Bollinger Bands and RSI solve different problems: the bands show you where price is relative to its recent volatility, RSI shows you whether momentum agrees. Scalping gold on either indicator alone produces a lot of false signals; combining them filters most of that out.
1. Two failure modes traders confuse
When price touches the upper band, it can mean one of two opposite things: the move is exhausted and about to mean-revert, or it's strong enough to "walk the band" and keep trending. RSI is what tells them apart. A band touch with RSI already above 70 and turning down suggests exhaustion. A band touch with RSI climbing through 60-70 for the first time suggests the move still has room.
2. The setup
Wait for the bands to squeeze first, narrowing noticeably tighter than their recent average width. The entry trigger is a breakout candle closing outside the band paired with RSI crossing 50 in the same direction. If price closes back inside the bands within one or two candles afterward, treat the breakout as failed and exit.
3. Risk control
Because this is a scalping setup, stops need to be tight and mechanical, typically just beyond the opposite band or the recent swing point, not a fixed dollar amount. Keep position size small enough that a full stop-out stays under 1% of account equity.