How to Install an EA on MT5

Before you start

• The file. An .ex5 (compiled) file is ready to run. An .mq5 (source) file has to be compiled first — open it in MetaEditor and press Compile, which writes the .ex5 next to it.
• A logged-in account. Start on a demo account. There is no reason for a new EA's first trades to be real.
• The right symbol. The EA's documentation says which symbol and timeframe it expects. Brokers name symbols differently (XAUUSD, GOLD, XAUUSD.m…).

Installing the EA

1. 1

   Open the data folder

   In MT5: File → Open Data Folder. A file window opens at the terminal's data directory.

2. 2

   Go to MQL5 → Experts

   Open MQL5, then Experts. You can create a subfolder to keep your EAs organised; MT5 shows subfolders in the Navigator.

3. 3

   Copy the .ex5 file in

   Paste the file into Experts (or your subfolder). If the EA comes with extra files — include files, libraries, presets — the documentation says where each goes.

4. 4

   Refresh the Navigator

   Back in MT5, open the Navigator (Ctrl+N), right-click Expert Advisors → Refresh. Restarting the terminal also works.

5. 5

   Attach it to a chart

   Open a chart of the right symbol and timeframe, then drag the EA from the Navigator onto it (or double-click it with the chart active). Its settings dialog opens.

6. 6

   Set the inputs

   On the Common tab, tick Allow Algo Trading. On the Inputs tab, enter the EA's parameters — or load a .set preset file with Load. Click OK.

Confirm it is running

An attached EA is not necessarily a trading EA. Check three things:

1. The chart: the EA's name appears in the top-right corner of the chart, with an icon showing whether it is allowed to trade.
2. The Algo Trading button in the toolbar is enabled (Ctrl+E toggles it). When it is off, no EA in the terminal can trade.
3. The Experts tab in the Toolbox (Ctrl+T) shows the EA's own messages: that it loaded, any errors, any orders it sent. The Journal tab shows the terminal's side.

If the EA is attached but not trading, the cause is almost always one of the permissions covered in how to enable algorithmic trading in MT5.

EAs that talk to a server

Some EAs connect to an outside service — a licence check, a signal feed, a monitoring portal. MT5 blocks this by default. The URL has to be added in Tools → Options → Expert Advisors → Allow WebRequest for listed URL. Without it the EA's web requests fail, and depending on how it is written it may refuse to trade.

Common installation problems

Installing AURAX