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Step 4 · about 10 minutes

How to install an Expert Advisor on MT5 (step-by-step)

Copy the EA's .ex5 file into the MQL5/Experts folder inside your MetaTrader 5 data folder, refresh the Navigator panel, then drag the EA onto a chart. Fill in the inputs dialog, tick Allow Algo Trading in the Common tab, and confirm the EA's name shows as active in the chart's top-right corner.

Installing an Expert Advisor is the same for every EA on the market: the platform looks for compiled program files, which end in .ex5, inside one specific folder, and anything it finds there appears in the Navigator panel ready to attach to a chart. This guide shows the generic process and uses Grit Markets as the worked example, so you can follow along with any .ex5 file you own. You should still be on your demo account from step one; nothing in this guide, or the next, requires real money, and the whole point of demo-first is that your first installation mistakes cost nothing.

  1. Download the .ex5 file from your account dashboard

    Log in to your Grit Markets account dashboard and download the EA file from the downloads section; it will be named something like GritMarkets.ex5. An .ex5 file is a compiled program for MetaTrader 5, which means it is ready to run and never needs unzipping or installing on its own. Save it somewhere easy to find, such as your Downloads folder. If you are using a VPS, do this inside the Remote Desktop session.

    grit-dashboard-ex5-download.webp
    1. Downloads section of the dashboard
    2. GritMarkets.ex5 download button
    Callouts for step 1 screenshot

  2. Open the MT5 data folder

    In MetaTrader 5, click File, then Open Data Folder. A Windows Explorer window appears showing the terminal's private storage area, which is deliberately kept separate from the program itself. This is where all your EAs, indicators and settings live. Keep this window open alongside the folder containing your downloaded file.

    mt5-open-data-folder-menu.webp
    1. File menu expanded
    2. Open Data Folder menu item
    Callouts for step 2 screenshot

  3. Copy the file into MQL5/Experts

    Inside the data folder, open the MQL5 folder, then the Experts folder inside it. Copy or drag your downloaded .ex5 file into Experts, alongside the example EAs that MetaQuotes ships with the platform. The exact folder matters: a file left in MQL5 itself, or in Indicators, will never appear in the terminal. You can close the Explorer windows once the file is in place.

    mql5-experts-folder-ex5-file.webp
    1. Folder path ending in MQL5\Experts
    2. The copied .ex5 file
    Callouts for step 3 screenshot

  4. Refresh the Navigator panel

    Back in MetaTrader 5, find the Navigator panel on the left; if it is hidden, press Ctrl+N. Right-click the Expert Advisors section and choose Refresh, and the terminal rescans the Experts folder. Your EA should now appear in the list by name. If it does not, the file is almost certainly in the wrong folder, so repeat the previous step and check the path carefully.

    mt5-navigator-refresh-expert-list.webp
    1. Expert Advisors section in Navigator
    2. Refresh option in the right-click menu
    3. The EA listed after refreshing
    Callouts for step 4 screenshot

  5. Open a chart and drag the EA onto it

    An EA attaches to exactly one chart and works the symbol that chart shows. Open a chart for the currency pair the EA is designed for by dragging the pair from Market Watch into the chart area, then drag the EA's name from Navigator onto that chart. The settings dialog opens automatically. For Grit Markets, use the pair named in your dashboard's setup notes.

    mt5-drag-ea-onto-chart.webp
    1. EA name in Navigator
    2. Target chart for the correct pair
    Callouts for step 5 screenshot

  6. Fill in the Inputs tab field by field

    The Inputs tab lists the EA's settings. For Grit Markets the key ones are: the licence key, pasted exactly from your dashboard, which the EA checks against gritmarkets.com; the base lot, where a lot is the standard unit of trade size, so this sets how large the first position in any sequence is; the max recovery levels, which caps how many times the EA may enlarge its position after losses before it stops adding; and the equity stop, a safety line that closes everything if your account value falls to the level you set. On demo, keep the defaults and the smallest base lot. [OWNER INPUT: confirm final EA input list].

    ea-inputs-dialog-settings.webp
    1. Licence key field
    2. Base lot and max recovery levels
    3. Equity stop value
    Callouts for step 6 screenshot

  7. Tick Allow Algo Trading in the Common tab

    Switch to the Common tab of the same dialog and tick the Allow Algo Trading box. This is the per-chart permission, separate from the toolbar button you enabled in the previous guide; both must be on for the EA to trade. Click OK to close the dialog and attach the EA to the chart.

    ea-common-tab-allow-algo-trading.webp
    1. Common tab selected
    2. Allow Algo Trading checkbox ticked
    Callouts for step 7 screenshot

  8. Confirm the EA is actually running

    Look at the top-right corner of the chart: the EA's name should appear with an icon showing it is active rather than crossed out or marked with a sad face. Then open the Toolbox and click the Experts tab, where the EA writes its startup messages; a healthy start typically includes a line confirming initialisation and the licence check. If either signal is missing, the common problems below cover the usual causes. You are still on demo, exactly as intended.

    mt5-chart-corner-ea-status.webp
    1. EA name and active icon on the chart corner
    2. Initialisation line in the Experts tab
    Callouts for step 8 screenshot

Common problems.

Why does my EA not appear in the Navigator after copying the file?

Almost always the file is in the wrong folder. It must sit directly inside MQL5\Experts within the data folder opened via File, Open Data Folder, not in MQL5 itself, not in Indicators, and not in a subfolder created by unzipping. Check the file ends in .ex5, move it if needed, then right-click Expert Advisors in Navigator and choose Refresh. If it still refuses to show, restart the terminal, which forces a full rescan.

The chart corner shows the EA name with a sad face or crossed out. What does that mean?

It means the EA is attached but not permitted to trade. Check three switches in order: the Algo Trading button on the toolbar must be green; Allow Algo Trading must be ticked on the Common tab, which you can reopen by pressing F7 on the chart; and Tools, Options, Expert Advisors must allow algorithmic trading. Fixing whichever one is off changes the icon to active immediately, with no need to reattach the EA.

The Experts log says licence validation failed or WebRequest not allowed. How do I fix it?

Two causes cover nearly every case. Either https://gritmarkets.com is missing or mistyped in Tools, Options, Expert Advisors, Allow WebRequest for listed URL, so re-enter it exactly with no www, trailing slash or spaces, or the licence key in the Inputs tab was pasted with a stray character. Press F7, repaste the key from your dashboard, correct the whitelist, click OK, and the EA will retry the check within moments.

Which chart timeframe and currency pair should I attach the EA to?

Use the pair stated in your Grit Markets setup notes, because the strategy is built and tested for a specific market, and attaching it elsewhere means running it somewhere it was never designed for. The timeframe of the chart usually matters less, as the EA reads the price data it needs regardless of what the chart displays, but following the documented recommendation removes doubt. One chart, one EA, one pair is the rule.

Can I attach the same EA to several charts at once?

Technically yes, but do not do it here. Each attached copy trades independently, so two charts on the same pair would double every position, and with recovery sizing that doubles your worst case too. Grit Markets is designed to run as a single instance on the one recommended pair. If you ever want to experiment with more, do it on the demo account first and understand the combined margin requirement before considering anything live.