How to use TheTradingRobot
TheTradingRobot is not open yet. This guide shows how it will work when we open, from building your robot to running it in MetaTrader 5.
We are still building it, so some screens may change before we open. We will update this guide when they do.
What you need
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MetaTrader 5 on a computer
The free trading app many brokers give you. Robots run on a computer, not in the phone app.
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An account with a broker
Start with a demo account. It uses practice money, so you can try your robot before you use real money.
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A computer that stays on, or a VPS
Your robot works only while the app is open. A VPS is a computer you rent online that stays on.
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A TheTradingRobot account
Building and testing will be free. You will pay only when your robot runs on a trading account.
Step 1 of 8
Build your robot
Start from a ready-made example robot, or from a blank page.
Your robot will be made of blocks, in rows:
- Whenwhat starts a check, for example a time of day or a new price bar.
- Ifwhat must be true, for example the price is above its average.
- Thenwhat to do, for example buy or sell.
- Safety limitsthe limits your robot must keep, for example a daily loss limit and a stop loss on every trade. Every trading robot will have them, and you will not be able to remove them.
- Tell meoptional messages, for example an email when a trade opens.
Click a block to change its numbers. Each block will say what it does in plain words.
Step 2 of 8
Let the builder check it
When you press Check, the builder will look at every block. If something is missing, it will say what and where, in plain words.
It will refuse to make a robot that:
- makes the trade bigger after a loss;
- keeps adding trades while the price moves against you;
- opens trades in the other direction to try to win back a loss;
- trades without a stop loss.
You will be able to change the numbers in your safety limits, but not delete them.
Step 3 of 8
Download two files
When your robot passes the check, the builder will turn it into a MetaTrader 5 robot and show you that it built with no errors. You will download two files:
- Your robot. Its name ends in .ex5.
- Its settings. The name ends in .set. It holds your numbers, such as your safety limits.
cTrader and MetaTrader 4 versions will come later.
Step 4 of 8
Put it into MetaTrader 5
MetaTrader 5 keeps robots in a folder called Experts. You copy your robot there once.
In MetaTrader 5
Copy your robot into MetaTrader 5
Open File then Open Data Folder.
In the folder that opens, open MQL5, then Experts.
Copy your robot file, the one ending in .ex5, into Experts.
Back in MetaTrader 5, open the Navigator with View then Navigator or Ctrl+N. Right-click Expert Advisors and choose Refresh.
Your robot now appears in the Navigator, under Expert Advisors.
Step 5 of 8
Test it on past prices
MetaTrader 5 has a built-in Strategy Tester. It replays past prices, so you can see how your rules would have traded. Past results do not tell you what will happen next.
Upload the report to keep it with your robot. The builder will show its numbers as your own test, next to a warning that past and test results do not show what will happen next.
Good to know: testing in the Strategy Tester is free, and you can test as often as you like.
In MetaTrader 5
Run a test
Open View then Strategy Tester, or press Ctrl+R.
On the Settings tab, choose your robot, the symbol it trades, the timeframe and the dates. For Modelling, "Every tick based on real ticks" is the most detailed choice when your broker provides it.
On the Inputs tab, right-click the list, choose Load and pick your settings file, the one ending in .set.
Press Start.
When it finishes, right-click in the Backtest tab and choose Report, then HTML. Save the file.
Step 6 of 8
Turn it on
Try your robot on a demo account first. Once it is on, it will follow your rules by itself while MetaTrader 5 is open.
Why the web address
Your robot will check with us that it may run on this account. MetaTrader 5 only lets robots reach web addresses you have allowed, so you add ours once.
In MetaTrader 5
Allow the address, then start your robot
Once: allow our web address
Open Tools then Options, or press Ctrl+O. Then open the Expert Advisors tab.
Tick "Allow WebRequest for listed URL".
Add this address to the list, then press OK.
https://api.thetradingrobot.com
Then: start your robot
Open a chart of the symbol your robot trades.
Drag your robot from the Navigator onto the chart.
In the window that opens, on the Common tab, tick "Allow Algo Trading" (older versions: "Allow Auto Trading"). On the Inputs tab, press Load and pick your settings file. Press OK.
On the toolbar, switch on Algo Trading (older versions call it AutoTrading).
Your robot's name and icon appear in the top right corner of the chart.
Step 7 of 8
Keep it running
Your robot works only while MetaTrader 5 is open and connected to your broker. If you close MetaTrader or turn off your computer, it stops.
To keep it running all the time, use a VPS: a computer you rent online that stays on. Some brokers offer one. We will not host robots for you.
In MetaTrader 5
Your robot runs while
- MetaTrader 5 is open
- It is connected to your broker
- Algo Trading is on
Step 8 of 8
Keep an eye on it
Your account page will list each robot and every trading account it runs on, marked Real or Demo.
You will pay once for each robot. Prices are not set yet. The email we send when we open will include them.
To stop at once in MetaTrader 5, switch off Algo Trading on the toolbar (this stops all robots from opening trades; it does not close open trades), or right-click your robot's icon on the chart and choose Remove.
There is no subscription. You can download the robots you bought again at any time.
If something goes wrong
Common problems, and how to fix them.
My robot is not in the Navigator
Check that your robot file is in MQL5 then Experts inside the data folder. To open the folder, choose File then Open Data Folder. Then open the Navigator, right-click Expert Advisors and choose Refresh.
My robot is on the chart but does not trade
Check that Algo Trading is switched on in the toolbar, and that "Allow Algo Trading" is ticked on the Common tab of your robot's window. Your safety limits may also have stopped it for the day, or it may be outside your trading hours.
My robot says it cannot reach TheTradingRobot
Go back to step 6. This address must be in the list of web addresses your robots may reach:
https://api.
The list is under Tools then Options, on the Expert Advisors tab, with "Allow WebRequest for listed URL" ticked.
It did well in the Strategy Tester. Will it do the same live?
No one can promise that. Past and test results do not show what will happen next. Live prices, spreads and delays differ from a test.
I still need help
Email us at support@
Join the waitlist
We will email you once, when TheTradingRobot opens.