Feature Request: Native Support for Sub-Minute Timeframes (Seconds) in MetaTrader 5

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Dear MetaQuotes Development Team,

I am writing to you as a professional Forex trader specializing in high-volatility instruments, specifically XAUUSD (Gold) and Dow Jones (US30). First, I would like to commend your team for the stability and multi-threaded capabilities of MetaTrader 5, which significantly outperforms its predecessor.

However, in the current era of High-Frequency Trading (HFT) and extreme market liquidity, the 1-minute (M1) timeframe is increasingly becoming a “lagging” indicator for scalpers and intraday precision traders. The absence of native sub-minute timeframes (such as 1sec, 5sec, 15sec, or 30sec) is a significant limitation that forces professional traders to rely on unstable “Custom Chart” workarounds or seek alternative platforms.

Key Reasons for this Request:

  1. Precision Execution: For instruments like XAUUSD, price action during high-impact news (CPI, FOMC) moves faster than the M1 candle can reflect. Accessing 5-second or 12-tick data natively would allow for much more accurate entry and risk management.
  2. Order Flow Analysis: Sub-minute charts provide a clearer view of micro-structural shifts and liquidity grabs that are often compressed and hidden within a single M1 bar.
  3. MT5 Architecture Advantage: Since MT5 is already built on a tick-based historical database, the infrastructure to render second-based charts is likely already present. Native implementation would be far more efficient for CPU/RAM than current third-party plugins.

My Suggestion:

I propose the addition of a “Sub-Minute” category in the Timeframes menu, allowing users to select standard intervals like 5S, 15S, and 30S.

MetaTrader has always been the industry standard. By implementing this feature, you would bridge the gap between retail trading and institutional-grade precision, ensuring that MT5 remains the preferred choice for professional scalpers worldwide.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the possibility of including this in future builds.

Best regards,

Masoud

Forex Trader | XAUUSD & US30 Specialist

 
Dear MetaQuotes Development Team,

I would like to respectfully follow up on my previous request regarding the addition of native sub-minute timeframes in MetaTrader 5.

As a trader focused on XAUUSD and US30, I believe this is not merely a convenience feature, but an important structural improvement for modern short-term trading. Market microstructure has changed significantly, and for many scalpers, intraday traders, and event-driven strategies, the current M1 timeframe is simply too coarse to reflect the true pace of price movement.

A native implementation of 1-second, 5-second, 15-second, and 30-second charts would provide several practical advantages:

- More precise execution analysis during high-volatility sessions and news events
- Better visibility of liquidity sweeps, momentum shifts, and micro pullbacks
- Reduced dependence on unstable custom indicators, offline charts, or third-party plugins
- A cleaner and more efficient workflow for professional traders who already operate at tick-level sensitivity

Since MT5 already works with tick-based data architecture, adding sub-minute chart intervals would be a natural extension of the platform rather than a radical redesign. It would also reinforce MetaTrader 5’s position as a serious tool for advanced retail and semi-institutional market participants.

I would sincerely appreciate it if your team could share whether this feature is under consideration for a future release, or if there are technical/design constraints that currently prevent it.

Thank you for your time and for continuing to develop one of the most widely used trading platforms in the industry.

Best regards,
Masoud
Forex Trader | XAUUSD & US30 Specialist

 

Masoud Saeedi:

...

Don't use "Artificial Intelligence” to generate automated answers. They will be removed.

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Hello Sergey, thank you for the note.

I understand your point, and I will keep this simple.

I just want to ask the development team one real technical question: is the reason MT5 still does not support second-based timeframes mostly a design/UI decision, or is it more about performance and real-time tick aggregation?

I trade fast markets like XAUUSD and US30, so even basic native intervals such as 5s, 15s, or 30s would be genuinely useful.

Best regards,
Masoud

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