Best MACD Settings for 5 Minutes Chart?

Just missed a perfect entry (again), didn’t you? Welcome to the rabbit hole of “the best MACD setting for 5-minute charts?”

If you're tired of laggy signals and premature exits, you're in the right place. We’ll cover the best 5-minute chart MACD settings, how to use them, when to trust them, and how to combine them with powerful filters for faster, smarter trades.

What are the best MACD settings for 5 minutes chart?

For 5-minute charts, a highly recommended combo is 5-13-1 (best paired with 9/21 EMA crossovers and support/resistance zones; also works decently on 15-minute charts for early entries into longer trends) or 3-10-1 (ideally combined with RSI-7 for overbought/oversold confirmation and VWAP alignment; also usable on 1-minute charts for ultra-fast scalping). Another powerful setup is 8-17-9 (best used alongside ADX > 20 and Keltner Channel breakouts; performs well on 15-minute or even hourly charts for smoother trend confirmation), which strikes a balance between clarity and speed.

When to use and avoid these settings?

1. 3-10-1 MACD: Lightning fast momentum detection

The 3-10-1 MACD compresses the moving averages by using a 3-period fast EMA and a 10-period slow EMA (i.e., significantly tighter than the default 12-26 setup). This means it reacts to price changes within the last 15–30 minutes on a 5-minute chart, compared to the standard MACD that may lag behind by an hour or more.

To visualize how tight this is: imagine comparing a sports car’s acceleration 🏎️ (3-10-1) to a delivery truck 🚚 (12-26-9); you’ll see the difference the moment you hit the gas ⛽.

Even a single large bullish or bearish candle can trigger a crossover here, making it extremely sensitive. Crossovers occur when the MACD line (difference between the 3-EMA and 10-EMA) crosses the signal line (1-period EMA of that difference), often within one or two candles after price reverses direction.

✅ When to use:

1. You’re scalping lightning-fast intraday moves, typically lasting 5 to 15 minutes, aiming to catch the first wave of momentum before larger players jump in.
2. The market is highly volatile; think crypto pairs like BTC/ETH, meme coins, NASDAQ tech stocks like NVDA or TSLA during earnings week, or Forex majors during overlapping sessions (e.g., London–New York overlap).
3. You need early confirmation;  MACD crossover signals often show up within 1–2 candles (5–10 minutes) after a reversal, much faster than standard MACD or even price-based MA crossovers.
4. You combine it with other filters like RSI (7) (only enter longs when RSI < 30, shorts when RSI > 70), or volume filters like the Relative Volume (RVOL > 2x 20-bar average) or Volume Oscillator (VO > +5%) to confirm that a spike is backed by real buying or selling interest, not just a random blip.

❌ When to avoid:

1. In sideways or low-volume markets, such as pre-market hours, lunchtime lulls (e.g., 12–2 PM EST), or during holidays — these conditions often create false momentum wicks that trigger premature crossovers without follow-through.
2. If you’re new to trading or can’t act quickly, a move of just 0.3%–0.5% in crypto or 50–80 cents in fast-moving stocks can happen in one candle, and hesitation can lead to missed entries or chasing poor risk/reward setups.
3. If your strategy relies on **longer-term trend confirmation (**like the 1-hour MACD direction, the 200 EMA slope, or higher timeframe Ichimoku Cloud positioning), then 3-10-1 will feel out of sync; it’s built for front-running, not following.

2. 5-13-1 MACD: The sweet spot for intraday speed

The 5-13-1 MACD uses a 5-period fast EMA, a 13-period slow EMA, and a 1-period signal line, making it slightly slower than 3-10-1. This setup responds to price action from the last 25–50 minutes on a 5-minute chart; ideal for traders looking to catch meaningful breakouts or breakdowns without reacting to every price hiccup.

Think of it like a drone surveillance system 🚁; fast and responsive, but with just enough distance to avoid getting caught in the crossfire of random price noise.

Because it filters out some of the micro-fluctuations that 3-10-1 would catch (e.g., like minor pullbacks or false momentum bursts that last only a candle or two), it’s perfect for intraday traders who want early signals, but not so early that they get faked out every time a candle twitches. Crossovers occur when the MACD line (5 EMA – 13 EMA) crosses the 1-period signal line, usually 2–4 candles after a trend shift begins.

✅ When to use:

1. You want a fast MACD without the jitter; this setup gives responsive signals without being overly sensitive to every price tick.
2. Best for traders holding positions for 15 to 60 minutes, especially during active market periods like New York open (9:30–11 AM EST) or London open (3–4 AM EST).
3. Works well on volatile intraday assets like SPY, QQQ, BTC/ETH, or high-volume Forex pairs (e.g., EUR/USD, GBP/USD) when market sentiment is clear.
4. Combine it with the 9 EMA / 21 EMA crossover, ensuring the EMAs confirm the MACD signal direction. You can also pair it with Volume Delta (positive on longs, negative on shorts) or Relative Volume > 1.5x average for added conviction.

❌ When to avoid:

1. In low-volatility chop zones, like during lunchtime dead zones (12–2 PM EST), or when economic calendars are empty (no NFP, CPI, PMI, central bank statements, or high-impact Fed speeches), MACD may whipsaw without true direction.
2. On slow-moving tickers or low-float stocks where price grinds sideways, this MACD may “ping” too soon and force premature trades.
3. If your system depends on multi-indicator convergence, like waiting for Bollinger Band breaks, ADX confirmation, or 1-hour trend alignment, this MACD might trigger before your full setup is ready, causing front-running or overtrading.

3. 3-10-16 MACD: Early mover with smoother confirmation

The 3-10-16 MACD setup is for traders who want to **enter early (**just like in the 3-10-1 setup) but who also value confirmation and signal smoothing on the exit. It uses a 3-period fast EMA and 10-period slow EMA for fast signal generation, paired with a 16-period signal line that acts as a filter to dampen noise.

Think of it as a fighter jet taking off quickly ✈️ (3-10), but with a fuel-efficient cruise mode 🛫 (16-period signal) to keep you in the air until the real reversal shows up.

This longer signal line slows the exit, allowing you to stay in winning trades longer by ignoring micro-reversals that might spook you out too early. It's a hybrid tool (scalper at entry, swing trader at heart) making it ideal for volatile assets like crypto, growth tech stocks, or anything with sharp intra-hour moves.

✅ When to use:

1. You want to enter early on potential reversals but avoid being shaken out by every minor pullback.
2. Ideal for volatile markets, where fast momentum spikes need quick entries—but where holding winners matters more than scalping pennies.
3. You’re combining it with trend confirmation tools like:
   • Higher-timeframe MACD or 200 EMA to check alignment.
   • RSI divergence or Volume spikes to validate momentum shifts.
4. Works well during active market sessions, such as:
   • Crypto 24/7 momentum runs
   • NASDAQ earnings hours (9:30–11:00 AM EST or 2:00–4:00 PM EST)
   • Forex London–NY overlaps

❌ When to avoid:

1. In low-momentum or sideways sessions, like lunchtime dead zones (12–2 PM EST) or economic calendar dry spells, the fast crossover may still trigger. However, the longer exit delays can cause frustration or small stopouts.
2. If you rely on rapid scalps (like 5-minute fade plays or breakouts with no confirmation), this will feel sluggish.
3. It’s not ideal for news-driven trades, where speed is everything and a delayed exit can mean giving back large portions of profit.

4. 8-17-9 MACD: Balanced trend-follower

By using an 8-period fast EMA and a 17-period slow EMA, this setup gives you slower, more stable entries than the 3-10 variants but with less lag than the standard 12-26. The 9-period signal line acts as a classic smoother, offering cleaner crossovers that reduce false triggers in moderately trending markets.

Picture a Tesla on autopilot 🛞, maintaining lane and pace in smooth market highways.

This configuration is ideal when you want confirmation over speed, the cruise control 🚙 of MACD setups — less twitchy than short-term settings, but still agile enough to ride ongoing trends. It’s especially useful during low-news periods (like Monday afternoons when no major economic reports are due or the Friday before a long holiday weekend) or steady trending environments (such as large-cap tech stocks like MSFT or AAPL grinding higher post-earnings, or the S&P 500 in a post-FOMC drift phase).

✅ When to use:

1. You’re trading mid-day sessions or calm trend environments (e.g., S&P 500 during light calendar days or large-cap stocks cruising on momentum).
2. Perfect for traders who use MACD in tandem with EMA ribbons, channel systems, or trendlines to confirm trend direction before entries.
3. Helpful when you’re not scalping but still want reasonably timely confirmation; entries typically come 3–5 candles after momentum builds, filtering out head-fakes.
4. Especially effective on 30-minute to 1-hour charts, where noise needs damping but speed still matters.

❌ When to avoid:

1. If you’re a scalper or momentum hunter on 5-minute charts, this setup will feel slow and reactive, often entering late and exiting later.
2. In **news-driven markets (**like Fed announcements, CPI releases, or earnings calls), 8-17-9 will lag the explosive move and cost you prime entry zones.
3. For strategies with tight stop-losses (e.g., <0.5% in equities or 10–15 pips in FX), the delayed entry/exit can distort risk-reward ratios.

🔥 Want to trade even faster charts? Check out our best MACD settings for the 1-minute chart

What are other mentionable 5-minute MACD settings?

MACD 5-35-5: Slow and steady trend confirmation

The MACD 5-35-5 is significantly slower than popular variants like 3-10-1 or 8-17-9, making it ideal for catching major trend shifts while ignoring short-term volatility.

Think of it as a freight train 🚂 — it takes longer to turn, but once it moves, it’s powerful and reliable.

Because the 35-period slow EMA spans a large portion of price history (especially on intraday or daily charts), this MACD reacts more to macro structure (like multi-day support/resistance flips, sustained uptrends in assets like gold or the S&P 500, or multi-week moving average slopes) than to minor momentum shifts (like a single news candle spike, a 1% pullback in a tech stock, or a false breakout during lunch-hour chop). The 5-period signal line smooths the MACD difference just enough to prevent whipsaws without lagging excessively.

✅ When to use:

1. You’re trading longer timeframes (e.g., 4-hour, daily, or weekly charts) and want to stay aligned with big-picture trends.
2. Best for position traders or swing traders who care more about major pivots than scalping small waves.
3. Effective in commodity, index, or currency markets, where strong directional trends (e.g., gold rallies, oil breakdowns, dollar cycles) dominate.
4. Useful when paired with higher timeframe confirmation tools like Ichimoku clouds, multi-timeframe EMAs, or Fibonacci confluence zones.

❌ When to avoid:

1. If you’re trading lower timeframes (e.g., 1-minute to 15-minute charts), this setup will feel far too sluggish to provide actionable signals.
2. In sideways markets, the slow-moving EMAs may cause late or false signals, especially when price chops in a tight range.
3. For news-reactive trades, the delayed crossover may cause entries after the move has already extended, resulting in poor risk-reward setups.

What to pair the best 5-min MACD settings with?

3-10-1 MACD + RSI + VWAP

When using the 3-10-1 MACD on a 5-minute chart, your goal is to catch quick momentum bursts with minimal lag.

“I use [VWAP] with RSI on multiple day frames and minute charts. Essentially, once PA comes close to a VWAP deviation, I’m looking at different RSI timeframes (3,6,14) to see if an overbought/sold condition exists.” u/brock_schleprock

To filter out false signals:

1. Pair it with an RSI (7-period) and VWAP. First, look for a MACD line crossing above the signal line.
2. Then immediately check if the RSI is below 30, indicating oversold conditions and a potential reversal.
3. Next, confirm that price is above VWAP, which suggests institutional buying pressure. Only enter a long trade when all three align: MACD crosses up, RSI < 30, and price closes above VWAP.
4. For a short setup, reverse the logic: MACD crosses below signal, RSI > 70, and price is below VWAP. Exit the trade when the RSI returns to neutral (40–60) or MACD crosses back.

5-13-1 MACD + 9/21 EMA Crossover + Support Zones

The 5-13-1 MACD on a 5-minute chart is all about a balance between early momentum detection and noise reduction.

“I started trading MACD crossovers with histogram and 20 and 50 EMA's for lagging confirmation. This has made me predictably and reliably profitable…” u/kainnationradio

To boost its accuracy:

1. Begin by checking if the 9 EMA has crossed above the 21 EMA (aka ****a classic signal of short-term bullish momentum). This serves as your directional filter.
2. Next, watch for the MACD line (5 EMA – 13 EMA) to cross above its 1-period signal line. This crossover should ideally happen near or just above a broken resistance level that’s now being tested as support.
3. Enter a long trade only when all three align:
   1. 9 EMA > 21 EMA (bullish crossover)
   2. MACD crossover (confirmation of strength)
   3. Price holding or bouncing above a support zone
4. For a short setup, reverse the logic:
   1. 9 EMA < 21 EMA
   2. MACD line crosses below signal line
   3. Price is rejecting or breaking down below a former support turned resistance
5. Exit the trade at the next key price zone (previous highs/lows) or when the MACD crosses back against your trade direction, signaling potential reversal.

Bonus Tip: This strategy works best during active market hours (e.g., 9:30–11:00 AM or 2:00–3:30 PM EST) and avoids whipsaws when paired with volume confirmation like increased RVOL at the support/resistance zone.

3-10-16 MACD + Trendline Break + RSI Divergence

On a 5-min chart, The 3-10-16 MACD is about seeking early entries with smooth exits.

“MACD divergence has less false signals…” u/YoBoy1785

To use it effectively:

1. Draw a trendline connecting recent swing highs (for longs) or swing lows (for shorts). You’re waiting for this line to be broken with a strong, full-bodied candle — a key structural breakout.
2. Then watch for the MACD line to cross above (or below) the signal line using the 3-10-16 setting. This confirms momentum is shifting in your favor.
3. Now check the RSI (14-period) for divergence:
   • For longs: Price makes lower lows, but RSI makes higher lows (bullish divergence).
   • For shorts: Price makes higher highs, but RSI makes lower highs (bearish divergence).
4. Enter the trade only when all three align:
   1. Clean break of the trendline with strong candle
   2. MACD crossover in trade direction
   3. RSI divergence confirming weakening of previous move
5. Exit the trade when:
   • The MACD flattens or crosses back against your position
   • Or RSI hits overbought (70) or oversold (30), hinting at exhaustion

This setup works best during pullbacks or exhaustion moves — where structure breaks, momentum flips, and divergence calls out the trap.

8-17-9 MACD + ADX + Keltner Channels

The 8-17-9 MACD is perfect for identifying sustained momentum moves on 5-minute charts.

“You must trade every opportunity as if it will be a trend, MACD can be useful as a confluence for reversal trades. ADX could be useful to know when price is moving. But simply reading price action itself will give you this information a lot faster.” u/ShamanJohnny

To enhance its reliability:

1. Start by adding ADX (14-period) and Keltner Channels (20 EMA, 1.5x ATR) to your chart.
2. Check the ADX value:
   • If ADX > 20, it signals that the market has enough strength to support a trend.
   • Skip trades if ADX < 15–20, as it suggests choppy, range-bound conditions.
3. Watch for a MACD crossover:
   • For longs: MACD line crosses above the signal line
   • For shorts: MACD line crosses below the signal line
4. Confirm with Keltner Channel breakout:
   • For longs: Price closes above the upper Keltner band
   • For shorts: Price closes below the lower Keltner band
5. Enter a trade only when all three conditions are met:
   1. ADX > 20 (trend strength confirmed)
   2. MACD crossover in your trade direction
   3. Price closes outside the corresponding Keltner band
6. Exit the trade when:
   • Price closes back inside the Keltner Channel
   • Or MACD starts to flatten or cross back against your position

Conclusion

If you’re scalping or day trading on the 5-minute chart, default MACD settings won’t cut it. To catch real moves, you need to adjust the settings to match your speed, style, and market conditions. Whether you prefer fast entries with 3-10-1, balanced trades with 5-13-1, or smoother confirmations with 8-17-9, the edge comes from combining the right MACD with smart filters and sticking to your plan.

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