Complete Setup Guide: DVN Core Trendline Breakout on XAUUSD H1
REQUIREMENTS
Before attaching the EA, make sure your setup meets these requirements:
- Platform: MetaTrader 5 (MT5) — build 2755 or later recommended
- Account type: Any (Demo, Live, or Prop Firm)
- Broker: ECN or STP with low spread on XAUUSD. Maximum recommended spread: 25 points
- VPS: Strongly recommended for 24/7 operation. A local PC works but must stay online during active sessions
- Internet connection: Stable connection required. The News Filter uses the MQL5 Economic Calendar, which requires connectivity
- Minimum balance: No hard minimum — use the Risk % lot mode to adapt to any account size
INSTALLATION
Step 1 — Download the EA file
After purchase, go to your MQL5 account → My Products and download the .ex5 file.
Step 2 — Open the MT5 Data Folder
In MT5: go to File → Open Data Folder. Navigate to MQL5 → Experts . Copy the .ex5 file into this folder.
Step 3 — Restart MT5 or refresh the Navigator
In the MT5 Navigator panel (left side), right-click on Expert Advisors and select Refresh. You should now see DVN Core Trendline Breakout in the list.
Step 4 — Open a XAUUSD H1 chart
In Market Watch, right-click on XAUUSD and select Chart Window. Switch the chart timeframe to H1.
Step 5 — Attach the EA to the chart
Drag the EA from the Navigator onto the XAUUSD H1 chart. The settings window will open automatically.
Step 6 — Enable AutoTrading
In the EA settings window:
- Check ✅ Allow Automated Trading
Click OK.
Step 7 — Confirm the EA is running
You should see a smiley face icon (🙂) in the top-right corner of the chart. The control panel will appear on the left side of the chart. If you see a frown face (🙁), AutoTrading is not enabled — click the AutoTrading button in the MT5 toolbar.
RECOMMENDED SETTINGS FOR XAUUSD H1
These are the tested default settings. You can load them directly from the set file provided in the support group.
Breakout & Trading
| Parameter | Recommended Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Timeframe | H1 | Match the chart timeframe |
| Breakout Type | Candle | More reactive; use Close for fewer but stronger signals |
| Trading Mode | Buy & Sell | Switch to Buy Only in strong uptrend, Sell Only in downtrend |
Lot & Risk
| Parameter | Recommended Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lot Mode | Risk % | Adapts automatically to account size |
| Risk Percent | 1.0% | Increase to 1.5-2% for more aggressive growth |
| Fixed Lot | 0.01 | Only used if Lot Mode = Fixed |
Stop Loss & Take Profit
| Parameter | Recommended Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SL Mode | Swing Point | Places SL at the nearest swing high/low — more logical than fixed |
| SL Points | 3500 | Fallback only when no swing point is available |
| TP Points | 4500 | Adjust based on your backtesting results |
ATR Trailing Stop
| Parameter | Recommended Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Enable ATR Trailing | true | Recommended — protects profit in strong moves |
| ATR Period | 14 | Standard setting |
| Activate Multiplier | 2.0 | Trail only activates after 2× ATR in profit |
| Trail Multiplier | 7.0 | Trail distance = 7× ATR from current price |
Trend Filter
| Parameter | Recommended Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Enable Trend Filter | true | Blocks counter-trend entries based on Weekly SMA |
| SMA Period | 5 | Uses the 5-period SMA on W1 timeframe |
💡 How the Trend Filter works: If price is above the Weekly SMA → only BUY breakouts are taken. If price is below → only SELL breakouts. This significantly reduces losing trades in ranging markets.
Prop Firm Mode (optional)
Only enable this if you are running a prop firm challenge.
| Parameter | Example (FTMO $10k) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Enable Prop Firm Mode | true | — |
| Max Daily Loss | 500 | 5% of $10,000 |
| Max Total Drawdown | 1000 | 10% of $10,000 |
| Profit Target | 1000 | 10% target |
⚠️ Important: Set these values based on your specific challenge rules. The EA halts all new trades automatically when any limit is hit.
News Filter (optional but recommended)
| Parameter | Recommended Value |
|---|---|
| Enable News Trading Filter | true |
| Minutes Before News | 30 |
| Minutes After News | 30 |
| High Impact Only | true |
| Medium Impact | true |
| Auto-Detect Currency | true |
FIRST RUN CHECKLIST
Before going live, verify each of these:
- Chart is set to XAUUSD, timeframe H1
- EA shows 🙂 (smiley) icon in the chart corner
- AutoTrading button in the toolbar is green (enabled)
- The control panel is visible on the chart
- Lot Mode is set to Risk % and Risk Percent is set to your comfort level
- Trend Filter is enabled
- ATR Trailing is enabled
- If using Prop Firm Mode, confirm daily loss, drawdown, and target values match your challenge rules
- Run a backtest first (Strategy Tester → Visual Mode) to understand how the EA behaves before going live
TROUBLESHOOTING
Problem: EA shows 🙁 (frown face) AutoTrading is disabled. Click the AutoTrading button in the MT5 toolbar (it should turn green). Also check that Allow Automated Trading was checked when attaching the EA.
Problem: No trendlines appear on the chart The EA needs enough bars to detect swing points. Make sure you have at least 200 bars loaded on the H1 chart. Go to Tools → Options → Charts and increase Max Bars in Chart to 10,000 or higher.
Problem: EA is not opening any trades Check the following: (1) Is the Trend Filter blocking trades? Look at the panel — it shows current trend bias. (2) Is Prop Firm Mode halting trading due to a reached limit? Check the Prop Firm section in the panel. (3) Is a News event currently blocking trading? The panel shows "News: [X]" when a news block is active.
Problem: Trendlines disappear when I change the chart timeframe This is expected behavior. The EA draws trendlines only on the timeframe set in the Timeframe parameter. Switching the chart to a different timeframe hides the lines — they will reappear when you switch back to H1.
Problem: "Not enough bars" warning in the journal This usually occurs right after attaching the EA on a fresh chart. Wait for MT5 to download historical data, or scroll the chart back manually to trigger data loading. The warning will disappear once enough bars are loaded.
Problem: ATR Trailing is not moving the stop loss The trailing stop only activates after the trade reaches the Activate Multiplier distance in profit (default: 2× ATR). If the trade has not moved enough in your direction yet, the trailing stop is in standby mode. This is intentional — it prevents premature stop tightening on weak moves.
GETTING SUPPORT & SET FILES
After purchase, contact via MQL5 inbox to be added to the private support group. Inside the group you will find:
- Optimized set files for XAUUSD and other symbols (EURUSD, US30, and more)
- Set files updated regularly as market conditions change
- Direct support from the developer
Version MT5: https://www.mql5.com/en/market/product/168077
Version MT4: https://www.mql5.com/en/market/product/169541
📡 Free Gold signals & analysis:
📩 Direct contact:
Thank you for your purchase. If the EA is working well for you, a review on the product page is greatly appreciated and helps the project continue to grow.
