MetaTrader 5 (MT5)
MetaTrader 5 is a trading terminal made by MetaQuotes. Your broker gives you login credentials; the terminal connects to the broker's server, streams prices, and executes orders — manually or through Expert Advisors.
For automated trading, MT5 matters because it is the runtime environment: the EA runs inside your terminal (or on a VPS you control), not on the broker's side. If your terminal is off and nothing else is hosting it, your robot is not trading.
Covered in depth in Lesson 02: Setting up MetaTrader 5 properly.
Related terms
- Expert Advisor (EA) — A program that runs inside MetaTrader and places, manages, and closes trades automatically according to fixed rules.
- VPS (Virtual Private Server) — A rented, always-on computer that keeps your trading terminal running when your own machine is off.
- Broker server time — The clock your broker's platform runs on — the timezone that defines what "session hours" mean to a robot.
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