Key points
- You can close part of any trade that is bigger than your broker's smallest lot.
- The part you close and the part that stays must both fit the minimum lot and the lot step.
- MT5's own take profit always closes the whole trade. Closing in steps needs you or a program.
- A partial close is a market order: it fills at the current price, and in fast markets the fill can differ.
On a PC: step by step
These steps are for a hedging account, the usual account type for gold at retail brokers, where you can hold several trades on one symbol. Netting accounts follow below.
- Press Ctrl+T to open the Toolbox and click the Trade tab.
- Right-click the position and choose Close Position, or double-click it.
- In the window that opens, change Volume to the part you want to close. Example: 0.03 of a 0.10 lot trade.
- Click the Close button. It shows the ticket, the volume and the current price. If your broker uses Request Execution, click Request first and confirm within a few seconds.
- Check the result: the Trade tab now shows 0.07 lot, and the History tab lists the closed 0.03 lot with its profit.
On the MT5 phone app
Open the Trade tab, open the position's menu and choose to close it. Before you confirm, lower the volume to the part you want to close, then tap the close button. With Request Execution, request a price first; it is valid for only a few seconds.
Netting accounts work differently
On a netting account MT5 keeps only one position per symbol. To reduce it you trade in the opposite direction: a SELL of 0.03 lot turns a 0.10 lot BUY into 0.07 lot. Take care with the size: a SELL bigger than the position does not just close it, it turns it into a SELL position. If you are not sure which account type you have, ask your broker.
Hedging accounts also offer Close By: it closes a BUY and a SELL on the same symbol against each other. If their volumes differ, the larger one stays open with the difference.
The lot rules: minimum lot and lot step
Every symbol has a smallest lot (Minimal volume) and a step (Volume step). To see them, right-click the symbol in Market Watch and choose Specification. On most gold accounts both are 0.01. The part you close and the part that stays must both fit them:
| Open trade | You want to close | Possible? | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.10 lot | 0.05 lot | Yes | Both parts are whole steps of 0.01 |
| 0.10 lot | 0.025 lot | No | 0.025 is not a step of 0.01; close 0.02 or 0.03 |
| 0.03 lot | half | No | 0.015 is not allowed; close 0.01 or 0.02 |
| 0.01 lot | any part | No | It is already the smallest lot; only a full close is possible |
| 0.05 lot | 20%, five times | Yes | Each part is exactly 0.01 |
That is why your lot size decides how many take-profit steps you can use: five equal steps need at least 0.05 lot. More in partial take profit on gold.
Why MT5 refuses a partial close
When a close fails, MT5 shows a message, and the Journal tab at the bottom gives the details. The most common reasons:
| Message | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Invalid volume | The part is below the minimum lot or not a step of it | Choose a volume that fits the lot rules above |
| Market is closed | Gold is outside trading hours, for example in the daily break | Wait until trading opens again |
| Requote, prices changed | The price moved while the order was on its way | Try again at the new price |
| No quotes | There is no price to close at, for example around a gap | Wait a moment and try again |
| Order or position frozen | The price is very close to the trade's stop loss or take profit (inside the broker's freeze level) | Wait until the price moves away |
| Close volume exceeds the position | You typed more than is open | Check the open volume |
| Closing allowed only by FIFO rule | US-style accounts: the oldest trade must be closed first | Close trades in the order you opened them |
| Trade is disabled, close only | The broker restricted the symbol or the account | Ask your broker |
The exact wording depends on your MT5 version and language. Programs see the same reasons as numbers, for example 10014 for an invalid volume.
What happens after a partial close
- The part that stays keeps its stop loss and take profit. On a hedging account it also keeps its ticket number.
- The closed part appears in History as its own deal, with its own profit.
- Commission is usually charged per lot, so splitting a trade does not normally cost more. Check your broker's terms.
- Less volume is now at risk, but the stop loss is still where it was. Many traders move it to break-even after the first close (see break-even on gold).
By hand, several trades, or automatic?
MT5's own take profit closes the whole trade at one price; there is no built-in setting for "close 30% here". Traders use three ways instead:
| Method | How it works | Good | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|
| By hand | You close each part when the price gets there | Full control, nothing to install | You must be at the screen at the right moment, and it is easy to hesitate |
| Several trades | You open one idea as, for example, three trades with three take-profit levels | Each take profit sits at the broker and works with your PC off | More trades to look after; every stop must be moved one by one; not possible on netting accounts |
| A program (EA) | It closes the part you chose at each level | The same rules every time, also for many trades | Needs MT5 running; must follow the lot rules and never close the same part twice after a restart |
What a good automatic partial close must handle
- Lots that cannot be split exactly, for example 20% of 0.03 lot. It should ask you or round the way you chose, never guess silently.
- Restarts. It must remember which parts it already closed, so a restart of MT5 never closes the same part twice.
- Refused orders. It should try again calmly and tell you why, not flood the broker with requests.
- Two copies. If the same EA runs on a PC and on a VPS for one account, both may close the same part. A careful tool notices this.
You set up to ten take-profit steps once: a distance and the part to close for each. Every gold trade then closes its parts by itself, counted from the lot you opened. If a lot is too small to split exactly, setting 512 decides: wait and ask you, or split as close as possible. Every step is saved before the close is sent, so after a restart it continues where it was and never takes the same step twice. For an extra close, BOOK closes the % you choose right away, and in ALL TRADES it works for a whole group of trades; a trade whose part would be smaller than the minimum lot is skipped, and the panel tells you. See all features.
Questions
Can you partially close a trade in MT5?
Yes. Right-click the position in the Trade tab, choose Close Position, enter the volume to close and click Close. The rest stays open with the same stop loss and take profit.
What is the smallest part of a trade I can close?
Your broker's minimum lot, usually 0.01 lot on gold. The part that stays open must also be at least the minimum lot, so a 0.01 lot trade can only be closed completely.
Why does MT5 say invalid volume when I close part of a trade?
The volume is below the minimum lot or not a whole step of the lot step. With a step of 0.01, 0.025 is not valid; use 0.02 or 0.03.
Can MT5 close part of a trade automatically at a price?
Not with its own settings: its take profit closes the whole trade. You can close parts by hand, split the idea into several trades with their own take profits, or use an EA that closes parts for you.
Sources
- MetaTrader 5 Help: executing trades and closing positions
- MetaTrader 5 Help: symbol specification (minimal volume, volume step, stops level)
- MetaTrader 5 for iPhone Help: opening and closing positions
- MQL5 Reference: trade server return codes
This guide is education, not financial advice. Closing part of a trade does not remove the risk of the part that stays open, and fills in fast markets can be worse than the price you saw. Trading gold carries a high risk of loss.