Use this article to understand the difference between a price level, a price range, and percentage of price.
These terms are important when setting entries, stop losses, take profits, indicators, and custom price logic in the Builder.
Also known as: price level, price range, price fraction, custom price, custom price level, custom price fraction, percentage of price, % of price, PoP, stop loss as percentage of price.
Summary
There are three common price concepts in the Builder:
Price Level
An exact price on the chart.
Price Range
The distance between two prices.
Percentage of Price / Price Fraction
A distance calculated from price, a range, an indicator, or another relative value.
The easiest way to remember it:
Price Level = “Where is the price?”
Price Range = “How far is the distance?”
Percentage of Price = “How big should the distance be compared to price?”
Price Level
A price level is one exact value on the chart.
Examples:
EURUSD at 1.08500
the high of Candle ID 1
the low of Candle ID 3
the current Bid price
the current Ask price
a Moving Average value
a stored support or resistance level
Use a price level when the EA needs one exact point on the chart.
Example:
Place a pending order at the high of the previous candle.
In that case, the candle high is a price level.
👉 See the example below how a price level (here: Candle high) can be stored in a variable.
Price Range
A price range is the distance between two price levels.
Examples:
candle high minus candle low
session high minus session low
entry price to stop loss
entry price to take profit
current price to entry price
Use a price range when the EA needs to know how large a move or zone is.
Example:
The candle high is 1.10500.
The candle low is 1.10200.
The price range is 30 pips.
👉 See this example file how price ranges can be calculated and stored in a variable.
Percentage of Price vs Fixed Pips
These are different stop-loss modes.
Fixed pips
You manually define the distance.
Example:
Stop loss = 20 pips
The stop loss is always 20 pips away from entry.
Percentage of Price
The EA calculates the distance from the price.
Example:
Stop loss = 0.1% of price
If the price changes, the calculated pip distance can also change.
Percentage of Price vs Percentage of Account
Do not mix these up.
Percentage of Price
This is about price distance.
Example:
Set stop loss to 0.1% of the current price.
Percentage of Account
This is about account value, profit/loss, or risk.
Example:
Risk 1% of account balance.
These are not the same thing.
Percentage of Price controls how far the stop loss or take profit is from entry.
Percentage of Account controls money/risk logic.
Percentage of Price vs Percentage of Take Profit
These are also different.
Percentage of Price
The distance is based on price.
Example:
0.1% of EURUSD price.
Percentage of Take Profit
The distance is based on the take-profit distance.
Example:
Take profit = 100 pips
Stop loss = 50% of take profit
Stop loss distance = 50 pips
Use Percentage of Take Profit when you want the stop loss to be relative to your take-profit size.
Use Percentage of Price when you want the stop loss to be relative to the market price.
Price Fraction
In some places, you may see the term Price Fraction or Custom Price Fraction.
This usually means the value is used as a distance, not as one exact price level.
Examples:
ATR as stop-loss distance
candle range as take-profit distance
percentage of price as stop-loss distance
percentage of take profit as stop-loss distance
The key idea:
A price level is a point.
A price fraction is a distance or relative value.
👉 See this example file how price fractions, such as the value of the 'Average True Range' indicator can be stored in a variable and used as a stop loss.
FYI: This is just an example for how to use price fraction. If you want to use the ATR as your stop loss or take profit, there is a default function within the 'Buy now' / 'Sell Now' blocks.
Common mistakes
1. Thinking Percentage of Price is an exact price
It is not.
It creates a distance from the entry price.
2. Typing 1 when you mean 0.1
Be careful with the value.
A larger percentage can create a much wider stop loss.
Example:
0.1% of price is much smaller than 1% of price.
3. Mixing up Percentage of Price and risk percentage
Percentage of Price is not your account risk.
It does not mean “risk 1% of my account.”
It means “calculate a stop-loss or take-profit distance based on price.”
4. Mixing up Price Level and Price Fraction
Use Price Level when you need an exact chart price.
Use Price Fraction when you need a distance.
Example:
Moving Average as entry price = Price Level
ATR as stop-loss distance = Price Fraction
5. Not checking the result in MT5 Visual Mode
Always test the exported EA in MT5 Visual Mode.
Check whether the stop loss or take profit appears at the distance you expected.
Different symbols can have different pip, point, or digit settings, so visual testing is the safest way to confirm the result.
Quick decision guide
Use Price Level when you mean:
“Place something at this exact price.”
Use Price Range when you mean:
“Measure the distance between two prices.”
Use Percentage of Price when you mean:
“Calculate a stop-loss or take-profit distance from the price.”
Use Percentage of Take Profit when you mean:
“Set the stop loss based on the take-profit distance.”
Use Percentage of Account when you mean:
“Use account balance or equity for money/risk logic.”
Conclusion
Percentage of Price, sometimes shortened to PoP, is a distance calculation.
It is not an exact price level and it is not account risk.
For stop losses, the EA calculates a distance based on the price and places the stop loss that far away from the trade entry.
For a buy trade, the stop loss is placed below entry.
For a sell trade, the stop loss is placed above entry.
When in doubt, remember:
Price Level = exact price
Price Range = distance
Percentage of Price = calculated distance based on price