MetaTrader 5 build 6231: clock basis of historical Symbols → Ticks timestamps and exported CSV

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I would like to confirm the timestamp semantics of historical tick data in MetaTrader 5 desktop terminal build 6231.

This question concerns the platform timestamp representation only, not broker pricing.

In MetaTrader 5:

Symbols → Ticks → historical tick data

and the CSV exported from that window contain timestamps such as:

2026.09.29 11:00:00.013

I would like to clarify the following.

(1)
What clock basis is used for timestamps displayed in the historical Symbols → Ticks window?

Are they broker/server time, UTC, Windows local time, or another representation?

(2)
When historical ticks are exported to CSV, are the DATE and TIME values written using exactly the same clock basis as displayed in the Symbols → Ticks window?

(3)
Does CSV export perform any timezone conversion?

For example, does it convert timestamps to UTC, Windows local time, or another timezone?

(4)
Can the Windows OS timezone setting affect either:

- the timestamps displayed in historical Symbols → Ticks
- the DATE/TIME values written to the exported CSV

(5)
If the displayed/exported timestamps are broker server time, is the expected method for UTC conversion to apply the broker server UTC offset that was valid at the historical date?

Environment:

MetaTrader 5 desktop terminal build: 6231

I am specifically looking for the documented timestamp semantics.

I do not want to infer the timezone by matching prices, ticks, or searching for an offset that produces matches.

If there is official MetaQuotes documentation describing this behavior, please provide the relevant reference.

Thank you.
山口昌紘:
If there is official MetaQuotes documentation describing this behavior, please provide the relevant reference.

The documentation is worthless because it all states UTC which is erroneous. In reality, the time of your data is determined by your specific broker-dealer's server.

(Note that if you're working with Python and MT5, you request UTC but the time of your received data is still determined by your specific broker-dealer's server).

Sergey Golubev #:

I am not fully sure that it is related to your question/issue but, anyway - look at the following:

Thank you for the references.

I reviewed the linked discussions, including the moderator comments stating that Python API returned timestamps may reflect the broker server time even though UTC-aware datetime parameters are required.

That is very relevant to my investigation.

However, my remaining question in this thread is specifically about the native desktop terminal path:

Symbols → Ticks → historical ticks → CSV Export

Could you please clarify whether the timestamps displayed in the historical Symbols → Ticks window, and the DATE/TIME values written by its native CSV Export, are also expressed in the broker/trading-server time?

In particular:

(1)
Does the native historical Symbols → Ticks window use broker server time?

(2)
Does native CSV Export preserve exactly that same time basis without timezone conversion?

(3)
Can the Windows local timezone affect either the displayed historical timestamp or the exported CSV DATE/TIME values?

A MetaQuotes documentation reference or confirmation from someone familiar with the terminal implementation would be especially helpful.

Thank you.
ALL data MT5 returns are ALWAYS broker server time data.
Alain Verleyen #:
ALL data MT5 returns are ALWAYS broker server time data.

Thank you, that clarifies the time basis very well.

Just to make sure I understand the native historical export correctly:

  1. Does the CSV exported from Symbols → Ticks preserve those broker-server-time timestamps as-is, without converting them to UTC or Windows local time?

  2. Can the Windows local timezone setting affect either the displayed historical tick timestamps or the DATE/TIME values written to that CSV?

If the answer is “no conversion, Windows timezone does not affect them,” that would fully resolve the remaining point I was trying to confirm.

Thank you again.

山口昌紘 #:
Windows timezone does not affect them...
Correct─unless you programmatically convert them yourself.
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