Index Grid

Index Grid is a disciplined, buy-side grid robot designed primarily for cash index CFDs. It places a symmetric grid of orders below and above an “anchor” price and targets a fixed percentage take-profit from each entry.
The EA can operate with pending orders (Buy Limit / Buy Stop) or in market-on-touch mode, has optional auto-re-anchoring when flat, and includes practical safeguards for spread, working hours, and broker StopLevel constraints.

Fair notice: this is a no-SL grid. Drawdowns can become large in persistent bear trends. Use conservative lot sizing and caps; test on a demo first.

How it works

1. Anchor price
   On launch (and whenever you are flat if enabled), the EA records an anchor at the current mid price and builds levels around it.

2. Two-way buy grid

   • Below anchor: every -StepPercent → place Buy Limit (or open a market buy when price touches the level in “Market” mode).

   • Above anchor: every +StepPercent → place Buy Stop (or market buy on touch).
     Each order has an individual TP = entry × (1 + TPPercent%). There is no stop-loss.

3. Lot sizing per level
   Lots start at BaseLot and can scale by LevelMultiplier^level , capped by MaxLot . (Set LevelMultiplier=1.0 for flat size.)

4. Housekeeping & safety

   • Spread filter ( MaxSpreadPoints )

   • Working hours window (server time)

   • Max orders cap per symbol/magic

   • Per-tick throttle to avoid over-ordering

   • Broker StopLevel check (won’t place pending too close to market)

   • Optional symbol whitelist for Admiral Markets index symbols (can be disabled).

Key features

• Buy-only grid with symmetric levels above & below anchor

• Two execution modes: Pending (Buy Limit/Stop) or Market-on-touch

• Per-order TP in %; no SL (classic grid behavior)

• Optional auto re-anchor when all orders are closed/cancelled

• Scalable lots via LevelMultiplier with hard cap

• Session, spread, StopLevel and order-count guards

• Clean HUD (Comment panel) showing mode, anchor, step/TP, lots, spread, StopLevel, counts

• Lightweight & broker-friendly (throttle + pending proximity checks)

Inputs (explained)

Core

• StepPercent – Grid spacing in percent from the anchor (e.g., 1.0 = every ±1%).

• TPPercent – Per-trade take-profit in percent from each entry.

• GridLevels – Number of levels each side of the anchor (total potential entries = 2 × GridLevels ).

• UsePendingOrders – true = use BuyLimit/BuyStop; false = open market orders when price touches a level.

• AutoReanchorOnFlat – When no open/pending orders remain, reset anchor to current price.

• PlaceInitialBuy – Open a starter market buy at launch.

Lot sizing

• BaseLot – Starting lot at the nearest level.

• LevelMultiplier – Lot multiplier per level ( lot = BaseLot × Mult^level ). Use 1.0 to keep lot size constant.

• MaxLot – Hard lot cap (also broker min/step/max are respected).

Safety & timing

• MaxSpreadPoints – Maximum allowed spread (in points).

• MaxTotalOrders – Cap on open + pending orders (for this symbol + magic).

• StartHour / EndHour – Server-time trading window (inclusive/exclusive).

• RestrictToAdmiralIndices – Whitelist common Admiral Markets index symbols (set false for other brokers).

Technical

• MaxNewOrdersPerTick – Throttle to limit new orders each tick.

• PriceRoundDigits – Price rounding (-1 = use symbol Digits).

Best-practice setup

• Instruments: cash index CFDs (e.g., GER40/DE40, US500, US100, US30, FTSE100). Disable the restriction if your broker uses different tickers.

• Timeframe: Any (EA works off ticks; TF doesn’t affect logic).

• Conservative start:

  • StepPercent: 0.8–1.5

  • TPPercent: 0.6–1.2

  • LevelMultiplier: 1.0 (no stepping up)

  • GridLevels: 10–20

  • BaseLot: pick so that max exposure stays acceptable even if all levels fill

• When trends are strong and one-sided, consider: increase StepPercent , reduce GridLevels , or pause the EA.

Risk disclosure (read before buying)

• This is a no-stop grid. Adverse, extended downtrends can lead to deep drawdowns and margin stress.

• Increasing LevelMultiplier mimics martingale‐like growth in exposure. Use with extreme caution—or keep it at 1.0.

• There is no account-level equity stop baked in. If you need one, use a companion risk EA or VPS Monitor.

• Always test on a demo and size lots to a worst-case scenario (all levels filled).

FAQ

Q: Does the EA sell/hedge?
A: No. It is buy-only by design. Above-anchor levels are Buy Stops to add on strength; below-anchor levels are Buy Limits to buy dips.

Q: What if I want to grid other assets (gold, FX)?
A: Set RestrictToAdmiralIndices = false . Make sure MaxSpreadPoints , step/TP, and lot sizing match the symbol’s volatility.

Q: What if the broker’s StopLevel blocks pending orders?
A: The EA checks StopLevel and will skip orders that are too close. Use larger StepPercent or switch to Market-on-touch mode.

Q: When does the anchor move?
A: On startup and whenever AutoReanchorOnFlat = true and there are no open/pending orders for this symbol/magic.

Q: Can I start with a position?
A: Yes—enable PlaceInitialBuy .

Change log

v1.00

• Initial release: pending/market modes, re-anchor, spread/session/order-cap safeguards, Admiral index filter, TP per entry, HUD.

Final notes

Index Grid is intentionally straightforward: it automates the mechanics of a buy-side grid and adds practical guardrails. The “edge” does not come from prediction but from systematic execution and disciplined sizing. Stay skeptical, use conservative parameters, and verify behavior on your broker’s data before going live.

If you want, I can also prepare:

• a shorter MQL5 Market listing version (with compact bullet points),

• preset (.set) files for popular indices,

• or an optional equity stop module to pair with this EA.