How to Place a Trade on MT5, Step by Step on a Demo Account
To place a trade on MT5, press F9 (or tap New Order on mobile), pick the symbol and volume, set optional stops, then click Buy or Sell. The position then appears in the Toolbox Trade tab, where you watch its profit or loss, close it, and later find it in History.
Module 3 · Lesson 4 of 7
What you'll learn
- How to place a trade on MT5, step by step, on a demo account.
- How to add a missing symbol and place a pending order.
- How to watch, close and review the position.
- How the steps work in the mobile app.
- How demo differs from live, and why you practise first.
How do you place a trade on MT5?
To place a trade on MT5, open the New Order window with F9 (or tap New Order on mobile), choose the symbol and volume, add an optional stop loss and take profit, then click Buy or Sell. Once filled, it becomes an open position in the Toolbox Trade tab, where you watch, change and close it.
This lesson in the MetaTrader 5 Basics module assumes MetaTrader 5 (MT5) is installed and logged in to a demo account. If not, start with the install MetaTrader 5 lesson. The MetaTrader 5 interface lesson shows where Market Watch and the Toolbox sit.
- Check that you are logged in to your demo account, not a live one.
- Press F9, or right-click the symbol in Market Watch and choose New Order, as MetaQuotes' help on executing trades describes. The New Order button on the toolbar and in the Tools menu does the same.
- In Symbol, choose the instrument, for example EURUSD.
- In Type, keep the execution mode shown, such as Market Execution. A pending order type would wait for a price instead.
- In Volume, type the smallest size the symbol allows, shown in its specification.
- Optionally set a Stop Loss and Take Profit. Zero means none is set.
- Click Buy if you expect the price to rise, or Sell if you expect it to fall (see going long and short).
- Read the result: a filled order, or the reason it was refused.
What if the symbol is not in Market Watch?
Add it first. On desktop, right-click Market Watch, choose Symbols, type the first letters of the name in the search box, then double-click the symbol or click Show, as MetaQuotes' Market Watch help explains. You can also click + below the list and type the name. In the Android app, tap the Add icon at the top of Quotes, search, and tap the symbol, per the Android Quotes help.
Can you trade from the chart with one click?
Yes. Right-click the chart and choose One Click Trading to show a small panel with Buy and Sell buttons and a volume box, as MetaQuotes' One Click Trading help explains. The first time, MT5 asks you to accept its terms. One click sends an order straight away, so it is fastest once you know the order window.
What do the order window fields mean?
| Field | What it does | First-trade tip |
|---|---|---|
| Symbol | The instrument you trade | Check it is the one you meant |
| Type | Market execution, or a pending order type | Keep the market execution mode |
| Volume | Trade size in lots | Use the smallest size allowed |
| Stop Loss | Price that closes the trade to limit a loss | Optional, but worth practising |
| Take Profit | Price that closes the trade at a target | Optional |
Stops are covered in the stop loss and take profit lesson.
What is a market order in MetaTrader 5?
A market order is an instruction to buy or sell straight away at the current price, rather than waiting for a level you choose. It is what the steps above send. Once it is filled, it becomes an open position that you can watch, change and close.
Key terms
- Demo account: a practice account that uses virtual money instead of your own.
- Position: an open trade that you have not yet closed.
- Volume: trade size in lots. On EURUSD, 0.10 lot is 10,000 euros (see our guide to forex lot sizes).
- Ticket: the unique number MT5 gives each order and position.
How do you place a pending order on MT5?
A pending order waits for a price you choose instead of filling now: in the New Order window, set Type to Pending Order, pick the order type, enter the Price, choose an Expiration, then click Place. MetaQuotes' help on executing trades lists the types, and its order types help defines them:
| Order type | Triggers when |
|---|---|
| Buy Limit | The ask falls to your price or below |
| Sell Limit | The bid rises to your price or above |
| Buy Stop | The ask rises to your price or above |
| Sell Stop | The bid falls to your price or below |
Buy Stop Limit and Sell Stop Limit combine the two. Good Till Canceled keeps the order waiting until you remove it. The Place button stays inactive while a field is wrong. When a limit or stop order triggers, it opens a position in the Trade tab like a market order. The forex order types lesson covers when each type is used.
What is Market Execution in MetaTrader 5?
Market Execution is a mode in which the broker decides the price your order is filled at. MetaQuotes' help says that sending an order in this mode means advance consent to its execution at that price. The fill can therefore differ a little from the last price you saw, especially in a fast market.
Some symbols use Instant Execution instead, where a fast move can bring a requote: new prices you accept or reject.
How do you watch, change and close an open position?
You watch, change and close an open position in the Trade tab of the Toolbox. The Profit column shows its result at the current price, a right-click lets you modify its stop loss and take profit, and a double-click opens the window with the Close button. After closing, the trade moves to the History tab.
- Open the Toolbox (View, then Toolbox) and select the Trade tab, where open positions are listed.
- Read the Profit column. It moves with the price; this running result is called floating profit or loss.
- To change the stops, right-click the row, choose Modify or Delete, set a new Stop Loss or Take Profit, then click Modify.
- To close, double-click the row and click Close, or right-click it and choose Close Position.
- Open the History tab to see the orders and deals that opened and closed it.
On a netting account, a second order in the same symbol changes the existing position instead of opening a new one; see netting vs hedging and the hedging entry.
How do you place a trade on the MT5 mobile app?
In the MT5 mobile app, open a new order from the Quotes or Trade screen, set the volume and optional stop loss and take profit, then tap Buy or Sell. The steps match desktop, as MetaQuotes' Android help on opening and closing positions shows.
- In Quotes, tap the symbol and choose New Order.
- Set the volume and any stop loss and take profit.
- Tap Buy by Market or Sell by Market.
- The position appears on the Trade tab. On Android, press and hold it, choose Close Position, then confirm. Closed trades move to History.
What does a first demo trade look like in numbers?
On a 0.10 lot EURUSD trade, each pip is worth about $1, so a 10-pip move changes the result by about $10. The margin set aside depends on the leverage on your account. The spread is paid from the moment you open, so the trade starts slightly negative.
You buy 0.10 lot of EURUSD at 1.08512 on a demo account. The bid at that moment is 1.08500, so the spread is 1.2 pips and the Profit column starts at about −$1.20. Later you close at 1.08612.
- Price move: 1.08612 − 1.08512 = 0.00100, which is 10 pips.
- Result: 10 pips × $1 per pip = +$10. MT5 uses your actual fill prices, so the spread is already inside it. Any commission or swap comes on top.
- Margin at an example leverage of 1:30: 0.10 × 100,000 × 1.08512 ÷ 30 = $361.71, released when you close.
A 10-pip fall would give −$10. Check your figures with the margin calculator and pip value calculator; costs are explained in the spread, commission and swap lesson.
How is a demo account different from a live account?
A demo account uses virtual money, while a live account uses your own money, so its profits and losses are real. The order window and buttons are the same. What can differ is how orders are filled, the account settings, and the pressure you feel when real money is at stake.
| Demo account | Live account | |
|---|---|---|
| Money | Virtual | Your own |
| Profit and loss | Virtual | Real, and leverage scales it in both directions |
| Fills and slippage | May not match a live account | Depend on real market conditions |
| Account settings | Balance and leverage may be set differently | Set by your account terms |
| Pressure | Little | Real money adds weight to each decision, so a written plan helps |
Why practise on a demo account first?
Practising on a demo account lets you learn the order window, stops and closing steps without risking money. Simple errors, such as an extra zero in Volume or the wrong button, cost nothing there. Once the steps are automatic, your attention goes to the market instead of the buttons.
MetaQuotes' help on opening an account calls demo accounts a training mode in which every trade uses virtual money. A four-week practice plan and a checklist for going live are in forex demo account.
How do you avoid common first-trade mistakes?
You avoid the common first-trade mistakes by checking the volume, the direction and the stop levels before you click, and by knowing how fills and swaps work. With leverage, a small move on a large position uses a big share of an account, so the right volume is the first thing to check.
- Volume: 1.00 instead of 0.10 makes every pip worth ten times more, so read the Volume field twice.
- Direction: Buy if you expect the price to rise, Sell if you expect it to fall.
- Stops: stops on the wrong side of the price are rejected, so on a buy put the stop loss below the price and the take profit above it.
- Fill price: in a fast market, Market Execution can fill a little away from the last price you saw.
- Overnight: a position held overnight can be charged swap, and a price gap can fill a stop loss beyond its level.
Position sizing and stop placement are covered in Module 5, Risk Management.
Try it on demo
On your MT5 demo account, press F9 and place a market Buy of the smallest EURUSD volume allowed, with a stop loss and take profit well away from the price. Watch the Profit column in the Trade tab for a few minutes, then close it and find its ticket in History. Repeat with a Sell: the steps are the same.
Quick check
- Which key opens the New Order window in MetaTrader 5 on desktop?
- With Market Execution, the price you get is
- Where do you see an open position and its running profit or loss?
- You buy 0.10 lot of EURUSD at $1 per pip and close 10 pips higher. Before any commission or swap the result is
- You type Volume 1.00 instead of 0.10 on EURUSD. What happens to the pip value?
Frequently asked questions
Can I place a trade on MT5 without a stop loss?
Yes. Stop loss and take profit are optional, and zero means none is set. Practising with a stop loss on demo shows you how it limits a loss.
Why is my trade negative as soon as I open it?
Because you buy at the ask and could only sell back at the lower bid. That gap is the spread, so a new position starts slightly negative.
Is demo trading the same as live trading?
The steps and prices work the same way, but demo money is virtual. Fills, slippage and account settings can differ on a live account, and real money adds pressure to each decision. Demo is where you make the steps automatic.
How do I know if I am on a demo or a real account?
Look in the Navigator window: MetaTrader 5 marks each account with an icon for its type, such as demo or live. You can also compare the account number and server with the demo login details your broker gave you.
Sources
- MetaQuotes, MetaTrader 5 Help: Executing Trades, accessed 19 October 2026: the New Order window opens with F9, from Market Watch or the toolbar; its fields are symbol, type, volume, stop loss, take profit and comment; Market Execution means advance consent to the broker's execution price, while Instant Execution can bring a requote; open positions are listed in the Trade tab of the Toolbox; a position is closed by double-clicking it and clicking Close; the order and deal appear in the History tab; stops on an open position are changed with Modify or Delete; wrong stops bring an Invalid stops message; a pending order is set with Type Pending Order, an order type, Price and Expiration, and sent with Place, which stays inactive while a parameter is wrong. https://www.metatrader5.com/en/terminal/help/trading/performing_deals
- MetaQuotes, MetaTrader 5 Help: Market Watch, accessed 19 October 2026: symbols are added from the Symbols window (Market Watch context menu) by searching and double-clicking or clicking Show, or by clicking + below the list and typing the name. https://www.metatrader5.com/en/terminal/help/trading/market_watch
- MetaQuotes, MetaTrader 5 Help: Types of Orders, accessed 19 October 2026: Buy Limit buys at an ask equal to or below the order price, Sell Limit sells at a bid equal to or above it, Buy Stop buys at an ask equal to or above it, Sell Stop sells at a bid equal to or below it; Stop Limit orders combine the two. https://www.metatrader5.com/en/terminal/help/trading/general_concept
- MetaQuotes, MetaTrader 5 for Android Help: Opening and Closing Positions, accessed 19 October 2026: new orders from Quotes or the Trade tab, Buy by Market and Sell by Market in Market Execution, and closing by a long press and Close Position. https://www.metatrader5.com/en/mobile-trading/android/help/trade/open_positions
- MetaQuotes, MetaTrader 5 for Android Help: Quotes, accessed 19 October 2026: symbols are added by tapping the Add icon at the top of Quotes, searching, and tapping the symbol's line. https://www.metatrader5.com/en/mobile-trading/android/help/quotes
- MetaQuotes, MetaTrader 5 Help: Open an Account, accessed 19 October 2026: demo accounts work in a training mode without real money, all trading operations use virtual money, and the Navigator window marks accounts with icons by type (demo or live). https://www.metatrader5.com/en/terminal/help/startworking/acc_open
- MetaQuotes, MetaTrader 5 Help: One Click Trading, accessed 19 October 2026: the One Click Trading panel is shown from the chart context menu, sends buy or sell market orders at a set volume, and asks you to accept its terms on first use. https://www.metatrader5.com/en/terminal/help/trading/one_click_trading
Practise what you learned
Open an account to use MetaTrader 5. Start on a demo account before risking real money.
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