MT4 & MT5 EA User Guide — Part 4: Control Panels, Setup Checks & Backtesting
Analytics & Forecasts

MT4 & MT5 EA User Guide — Part 4: Control Panels, Setup Checks & Backtesting

2 November 2026, 05:53
Duc Hoan Nguyen
Duc Hoan Nguyen
0
33

About This User Guide

This guide explains the shared settings and trade management features of the MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 robots listed below. It is organized into a series of articles covering installation, configuration, trade management, filters, testing, and troubleshooting.

Each robot uses its own built-in trading strategy. Signal settings, available options, and preset values may differ between products and platform editions. All numerical values in this guide are examples; refer to the individual product description for its entry logic and specific settings.

Robots Covered by This Guide

Robot MT5 Version MT4 Version
1. SuperTrend Order Block Robot MT5 MT4
2. RSI Kernel Optimized Robot MT5 MT4
3. Fibonacci Trend Continuation Robot MT5 MT4
4. Volumatic VIDyA Robot MT5 MT4
5. Zero Lag MA Trend Levels Robot MT5 MT4
6. Dual MA Cross Robot MT5 MT4

This list may be expanded in future updates to include additional robots that use the shared settings described in this guide.

MT4 & MT5 EA User Guide — Part 4: Control Panels, Setup Checks & Backtesting

EA User Guide - all parts

Groups 30-32: Main Panel, Pause, News Panel, history and Magic Number; feature compatibility, setup paths and MT4/MT5 Strategy Tester.

Telegram support: @dh99trading

Example values: All values are examples. Presets, signal settings and available controls can differ by EA and platform edition. Use the settings supplied with your product.

30. Main Panel and Pause

Main Panel shows trading status and Close All/Pause controls. For example, Show main panel = false hides it; enable panel display to use its configured buttons.

Setting label Example value How to use it
Show main panel false / Off Display Main Panel. For example, false hides it; true shows status and configured controls.
Show Close All button false / Off Show Close All on Main Panel. This is a closing control, not an automatic Basket TP/SL target.
Use faster asynchronous closing false / Off MT5: where provided, submit asynchronous closing requests and then verify completion. MT4 does not have the same native asynchronous request mode; use the closing method supplied by its EA build. A submitted request does not prove a trade has closed.
Show Pause button true / On Show Pause while Main Panel is visible. Used together with the entry and position-management permissions below.
Allow new entries while paused false / Off Permission for new entries while paused: false blocks them through this permission; true allows them. This does not activate Pause by itself.
Manage open positions while paused false / Off Permission to continue position management while paused. false disables it through this permission; true allows it. Check this for virtual exits and trailing.
Panel width (pixels) 1000 Main Panel width in pixels. Adjust for screen/VPS resolution and display scaling.
Panel row height (pixels) 20 Main Panel row height in pixels. Match the font size to avoid overlapping rows.
Allow panel movement false / Off Allow dragging Main Panel. For a fixed location, use X/Y coordinates below.
Fixed panel X position (pixels) 5 Fixed Main Panel X coordinate in pixels.
Fixed panel Y position (pixels) 20 Fixed Main Panel Y coordinate in pixels.
Minimized panel width ratio (0.5 = 50%) 0.5 Width ratio when minimized. A value of 0.5 is 50% of normal width.
Panel background color MidnightBlue Main Panel background color.
Default text color White Normal Main Panel text color.
Disabled text color Gray Color for disabled/inactive states.
Bullish text color MediumSeaGreen Color for Buy/bullish states.
Bearish text color Red Color for Sell/bearish states.
Bidirectional text color DeepSkyBlue Color for a state permitting both directions.
Warning text color Magenta Color for messages needing attention.
Panel font name Trebuchet MS Bold Main Panel font name. Use a font available on the computer or VPS running MT4 or MT5.
Panel font size 18 Main Panel font size. Larger fonts need suitable row height and width.

Pause and two independent permissions

Allow new entries while paused Manage open positions while paused Effect of the permission settings
false false Block new entries and do not continue position management through these permissions while paused.
false true Stop new entries while permitting management of existing positions.
true false Permit new entries while not permitting position management through this Pause setting. Use only when this behavior is intended.
true true These permissions continue to allow both entries and position management while paused.

If virtual SL/TP or trailing must continue while paused, check Manage open positions while paused. Actual SL/TP still held by the broker is executed server-side. Pause is not Close All.

Pause versus platform permissions: Keep AutoTrading (MT4) or Algo Trading (MT5) enabled if the EA must send virtual exits, trailing modifications or basket-close requests. The toolbar switch blocks trade execution even when the EA Pause settings allow position management.

After activating Pause, inspect panel status and open positions to confirm that entry and management behavior matches your selections.

Close All sends closing requests within the EA management scope. With asynchronous closing, monitor actual positions and trade results afterward. Colors, fonts, row sizes, coordinates and minimized ratios affect display only.

MT4 panel checks: Verify Pause, Close All and timed updates on a Demo chart. The standard MT4 tester does not reproduce all live-chart timer and click behavior, so a visual backtest alone does not confirm those controls.

31. News Panel

News Panel displays the economic calendar on Demo/Live charts. It is independent of Show main panel in group 30 and Enable news filter in group 29. Displaying the panel does not enable entry blocking.

Setting label Example value How to use it
Display news panel false / Off Display News Panel on Demo/Live. It can show events while News Filter in group 29 is OFF. Calendar-data checks can still apply.
Width 1000 News Panel width in pixels.
Row Height 20 Event-row height in pixels.
Allow to be moved false / Off Allow dragging News Panel.
Fixed X position 5 Fixed News Panel X coordinate in pixels.
Fixed Y position 540 Fixed News Panel Y coordinate. Example: 540 pixels.
Minimized width ratio 0.5 Minimized News Panel width ratio. A value of 0.5 means 50%.
Background color MidnightBlue News Panel background color.
Default text color White Normal News Panel text color.
High impact color HotPink High-impact event color.
Medium impact color Orange Medium-impact event color.
Low impact color Gold Low-impact event color.
Non-Economic color Gainsboro Color for events classified as non-economic by the panel.
Expired Event Color Gray Past/expired event color.
Font Trebuchet MS Bold News Panel font. Check that it is available on the computer/VPS.
Font size 18 News Panel font size. Match row height and width.

Coordinate example: news panel Y = 540 pixels and main panel Y = 20. If panels overlap or exceed chart height, adjust X/Y, width, row height and font size. News Panel does not operate in Strategy Tester.

MT4: The News Panel uses the ForexFactory source and the same WebRequest permission in group 29. MT5 can use either supported source. In both editions, check news on a Demo/Live chart rather than Strategy Tester.

32. History and Magic Number

This group sets the Recover history range and trade identifier. Example: scan 30 days and use Magic Number 99.

Setting label Example value How to use it
Recovery history lookback in days (-1 = all) 30 Recover history range in days. Example: 30. A value of -1 uses all history. Changing the range may change the recovery amount and calculated volume.
Magic number for EA trades 99 EA trade identifier. Example: 99. Cannot be negative. Zero may include manual trades. Configurations sharing a symbol and Magic may manage the same positions.
  • Recovery history lookback = -1 uses all history under the EA convention. Changing the history range may change the amount to recover and the calculated lot.
  • Magic Number cannot be negative. A value of 0 may include manual trades in the management scope.
  • Use a separate positive Magic Number for independent configurations. Two charts sharing the same symbol and Magic 99 may identify the same positions.
  • The basket symbol/Magic scope differs from account-level drawdown measurement in group 07.

MT4 history: Open Terminal > Account History, right-click and choose All History (or a range covering the required lookback), then allow it to load before checking Recover and losing-streak calculations. The EA can scan only history available to the terminal. A lookback of -1 does not recover records that have not been supplied. In MT5, check that the required account history is available for the selected lookback.

Feature Compatibility

Check this table before combining management features. Values for the selected mode must use the correct unit and valid range.

Feature Required configuration Conflicts / changes needed
Risk amount or percentage lot sizing An SL that provides a valid price distance. SL None, money-based SL or percentage SL.
Reward-to-Risk TP Valid SL; RR > 0. SL None.
Per-position trailing Start >= 0; Stop > 0; Step >= 0. Grid ON or Hedging ON.
Trailing by TP distance Per-position trailing and valid TP. Basket TSL or TP None.
Basket TSL Points/money basis; individual SL/TP OFF, except for SL-based Hedging. TP-multiple basis; individual SL/TP still ON outside the exception.
Recover Maximum open positions = 1; individual TP enabled. Grid; Hedging; signal closing; Basket TP; Basket SL.
Grid MT5: Hedging account. MT4: separate order tickets allowed. Grid limit >= 2; entry limit = 1; Basket TP or Basket TSL. Recover; Hedging in group 12; signal closing; per-position trailing.
Grid by SL distance Valid SL distance; Buy/Sell multipliers > 0. SL None.
Hedging Buy/Sell values > 0. MT5: Hedging account. MT4: broker permits opposite orders and required closing sequence. Recover; Grid; per-position trailing.
SL-based Hedging An initial SL as the distance reference. SL None.
Close outside sessions Session filter ON. No effect while the session filter is OFF.
News Filter / Panel Valid source, time, event-type, currency and event-count settings. Not testable in the EA Strategy Tester.

The same numeric setting may use different units between modes: account currency, percentage, Points or SL/TP multiples. Recheck values after switching modes.

Setup Paths by Management Mode

These steps explain how to configure each mode. Example values illustrate the controls. Choose lot size and trading limits appropriate to the account and strategy.

1. One signal, one position with individual SL/TP

  1. Configure strategy parameters in group 01 and check at least one Buy and one Sell signal.
  2. Choose lot sizing in group 02, SL in group 03 and TP in group 04.
  3. Keep Grid, Hedging and Volume management OFF during the initial entry/exit check.
  4. Set entry and spread limits for the strategy. Enable each required filter and check its effect separately.

2. Recover

  1. Start with a configuration that has confirmed the correct entry signals.
  2. Set Maximum open positions = 1 and enable a valid individual TP.
  3. Select Recover; turn OFF Grid, Hedging, Automatic closing and Basket SL/TP.
  4. Compare losses in the selected history, commission and lot size after each trade. Check the effect of Maximum managed lot size.

3. Grid with Basket TP

  1. MT5: use a Hedging account. MT4: confirm multiple independent orders are allowed. Set Maximum open positions = 1 for the initial entry cycle.
  2. Enable Grid; set its order limit to 2 or more, and choose spacing and volume progression.
  3. Turn OFF Hedging in group 12, Recover and signal-based closing.
  4. Enable Basket TP with a positive value. If using Basket SL, enter a negative value. For Basket TSL instead of Basket TP, also review group 06.
  5. Inspect the initial entry, each addition and basket closing to confirm the intended limits.

4. Threshold-based Hedging

Before enabling this strategy, use an MT5 Hedging account or an MT4 account that permits independent opposite orders. Check broker restrictions and margin for both sides.

  1. Select Points or SL and re-enter both trigger values in the correct unit. SL mode requires a valid initial SL.
  2. Turn OFF Grid, Recover and per-position trailing.
  3. Observe when original broker SL/TP is removed, the hedge entry price, hedge volume and linked-pair status.
  4. Check basket/pair exits, costs on both legs and behavior after turning Hedging OFF. Monitor actual positions, not only the entry count.

Testing with Strategy Tester

Strategy Tester checks signals, lot sizing, SL/TP and management on historical data. Then verify operation on Demo with the intended broker, symbol and timeframe.

MT4 test setup

  1. Select Expert Advisor, symbol, period and the date range. Open Expert properties to set the initial deposit, trading direction and Inputs. Choose Long & Short when the strategy needs both directions.
  2. Select Every tick for detailed checks. Standard MT4 Every tick generates modeled ticks from available lower-timeframe data; it is not the MT5 real-tick mode.
  3. Set a suitable spread in the tester and ensure lower-timeframe history covers the test interval. Use Visual mode to inspect price triggers and order tickets.
  4. Review Results, Graph, Report and Journal. Open prices only and Control points can miss intrabar behavior; use them only when their limitations fit the test.

MT5 test setup

  1. Select the EA, symbol, timeframe, date range, deposit and leverage, then configure Inputs.
  2. Use Every tick based on real ticks when the broker provides suitable data. Otherwise review the chosen generated-tick mode and its data coverage.
  3. For Grid or the Hedging strategy, use a Hedging account model compatible with the EA. Use visualization to inspect independent positions and management triggers.
  4. Review the report and Journal, including drawdown, margin, costs and closing behavior.

Checks for both editions

  1. Open View > Strategy Tester (Ctrl+R) in the matching MT4 or MT5 terminal and select that platform edition of the EA.
  2. Choose the symbol, timeframe and date range. Use the exact broker symbol name, including prefixes or suffixes.
  3. Configure strategy parameters in group 01, lot sizing, SL/TP and required filters.
  4. Use detailed tick modeling to inspect intrabar trailing, virtual SL/TP, Grid and Hedging. Opening initial trades only at bar open does not remove intrabar management triggers.
  5. Inspect individual trades: signal time, filter state, lot, SL/TP, additional orders and exit reason.
  6. Read the Strategy Tester Journal when no order opens, volume differs from expectations or a trade cannot be modified/closed. On Demo/Live, also inspect Experts and Journal in Terminal (MT4) or Toolbox (MT5).
  7. Run Demo checks for spread, commission, swap, execution conditions and management features.

News Filter and News Panel do not operate in Strategy Tester. Check them separately on a Demo chart. Historical tests do not include news-based blocking.

News in historical tests: ForexFactory WebRequest is unavailable in both strategy testers. The native MT5 calendar is not an MT4 feature and does not make this EA's news functions work in Tester. Perform news checks on Demo; a backtest without news blocking must not be described as including that protection.

Compare editions using matching conditions: Broker price history, tick modeling, spread, commission, swap and execution rules can differ. Identical input values do not imply identical MT4 and MT5 trades or results.

Tester help: MT4 test setup / MT5 Strategy Tester.

EA User Guide - all parts

#news, filter, EA, MT5, Hedging, MT4, robot, grid, recover