Expert Advisors (EAs) automate trading in MetaTrader 5. You can use EAs at TabTrade on any MT5 account. This guide covers installing an EA on MT5, checking its settings on a demo account and choosing a hosting option to keep the strategy running when your computer is off.
What an Expert Advisor does on MT5
An Expert Advisor, or EA, follows the trading rules coded into it. MT5 Expert Advisors are written in a custom programming language called MQL5.
You attach an EA to a chart from the Navigator window in MT5. Only one Expert Advisor runs on one chart at a time.
You can find ready-made EAs through MQL5 Market or explore building your own. The MetaTrader 5 platform page covers the basics of the platform, while the algorithmic trading basics lesson explains how trading rules become an automated strategy.
Accounts and platforms for EAs at TabTrade
You are free to use EAs on your TabTrade account, subject to the terms and conditions. EAs can be used across all five live account types: Standard, Edge, VIP, Cent and Swap-Free. Confirm that your chosen account’s conditions suit the EA before live use.
Demo accounts support EAs as well, so you can test them before risking capital. The Cent account shows balances in USC and positions are 1/100th of normal lot sizing. This allows for smaller live trades and strategy testing.
TabTrade currently offers trading through MT5, but not cTrader. A cBot needs cTrader, so a cBot cannot run on a TabTrade account. See the MT5 vs cTrader comparison for the platform differences.
Before you set EA inputs, check your account type, exact instrument names and any instrument suffixes (such as .c for Cent Account symbols), contract size, minimum volume and volume step. Use the account comparison before you pick an account type.
You can find or reset your credentials and download the platform in TabTrade’s Secure Account Portal. Use the platform download guide to get started.
Once you have MT5 installed, follow the installation steps below to set up an EA.
How to install an EA on MT5
- Open MetaTrader 5 and log in to the correct trading account and server.
- Find the correct EA version for MT5 from MQL5 Market or the vendor.
- Install the EA manually through File > Open Data Folder > MQL5 > Experts, via MetaEditor, or through MQL5 Market or the vendor route. The Market uses your MQL5.community account.
- Drag the EA from the Navigator window onto the intended chart.
- Set the EA Inputs for your account and instrument.
- Enable automated trading in the toolbar at the top of the platform and enable live trading at the individual EA level in the EA settings.
Check that your EA is running
Check these five points when your EA is not trading.
- An “Auto Trading enabled” icon appears in the upper right corner of the chart when an EA starts.
- An “Auto Trading disabled” icon means the EA is not allowed to trade.
- The AutoTrading button on the MT5 toolbar turns automated trading on or off for the whole platform.
- The “Allow Auto Trading” option on the Common tab of the EA’s properties controls trading for that EA.
- The Toolbox window shows program logs and expert journals.
“Allow DLL imports” is potentially dangerous, so enable it only for trusted applications. “Allow WebRequest for listed URL” is off by default, and you list trusted websites manually.
Read the MetaTrader 5 trade robots help for further settings.
Test the installed EA
An MQL5 Market product demo runs only in Strategy Tester, not on a live chart. Running an EA on a demo chart requires an EA licensed for that use. MetaTrader 5 Market help
A product demo and a demo trading account serve different purposes. The first lets you evaluate software in Strategy Tester; the second lets you check an EA on your intended demo account before live use.
A successful setup does not prove profitability or certify the EA for every account.
Run your EA 24/7
MetaQuotes virtual hosting runs your MetaTrader 5 platform on a remote server, so your EAs keep working when your computer is off. The “All” migration type moves open charts, running EAs, indicators and signal copying settings.
DLL calls are forbidden on MetaQuotes virtual hosting, and scripts are not transferred. Accounts with one-time password authentication cannot be used, and a chart holds no more than 500,000 bars.
A Windows VPS is a separate hosting route that runs the full MetaTrader 5 platform. New York City Servers is one VPS provider TabTrade works with, and its VPS comes with MetaTrader 5 pre-installed. These and other London-based VPS options provide the closest location for lower latency.
Check your EA vendor’s dependencies and the hosting terms before you choose a hosting route. Explore the VPS hosting options or consult the virtual hosting migration help before you move your charts.