Gold Spread Traffic Light

Gold Spread Traffic Light

Gold Spread Traffic Light is a real-time spread monitoring indicator developed for MetaTrader 5. It provides an immediate visual assessment of the current difference between Bid and Ask prices through a clear four-color panel.

The indicator is primarily configured for XAUUSD, where spread conditions can change considerably during news releases, market openings, rollover periods and phases of reduced liquidity. It can also be used with Forex pairs, silver, indices, oil and other financial instruments by adapting the spread thresholds to the symbol, broker and account type.

How it works

The indicator continuously reads the current Bid and Ask prices and calculates the spread in both price units and broker points. The result is classified into four customizable conditions: green, yellow, orange and red.

Green indicates that the spread is within the configured optimal range. Yellow represents a moderately higher spread that may still be acceptable depending on the trading strategy and profit target. Orange indicates a significant trading cost and suggests additional caution, particularly when scalping or using short profit targets. Red identifies a very high spread, when waiting for better market conditions may be preferable.

The color classification evaluates the spread only. It does not provide Buy or Sell signals and does not attempt to predict market direction.

Main functions

The panel displays the current spread, Bid and Ask prices, and the average, minimum and maximum spread recorded during the active session. It can also estimate the spread cost for a customizable reference lot size.

Optional notifications can warn the user when the spread enters the very-high range and when it subsequently returns to the optimal range. Sound alerts can be enabled or disabled independently. A reset control allows the recorded spread statistics to be restarted without removing the indicator from the chart.

Default XAUUSD configuration

The default thresholds classify a spread of up to 0.30 as optimal, up to 0.50 as medium, up to 0.80 as high and above 0.80 as very high.

These thresholds are expressed in price units rather than broker points. For example, an XAUUSD spread of 0.30 represents the same effective price difference whether the broker quotes gold with two or three decimal places.

Because spreads vary between brokers, account types and trading sessions, users should observe the normal spread of their instrument and adjust the thresholds when necessary.

Custom settings

The configurable inputs include the maximum spread for each color range, the reference lot size used for the estimated cost, panel position, refresh frequency, Bid and Ask visibility, high-spread notifications, return-to-optimal notifications and sound alerts.

Compatibility

Gold Spread Traffic Light works on every chart timeframe and is compatible with Cent, Standard, Raw and ECN accounts. It can be used with both hedging and netting accounts.

The indicator can run on the same chart as an Expert Advisor, trade management utility or another technical indicator. It does not open, close or modify trading positions.

Important information

Gold Spread Traffic Light is a spread monitoring and visual support tool. A green condition only means that the current spread is within the thresholds configured by the user. It does not indicate that a trade is safe or that market conditions are favorable in every respect.

The estimated spread cost is calculated using the tick size and tick value supplied by the broker. It should therefore be considered an approximation and may vary according to the instrument and account conditions.