Aurum SMC EA
- Experts
- Version: 1.1
- Activations: 5
Aurum SMC EA is a MetaTrader 5 Expert Advisor specialized on Gold (XAUUSD) on the H1 timeframe. It exploits market structure based on Smart Money Concept principles: Break of Structure (BOS) detection, Change of Character (CHoCH) and valid Order Block zones, to place limit pullback orders with a minimum risk/reward ratio of 3:1.
The bot has been optimized and walk-forward validated on 36 months of Real Ticks data (May 2023 - April 2026), with a profit factor of 1.64, a maximum balance drawdown of 4.89% and 162 trades executed. The code is fully broker-agnostic: it automatically adapts to tick_value, tick_size and contract_size declared by your broker, ensuring correct sizing on any account type.
REFERENCE BACKTEST RESULTS (3 YEARS, REAL TICKS)
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Period: May 2023 - April 2026 (36 months)
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Profit factor: 1.64
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Max balance drawdown: 4.89%
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Max equity drawdown: 4.32%
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Number of trades: 162
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Win rate: 37.04%
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Sharpe ratio: 19.82
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Recovery factor: 6.83
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Risk per trade: 0.5% of equity
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
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Strategy: SMC (BOS + CHoCH + Order Block)
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Symbol: XAUUSD (Gold / USD)
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Timeframe: H1
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Account type: Hedge or Netting
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Minimum leverage: 1:30 (1:100 recommended)
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Minimum MT5 build: 3815 (2023+)
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Unique magic number: 20260508
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Single concurrent trade (anti-stacking)
TRADE MANAGEMENT MODULES
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Adaptive trailing stop (R-multiple, ATR or fixed pips mode) - enabled by default
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Configurable breakeven - disabled by default
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Configurable partial exit - disabled by default
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Native MT5 news filter (built-in calendar) - disabled by default
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Daily drawdown circuit breaker (2.5%) - FTMO-compatible
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Total drawdown circuit breaker (8%) - FTMO-compatible
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Sizing validation at startup (5% tolerance)
RECOMMENDED ACCOUNT SIZE
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Minimum deposit: 1,000 USD
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Recommended deposit: 2,000 USD or more
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Retail sweet spot: 2,000 to 5,000 USD
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Optimal for prop firm challenges (FTMO): 10,000 USD and above
Below 1,000 USD, the broker minimum lot (0.01) may distort actual risk. The included user manual details options for small accounts.
PROP FIRM COMPATIBILITY
The bot respects classic prop firm challenge rules by default: 2.5% daily drawdown, 8% total drawdown, no news trading, no weekend trading, no Friday trading after 20:00. All thresholds are configurable to match your specific prop firm rules.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
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AurumSMC.ex5 compiled file
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Full user manual in English (PDF, 7 pages)
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Full user manual in French (PDF, 7 pages)
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Ready-to-use default settings (XAUUSD H1 preset)
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Support via MQL5 Market product page
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Free lifetime updates on the major version number
USAGE RECOMMENDATIONS
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Test 4 to 8 weeks on a demo account before any live trading
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Use a VPS to ensure continuous execution
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Choose an ECN broker with average XAUUSD spread below 30 cents
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Do not modify strategic parameters (Lookback, MinRR, ATR) without re-optimization
DISCLAIMER
Past performance does not guarantee future results. Trading currencies and commodities involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for all investors. Never invest more than you can afford to lose.
Introduction guide
Aurum SMC EA is a MetaTrader 5 Expert Advisor designed to capture market structure on Gold (XAUUSD) at the H1 timeframe. It relies on Smart Money Concept (SMC) principles by detecting Break of Structure (BOS), Change of Character (CHoCH) and valid Order Block zones to place pullback limit orders with a minimum risk/reward ratio of 3:1.
The default parameters come from an optimization run and walk-forward validation over 36 months of real tick data (May 2023 - April 2026). Trailing stop is enabled by default to maximize the gain-to-risk ratio.
This article serves as the official complete user manual. It covers installation, parameters, sizing, trade management modules, prop firm compatibility, and troubleshooting.
Reference backtest results (3 years, real ticks)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Test period | May 2023 - April 2026 (36 months) |
| Test initial deposit | 100,000 USD |
| Profit factor | 1.64 |
| Max balance drawdown | 4.89% |
| Max equity drawdown | 4.32% |
| Number of trades | 162 |
| Win rate | 37.04% |
| Sharpe ratio | 19.82 |
| Recovery factor | 6.83 |
| Risk per trade | 0.5% of equity |
Disclaimer: past performance is not indicative of future results. Always trade on demo before going live and adapt risk to your personal tolerance.
At a glance
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Recommended symbol | XAUUSD (Gold / USD) |
| Timeframe | H1 (1 hour) |
| Strategy | SMC: BOS + CHoCH + Order Block |
| Risk per trade | 0.5% of equity (configurable) |
| Account type | Hedge or Netting |
| Min leverage | 1:30 (1:100 recommended) |
| Minimum deposit | 1,000 USD |
| Recommended deposit | 2,000 USD or more |
| Min MT5 build | 3815 (2023+) |
| Magic number | 20260508 |
1. Installation
- Open MetaTrader 5 and go to File - Open Data Folder
- Place the file AurumSMC.ex5 into MQL5/Experts/
- Restart MT5 or right-click on Expert Advisors - Refresh
- Drag Aurum SMC EA onto a XAUUSD H1 chart
- Tick Allow Algo Trading in the Inputs dialog, then click OK
- Make sure the AutoTrading button at the top of MT5 is green
A smiling face icon should appear in the top right of the chart. Startup logs prefixed with [AURUM] will be visible in the Experts Journal tab.
2. Account size and sizing
The bot's lot calculation is derived from the risk-per-trade setting (default 0.5% of equity). However, most brokers enforce a minimum lot of 0.01. Below a certain account size, this minimum lot produces a real risk higher than the requested one, which can cause the bot to refuse to start (startup sizing check, 5% tolerance).
| Account balance | Verdict | Real risk per trade |
|---|---|---|
| 500 USD | Not recommended | 0.8 to 1.5% (min-lot distortion) |
| 1,000 USD | Minimum acceptable | 0.5 to 0.8% |
| 2,000 USD | Retail sweet spot | 0.5% compliant |
| 5,000 USD | Comfortable | 0.5% strict |
| 10,000 USD and up | Optimal (FTMO) | 0.5% strict |
Recommendation: open an account of at least 1,000 USD to run the bot under healthy conditions. Below that, the risk is distorted by the broker's minimum lot.
If the bot refuses to start with a sizing error (deviation greater than 5%), either increase the account balance or increase the risk-per-trade setting to compensate.
3. Parameters - SMC Strategy
These 5 parameters drive the structure analysis. Default values come from the optimized pass and do not need to be changed for standard use.
| Parameter | Default | Range | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fractal lookback | 4 | 2-5 | Swing detection depth (Bill Williams). Higher values detect more major structures |
| SL buffer beyond OB | 10 pips | 2-10 | Buffer added beyond the Order Block edge to avoid short stop hunts |
| Min Risk:Reward accepted | 3.0 | 1.5-3.0 | Minimum R:R for a setup to be taken. If reachable TP is below 3R, trade is rejected |
| Limit order expiry | 24 h | 4-24 | Lifetime of the limit order if price does not pull back into the Order Block |
| Max spread absolute | 10 pips | 10-40 | Hard spread cap. Above this value, no new orders are placed |
4. Parameters - Money Management
| Parameter | Default | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Equity % risked per trade | 0.5% | Risk exposed per trade. FTMO-style recommendation: 0.5 to 1% |
| Max lot cap | 5.0 | Lot size ceiling. Safety net in case of an abnormally tight SL |
| Daily drawdown cut-off | 2.5% | If daily loss hits this threshold, the bot stops trading until next day. FTMO-compatible |
| Total drawdown cut-off | 8% | If total drawdown from equity peak hits this value, bot halts permanently until manual restart |
Lot calculation is broker-agnostic and universal: it uses the tick_value, tick_size, and contract_size values reported by your broker, ensuring correct sizing on any symbol and any account type.
5. Optional trade management modules
5.1 Trailing stop (enabled by default)
Trailing makes the stop loss follow price as the trade moves in favor. This is the module with the largest backtest benefit, stabilizing profit factor and reducing drawdown.
| Parameter | Default | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Enable trailing stop | true | Enables or disables the module |
| Trailing mode | R_MULTIPLE | Distance calculation method: R_MULTIPLE, ATR, FIXED_PIPS |
| Trailing trigger (xR) | 2.5 | Profit threshold (in initial-risk multiples) at which trailing starts |
| Trailing distance | 2.0 | Distance between price and new SL |
| Min step (pips, anti-spam) | 5 | Minimum SL move to avoid spamming the broker's server |
5.2 Breakeven (disabled by default)
Breakeven moves the SL to entry price (plus a small offset) when price reaches X times the initial risk. In backtests this module slightly degrades results. It is kept for users who wish to limit psychological risk on highly volatile trades.
| Parameter | Default | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Enable breakeven | false | Enables or disables the module |
| Breakeven trigger (xR) | 1.0 | Profit threshold (xR) at which the SL is moved |
| Breakeven offset (pips) | 2 | Offset above entry (BUY) or below (SELL) to cover spread / commission |
5.3 Partial exit (disabled by default)
Closes a fraction of the position at a given profit threshold. Do not combine with trailing: both modules cancel each other out.
| Parameter | Default | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Enable partial exit | false | Enables or disables the module |
| Partial exit trigger (xR) | 1.0 | Profit threshold (xR) at which the fraction is closed |
| Lot % to close | 50 | Percentage of lot to close (1 to 99) |
6. News filter (optional - disabled by default)
Aurum SMC EA can skip high-impact news windows to avoid slippage spikes. By default the filter is disabled (NewsSource = OFF) to guarantee multi-symbol portability and MQL5 Market validator compatibility.
| Parameter | Default | Role |
|---|---|---|
| News source | OFF | OFF (disabled), API (native MT5 calendar), CSV (local file) |
| Min impact level | HIGH | Minimum impact filtered: LOW / MEDIUM / HIGH |
| Currency filter | USD | Filtered currency. Empty = all currencies |
| Window +/- minutes | 15 | Blocking window around the event |
| Refresh cache every X min | 60 | Cache refresh frequency |
| Fallback CSV file | aurum_news.csv | CSV file used when NewsSource = CSV |
| CSV time is server time | false | CSV only: true = server time, false = UTC |
To enable the filter, switch NewsSource to API (recommended) or CSV.
7. Internal filters (always on)
These filters always run in the background and require no configuration:
- Dynamic spread: reject if spread is greater than avg x 2 AND greater than absolute threshold
- H1 ATR: no trade if ATR is below 30 pips (dead market) or above 500 pips (chaos)
- Friday: no new orders after 20:00 server time
- Weekend: no trade on Saturday / Sunday
- Single concurrent trade (Magic 20260508)
- Startup sizing check: if real-vs-theoretical risk deviation exceeds 5%, the bot refuses to start
8. FAQ and troubleshooting
The bot does not place any trade
Check in order:
- AutoTrading is green in MT5
- Allow Algo Trading is ticked in inputs
- Symbol = XAUUSD with acceptable spread
- No daily or total DD lock triggered (see Experts Journal)
- H1 ATR within 30-500 pips
Sizing error on startup
The bot runs a simulated trade at startup. If the gap between theoretical and computed risk exceeds 5%, it refuses to start. Common causes:
- Account too small (see section 2)
- Symbol other than XAUUSD
- Incorrect symbol specifications (tick_value, tick_size) at the broker
My account is below 1,000 USD - what should I do?
Two options:
- Top up the balance to at least 1,000 USD for compliant sizing
- Raise the risk-per-trade setting (e.g. to 1%) to absorb the minimum-lot distortion, keeping in mind this doubles the real exposure
How can I test on demo?
Open a demo account with any MT5 broker, install AurumSMC.ex5 as described in section 1, attach it to XAUUSD H1 and let it run. A 4 to 8 weeks observation period is recommended before going live.
FTMO and prop firm compatibility
The bot follows classic prop firm rules: daily DD 2.5%, total DD 8%, no news trading by default. Adjust these values if your prop firm enforces different thresholds (e.g. daily DD 5%, total DD 10%).
Can I run it on other pairs?
Sizing is universal and broker-agnostic, so technically yes. However defaults (Lookback 4, MinRR 3.0, ATR 30-500 pips) are tuned for XAUUSD H1. Any other symbol requires a fresh optimization first.
9. Support
For any question, contact the author via the MQL5 Market product page. Include in your request:
- Broker name
- Account type (Hedge / Netting)
- MT5 build version
- A screenshot of the Experts Journal if possible
Disclaimer
Past performance does not guarantee future results. Trading currencies and commodities involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for all investors. Never invest more than you can afford to lose.
