On Nimb, the timeframe switch sets the window the map is read over: 1H, 12H, 24H, 3D, 7D or 30D, opening on 7D. It changes how big the circles are and how far they moved; from 24H upwards it also changes which markets appear, and on 30D only it shows which markets moved together or opposite.
A timeframe is the window of past trading Nimb uses to select, size and describe markets. Choosing one is the first step in any market reading on the map: a market that looks quiet over a day can be the biggest story of the month, and the reverse.
What does the timeframe switch change?
| What | How the timeframe changes it |
|---|---|
| Which markets are on the map | Selection runs separately for 24H, 7D and 30D, each with its own top 110; 1H and 12H show the 24H selection, 3D the 7D one |
| Circle size | Area follows money traded over the timeframe |
| Move in points | The headline move and the reading ("down 4 points over the past week") cover the timeframe |
| Pulsing circles | The 12 biggest movers over the timeframe, if they moved at least 1.5 points |
| "Moved together / opposite" | Shown on 30D only |
Some things do not change with the timeframe. "Before you trade" always compares the last 24 hours with a typical day for that market, the money flow table always covers 12H, 24H and 3D, and holders are always the current holders.
Why do different markets appear on 24H and 30D?
Because each of the three base timeframes has its own selection. Nimb scores every Polymarket event by the money traded on outcomes that are still undecided, the depth of its order book and how much it moved, and each market must pass the same four gates. The activity gate scales with the window:
| Timeframe | Minimum informative volume | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 1H, 12H | As 24H | The last hours: what is moving right now, within today's set of markets |
| 24H | $5k | What is moving today: breaking news, matches and markets close to resolution |
| 3D | As 7D | The last few days, within the week's set of markets |
| 7D | $30k | The week's stories; the default view, a balance between news and noise |
| 30D | $100k | Where money has been committed over a month; trends, and links between markets |
Informative volume is money traded on outcomes that are still undecided, weighted by how far the price is from 0% or 100%. A market traded heavily at 99% counts for little. A sports match that resolves tomorrow can top 24H and be absent from 30D, where the bar is twenty times higher; a slow election market can do the opposite. In the snapshot of 2026-11-07, Sports took 33 of the 110 places on 24H and 21 on 30D. The full method is in market selection.
When you open a shared link to a market that is not on the current timeframe, Nimb switches to one where it is: 7D first, then 24H, then 30D.
Why do 1H, 12H and 3D reuse other selections?
Because Polymarket's Gamma API publishes volume for 24 hours, 7 days and 30 days, but not per hour. Without measured hourly volume, Nimb cannot run a fair selection for windows shorter than a day. So the short views keep the 24H or 7D set of markets and re-size and re-measure them over the shorter window. Their volume is estimated from recent trades, scaled to Polymarket's totals, or pro rata from 24-hour or 7-day volume; see known limitations.
Which timeframe should I use?
- 1H or 12H to see what moved in the last hours. Expect the most noise: one order can dominate.
- 24H to see what is happening today. One large order can still make a small market look big for a day.
- 3D or 7D to read the last few days or the week. Most readings start on 7D.
- 30D to see which markets carry sustained money and to check the "moved together / opposite" links.
Switching between them is a quick check in itself. If a market is large on 24H but small on 30D, the activity is recent; find out what happened before you follow it. If a move looks big on 24H, compare it with the 30D chart in price charts. Large volume with little change in money at stake is covered in volume and open interest.
Why are "moves with/against" links only on 30D?
Because only 30 days give enough price history to tell a link from noise. The test behind the links needs at least 30 paired price changes, measured in 12-hour steps that skip hours with no fresh trade. Thirty days give at most 60 such steps; 7 days give 14 and 24 hours give 2, so no pair could pass on the shorter windows. Nimb's own tests found that, under earlier rules, 61–71% of flagged links on windows up to 7 days were expected to be false positives, against 43% on 30D. Details are on moved together, moved opposite.
What can a timeframe not tell you?
A timeframe is a window, not a forecast. A market that moved 10 points over 30 days may have moved all of it in one hour. Volume over a window can be one trader in and out several times, and on 1H, 12H and 3D the volume is an estimate. Read the chart and the flow before drawing conclusions from size or move alone.
From reading to execution
Once a timeframe has shown you a market worth reading, open it, read the panel, and use the order ticket only if the reading holds up. See how to read the Nimb map for the rest of the map.
Last reviewed 2026-11-07 · Data from Polymarket · Not financial advice · Nimb is not affiliated with Polymarket.