The working area of the thinkorswim platform can be divided into two parts: the left sidebar and the main window. The left sidebar is where you keep gadgets necessary for your work. The main window contains eight tabs, which provide you with numerous kinds of functionality: Monitor, Trade, Analyze, Scan, MarketWatch, Charts, Tools, and Help. All these tabs also have subtabs, each dedicated to a certain thinkorswim feature. The manual you’re reading now describes these features in detail (refer to the corresponding pages for more information), but for now, let’s focus on what can be found under the seven main tabs:

The Monitor tab is the primary location where your trading activity is tracked. This includes many kinds of data: your orders, positions, statements, cash balances, and trading account status.

The Trade tab contains the following interfaces: All Products, Forex Trader, Futures Trader, Pairs Trader, and Active Trader.

The Analyze tab provides you with analysis techniques of many kinds, including simulation of "what-if scenarios" on both real and hypothetical trades, volatility and probability analyses, the Economic Data indicator database, and option back-testing.

The Scan tab enables you to filter through tens of thousands of stock, option, futures and forex products available based on your search criteria.

The MarketWatch tab provides you with market data of many kinds as well as techniques that will help you process it. The following sub-tabs are available in MarketWatch: Quotes, Alerts, Visualize, Financing Rates, and Calendar.

The Charts tab provides you with a powerful graphic interface of real-time market data with an extensive selection of technical analysis tools.

The Tools tab encompasses several handy thinkorswim features: thinkLog, Videos, and Shared Items.