Skip to content

MetaTrader connections

MetaTrader connections work differently from every other exchange in Tickerly. There are no API keys. Instead, a small program called the connector runs inside your own MetaTrader terminal, collects orders from Tickerly, and places them through the terminal.

That makes MetaTrader the broadest option Tickerly offers — it works with any broker or prop firm that supports MT4 or MT5, across any market they offer — and it also means your terminal has to be running for anything to trade.

The step-by-step walkthrough is on the main site: Connect TradingView to MetaTrader. This section covers what the connection requires and how its behaviour differs from a direct exchange connection.

How an order reaches your broker

  1. Your strategy fires an alert, which goes to Tickerly as normal.
  2. Tickerly validates it and places the order in a queue for your pointer.
  3. The connector in your terminal collects the order and places it with your broker.
  4. The result is reported back and appears in your alert log.

The difference from a direct connection is step 3. Tickerly does not reach into your terminal — the connector comes and gets the order.

Queued orders expire after 60 seconds

If the connector does not collect an order within 60 seconds, the order is discarded and you are notified. It is not placed late.

A terminal that is closed, asleep, offline, or has algorithmic trading switched off will miss every order sent to it.

What you need
Plan Level 4 or above
Terminal MetaTrader 4 or MetaTrader 5
Account Any broker or prop firm offering MT4 or MT5
Connector Tickerly TV Connector, installed in the terminal
Credentials None — the pointer identifies the connection

Level 4 supports up to 10 concurrent terminals, each as its own connection with its own pointer.

Setting one up

Creating the connection itself takes three steps on the Tickerly side:

  1. Under Add exchange, choose MetaTrader 5 or MetaTrader 4 to match your terminal. The underlying broker does not matter.
  2. Give it a name. If you run several terminals, name them so you can tell them apart later.
  3. Note the pointer. It goes into the connector's settings, and into your alert messages.

No API credentials are entered, because none exist. The pointer is what links your alerts, Tickerly's queue, and your terminal together.

Everything else happens in the terminal — see The connector.

Keeping it running

A direct exchange connection trades whether your computer is on or not. A MetaTrader connection does not: if the terminal stops, trading stops, and any orders sent meanwhile expire unfilled.

For anything beyond testing, run the terminal on a machine that stays on. A VPS is the usual answer, and many brokers offer one free above a certain account size or trading volume. A home machine works if you can guarantee it will not sleep, restart for updates, or lose its connection.

In this section