Key points
- Start with the Algo Trading button and the EA's icon at the top right of the chart.
- Then read the Experts and Journal tabs: they say what happened, often with the broker's reason.
- Many problems are broker limits: minimum lot, stop distance, trading hours.
- An EA does nothing while MT5 is closed or the PC sleeps, and MT5 can switch EAs off after you change account or profile.
The 60-second check
- Is the Algo Trading button in the toolbar switched on? If it is off, no EA in this MT5 can trade.
- Does the EA's icon at the top right of the chart show it as active? If it looks disabled, the EA is not allowed to trade.
- Press F7 on the chart and open the Common tab: is Allow Algo Trading ticked?
- Is the EA on the right chart? That is the symbol it is made for, under your broker's name for it (for example XAUUSDm or GOLD).
- Is MT5 connected? The bottom-right corner shows the connection; "No connection" means nothing can be sent.
- Did you log in with the main password? With the investor (read-only) password nobody can trade, not you and not an EA.
- Is the market open? Gold has a short daily break and is closed at the weekend.
Read what MT5 says: the Experts and Journal tabs
Press Ctrl+T to open the Toolbox at the bottom of MT5.
- The Experts tab shows messages from your EAs: what they did, their warnings and errors.
- The Journal tab shows what the platform did: logins, the connection, and the result of every order, including the reason when the broker refused it.
Older lines are kept in daily log files: File → Open Data Folder, then the Logs folder for the platform and MQL5 → Logs for EAs. When you ask any EA's support for help, a screenshot of these lines is the fastest way to an answer.
Common problems and how to fix them
1. Algo Trading is off, or was switched off
The toolbar button is the master switch for every EA in this MT5. MT5 can also block EAs by itself: under Tools → Options → Expert Advisors there are options that stop automated trading when you switch account, switch profile, or change the chart's symbol or timeframe. If your EA stopped right after one of these, switch Algo Trading on again and check those options.
2. The EA is not allowed to trade in its own settings
Every EA has its own permission: F7 → Common → Allow Algo Trading. This and the toolbar button must both be on.
3. Wrong chart or symbol name
An EA works only on the chart it is attached to. Brokers name gold differently: XAUUSD, XAUUSDm, XAUUSD.r, GOLD. An EA that looks for one exact name may not recognise another, and an EA made for one symbol should refuse to work on a different one. Attach it to the chart it is made for and look for a symbol message in the Experts tab.
4. The broker refuses the order
The EA sends an order, but the broker's server says no. The Journal shows the reason. The most common ones:
| Message | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Invalid volume | The lot is below the minimum, above the maximum or not a step of the lot step | Check the symbol's Specification (right-click it in Market Watch) and adjust the lot or the EA's risk setting |
| Invalid stops | The stop loss or take profit is too close to the price (inside the stops level) or on the wrong side | Use a larger distance; the stops level is in the Specification |
| Not enough money | The free margin is too small for this lot | Lower the lot or the risk |
| Market is closed | Outside trading hours | Wait for the market to open |
| Trade is disabled, close only | The broker restricted the symbol or the account | Ask your broker |
| Autotrading disabled by server | The broker does not allow EAs on this account | Ask your broker, or use another account type |
| Autotrading disabled by client terminal | Algo Trading is off in your MT5 | Switch it on (points 1 and 2) |
| Order or position frozen | The price is too close to the order or the stop (inside the freeze level) | Wait until the price moves away |
| Invalid order filling type | The EA uses an order type your broker does not accept | Tell the EA's maker; it must be fixed in the EA |
| Requote, prices changed, no quotes | The price moved or was missing in a fast market | Usually solved on the next try |
| Too frequent requests | The EA sends too many orders too quickly | Tell the EA's maker |
The exact text depends on your MT5 version and language. Programs see these reasons as numbers, for example 10014 (invalid volume), 10016 (invalid stops), 10019 (not enough money) and 10027 (autotrading disabled by the client terminal).
5. The EA does not appear or does not start
- Not in the Navigator: the .ex5 file is not in MQL5 → Experts, or the list was not refreshed (right-click Expert Advisors, then Refresh).
- It starts and removes itself: read the Experts tab. Usually a setting is not valid, or the EA does not support this symbol or account.
- It needs DLL or web access: some EAs need "Allow DLL imports" or an address under "Allow WebRequest for listed URL" (Tools → Options → Expert Advisors). Allow DLLs only for software you fully trust.
- MT5 is out of date: an EA built with a newer MT5 version may not start on an old one. MT5 normally downloads updates by itself and installs them when you restart it.
6. It worked, then stopped
- The PC went to sleep, restarted for a Windows update, or MT5 was closed. An EA only works while MT5 runs (see do EAs work when your computer is off?).
- The internet connection dropped. The EA cannot send orders until MT5 reconnects.
- The chart with the EA was closed, or another profile was loaded.
- Two programs act on the same trades: two trade managers, or the same EA on a PC and a VPS for one account. Run one copy only.
7. It works on demo but not on real
- Some EAs ask you to confirm once before they start on a real-money account.
- Real accounts can have other conditions: another symbol name, minimum lot, stops level or commission. Compare the Specification on both.
- "Disable automated trading when switching accounts" may have switched Algo Trading off when you logged in to the real account.
- The licence of a paid EA may cover a limited number of real accounts.
Before you contact support
Collect your MT5 version (Help → About), the broker and account type (demo or real, hedging or netting), the symbol name, a screenshot of the chart with the EA's icon, and the last lines of the Experts and Journal tabs. Never send your password: genuine support never needs it.
Gold Position Manager explains problems on its panel in plain words, so you rarely need the logs. Examples: EA IS NOT ACTIVE (it does nothing until you press ACTIVATE EA), ANOTHER CHART RUNS THIS EA (only one chart manages your gold trades), THE EA ALSO RUNS ON ANOTHER MT5 (take profits pause so nothing is closed twice), and a message when the PC was asleep while a trade was open. When the broker's minimum lot, stop distance or freeze distance blocks an action, the panel says why. A settings problem names the setting's number, for example "Setting [505]: TP3 must be further away than TP2". On a symbol that is not gold, it shows a message and does not start. Read the FAQ.
Questions
Why is my EA not placing trades?
Most often Algo Trading is off in the toolbar, Allow Algo Trading is not ticked in the EA's Common tab (F7), or the broker refused the order. The Experts and Journal tabs show the reason.
What does "autotrading disabled by client" mean?
Algo Trading is switched off in your MT5. Turn on the Algo Trading button in the toolbar and check that Allow Algo Trading is ticked in the EA's settings.
Why does my EA say invalid stops?
The stop loss or take profit is too close to the current price (inside the broker's stops level) or on the wrong side of it. Use a larger distance; the stops level is shown in the symbol's Specification.
Where can I see what my EA did?
In the Toolbox (Ctrl+T): the Experts tab shows the EA's messages and the Journal tab shows the platform's events and order results. Older entries are saved in the Logs folders of MT5's data folder.
Sources
- MetaTrader 5 Help: Expert Advisors and custom indicators
- MetaTrader 5 Help: platform settings (Expert Advisors tab)
- MetaTrader 5 Help: platform logs
- MetaTrader 5 Help: symbol specification
- MQL5 Reference: trade server return codes
This guide is education, not financial advice. While you fix an EA, keep watching your open trades and be ready to manage them by hand. Trading gold carries a high risk of loss.