Gold on TradingView: XAUUSD, GOLD or GC1!?

XAUUSD vs GOLD vs GC1!

XAUUSD is the forex-style name for gold: XAU is the ISO code for one troy ounce of gold, priced in USD. Most forex and CFD brokers use it, so if you trade gold through a forex broker, OANDA:XAUUSD or your own broker’s XAUUSD feed is the closest match. GC1! is the exchange-traded futures contract that many professional traders watch for volume, and it usually trades a few dollars away from spot because of carrying costs. GLD is a fund you can buy in a stock account.

Why don’t these prices match?

• Spot and CFD prices (like XAUUSD) come from a broker or data provider. Every broker quotes slightly differently and adds its own spread, so your broker’s chart can differ a little from TradingView’s.
• Futures (like GC1!) are contracts for a future date. Their price includes the cost of carrying the position until expiry, so they usually sit a little away from spot, and the gap shrinks as expiry approaches.
• ETFs trade as shares on a stock exchange, at a fraction of the market’s price, and only during stock market hours.

What does “1!” mean on TradingView?

A ticker ending in 1! is TradingView’s continuous contract: it always shows the front (nearest) futures month and switches to the next contract when it rolls over. 2! is the next month after that. Because each contract has a different price, the chart can jump at the roll. To chart a single expiry instead, search for the dated contract.

Trading hours

Spot gold, gold CFDs and COMEX gold futures trade almost 24 hours a day from Sunday evening to Friday evening (US time), with a short daily break. GLD trades only during US stock market hours. Our live stock market hours and forex market hours clocks show what’s open in your time zone.

Which one should you use?

Trading gold with a forex or CFD broker? Use XAUUSD, ideally your own broker’s feed if TradingView has it. Trading futures, or want exchange volume? Use GC1!. Buying gold exposure in a stock account? Look at GLD.

Building a list of these? Add them to a watchlist with the Watchlist Builder, and see our symbol format guide for how TradingView writes tickers.

ChartWatch is independent and not affiliated with TradingView, any exchange or broker. Symbol names checked on TradingView in October 2026. “Open on TradingView” links are affiliate links: if you sign up through them, ChartWatch may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing here is a recommendation to trade.

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