Get Started in 4 Steps

New to trading bots? This page shows what to do first, and in what order. Each step links to its full guide.

The steps depend on how you get the EA: free through a partner broker, or bought on the MQL5 Market.

Free via partner broker

1. Open an account. Sign up with a partner broker (Exness, XM or HFM) through our link to use the bot for free. Already have an account with one of them? You can move it to us instead. See Open a New Trading Account or Move Your Existing Account to CLOUDPips.
2. Set up MT5. Install MetaTrader 5 on a computer you can leave on, or on a VPS so the bot runs 24/5. See Install MetaTrader 5 and Set Up a VPS for 24/5 Uptime.
3. Add the bot. Download the .ex5 file from the strategy page, put it in the MQL5 → Experts folder and allow WebRequest so the license check can run. See Install a Trading Bot (EA).
4. Load a preset and start. Attach the bot to an XAUUSD chart set to D1, load a .set file in the Inputs tab, then turn on Algo Trading. See How to Load a Preset (.set) File.

Bought on the MQL5 Market

1. Buy on MQL5. Buy the EA with your MQL5 account. It works with any broker that offers MT5.
2. Set up MT5. Install MetaTrader 5 and log in to your trading account. See Install MetaTrader 5.
3. Add the bot. In MT5, open the Market tab → Purchased and click Install. See Install a Trading Bot (EA).
4. Load a preset and start. Attach the bot to an XAUUSD chart set to D1, load a .set file, then turn on Algo Trading. To keep it running 24/5, see Set Up a VPS for 24/5 Uptime.

Final check before trading (Sora)

Once everything is installed, check these 5 things before you let the bot trade. The most common mistake is an account type that doesn't match your capital.

The rule: an account with its balance in USD needs at least $1,000. With less, use a cent account with its balance in USC. XM has no USC account, so at XM you need $1,000 or more (an XM Micro account is still in USD, and its 0.01 minimum lot is too big for $100).

1. The account type matches your capital, as in the table above. On a USD account with less than $1,000, the calculated lot is smaller than the broker's minimum, so your real risk ends up higher than your setting.
2. Sora's panel shows the right currency. On the ACCOUNT line (top left), a cent account must show USC; other accounts show USD. Balance must be at least the minimum in the table.
3. The right chart. Gold on that account — the symbol name may have a suffix that depends on the account type, e.g. XAUUSDc on a cent account — set to D1.
4. The risk you meant. RiskPercent in the Inputs tab (our presets use 1%); the panel shows it as Risk per Trade.
5. The bot is on. Algo Trading is on in the MT5 toolbar, and the panel's status reads RUNNING.

Next step

Once the bot is running, learn what its on-chart panel shows and what each setting does in the CLOUDPips Sora Setup Guide.