Every retail broker shows a 'most active options' list. Every one of those lists is essentially the same: SPY, QQQ, TSLA, NVDA, AAPL, repeat. The list is sorted by raw volume. It is mathematically guaranteed to surface the largest names. It tells you nothing.

The structural problem

Raw volume is bounded by underlying liquidity. The five biggest names will dominate the list every day. Whatever 'unusual' really means, it is not 'mega-cap names doing their normal thing.'

What you actually want

Volume relative to a baseline. The baseline can be the contract's open interest (Vol/OI), the contract's 20-day average volume, or the underlying's normal options volume. The point is to surface activity that is unusual for that name, not unusual in absolute terms.

A useful screen in three filters

Vol/OI > 5: filters out routine volume.
Total premium > $250k: filters out single-lot retail noise.
Stock price > $5: filters out penny-stock manipulation.

What you will find

Two to twenty names a day, depending on market activity. Some will be reactionary - the stock is moving and options are following. Most will be names you have never heard of. Those are the prints worth reading.

Why brokers do not surface this

Brokers monetize trade volume. A list that says 'three small-caps you have never heard of had institutional positioning today' does not drive trades. A list that says 'SPY is the most active options today' generates engagement and clicks. The product is not built for you.