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METATRADER 5 BASICS

THE PLATFORM YOUR BOTS RUN IN, SET UP ON YOUR VPS.

MetaTrader 5 (MT5) is the trading platform that connects to your broker and actually places the trades. Algory reads its market data through MT5, and every bot Algory compiles runs inside MT5. So MT5 has to be installed on your VPS, logged into your broker, and left running.

If you have never used MT5, this gets you comfortable with it. Do it all inside the remote desktop on your VPS.

WHY MT5 MATTERS

Algory does the thinking, MT5 does the trading. Algory breeds and tests strategies, then hands a finished bot to MT5. MT5 is what sits in front of your broker and clicks buy and sell for you, day and night.

Three things must always be true on the VPS for your bots to trade: MT5 is open, it is logged into your broker, and AutoTrading is switched on. Get those three right and the rest is just knowing where the buttons are.

MARKET WATCH
SYMBOL + PRICE LIST
NAVIGATOR
YOUR BOTS LIVE HERE
CHART
WHERE A BOT RUNS
AUTOTRADING
THE MASTER SWITCH
TOOLBOX
TRADES + LOGS
01INSTALL AND LOG IN TO YOUR BROKER

Always download MT5 from your own broker's website, not a generic copy, so it points at their servers.

  1. On the VPS, open the browser, go to your broker's site, download their MetaTrader 5 and install it.
  2. Open MT5. If a login box does not appear, go to File then Login to Trading Account.
  3. Enter the login number, password and server your broker gave you. A demo or a live account both work.
  4. Look at the Market Watch list on the left. If the prices are ticking, you are connected to the broker.
02LEARN THE FIVE PARTS OF THE SCREEN

MT5 looks busy, but you only need five things. Each can be reopened from the View menu if you close it by accident.

  1. Market Watch (Ctrl+M): the list of symbols and live prices on the left. If a symbol is missing, right-click and choose Show All.
  2. Navigator (Ctrl+N): the tree on the left. Your compiled Algory bots appear under Expert Advisors here.
  3. Chart: the price window in the middle. One chart shows one symbol on one timeframe, and a bot runs on a chart.
  4. Toolbox (Ctrl+T): the panel along the bottom, with Trade (open positions), History, Experts and Journal tabs.
  5. AutoTrading: the button in the top toolbar. Green means bots are allowed to trade. Red means everything is paused.
03TURN ON ALGO TRADING (ONE TIME)

Out of the box MT5 blocks bots from trading. Flip this on once and it stays on.

  1. Go to Tools then Options then the Expert Advisors tab.
  2. Tick Allow algorithmic trading, then click OK. You can leave the DLL imports box unticked, Algory bots do not need it.
  3. Click the AutoTrading button in the top toolbar so it turns green.
04OPEN A CHART FOR YOUR SYMBOL

A bot runs on a chart, so open the right one first.

  1. In Market Watch, find the exact symbol your strategy was bred on.
  2. Double-click it, or drag it into the middle, to open its chart.
  3. Set the timeframe to match the strategy using the timeframe buttons in the toolbar (M1, M5, H1 and so on).
05ATTACH YOUR ALGORY BOT

This is the moment a strategy goes from a file to a live trader.

  1. In Navigator, open Expert Advisors and find your bot. If it is not there, right-click inside Navigator and choose Refresh.
  2. Drag the bot onto the chart. A settings box opens. The inputs are already filled in by Algory, so do not change them.
  3. Tick Allow Algo Trading in that box and click OK.
  4. Look at the top-right corner of the chart. A smiley face means the bot is active. A sad face means AutoTrading is off or algo trading is blocked.
NOTEBefore live, parity test first

The same Strategy Tester in MT5 is used for the parity test that proves a bot matches Algory's backtest. That step is covered in the How To Use Algory SOP. Do it before you trust a bot on real money.

06KEEP IT RUNNING ON THE VPS

A bot only trades while MT5 is open, logged in, and AutoTrading is green. Your VPS never sleeps, so leave MT5 running and your bots work around the clock.

  1. Do not close MT5 or log out of the broker on the VPS. Just disconnect the Remote Desktop from your phone, the VPS keeps running.
  2. Reconnect any time and check the Toolbox Trade tab for open positions, or the Journal and Experts tabs if something looks off.
  3. Reopen a chart and re-attach a bot the same way whenever you compile a new strategy in Algory.
TIPThe three-point check

If a bot is not trading, check these three before anything else: AutoTrading is green, the chart shows a smiley face not a sad face, and the chart symbol and timeframe match what the bot was bred on.

QUICK ANSWERS

Demo or live account?
Either works. Use a demo to forward test a new bot first, then move it to your live or funded account.
My bot is not placing trades.
Run the three-point check: AutoTrading green, a smiley face on the chart, and the symbol and timeframe matching what the bot was bred on.
Where do I see my trades?
Open the Toolbox (Ctrl+T). The Trade tab shows open positions, the History tab shows closed ones.
I closed MT5 by accident.
Just reopen it on the VPS. It logs back into your broker automatically, and the bots resume once AutoTrading is green again.
Do MT5 and Algory both need to be open?
To breed new strategies, yes, Algory reads MT5 data. To just keep live bots running, only MT5 needs to stay open. Both can sit on the VPS together.
STUCK INSIDE MT5?

Send me a screenshot in the Algory Discord and I will point you to the right button. MT5 feels big at first and tiny once it clicks.

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