia, London might push to 1.1025 (manipulation), then reverse and drop to 1.0975 (distribution).

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3. Step-by-Step London Session Trading Strategy in ICT

1. Mark the Asian Range

Draw horizontal lines at the high and low of the Asian session.
This is your reference for potential liquidity grabs.

2. Identify Liquidity Pools

Check if there’s:

• Buy-side liquidity above the Asian high.
• Sell-side liquidity below the Asian low.

3. Look for a Manipulation Move

When London opens, watch for price to run one side of the range.
This is often the Judas Swing.

4. Confirm with Market Structure Shift (MSS)

If the Judas Swing is bullish (price spikes up), look for a break of structure to the downside to confirm a short setup.

5. Enter at a Premium or Discount Zone

Use Fair Value Gaps (FVG) or Order Blocks for precise entries.

• Short at a premium after a bullish Judas Swing.
• Long at a discount after a bearish Judas Swing.

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4. Example Trade – GBP/USD London Session in ICT

1. Asian Range: 1.2750 – 1.2770.
2. At 2:30 AM EST, price spikes to 1.2785 → Buy-side liquidity taken.
3. Shortly after, price drops below 1.2770 and breaks structure.
4. A bearish Fair Value Gap forms at 1.2778 – 1.2782.
5. Enter short at 1.2780 with stop above 1.2786.
6. Price falls to 1.2730 before New York open → +50 pips.

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5. Extra Tips for London Session Success in ICT

• Avoid trading right at the first minute of London open – wait for the trap to form.
• Check for daily bias from higher timeframes (are you in a bullish or bearish day?).
• Always confirm entries with confluence: liquidity, FVG, and market structure.
• London often completes its main move before New York Kill Zone starts.

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6. Final Thoughts

The ICT Intraday Profiles give you a clear playbook for London Session trading.

By breaking the day into accumulation, manipulation, and distribution, you can predict where price is likely headed.

The key is patience – let the market show its hand first, then trade in the direction of smart money.