BOS

BOS (Break of Structure) is the core SMC signal used to confirm trend continuation. When price decisively breaks above a prior swing high (uptrend) or below a prior swing low (downtrend), a BOS occurs, meaning the market structure still favors the existing direction.

To judge whether a BOS is 'valid', traders usually require the candle to close beyond the structure point, not just wick through it. Waiting for a confirmed close on the relevant timeframe helps filter out false breakouts.

BOS and CHoCH (Change of Character) are paired concepts: BOS signals continuation, CHoCH signals a potential reversal. Many SMC strategies use 'enter on the retracement after a BOS' as a core setup — after the break, price retraces to the broken structure point or a newly formed Order Block before continuing.

A common mistake is treating every minor high/low break as a BOS. In practice, you should first define clear swing structure, confirm the higher-timeframe bias, then look for BOS entries on the lower timeframe — avoiding repeated false reads inside choppy ranges.