A mitigation block is a zone price returns to in order to mitigate unfilled orders. In SMC, to mitigate means to let earlier positions be managed or completed — for example, when institutions revisit an area to fill orders that were left behind by a fast move.
Mitigation versus breaker
The two are close cousins. A breaker block requires a liquidity sweep at its origin, while a mitigation block forms from a swing point that was not swept before the move. Both flip role after a structure break, but the distinction lies in whether liquidity was taken first. Many traders treat them almost interchangeably.
How to use it
Mark the last swing that produced an impulsive, structure-breaking move without a prior sweep. When price returns to mitigate the zone, watch for the trend to resume. Because these are fine distinctions, confirm with structure rather than acting on the label alone.
A mitigation block is a return to fill unmitigated orders — like a breaker, but formed without a liquidity sweep first.