How to install a custom indicator or template in MetaTrader 5

You can add a compiled custom indicator to the MetaTrader 5 desktop terminal and load a chart template that contains indicators, colours and chart settings. You need the relevant indicator file or template file and access to the desktop terminal; the documented desktop file paths are not available in the same form in the web terminal or mobile apps.

Before you start

Check the file type. A compiled custom indicator normally uses an .ex5 file and belongs in the desktop terminal's MQL5Indicators folder. A chart template uses a .tpl file and belongs in MQL5ProfilesTemplates. A source .mq5 file is code, not the compiled indicator that the chart loads; it must be compiled successfully in MetaEditor before it can be used as an indicator file.

Use files from a source you trust and scan them using your normal device security tools. A template can include an Expert Advisor and its parameters as well as indicators and graphical objects. The official Files and Folders help and Templates and Profiles help describe the folders and template contents.

On desktop

1. Open the desktop terminal and click File → Open Data Folder.
2. To install a custom indicator, open MQL5 and then open Indicators.
3. Copy the compiled .ex5 indicator file into the Indicators folder. Keep any required supporting files in the locations specified by the indicator provider.
4. Return to MetaTrader 5 and open the Navigator window.
5. Right-click the Indicators section and use Refresh if that command is available. If the indicator is still missing, close and restart the terminal.
6. Open the chart for the required symbol and timeframe.
7. In Navigator, find the custom indicator and drag it onto the chart, or double-click it.
8. Review the indicator's inputs and click OK if the dialog is shown.

To load a template, use a .tpl file rather than placing it in MQL5Indicators:

1. Open File → Open Data Folder.
2. Open MQL5 → Profiles → Templates.
3. Copy the .tpl file into that folder, or keep it in another folder if you plan to use Load Template.
4. Open the chart on which you want to apply it.
5. Open the Chart menu and choose Templates, or open the chart context menu and choose Templates.
6. Select the template from the list. To use a file in another folder, click Load Template and choose the .tpl file.

To create your own template, configure the active chart and use Chart → Templates → Save Template.... The template can save chart type, colours, scale, indicators and their settings, Expert Advisor settings and graphical objects.

In the web terminal

1. Open the chart and the web terminal's built-in indicators or chart-settings controls.
2. Apply an indicator that is available in the web terminal.
3. Use the web terminal's own chart-setting controls for the current chart.

The web terminal does not expose the desktop File → Open Data Folder path or the MQL5Indicators file installation workflow in its documented interface. A .ex5 custom indicator and a desktop .tpl file therefore cannot be installed through those desktop steps in the web terminal. The web terminal has its own built-in chart and indicator controls.

On mobile

1. Open a chart in the mobile app.
2. Use the chart's indicator control to select one of the indicators included in the app.
3. Adjust the displayed inputs and apply the indicator to the chart.

The iPhone and Android apps support a set of built-in technical indicators and chart settings. Their documented interfaces do not provide the desktop Open Data Folder, MQL5Indicators or Load Template workflow for installing an external .ex5 indicator or .tpl template. A desktop template is not automatically a mobile template.

What happens next

After a successful installation, the custom indicator appears under Navigator → Indicators and can be attached to a chart. Its input window may contain parameters defined by the indicator. If the file depends on another custom indicator, library or data file, the required supporting files must also be installed in their specified folders.

When a template is loaded, MetaTrader 5 applies the stored chart parameters to the active symbol and timeframe. A template can apply custom and standard indicators, but it does not turn a source-code file into a compiled indicator. If the template references an indicator that is not installed, the chart may open without that indicator or show an error in the terminal log.

Common problems

• The indicator is not listed: the file is in the wrong terminal data folder, the file is source code rather than a compiled .ex5, or Navigator has not refreshed. Recheck File → Open Data Folder, use Refresh and restart the terminal if needed.
• The indicator loads with an error: it requires another file, an incompatible build or inputs the symbol does not provide. Check the indicator documentation and the Experts or Journal logs.
• The template is not shown: the .tpl file is outside MQL5ProfilesTemplates, or the wrong terminal data folder was used. Use Load Template to select the file directly.
• The chart changes unexpectedly: templates can include colours, scale, graphical objects, Expert Advisors and indicator settings. Review the template contents before applying it.
• The mobile or web terminal cannot find the file: those interfaces do not expose the desktop file-based installation workflow. Use their built-in indicators or install and use the file in the desktop terminal.

Related

Next: How to set price alerts in MetaTrader 5. What the built-in indicators measure is covered in the indicator guides.

If you cannot complete the step, contact support with the symbol, the order type and a screenshot of the message MetaTrader 5 shows.