The entry

The release printed, the spread came back to normal, and gold was still retracing. Here is the trade, decision by decision.

First, the side

Buyer, from the morning line. The daily is bullish, no daily close below 2,396 has printed, and nothing that happened at the release changed either fact.

The side was decided before the session and nothing had cancelled it.

Second, the level watched

Price drifted down to 2,419 in the first hour, then back up to 2,424. That 2,419 low is now a session low, with orders resting under it.

The decision at this point was to watch 2,419 and nothing else.