Most traders look at futures markets the same way they look at stocks:

Just the price chart.

But futures markets are different.
Price is only one piece of the puzzle.

What really drives these markets is:

• Term structure

• Carry

• Liquidity migration across contracts

• Market positioning

Over the past months I built a set of free TradingView indicators to make this type of analysis easier directly on the chart.

The idea was simple: create a small suite of tools that together give a structural view of futures markets.

Why Futures Markets Require Different Tools

Unlike equities, futures are multi-contract markets.

At any moment you have several expiries trading simultaneously, each with its own:

• price

• liquidity

• open interest

• carry relationship

Looking at just the front contract hides a lot of important information.

You need to understand things like:

• Is the market in contango or backwardation?
• Is liquidity moving to the next contract?
• Is carry becoming more attractive or expensive?
• Is overall participation increasing or decreasing?

That’s exactly what these tools aim to show.

1. Forward Curve Visualization Tool

One of the most important signals in futures markets is the shape of the curve.

The Forward Curve Visualization Tool plots the curve directly inside TradingView so you can instantly see the relationship between contracts.

It helps identify:

• contango vs backwardation

• curve steepening or flattening

• shifts in market expectations

Instead of switching between multiple contracts, you get a clear visual representation of the whole curve.

Forward Curve Visualization Tool
https://www.tradingview.com/script/8k2Kkt4g-Forward-Curve-Visualization-Tool/

2. Total Futures Volume & Open Interest

Liquidity in futures markets is often fragmented across expiries.

Looking only at the front contract can give a misleading view of participation.

This indicator aggregates total volume and open interest across the curve, helping identify:

• accumulation phases

• liquidation phases

• changes in market participation

It provides a much cleaner signal of true market engagement.

Total Futures Volume & Open Interest
https://www.tradingview.com/script/5hcCc6xr-Total-Futures-Volume-Open-Interest-Aggregated-Curve/

3. Carry Monitor

Carry is one of the key drivers of futures returns.

The Carry Monitor helps track the spread between contracts and evaluate how attractive carry currently is.

With it you can quickly see:

• current carry levels

• carry changes over time

• where current carry sits in its historical range

This is especially useful for macro and commodity traders.

Carry Monitor
https://www.tradingview.com/script/kVfTPGtf-Carry-Monitor/

4. Future Roll Monitor

Every futures market goes through roll cycles where liquidity moves from the front contract to the next one.

Tracking this transition can reveal important information about positioning and market dynamics.

The Future Roll Monitor helps visualize this process and identify when liquidity is shifting across contracts.

Future Roll Monitor
https://www.tradingview.com/script/bxKNkQln-Future-Roll-Monitor/

A Structural View of the Market

Each of these tools focuses on a different dimension of futures markets:

Together, they help answer questions like:

• Is the curve changing shape?

• Is participation rising or falling?

• Is carry attractive?

• Is the market rolling to the next contract?

This kind of information gives traders a structural understanding of the market, not just price movement.

Final Thoughts

TradingView is an incredible charting platform, but futures markets require a bit more context than price alone.

These tools were built to make term structure analysis accessible directly inside TradingView, without needing external data tools.

All of them are free and publicly available.

If you trade futures — commodities, volatility, or macro markets — they can help you better understand what’s happening behind the chart.

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