Williams Alligator (Alligator)
The Alligator indicator uses three smoothed moving averages (Jaw, Teeth, Lips) to identify trend direction and filter ranging periods. Created by Bill Williams.
- Family
- Trend
- Series
- jaw · teeth · lips
- Best timeframes
- H1 · H4 · D1
- Last updated
- 2026-03-21
TL;DR
- Alligator is a trend indicator used in technical analysis
- When lines are intertwined, the Alligator is "sleeping" (ranging market). When they spread apart, it is "eating" (trending). Lips > Teeth > Jaw = uptrend.
- Best timeframes: H1, H4, D1
- Skip to API docs
What is Williams Alligator?
The Alligator indicator uses three smoothed moving averages (Jaw, Teeth, Lips) to identify trend direction and filter ranging periods. Created by Bill Williams.
How Alligator is calculated
Jaw (Blue) = SMMA(13), shifted 8 bars forward
Teeth (Red) = SMMA(8), shifted 5 bars forward
Lips (Green) = SMMA(5), shifted 3 bars forwardHow to interpret Alligator
When lines are intertwined, the Alligator is "sleeping" (ranging market). When they spread apart, it is "eating" (trending). Lips > Teeth > Jaw = uptrend.
Trading strategies using Alligator
Strategy 1: Alligator Awakening
Enter trades when the Alligator "wakes up" from a sleeping state.
Entry rules
Buy when Lips crosses above Teeth and Jaw, and all three lines begin spreading apart. Sell on the reverse.
Exit rules
Exit when lines begin converging (intertwining) or Lips crosses back through Teeth.
Combining Alligator with other indicators
Alligator works best when combined with complementary indicators:
- Alligator + MACD: Combine for stronger confluence signals
- Alligator + ADX: Combine for stronger confluence signals
- Alligator + SMA: Combine for stronger confluence signals
Alligator across different timeframes
Alligator works across all 7 timeframes but performs best on H1, H4, D1 for most trading styles.
Accessing Alligator via the TickAtlas API
GET https://tickatlas.com/v1/indicator
Python example
import requests
url = "https://tickatlas.com/v1/indicator"
headers = {"X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"}
params = {
"symbol": "EURUSD",
"indicator": "Alligator_jaw",
"timeframe": "H1"
}
response = requests.get(url, headers=headers, params=params)
data = response.json()
print(data)Sample response
{
"success": true,
"data": {
"symbol": "EURUSD",
"indicator": "Alligator_jaw",
"timeframe": "H1",
"value": 1.0847,
"updated_at": 1711548000,
"server_time": "2024-03-27T14:00:00+00:00",
"bid": 1.0856,
"ask": 1.0857
}
}Common mistakes to avoid
- Trading during the "sleeping" phase when lines are intertwined
- Not waiting for clear separation of all three lines before entering
Frequently asked questions
How does the Alligator compare to moving average crossovers?
The Alligator uses displaced smoothed moving averages, making it better at filtering out noise during ranging periods compared to standard MA crossovers.
Continue learning
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Put Alligator to work in your application.
Sign up with $2.50 of starting credit and query pre-calculated Alligator data across 7 timeframes, from M1 to D1.