What is Metatrader?
MetaTrader 5 (MT5) is the terminal almost every broker supports, used to view charts, place trades, and run automated strategies called “Expert Advisors” (EAs). Normally, building an EA requires coding in MQL5, which most traders can’t do. Profectus solves this with a no-code drag-and-drop builder that exports a working EA in seconds.
Before you get here, test your idea in Profectus. Building, backtesting and analysis all happen inside the platform, so you find out whether a strategy is worth running before you install anything. Backtests run on 1-minute historical bar data, free for every user. Tick-level backtesting is coming soon. See How to backtest on Profectus.AI.
This guide covers the step after that: getting a system you already trust onto your broker account.
Setting up Metatrader 5
Download Metatrader 5 here: https://www.metatrader5.com/
After completing the setup, Metatrader 5 will open, and you'll be prompted to log in. You press next and choose "Open a demo account".
Fill out the details, and you'll receive the account login details. Write these down somewhere so you can always come back to them if needed. Press Finish to be logged in automatically.
Exporting your strategy to Metatrader 5
Open your strategy in the Profectus builder and click Download in the top tab bar. This downloads the compiled .ex5 file, ready to run in MetaTrader 5.
In MetaTrader 5, go to File → Open Data Folder, then open MQL5 → Experts. Copy your downloaded .ex5 file into this folder.
In MetaTrader 5, open View → Navigator if the Navigator panel is hidden. Under Expert Advisors, right-click and select Refresh. Your strategy should now appear in the list.
Follow the next section to attach the strategy to a chart and enable trading on a demo account.
The .ex5 file from the builder is already compiled. You do not need to open MetaEditor or compile it yourself. Editable source-code downloads are a separate Pro option under Your Projects → ⋯ → .MQL5, not the builder's Download button.
Trading your strategy
Disclaimer: Always use a demo account first to run your strategies!
If you are ready to put your strategy into action on your demo account, the first thing you need to do is open a symbol chart. Find the symbol you want to trade in the Market Watch section, right-click, and press Chart Window.
A chart window will open up. Navigate to your strategy in the Expert Advisors section, click it, and drag it onto the chart. You'll see the following window, and you check the checkbox that says Allow Algo Trading.
Press OK.
The Expert Advisor is now loaded onto the chart, but will not be trading as long as Algo Trading is not turned on fully. Navigate to the top toolbar and find the Algo Trading button. If it's off, it's a red button like you see in the screenshot below.
When you press it, it turns on and turns into a greenplay button.
You will also notice that the little hat in the top-right corner of your chart window will turn from grey to blue, indicating that your strategy is now active and will be taking trades.
