Articles on trading system automation in MQL5

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Read articles on the trading systems with a wide variety of ideas at the core. Learn how to use statistical methods and patterns on candlestick charts, how to filter signals and where to use semaphore indicators.

The MQL5 Wizard will help you create robots without programming to quickly check your trading ideas. Use the Wizard to learn about genetic algorithms.

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Neural Networks in Trading: Parameter-Efficient Transformer with Segmented Attention (Final Part)

Neural Networks in Trading: Parameter-Efficient Transformer with Segmented Attention (Final Part)

In the previous work, we discussed the theoretical aspects of the PSformer framework, which includes two major innovations in the classical Transformer architecture: the Parameter Shared (PS) mechanism and attention to spatio-temporal segments (SegAtt). In this article, we continue the work we started on implementing the proposed approaches using MQL5.
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Building a Trading System (Part 3): Determining Minimum Risk Levels for Realistic Profit Targets

Building a Trading System (Part 3): Determining Minimum Risk Levels for Realistic Profit Targets

Every trader's ultimate goal is profitability, which is why many set specific profit targets to achieve within a defined trading period. In this article, we will use Monte Carlo simulations to determine the optimal risk percentage per trade needed to meet trading objectives. The results will help traders assess whether their profit targets are realistic or overly ambitious. Finally, we will discuss which parameters can be adjusted to establish a practical risk percentage per trade that aligns with trading goals.
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Building Your First Glass-box Model Using Python And MQL5

Building Your First Glass-box Model Using Python And MQL5

Machine learning models are difficult to interpret and understanding why our models deviate from our expectations is critical if we want to gain any value from using such advanced techniques. Without comprehensive insight into the inner workings of our model, we might fail to spot bugs that are corrupting our model's performance, we may waste time over engineering features that aren't predictive and in the long run we risk underutilizing the power of these models. Fortunately, there is a sophisticated and well maintained all in one solution that allows us to see exactly what our model is doing underneath the hood.
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Reimagining Classic Strategies (Part XI): Moving Average Cross Over (II)

Reimagining Classic Strategies (Part XI): Moving Average Cross Over (II)

The moving averages and the stochastic oscillator could be used to generate trend following trading signals. However, these signals will only be observed after the price action has occurred. We can effectively overcome this inherent lag in technical indicators using AI. This article will teach you how to create a fully autonomous AI-powered Expert Advisor in a manner that can improve any of your existing trading strategies. Even the oldest trading strategy possible can be improved.
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Trend Prediction with LSTM for Trend-Following Strategies

Trend Prediction with LSTM for Trend-Following Strategies

Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) is a type of recurrent neural network (RNN) designed to model sequential data by effectively capturing long-term dependencies and addressing the vanishing gradient problem. In this article, we will explore how to utilize LSTM to predict future trends, enhancing the performance of trend-following strategies. The article will cover the introduction of key concepts and the motivation behind development, fetching data from MetaTrader 5, using that data to train the model in Python, integrating the machine learning model into MQL5, and reflecting on the results and future aspirations based on statistical backtesting.
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Cycles and trading

Cycles and trading

This article is about using cycles in trading. We will consider building a trading strategy based on cyclical models.
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Risk manager for algorithmic trading

Risk manager for algorithmic trading

The objectives of this article are to prove the necessity of using a risk manager and to implement the principles of controlled risk in algorithmic trading in a separate class, so that everyone can verify the effectiveness of the risk standardization approach in intraday trading and investing in financial markets. In this article, we will create a risk manager class for algorithmic trading. This is a logical continuation of the previous article in which we discussed the creation of a risk manager for manual trading.
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Neural networks made easy (Part 31): Evolutionary algorithms

Neural networks made easy (Part 31): Evolutionary algorithms

In the previous article, we started exploring non-gradient optimization methods. We got acquainted with the genetic algorithm. Today, we will continue this topic and will consider another class of evolutionary algorithms.
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Developing a trading Expert Advisor from scratch (Part 13): Time and Trade (II)

Developing a trading Expert Advisor from scratch (Part 13): Time and Trade (II)

Today we will construct the second part of the Times & Trade system for market analysis. In the previous article "Times & Trade (I)" we discussed an alternative chart organization system, which would allow having an indicator for the quickest possible interpretation of deals executed in the market.
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Creating Custom Indicators in MQL5 (Part 6): Evolving RSI Calculations with Smoothing, Hue Shifts, and Multi-Timeframe Support

Creating Custom Indicators in MQL5 (Part 6): Evolving RSI Calculations with Smoothing, Hue Shifts, and Multi-Timeframe Support

In this article, we build a versatile RSI indicator in MQL5 supporting multiple variants, data sources, and smoothing methods for improved analysis. We add hue shifts for color visuals, dynamic boundaries for overbought/oversold zones, and notifications for trend alerts. It includes multi-timeframe support with interpolation, offering us a customizable RSI tool for diverse strategies.
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Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 21): Market Structure Flip Detector Tool

Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 21): Market Structure Flip Detector Tool

The Market Structure Flip Detector Expert Advisor (EA) acts as your vigilant partner, constantly observing shifts in market sentiment. By utilizing Average True Range (ATR)-based thresholds, it effectively detects structure flips and labels each Higher Low and Lower High with clear indicators. Thanks to MQL5’s swift execution and flexible API, this tool offers real-time analysis that adjusts the display for optimal readability and provides a live dashboard to monitor flip counts and timings. Furthermore, customizable sound and push notifications guarantee that you stay informed of critical signals, allowing you to see how straightforward inputs and helper routines can transform price movements into actionable strategies.
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Automated exchange grid trading using stop pending orders on Moscow Exchange (MOEX)

Automated exchange grid trading using stop pending orders on Moscow Exchange (MOEX)

The article considers the grid trading approach based on stop pending orders and implemented in an MQL5 Expert Advisor on the Moscow Exchange (MOEX). When trading in the market, one of the simplest strategies is a grid of orders designed to "catch" the market price.
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Creating an MQL5-Telegram Integrated Expert Advisor (Part 2): Sending Signals from MQL5 to Telegram

Creating an MQL5-Telegram Integrated Expert Advisor (Part 2): Sending Signals from MQL5 to Telegram

In this article, we create an MQL5-Telegram integrated Expert Advisor that sends moving average crossover signals to Telegram. We detail the process of generating trading signals from moving average crossovers, implementing the necessary code in MQL5, and ensuring the integration works seamlessly. The result is a system that provides real-time trading alerts directly to your Telegram group chat.
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Revisiting Murray system

Revisiting Murray system

Graphical price analysis systems are deservedly popular among traders. In this article, I am going to describe the complete Murray system, including its famous levels, as well as some other useful techniques for assessing the current price position and making a trading decision.
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Data Science and Machine Learning (Part 13): Improve your financial market analysis with Principal Component Analysis (PCA)

Data Science and Machine Learning (Part 13): Improve your financial market analysis with Principal Component Analysis (PCA)

Revolutionize your financial market analysis with Principal Component Analysis (PCA)! Discover how this powerful technique can unlock hidden patterns in your data, uncover latent market trends, and optimize your investment strategies. In this article, we explore how PCA can provide a new lens for analyzing complex financial data, revealing insights that would be missed by traditional approaches. Find out how applying PCA to financial market data can give you a competitive edge and help you stay ahead of the curve
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Automating Trading Strategies in MQL5 (Part 27): Creating a Price Action Crab Harmonic Pattern with Visual Feedback

Automating Trading Strategies in MQL5 (Part 27): Creating a Price Action Crab Harmonic Pattern with Visual Feedback

In this article, we develop a Crab Harmonic Pattern system in MQL5 that identifies bullish and bearish Crab harmonic patterns using pivot points and Fibonacci ratios, triggering trades with precise entry, stop loss, and take-profit levels. We incorporate visual feedback through chart objects like triangles and trendlines to display the XABCD pattern structure and trade levels.
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From Novice to Expert: Automating Base-Candle Geometry for Liquidity Zones in MQL5

From Novice to Expert: Automating Base-Candle Geometry for Liquidity Zones in MQL5

This article implements an MQL5 module that analyzes the lower‑timeframe bars inside each liquidity‑zone base candle. It detects swing points and applies objective rules to classify the internal structure as an ascending, descending, or symmetrical triangle; a rectangle; M; W; or undefined. The indicator displays geometry labels on the chart and adds the pattern to alerts, reducing manual lower‑timeframe inspection.
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How to build and optimize a volume-based trading system (Chaikin Money Flow - CMF)

How to build and optimize a volume-based trading system (Chaikin Money Flow - CMF)

In this article, we will provide a volume-based indicator, Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) after identifying how it can be constructed, calculated, and used. We will understand how to build a custom indicator. We will share some simple strategies that can be used and then test them to understand which one is better.
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Creating an EA that works automatically (Part 10): Automation (II)

Creating an EA that works automatically (Part 10): Automation (II)

Automation means nothing if you cannot control its schedule. No worker can be efficient working 24 hours a day. However, many believe that an automated system should operate 24 hours a day. But it is always good to have means to set a working time range for the EA. In this article, we will consider how to properly set such a time range.
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Neural networks made easy (Part 49): Soft Actor-Critic

Neural networks made easy (Part 49): Soft Actor-Critic

We continue our discussion of reinforcement learning algorithms for solving continuous action space problems. In this article, I will present the Soft Actor-Critic (SAC) algorithm. The main advantage of SAC is the ability to find optimal policies that not only maximize the expected reward, but also have maximum entropy (diversity) of actions.
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Dynamic Swing Architecture: Market Structure Recognition from Swings to Automated Execution

Dynamic Swing Architecture: Market Structure Recognition from Swings to Automated Execution

This article introduces a fully automated MQL5 system designed to identify and trade market swings with precision. Unlike traditional fixed-bar swing indicators, this system adapts dynamically to evolving price structure—detecting swing highs and swing lows in real time to capture directional opportunities as they form.
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MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 09): Pairing K-Means Clustering with Fractal Waves

MQL5 Wizard Techniques you should know (Part 09): Pairing K-Means Clustering with Fractal Waves

K-Means clustering takes the approach to grouping data points as a process that’s initially focused on the macro view of a data set that uses random generated cluster centroids before zooming in and adjusting these centroids to accurately represent the data set. We will look at this and exploit a few of its use cases.
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Developing a trading Expert Advisor from scratch (Part 11): Cross order system

Developing a trading Expert Advisor from scratch (Part 11): Cross order system

In this article we will create a system of cross orders. There is one type of assets that makes traders' life very difficult for traders — futures contracts. But why do they make life difficult?
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Currency pair strength indicator in pure MQL5

Currency pair strength indicator in pure MQL5

We are going to develop a professional indicator for currency strength analysis in MQL5. This step-by-step guide will show you how to develop a powerful trading tool with a visual dashboard for MetaTrader 5. You will learn how to calculate the strength of currency pairs across multiple timeframes (H1, H4, D1), implement dynamic data updates, and create a user-friendly interface.
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Neural Networks in Trading: A Multi-Agent System with Conceptual Reinforcement (Final Part)

Neural Networks in Trading: A Multi-Agent System with Conceptual Reinforcement (Final Part)

We continue to implement the approaches proposed by the authors of the FinCon framework. FinCon is a multi-agent system based on Large Language Models (LLMs). Today, we will implement the necessary modules and conduct comprehensive testing of the model on real historical data.
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Risk manager for manual trading

Risk manager for manual trading

In this article we will discuss in detail how to write a risk manager class for manual trading from scratch. This class can also be used as a base class for inheritance by algorithmic traders who use automated programs.
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Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 35): Training and Deploying Predictive Models

Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 35): Training and Deploying Predictive Models

Historical data is far from “trash”—it’s the foundation of any robust market analysis. In this article, we’ll take you step‑by‑step from collecting that history to using it to train a predictive model, and finally deploying that model for live price forecasts. Read on to learn how!
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Automating Trading Strategies in MQL5 (Part 38): Hidden RSI Divergence Trading with Slope Angle Filters

Automating Trading Strategies in MQL5 (Part 38): Hidden RSI Divergence Trading with Slope Angle Filters

In this article, we build an MQL5 EA that detects hidden RSI divergences via swing points with strength, bar ranges, tolerance, and slope angle filters for price and RSI lines. It executes buy/sell trades on validated signals with fixed lots, SL/TP in pips, and optional trailing stops for risk control.
Timeseries in DoEasy library (part 47): Multi-period multi-symbol standard indicators
Timeseries in DoEasy library (part 47): Multi-period multi-symbol standard indicators

Timeseries in DoEasy library (part 47): Multi-period multi-symbol standard indicators

In this article, I will start developing the methods of working with standard indicators, which will ultimately allow creating multi-symbol multi-period standard indicators based on library classes. Besides, I will add the "Skipped bars" event to the timeseries classes and eliminate excessive load from the main program code by moving the library preparation functions to CEngine class.
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Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 56): Reading Session Acceptance and Rejection with CPI

Price Action Analysis Toolkit Development (Part 56): Reading Session Acceptance and Rejection with CPI

This article presents a session-based analytical framework that combines time-defined market sessions with the Candle Pressure Index (CPI) to classify acceptance and rejection behavior at session boundaries using closed-candle data and clearly defined rules.
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Improve Your Trading Charts With Interactive GUI's in MQL5 (Part II): Movable GUI (II)

Improve Your Trading Charts With Interactive GUI's in MQL5 (Part II): Movable GUI (II)

Unlock the potential of dynamic data representation in your trading strategies and utilities with our in-depth guide to creating movable GUIs in MQL5. Delve into the fundamental principles of object-oriented programming and discover how to design and implement single or multiple movable GUIs on the same chart with ease and efficiency.
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MQL5 Trading Tools (Part 1): Building an Interactive Visual Pending Orders Trade Assistant Tool

MQL5 Trading Tools (Part 1): Building an Interactive Visual Pending Orders Trade Assistant Tool

In this article, we introduce the development of an interactive Trade Assistant Tool in MQL5, designed to simplify placing pending orders in Forex trading. We outline the conceptual design, focusing on a user-friendly GUI for setting entry, stop-loss, and take-profit levels visually on the chart. Additionally, we detail the MQL5 implementation and backtesting process to ensure the tool’s reliability, setting the stage for advanced features in the preceding parts.
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Building AI-Powered Trading Systems in MQL5 (Part 4): Overcoming Multiline Input, Ensuring Chat Persistence, and Generating Signals

Building AI-Powered Trading Systems in MQL5 (Part 4): Overcoming Multiline Input, Ensuring Chat Persistence, and Generating Signals

In this article, we enhance the ChatGPT-integrated program in MQL5 overcoming multiline input limitations with improved text rendering, introducing a sidebar for navigating persistent chat storage using AES256 encryption and ZIP compression, and generating initial trade signals through chart data integration.
Expert Advisors Based on Popular Trading Strategies and Alchemy of Trading Robot Optimization (Part VI)
Expert Advisors Based on Popular Trading Strategies and Alchemy of Trading Robot Optimization (Part VI)

Expert Advisors Based on Popular Trading Strategies and Alchemy of Trading Robot Optimization (Part VI)

In this article, the author proposes the way of improving trading systems presented in his previous articles. The article is of interest for traders already having experiences in writing Expert Advisors.
MQL5 Market Results for Q2 2013
MQL5 Market Results for Q2 2013

MQL5 Market Results for Q2 2013

Successfully operating for 1.5 years, MQL5 Market has become the largest traders' store of trading strategies and technical indicators. It offers around 800 trading applications provided by 350 developers from around the world. Over 100.000 trading programs have already been purchased and downloaded by traders to their MetaTrader 5 terminals.
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Building a Research-Grounded Grid EA in MQL5: Why Most Grid EAs Fail and What Taranto Proved

Building a Research-Grounded Grid EA in MQL5: Why Most Grid EAs Fail and What Taranto Proved

This article implements a regime-adaptive grid trading EA based on the PhD research of Aldo Taranto. It presents a regime‑adaptive grid trading EA that constrains risk through restartable cycles and equity‑based safeguards. We explain why naive grids fail (variance growth and almost‑sure ruin), derive the loss formula for real‑time exposure, and implement regime‑aware gating, ATR‑dynamic spacing, and a live kill switch. Readers get the mathematical tools and production patterns needed to build, test, and operate a constrained grid safely.
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Swing Extremes and Pullbacks in MQL5 (Part 2): Automating the Strategy with an Expert Advisor

Swing Extremes and Pullbacks in MQL5 (Part 2): Automating the Strategy with an Expert Advisor

Built on lower-timeframe market structure, and then orchestrated on the higher-timeframe, this indicator detects swing extremes where price becomes statistically vulnerable to reversal. It visualizes overextension and pullback zones, offering early insight into mean-reversion behavior.
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Developing a Replay System — Market simulation (Part 21): FOREX (II)

Developing a Replay System — Market simulation (Part 21): FOREX (II)

We will continue to build a system for working in the FOREX market. In order to solve this problem, we must first declare the loading of ticks before loading the previous bars. This solves the problem, but at the same time forces the user to follow some structure in the configuration file, which, personally, does not make much sense to me. The reason is that by designing a program that is responsible for analyzing and executing what is in the configuration file, we can allow the user to declare the elements he needs in any order.
MQL5 Market Turns One Year Old
MQL5 Market Turns One Year Old

MQL5 Market Turns One Year Old

One year has passed since the launch of sales in MQL5 Market. It was a year of hard work, which turned the new service into the largest store of trading robots and technical indicators for MetaTrader 5 platform.
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Building a Trading System (Part 4): How Random Exits Influence Trading Expectancy

Building a Trading System (Part 4): How Random Exits Influence Trading Expectancy

Many traders have experienced this situation, often stick to their entry criteria but struggle with trade management. Even with the right setups, emotional decision-making—such as panic exits before trades reach their take-profit or stop-loss levels—can lead to a declining equity curve. How can traders overcome this issue and improve their results? This article will address these questions by examining random win-rates and demonstrating, through Monte Carlo simulation, how traders can refine their strategies by taking profits at reasonable levels before the original target is reached.