SSFX GoldQuant v1.4 is an automated and semi-automated Expert Advisor for MetaTrader 5. It was designed primarily for Gold trading and combines three entry strategies with basket Take Profit, configurable Grid/DCA management, news and time filters, overlap reduction, optional hedge protection, fast closing, and an on-chart trading dashboard.
This guide explains how the EA makes trading decisions, how it manages open positions, and what every visible input parameter controls.
Important: SSFX GoldQuant uses Grid/DCA and an optional lot multiplier on hedging accounts. It does not use a conventional hard Stop Loss by default. Always test your settings before live trading.
1. How SSFX GoldQuant Works
The EA follows a structured trading cycle:
- It checks the selected entry strategy when a new signal candle begins.
- If all entry conditions are satisfied, it opens the first Buy or Sell position.
- On a hedging account, the EA may add Grid/DCA positions when price moves against the basket and the configured distance is reached.
- All positions in the same direction are managed as one basket.
- The basket is closed through the real or hidden Take Profit engine, overlap reduction, dashboard controls, or other enabled management functions.
- After the basket is fully closed, the EA is ready to start a new cycle.
The EA evaluates initial entry signals using completed candles. This helps prevent an unfinished candle from continuously changing the signal during its formation.
2. Entry Strategies
Strategy 1: Trend Following
The Trend Following strategy combines momentum and price breakout conditions.
Strategy 2: Fair Value Gap
The Fair Value Gap strategy searches for three-candle price imbalances. The EA does not enter immediately when the gap is created. It stores the FVG zone, waits for the required number of candles, and then monitors price for a return to the zone.
An entry can also require one of three confirmation methods:
- Close rejection: A bullish or bearish reversal candle closes in the expected direction.
- Engulfing: The latest completed candle engulfs the body of the previous candle.
- Pin bar: The candle has a dominant rejection wick in the expected direction.
Strategy 3: Liquidity Sweep
The Liquidity Sweep strategy first identifies swing highs and swing lows.
The swing lookback, swing strength, and minimum sweep distance can be adjusted. The current version requires the sweep candle to close with the appropriate reversal color.
3. Basket and Grid Management
On a MetaTrader 5 hedging account, every Grid/DCA entry remains a separate position. GoldQuant can therefore identify the first position, latest position, total volume, weighted average entry, and individual floating profit or loss.
When price moves against the most recent position by the required distance, the EA calculates the next lot using:
Next Lot = Initial Basket Lot × Lot Multiplier ^ Current Position Count
All calculated volumes are normalized to the broker's minimum lot, maximum lot, volume step, the EA's maximum lot, and the maximum directional volume permitted for the symbol.
Netting Account Behavior
Netting accounts merge all trades on one symbol into a single position. Because separate Grid positions, overlap pairs, and opposing hedge positions cannot exist in the same way, the corrected v1.4 build uses a safe single-position mode on netting accounts.
In netting mode:
- Initial automatic entries remain available.
- Manual dashboard trading remains available.
- Real or hidden Take Profit management remains available.
- Grid/DCA, overlap reduction, and hedge protection are disabled.
- Opposite automatic cycles are blocked while a position is active.
For full GoldQuant functionality, use an MT5 hedging account.
4. Take Profit Management
GoldQuant manages each Buy and Sell basket separately. The target is calculated from the volume-weighted average entry price and adjusted for accumulated swap when relevant.
- Real TP: The Take Profit price is sent to the broker and displayed on the positions.
- Hidden TP: No broker-side Take Profit is displayed. The EA monitors price and closes the basket internally when the target is reached.
The terminal and EA must remain connected for hidden Take Profit management to work.
5. Overlap Reduction
Overlap reduction is available on hedging accounts. It is designed to reduce the number of positions in an extended basket.
If the newer position has enough profit to cover the oldest loss plus the configured additional percentage, the EA closes both positions together.
This does not guarantee that a basket will recover, but it can progressively reduce exposure when market movement creates profitable newer positions.
6. Optional Hedge Protection
Hedge protection is available only on hedging accounts and is disabled by default.
When the floating loss of a Buy or Sell basket reaches the selected percentage of account balance, GoldQuant can open an opposite hedge position. The hedge volume is calculated as a percentage of the total main-basket volume.
The EA can pause additional Grid orders while the hedge is active. It can also use profitable hedge positions to offset the oldest losing position through the overlap-reduction logic.
Hedging reduces directional exposure but does not remove risk. It may increase trading costs and can lock floating losses if used without a clear management plan.
7. Complete Parameter Guide
General Settings
| Parameter | Default | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Magic Number | 8888 | Unique identifier used to separate GoldQuant positions from positions opened by other EAs. Use a different number for every independent EA instance on the same symbol. |
| Order Comment | SSFX Gold Quant | Base comment attached to orders. The EA automatically adds its version number. |
| Trade Buy ON/OFF | true | Allows or blocks new automatic Buy entries. Existing Buy positions continue to be managed when disabled. |
| Trade Sell ON/OFF | true | Allows or blocks new automatic Sell entries. Existing Sell positions continue to be managed when disabled. |
| Entry Strategy | Trend Following | Selects Trend Following, Fair Value Gap, Liquidity Sweep, or All Strategies. |
Strategy 1 Settings – Trend Following
| Parameter | Default | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Timeframe | Current | Timeframe |
| Signal Period | 20 | Calculation period. A larger value produces a smoother momentum reading; a smaller value reacts faster. |
Strategy 2 Settings – Fair Value Gap
| Parameter | Default | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Scan Bars | 200 | Number of historical candles scanned for existing FVG zones when the EA starts. |
| Min FVG Size | 50 points | Minimum gap size required for a zone to be accepted. |
| Max FVG Age | 100 bars | Maximum age of an FVG before the zone is removed. |
| Min Closed Bars After FVG | 1 | Minimum number of completed candles required after the FVG forms before a retest can qualify. |
| Require Confirmation | true | Requires the selected candle confirmation before entry. |
| FVG Confirmation Type | Close rejection | Selects Close Rejection, Engulfing, or Pin Bar confirmation. |
| One Trade Per FVG | true | Prevents the same FVG zone from starting multiple trading cycles. |
Strategy 3 Settings – Liquidity Sweep
| Parameter | Default | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Swing Lookback | 50 | Number of candles searched for relevant swing highs and lows. |
| Swing Strength | 3 | Number of candles on each side used to confirm a swing point. Higher values identify stronger but less frequent swings. |
| Min Sweep Break | 0 points | Minimum distance price must move beyond the swing. Zero accepts any valid break beyond the level. |
Basic and Execution Filters
| Parameter | Default | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Open New Initial Cycle | true | Allows the EA to start new automatic cycles. Set to false to manage existing positions without opening a new automatic basket. |
| Allow Buy and Sell | true | On hedging accounts, permits Buy and Sell baskets to exist simultaneously. It does not enable opposing positions on netting accounts. |
| Support Manual Orders | false | When enabled, positions opened manually on the same symbol with Magic Number 0 are included in GoldQuant basket management. |
| Max Spread | 0 points | Maximum permitted spread for opening orders. Zero disables the spread limit. |
| Deviation | 100 points | Maximum price deviation accepted for normal order execution. |
When Support Manual Orders is enabled, the EA may modify the Take Profit or close qualifying manual positions on the attached symbol. Use this option carefully.
Trading Time Filter
| Parameter | Default | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Turn ON/OFF Trading Time | false | Enables or disables the trading-time restriction. |
| Starting Time | 00:01 | Beginning of the permitted trading session. |
| Ending Time | 23:59 | End of the permitted trading session. |
The time filter uses the broker's server time. Overnight sessions are supported; for example, 22:00 to 06:00 .
News Filter
| Parameter | Default | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Enable News Filter | true | Uses the MetaTrader 5 economic calendar to pause initial entries around selected events. |
| Filter High Impact News | true | Pauses trading around high-impact events related to the symbol's currencies. |
| Filter Medium Impact News | false | Also pauses trading around moderate-impact events when enabled. |
| Pause Before News | 30 minutes | Number of minutes before an event during which new initial entries are blocked. |
| Pause After News | 30 minutes | Number of minutes after an event during which new initial entries are blocked. |
| Pause Grid/DCA During News | false | When enabled, additional Grid orders are also paused during the news window. Existing basket management remains active. |
The news filter requires economic-calendar data to be available in MetaTrader 5.
Martingale and Position Sizing
| Parameter | Default | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Max Buy Positions | 100 | Maximum number of managed Buy positions in a hedging-account basket. |
| Max Sell Positions | 100 | Maximum number of managed Sell positions in a hedging-account basket. |
| Initial Lot | 0.01 | Fixed volume used for the first automatic position when Auto Lot is disabled. |
| Auto Lot From Free Margin | false | Calculates the initial lot from current free margin. |
| Free Margin Per 0.01 Lot | 1000 | Auto-lot divisor. With the default value, each 1,000 units of free margin represents 0.01 lot. |
| Lot Multiplier | 1.50 | Multiplier used to calculate later Grid/DCA volumes. Higher values increase both recovery speed and risk. |
| Max Lot | 5.0 | Maximum volume permitted for one GoldQuant order, subject to the broker's limits. |
| Pause Between Same-Side Orders | 0 minutes | Minimum time between additional positions in the same direction. Zero disables the time delay. |
Distance Settings
| Parameter | Default | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Turn ON/OFF Distance | true | Enables or disables additional Grid/DCA entries. Turning it off does not disable initial entries or existing basket management. |
| Fixed Distance | 200 points | Standard minimum distance from the latest same-side position before another position can be opened. |
| Use Dynamic Distance | true | Enables progressively expanding distance for later Grid orders. |
| Dynamic Distance Orders | 6 | Order number at which dynamic spacing begins. With the default value, the sixth position uses the first dynamic distance. |
| First Dynamic Distance | 200 points | Starting distance when dynamic spacing becomes active. |
| Dynamic Distance Multiplier | 1.20 | Multiplies the distance for each subsequent dynamic Grid level. |
When dynamic distance is enabled:
Next Distance = First Dynamic Distance × Distance Multiplier ^ Dynamic Level
Take Profit
| Parameter | Default | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Take Profit Mode | Hidden TP | Selects broker-side Real TP or EA-managed Hidden TP. |
| Take Profit | 150 points | Basket target distance from the calculated no-loss price. |
Quick Close Engine
| Parameter | Default | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Turn ON/OFF | true | Enables the optimized basket-closing engine. When disabled, the standard CTrade closing method is used. |
| Use When Possible | true | Uses asynchronous close requests where supported. |
| Close Deviation | 100 points | Maximum permitted deviation for close requests. |
| Retry Rounds | 3 | Number of closing attempts for a position. |
| Delay | 30 ms | Delay between closing attempts and asynchronous status checks. |
| Max Async | 1500 ms | Maximum time to wait for an asynchronous close request to complete. |
Risk Management – Overlap Reduction
| Parameter | Default | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Turn ON/OFF | true | Enables overlap reduction on hedging accounts. |
| Order Number Start | 6 | Minimum basket size required before overlap reduction can operate. |
| Order Profit | 1.0% | Additional profit required above the amount needed to offset the oldest position's loss. |
Hedge Protection
| Parameter | Default | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Enable Hedge Protection | false | Turns the protective hedge engine on or off. Available only on hedging accounts. |
| Hedge Magic Number | 8889 | Separate identifier for hedge positions. It must be different from the main Magic Number. |
| Normal Hedge Lot Ratio | 0.10 | Target hedge volume as a proportion of the main basket's total lots. A value of 0.10 represents 10%. |
| Start Hedge If Basket DD | 5.0% | Floating basket loss as a percentage of account balance required to activate protection. |
| Pause Grid When Hedged | true | Stops additional Grid entries on the protected basket while an active hedge exists. |
Chart Dashboard
| Parameter | Default | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Show Dashboard | true | Shows or hides the on-chart information panel and manual controls. |
| Dashboard Position | Left upper | Selects the chart corner used to anchor the panel. |
| Dashboard X Distance | 10 | Horizontal offset from the selected chart corner. |
| Dashboard Y Distance | 20 | Vertical offset from the selected chart corner. |
| Dashboard Width | 430 | Width of the dashboard in pixels. |
| Dashboard Font Size | 9 | Base font size used by panel labels and controls. |
| Background Color | Black | Dashboard background color. |
| Border Color | Dim Gray | Border, separator, and neutral-control color. |
| Text Color | White | Standard dashboard text color. |
| Buy Color | Lime | Color used for Buy information and positive status. |
| Sell Color | Tomato | Color used for Sell and close controls. |
| Warning/Negative Color | Orange Red | Color used for warnings, disabled functions, and negative values. |
| Button OFF Color | Fire Brick | Background color for OFF and Close All buttons. |
| Button Text Color | White | Text color used inside dashboard buttons. |
The Auto Buy and Auto Sell dashboard buttons display the corresponding input status. To change automatic Buy or Sell permission, update the EA inputs. The Manual Buy, Manual Sell, Close Buy, Close Sell, and Close All buttons perform live trading actions.
Manual Trade Buttons
| Parameter | Default | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Manual Button Lot Default | 0.01 | Initial lot displayed in the dashboard manual-lot field. |
| Manual Lot Step | 0.01 | Amount added or subtracted by the + and − controls. |
| Manual Min Lot | 0.01 | Minimum lot accepted by the dashboard, subject to the broker's minimum volume. |
| Manual Max Lot | 5.0 | Maximum dashboard lot, also limited by the EA Max Lot and broker specification. |
Manual dashboard positions use the EA's main Magic Number and become part of normal GoldQuant basket management. When Distance is enabled on a hedging account, a manual position can therefore become the first position of a managed Grid/DCA basket.
8. Understanding “Points” on Gold
Several parameters use points rather than pips or direct price values. The monetary or price distance represented by a point depends on the broker's symbol digits.
For example:
- If XAUUSD has a point size of 0.01 , then 200 points represent a price distance of 2.00 .
- If XAUUSD has a point size of 0.001 , then 200 points represent a price distance of 0.200 .
Always check the XAUUSD specification provided by your broker before transferring settings from another account.
9. Suggested Setup Procedure
- Attach the EA to your broker's XAUUSD or GOLD chart.
- Confirm that Algo Trading is enabled.
- Use an MT5 hedging account for complete Grid/DCA, overlap, and hedge functionality.
- Select the entry strategy and signal timeframe.
- Set a conservative initial lot and maximum lot.
- Review the multiplier, maximum positions, and Grid distance together; these parameters directly affect maximum exposure.
- Configure the spread, time, and news filters for your broker.
- Use a unique main Magic Number and a different hedge Magic Number.
- Backtest using your broker's Gold symbol specifications.
- Run the EA on a demo account before live deployment.
- Use a stable VPS if relying on hidden TP, news filtering, or continuous basket management.
10. Final Risk Notice
SSFX GoldQuant is a trading tool, not a guarantee of profit. Grid/DCA, increasing lots, hidden exits, and hedging can all create substantial risk when used with aggressive parameters or insufficient capital.
Backtest results can differ from live trading because of spread, execution speed, slippage, commission, swap, liquidity, symbol specifications, and economic-calendar availability.
Use conservative settings, monitor margin requirements, and trade only with funds you can afford to risk.
