Looking for a simple way to get started with trading robots? Download free ready-made EA templates and optimize them for better results.
Visit EA CreatorForex Trading Robots (Expert Advisors): How to Build, Load, Backtest & Optimize
Make forex trading easier with a robot in just simple, easy steps! This article simplifies the process of developing your own Expert Advisor (EA) into a method that is easy to understand and accessible to beginners.
|
|
|
|
How to Use Forex Trading Robots (EAs) According to the Editor
- Start small, test first: Always utilize a demo account to check how your EA performs in real market circumstances before using it in real life.
- Backtest in detail: You may see how your EA fared in the past in different market situations, but keep in mind that just because it did well in the past doesn’t imply it will do well in the future.
- Manage risk first: To keep your money secure, even automated systems need tight restrictions for stop-loss and lot size.
What Is a Forex Trading Robot (EA) and How Does It Work?
A forex trading robot (EA) is automated software that places trades for you on MetaTrader 4 or MetaTrader 5 using a programmed strategy. Instead of manually opening and closing trades, the robot follows specific rules set by its creator. These robots are best used on desktops or laptops, while mobile options like copy-trading apps and converters give limited features and less control compared to running an EA directly on MetaTrader.
How to Build a Forex Trading Robot (Expert Advisor)
You can build a trading robot in two ways. Option one is to code it using the MQL5/MQL4 editor, and option two is to build it with drag-and-drop platforms like fxDreema and Deriv Dbot. For me, I think the best way to build trading robots is through the fxDreema platform, as this platform is simplified yet professional for building good robots. Start now to create EAs on fxDreema by easily visiting fxdreema.com.
How to Build Forex Trading Robots Using Deriv DBot
To build trading robots on Dbot is very simple and it doesn’t need one to be having coding knowledge. Follow the below steps to easily learn few basics about how to build trading robots on Dbot platform.
5 Quick Steps to Use Deriv DBot
- Log in to your Deriv account.
- Open the DBot platform.
- Drag and drop trading blocks.
- Set your conditions and risk rules.
- Run the bot and track results live.
Since Deriv has already provided full teachings on this part, I won’t be explaining further here. Please visit the official Deriv website to learn more about DBot. My focus is mainly on fxDreema, since there is a shortage of knowledge available around it.
How to Build Forex Trading Robots Using fxDreema
To build trading robots on fxDreema is very simple and it doesn’t need one to be having coding knowledge. Follow the below steps to easily learn few basics about how to build trading robots on fxDreema platform.
Step 1 — Creating a Trading Account
First, you must choose a broker, create a trading account, and download MT5 or MT4 (for laptop or desktop computers only, not mobile).
Personally, I like creating robots for Deriv broker and JustMarkets broker. If you are a complete beginner, you can also visit our beginners section.
Step 2 — Registering on fxDreema
Now go to fxdreema.com and register your account.
On fxdreema.com, click Register at the top right corner (as shown with the green arrow in the picture above).
Now type in your email, username, and password then click register. Make sure everything is correct, as you will need these details to log in.
After clicking Register, you will automatically be directed to this page. Since our main aim now is to create trading robots, click Builder (as shown with the green arrow in the picture above).
Now click projects (as shown with the green arrow in the picture above).
FBS — Best for Trading Robots
Step 3 — Projects & Free Version Limits
- After clicking Builder, now click Projects (shown with the green arrow).
- On the free version of fxDreema some functions may not work, and you can only create a few projects per day.
- If you are a beginner, I recommend starting with the free version — it is still very good.
- Once you enjoy creating EAs, you may consider the premium version.
- I do not earn commissions when you subscribe to premium.
- On the top right corner of fxDreema there is a forum. The owner clearly states he doesn’t like affiliates.
- I am just a trader sharing knowledge, not chasing commissions.
After clicking Projects, now click New Project.
Now select Expert Advisor, then choose either MetaTrader 4 or MetaTrader 5 — you can pick the platform you prefer. Personally, I like MetaTrader 5. After that, give your EA a name and click Create.
Step 4 — How to Make EAs Without Writing Code (fxDreema)
There are two main sections to the fxDreema builder: the blocks on the left and the event tabs at the top.
Event Tabs at the Top
- on Init — The EA runs when it first starts up.
- on Timer — Works for a specified period of time that you choose.
- on Tick — Runs every time the price changes, which is most of the time.
- on Trade — Triggers when a trade is opened, closed, or changed.
- on Chart — Responds to things that happen on the chart.
- on Deinit — Runs when the EA is removed or the platform stops working.
Blocks on the Left
- Variables and Constants — Inputs that can be changed, such as lot size or indicator period.
- Conditions and Indicators — Logic to figure out how the market or indicators are going.
- Time Filters — Only trade on certain days or times.
- Check Orders and Positions — Keep an eye out for any open orders or trades.
- Buy / Sell — Place active or pending trades.
- Loops — Check or go over orders repeatedly.
- Trailing Stop / Break Even — Automatically manage risk.
- Chart and Objects — Add warnings, pictures, or labels.
- Output and Communication — Send warnings or print logs.
You may pull these color-coded blocks into the workspace one at a time to build your blueprint. You don’t need to write any code to test your EA or export it for MetaTrader 4 or MetaTrader 5 once it’s connected.
Now let’s start building. First, at the top Events, make sure on Tick is selected (highlighted in orange). This ensures your EA runs on every price update and rechecks your strategy logic as the market moves.
Next, on the left panel go to Check Positions & Orders Count and choose No positions. Drag it into the workspace and drop it.
The video below shows these steps.
Now click Conditions & Formula, then drag Condition into the workspace. Connect the No positions block to the Condition block.
Next, double-click the Condition block. On both the left and right operands, select Indicators. Enter your indicator settings and press Update.
The video below demonstrates these steps in detail and explains more about how to use the conditions feature, as writing out every option here would make the section too long.
Now that we’ve connected our indicator conditions, the next step is to tell the EA what to do. In this example—MA(14) crossing below MA(9)—we want the EA to Sell when the condition is met.
Click Buy & Sell, drag the Sell block onto the workspace, then open its settings. Set your Stop Loss (SL), Take Profit (TP), and Lot size, and connect it from the Condition block.
When everything is connected and validated, download your EA: choose EX5 (MT5) or EX4 (MT4) for the compiled file, or MQ5/MQ4 if you plan to re-edit it later.
Test your EAs with the free Headway $111 no-deposit bonus. Perfect for trying strategies before funding.
Claim Headway BonusHow to Load a Trading Robot in MetaTrader 4 & MetaTrader 5
Now that we’ve created our first trading robot, let’s dive into how to load it on MetaTrader 5 or MetaTrader 4. Remember, trading robots only work on a laptop or desktop.
- Open your MetaTrader desktop platform.
- Go to File → Open Data Folder.
- Open the MQL5 folder (for MT5) or MQL4 folder (for MT4).
- Inside, open the Experts folder.
- Paste your trading robot file into this folder.
- Close and reopen MetaTrader to refresh it.
- Go to View → Navigator → Expert Advisors.
- You will now see your trading robot listed.
- Drag the EA onto a chart, enable AutoTrading, and set your inputs (lot size, SL/TP, etc.).
- Your EA is now active and running.
How to Remove a Trading Robot (MT4 & MT5)
Quick Methods for MT4 & MT5
- Apply any template: Right-click the chart → Templates → choose a template. This detaches the EA from the chart.
- Disable auto trading: On MT5, switch off Algo Trading. On MT4, switch off AutoTrading.
Remove EA in MT5
- Right-click the chart → Expert Advisors → Remove.
- Or: Right-click the chart → Expert List → select the EA → Remove.
Remove EA in MT4
- Right-click the chart → Expert Advisors → Remove.
- Or: Right-click the chart → Expert List → select the EA → Remove.
How to Backtest a Forex Trading Robot (MT4 & MT5)
First, create your trading robot (you can build one on fxdreema.com), then download it and load it into MT5 or MT4 (Experts folder). Backtesting works on a laptop or desktop only.
MT5 — Strategy Tester Setup
- Go to View → Strategy Tester.
- Set Mode to Single.
- Under Expert, select the EA you want to test.
- Under Symbol, choose the instrument for the test.
- Under Dates, pick the start and end period.
- Under Delay, select Zero latency.
- For Modeling, use Every tick based on real ticks (best accuracy).
- Set your Deposit amount and Leverage.
- Ensure Optimization is Off.
- Tick Visual mode so you can watch how the EA opens/closes trades.
- Click Start to run the backtest.
MT4 — Strategy Tester Setup
- Open View → Strategy Tester.
- Select your Expert Advisor, choose the Symbol and Period, set the Date range.
- Choose the highest-quality modeling available (e.g., Every tick).
- Set Deposit, Leverage, and enable Visual mode if you want to see trades on the chart.
- Click Start.
How to Optimize Forex Trading Robots (MT5 & MT4)
One will ask themselves what optimization is. In simple terms, optimization is how to make your strategy even better by finding the best values for your indicators or by finding parameter sets that gave the best results over a past period.
- Example (MA crossovers): let’s say you use a strategy of moving average crossovers and you don’t know the best moving-average values to use. You go to fxDreema, create a simple Moving Average robot, tick the moving-average values, then go to MT5 and optimize for a certain period. This helps you see which values worked best on that robot.
On fxDreema (prepare your EA for optimization)
- Visit the EA we created on fxDreema.
- Click on Conditions.
- Next to the MA period, click the values checkbox (the small empty square) to make it an input you can optimize.
- Click Update and download the EA.
On MT5 (I’ll use MT5 as the example)
- Go to View → Strategy Tester.
- Select the EA you want to optimize.
- Select the time period and the timeframe.
- For Modeling, use Every tick based on real ticks.
- Under Optimization, choose Slow complete algorithm and set the criterion to Balance max.
- Go to Inputs and tick the values you want to optimize (for this EA I’ll select all the moving averages since I want to optimize which crossovers were the best for, say, the past 5 months).
- Set ranges: under Start put 2, under Step put 2, and under Finish put 100. This checks crossover values from 2 to 100 with a step of 2.
- Go back to Settings and press Start.
- It will load and optimize values for you. The video below shows this step by step.
RoboForex — Best Broker for Optimizing Expert Advisors (EAs)
Fast execution, flexible accounts, and reliable MT4/MT5 access make RoboForex a great choice when you’re optimizing and backtesting Expert Advisors.
- MT4 & MT5 support for EA testing
- Multiple account types & leverage options
- Stable uptime for long optimization runs
Want to Optimize More Forex Trading Robots (EAs)?
Visit our EA Creator tool and download ready-made Expert Advisors that you can further test and optimize on MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5.
Visit EA Creator ToolMini FAQ — Creating & Optimizing Forex Robots (EAs)
1. Do I need coding skills to create a trading robot?
No. Platforms like fxDreema let you create EAs using drag-and-drop logic, so you don’t need MQL4/5 coding experience. However, coding in MQL can give you more flexibility if you want advanced strategies.
2. What is optimization in forex robots?
Optimization is the process of testing different input values (like moving average periods) to find which settings performed best in the past. It helps improve EA performance, but it doesn’t guarantee future results.
3. How do I backtest a forex trading robot?
Load your EA into MT4 or MT5, then go to Strategy Tester. Select your EA, symbol, timeframe, and dates. Use “Every tick based on real ticks” for best accuracy and enable Visual mode to watch trades.
4. What’s the difference between backtesting and optimization?
Backtesting checks how an EA would have performed using fixed parameters. Optimization runs multiple backtests with different parameters to find which settings performed best historically.
5. Can optimized results guarantee profits in live trading?
No. Optimization can improve an EA’s past results, but markets change. Always forward-test on a demo account and apply strict risk management before going live with any optimized robot.
More Resources for EA Creators
Earn cash back every time your EA trades for you
Turn your algorithmic trading into rewards. With Weltrade’s loyalty program, you collect cashback automatically while your Expert Advisor runs.