From Installed to Trading
You’ve funded your account and installed the EA. This checklist covers the last mile: getting the EA safely onto a live chart and knowing what “working correctly” looks like.
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Get Free EAs →Pre-Flight Checklist
1. Confirm you’re on the right account. The terminal’s title bar shows the account number. Make sure it’s the live account you registered and funded — not a demo login left over from testing.
2. Allow WebRequest for license verification.
Go to Tools → Options → Expert Advisors, tick Allow WebRequest for listed URL, and add https://api.steadypips.net. Without this the EA cannot verify activation.
3. Enable AutoTrading — in both places.
- The AutoTrading button in the toolbar must be green (MT4) / enabled (MT5).
- In Tools → Options → Expert Advisors, Allow automated trading must be checked. A smiley face (MT4) or the EA name without a red mark (MT5) in the chart’s top-right corner means the EA is live.
4. Open the right chart. Each EA page lists its designed pairs and timeframe — for most of our EAs that’s an H1 chart of the listed majors. Attaching to a different pair or timeframe than the EA was designed and tested for changes its behavior.
5. Check the lot sizing before the first trade. Our EAs size positions from balance and risk percentage. With a $200–$500 balance, expect 0.01 lots per trade. If you see anything larger on a small account, stop and re-check the risk settings (lot sizes explained).
6. Leave the terminal running. An EA only trades while MetaTrader is open and connected. For 24/5 operation without leaving your computer on, use a VPS — here’s when it’s worth it.
What a Normal First Week Looks Like
- It may not trade immediately. Our EAs wait for their entry conditions; going a day or more without a trade is normal, not a malfunction. The Experts tab (Terminal window) logs what the EA is doing.
- Trades will have stops attached. Every position should show a stop-loss. If a position appears without one, investigate before letting it run.
- Expect losing trades. Every strategy has them; what matters is that each loss is a controlled fraction of your balance (the risk percentage you configured). A losing first trade tells you nothing about the strategy — judge results over months, not days (risk management guide).
Quick Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Usual cause |
|---|---|
| Sad face / EA name with red mark on chart | AutoTrading disabled — check both toggles in step 3 |
| “WebRequest not allowed” in Experts tab | Step 2 skipped — add the API URL |
| EA runs but never trades | Conditions not met yet, or lot size computes below 0.01 (balance too small — see funding guide) |
| Trades far larger than expected | Risk settings misconfigured — detach the EA, review inputs |
Stuck on something not listed? Ask in our Telegram channel — setup questions are what it’s for.
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Risk Warning: Automated trading involves substantial risk. Past EA performance does not guarantee future results. Never trade with money you cannot afford to lose.