Guide · 2 min read

XAUUSD on MT4 (find gold, read the specification, place an order)

Short answer: In MT4, press Ctrl+U, find the gold symbol and show it in Market Watch. Right-click it and read the Specification before you trade. Press F9 to open the order window, set the volume, the stop loss and the take profit, and check that one lot is usually one hundred ounces.

Published: 24 October 2026.

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MetaTrader 4 is older than MT5 and still offered by many brokers. This guide covers the steps that differ from the MT5 guides on this site.

1. Find the symbol

Press Ctrl+U for the Symbols window, search for "gold" or "XAU", select the symbol and press Show. The name varies by broker: XAUUSD, GOLD, XAUUSDm and others all exist. Make sure the symbol you pick is gold against the US dollar. What is XAUUSD explains the quote.

2. Read the specification

Right-click the symbol in Market Watch and choose Specification. Note the contract size, the minimum lot, the lot step and the margin. Then work out the risk with the lot size guide before you open the order window. The sessions listed there are shown on the broker's server clock, as explained in gold trading hours.

3. Open the order window

Press F9, or double-click the symbol. Choose the volume, then set the stop loss and the take profit as prices. Set the stop first and size the volume from it, as in how to set a stop loss on gold. The window shows the bid and the ask, and the gap is the spread you pay on entry.

4. What MT4 lacks

MT4 has fewer timeframes than MT5, no built-in economic calendar and a Strategy Tester with fewer options, so a backtest there is less thorough. Its programs are .ex4 files and will not run on MT5. If your broker offers both, see how to run a gold EA for the MT5 route.

5. Practise first

Open a demo account with the same broker and place a few orders at the minimum lot before you trade real money. See demo to live gold trading.

The Monthly Pass and the Lifetime Pass are software licences for your own MetaTrader account. They score every robot and strategy you run the same way, with costs inside every number. See the plans.

FAQ

How do I find XAUUSD in MT4?

Press Ctrl+U to open Symbols, search for gold or XAU, select the symbol and press Show. Then it appears in Market Watch. Some brokers use a different name, such as GOLD or XAUUSDm.

How do I open a gold chart in MT4?

Right-click the symbol in Market Watch and choose Chart Window. Pick the timeframe from the toolbar.

How do I see the lot size and margin for gold in MT4?

Right-click the symbol in Market Watch and choose Specification. It lists the contract size, the minimum lot, the lot step, the margin and the sessions.

How do I place a gold trade in MT4?

Press F9 to open the order window, choose the symbol and the volume, set the stop loss and take profit, and press Buy or Sell. Check the volume twice, because one lot of gold is usually one hundred ounces.

Is MT4 or MT5 better for gold?

Both quote gold. MT5 has more timeframes, a more capable Strategy Tester and an economic calendar, while MT4 is simpler and still widely offered. Your broker decides which you can use.

Can I use an MT5 gold EA on MT4?

No. MT4 programs are .ex4 files and MT5 programs are .ex5 files. A program written for one will not run on the other.

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An educational tool. It is not investment advice. Trading leveraged products such as gold CFDs carries a high risk of losing money, and you can lose all of it.

BaroqTech makes software. It is not investment advice and it does not manage money. Trading leveraged products such as gold CFDs carries a high risk of losing money, and you can lose all of it. Results from a test or from a demo account do not predict results on a real account.

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XAUUSD on MT4 (find gold, read the specification, place an order)

1. Find the symbol

2. Read the specification

3. Open the order window

4. What MT4 lacks

5. Practise first

FAQ

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