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Installation beginner 6 min read

How to install an Expert Advisor on MT5

Step-by-step installation guide for MT5 Expert Advisors — from downloading the terminal and placing the .ex5 file to enabling AutoTrading and verifying the EA is running correctly.

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Before you start

You need three things: an MT5 broker account, the MT5 desktop terminal (download from your broker’s website — the terminal is broker-labelled but identical software), and the EA .ex5 file you want to install.

Step 1 — Open the data folder

Inside MT5: File → Open Data Folder. This opens Windows Explorer to MT5’s data directory. Navigate to MQL5 → Experts. This is where all EA files live.

Step 2 — Copy the .ex5 file

Drop the .ex5 file into the Experts folder. If you received a .zip file, extract it first — the .ex5 file is the compiled EA; any .set files are saved parameter presets you can load later.

Step 3 — Restart MT5

Close and reopen MT5 (File → Exit). On relaunch, MT5 scans the Experts folder and indexes new files. You will see the EA appear in the Navigator panel under Expert Advisors (press Ctrl+N to open Navigator if it is not visible).

Step 4 — Attach the EA to a chart

  1. Open a chart for the pair and timeframe the EA is designed for. For EAs in this catalogue, the correct pair and timeframe are listed in the product page’s “Deployment” section.
  2. Drag the EA from the Navigator panel onto the chart.
  3. The settings dialog opens automatically.

Step 5 — Configure the settings dialog

Three critical settings to check:

  • “Allow live trading” checkbox — must be ticked. Default is often off.
  • “Allow DLL imports” — only tick if the EA documentation requires it (most do not).
  • Parameter values — use the defaults from the product page for your first run. Do not change parameters until you have completed a one-week demo test.

Click OK. A smiley face icon appears in the top-right corner of the chart to confirm the EA is attached.

Step 6 — Verify AutoTrading is active

Check the toolbar at the top of MT5. The AutoTrading button must show a green play icon. If it shows a red stop icon, click it to enable. Without AutoTrading active, the EA loads but places zero orders.

Common issues

  • EA shows a sad face: AutoTrading is off or “Allow live trading” is unchecked.
  • EA loads but never trades: the pair/timeframe is wrong, or the broker symbol name differs (e.g. “EURUSD” vs “EURUSDm”). Check the journal tab (View → Terminal → Journal) for error messages.
  • EA disappears on MT5 restart: the .ex5 file was placed in the wrong folder. Repeat Steps 1-2.

Related terms

Glossary references

Next steps