COT Screener · Guides
COT report guides
Learn how to read the CFTC’s Commitments of Traders reports, from the first table columns to net positions, open interest and the COT Index.
AI-generatedCOT data is free, but the raw tables take practice to read. These guides turn the report labels, position columns and weekly changes into a clear learning path.
Start with the basics, then move through report types, positioning measures and practical interpretation. The 10 guides below follow that order.
AI-generatedWhat is the COT report?
A clear introduction to what the weekly report covers, where the data comes from and how traders use it.
Updated July 2026 · 5 min read
AI-generatedLegacy, Supplemental, Disaggregated or TFF?
How the four CFTC report families differ in market coverage, trader categories and historical depth.
Updated July 2026 · 5 min read
AI-generatedHow to read the COT report
A practical walkthrough of the dates, position columns, weekly changes, percentages and trader counts in a COT table.
Updated July 2026 · 9 min read
AI-generatedCOT net positions explained
How to calculate long minus short and compare the result with open interest, weekly changes and past readings.
Updated July 2026 · 7 min read
AI-generatedOpen interest in the COT report
How open interest changes, how it differs from volume and why every open contract has one long and one short side.
Updated July 2026 · 7 min read
AI-generatedThe COT Index explained
How the COT Index scales a trader group’s net position from 0 to 100 across a chosen lookback period.
Updated July 2026 · 5 min read
AI-generatedCommercial vs. non-commercial traders
What the Legacy classifications mean and why commercial and non-commercial net positions often offset each other.
Updated July 2026 · 4 min read
AI-generatedCOT extremes near 0 and 100
How to interpret readings near either end of the range and compare them with weekly position changes and price.
Updated July 2026 · 4 min read
AI-generatedWhen is the COT report released?
The usual Friday release time, Tuesday snapshot date, reporting gap and holiday schedule.
Updated July 2026 · 3 min read
AI-generatedCOT report glossary
Clear definitions for open interest, reportable positions, trader categories, spreading, concentration, the COT Index, and more.
Updated July 2026 · 6 min read
See these concepts in real market data.
COT Screener turns the latest CFTC release into comparable charts, tables and COT Index readings for major futures markets.
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