Guide

MT5 auto-trading

The ICT Bridge EA connects your MetaTrader 5 account to ICC Charts. When an approved ICT model finds a setup that passes your settings, the EA places the trade with its stop, targets and exits. This guide takes you through it step by step.

In the terminal, open the MT5 tab and press Take a tour: it points at every part of the panel and explains it in a few seconds.

1. What you need

A plan with auto-trading (VIP). Free plans see signals on the chart only.
MetaTrader 5 on a Windows PC or a Windows VPS (MT5 must stay open for the EA to trade; a VPS keeps it on 24/5).
A broker account. Start on a demo account and move to real money only after you have watched it for a few weeks.

2. Install the EA

Open the web terminal, go to the MT5 tab and press Download EA (.ex5): one ready file, ICT_Bridge.ex5, nothing to compile.
In MT5: File → Open Data Folder → MQL5 → Experts. Copy the file there and refresh the Navigator (right-click › Refresh).
In MT5: Tools → Options → Expert Advisors. Tick Allow algorithmic trading and Allow WebRequest for listed URL, then add https://ictapi.iccterminal.trade.

3. Connect it to your account

In the MT5 tab press Make my EA token and copy it. It is shown only once; if you lose it, make a new one (the old one stops working).
In MT5, drag ICT_Bridge onto any one chart. It trades every allowed symbol from that one chart.
Paste the token in EA token, check the inputs (risk, symbol suffix) and press OK. Make sure the Algo Trading button in MT5 is green.
Back in the terminal the MT5 tab shows EA online with your account number, balance and positions within a few seconds.
Turn the Let the EA trade switch ON. The status shows ON when everything is ready; otherwise it says why not.

4. Your auto-trading settings

All of these are in the terminal's MT5 tab under Auto-trading settings. Press Save; the EA picks them up on its next check (within a minute). You do not need to change anything in MT5.

ModelsOnly models the admin has approved for auto-trading can be chosen (others are still tested). Tick the ones you want; none ticked means all approved models. Each model uses its own timeframes, for example a 1-hour bias with a 1 or 5-minute entry, so there is no separate timeframe to pick.

SymbolsFor example only XAUUSD and NAS100. None picked means every symbol the engine scans.

Setup qualityAll grades, A and A+, or A+ only. A+ setups have the most confirmations; they are fewer but cleaner.

Daily biasWhen on, a trade is taken only if it points the same way as the higher-timeframe (daily) bias. If the admin approved a model "with bias", the bias check is always on for it.

DirectionBuy and sell, buy only or sell only.

SessionsNew York time: Asia 18:00–02:00, London 02:00–07:00, New York AM 07:00–12:00, New York PM 12:00–18:00. None = all day.

DaysPick the week days to trade, for example Monday to Thursday. None = every day.

Trades a dayAt most this many a day: the first setups of the (New York) day that pass all your filters. 0 = no limit.

Risk per trade %How much of your balance one trade risks (0.01 – 5 %). 0 = the EA's own input.

Open at the same timeHow many trades can be open together (1 – 20). 0 = the EA input.

Daily loss stop %After losing this much today, no new trades until tomorrow. 0 = the EA input.

Risk, open-trade and daily-loss settings from the terminal need EA version 1.12 or newer. Older EAs keep their own inputs.

5. How a trade gets from the terminal to MT5

Every signal goes through these steps on our server. Only what is left at the end is sent to your EA:

The engine finds a setupAll ICT models scan every symbol all day.
Approved by the adminOnly models that passed testing and were approved for auto-trading go on.
Your planYour plan must include auto-trading and that model.
Your modelsThe models you ticked.
Daily biasIf you switched it on (or the admin requires it).
Your symbols
GradeAll, A and A+, or A+ only.
Direction, sessions and days
Trades a dayThe first ones of the day only.
Fresh onlyCreated in the last 30 minutes and not expired, so a late EA never chases an old setup.
Your EA's own checksAuto-trading switched ON, open-trade limit, daily loss stop, lot size limits and the broker's rules.

In the MT5 tab, How signals reach your MT5 shows these steps for the last 7 days with your settings, even before you save, so you can see how many trades a setting would have allowed.

6. EA inputs (in MT5)

Risk per signal / Max daily loss / Signals open at the same time: used when you leave the terminal settings at 0.
Max lot: never more than this lot in total per signal.
Symbol suffix / Symbol map: if your broker names symbols differently (for example XAUUSD.pro or USTEC for NAS100). Usually found automatically.
Magic number: tells this EA's trades apart from your own; keep it unless you run two copies.
Exit mode, partials, breakeven and trailing: how targets are taken (see below).

7. How trades are managed

Every trade has a stop loss and a final take profit at the broker from the start.
Partial mode closes a share at each target (the signal's split, for example 50/20/15/15). Legs mode opens one position per target.
After target 1 the stop moves to the entry (breakeven), if switched on.
Trailing keeps a share of the best open profit once the trade is far enough in profit.
Pending orders are cancelled when the setup expires; a trade that does not reach target 1 in time is closed at its time stop.
Your open positions appear in the MT5 tab and as lines on the chart, and every fill and exit is in the EA trade log.

8. If it does not trade

"Not trading" in the terminal: the reason is shown under the status (no plan with auto-trading, switch off, no model approved yet).
EA shows "WebRequest" errors: add the server address in Tools → Options → Expert Advisors (step 2.4).
"Invalid EA token": make a new token in the MT5 tab and paste it again.
Online but no trades: look at How signals reach your MT5. If the last step is 0, your filters are strict or no setup appeared; that is normal on quiet days.
Lot too small: with small balances the risk lot may be under the broker's minimum; the EA skips it unless "trade the minimum anyway" is on.
Algo Trading button red or the EA's smiley is sad: turn Algo Trading on and allow it in the EA's settings.

9. Risk

Trading is risky and you can lose money. Past results and backtests do not promise future profit. Auto-trading places real orders on your account: test on a demo first, use small risk and check your account often. ICC Charts does not manage your money and is not financial advice. Read the full risk disclaimer.

Open the MT5 tab User guide