How to Place and Manage Trades on MT5 Like a Professional Prop Trader

If you want to trade like a pro, especially at a prop firm then you need to know the MetaTrader 5 (MT5). It’s one of the most popular trading platforms out there with a lot of advanced features that can help you execute trades efficiently. But do you think that just knowing how to place a buy or sell order isn’t enough? If you want to impress a prop firm or simply trade better then you’ve got to fine-tune your execution, risk management, and trade adjustments like an experienced professional. So let’s discuss step by step and get you trading like a real prop trader on MT5.

Getting Comfortable with MT5’s Interface

Before you start executing trades, make sure you’re familiar with MT5’s layout. Open the platform and take a good look at:

• Market Watch: This shows you all the tradable assets and their real-time prices.
• Navigator: Your go-to panel for accounts, indicators, expert advisors, and scripts.
• Chart Window: Where all the action happens like candlestick patterns, indicators, and price movements.
• Toolbox (Terminal on some versions): This is where you’ll see your trades, account history, and news updates.

If you haven’t already then customize your workspace. Right-click on the Market Watch panel to hide symbols you don’t trade and adjust chart settings like colors and timeframes to match your trading style.

Placing a Trade Like a Pro

Prop traders don’t just blindly hit buy or sell—they have a plan. Here’s how you can place a trade with precision:

Choosing the Right Order Type

There are several order types available in the MT5 trading platform and selecting the appropriate one can have a significant impact:

• Market orders are executed instantly at the best price. Excellent for breakouts.
• Limit orders are used to purchase something below or sell something over the going rate. Perfect for pullbacks.
• Buy stops are triggered when the price is above a certain threshold, and sell stops are triggered when the price falls below that threshold. helpful for gaining speed.
• A combination of stop and limit orders, stop-limit orders are ideal for traders who desire greater control over execution. 

Setting Up a Trade

• Either right-click the chart and choose Trade > New Order, or click New Order in the toolbar.
• Select a trade symbol, such as EUR/USD or GBP/JPY.
• Choose the type of order you want to place (market, limit, stop, etc.).
• Enter the size of your lot. Best prop firms typically have risk-related regulations so pay attention to the amount of your holding.
• Setting take-profit and stop-loss levels before trading is essential for risk management.
• After selecting Buy or Sell, you’re in the market! 

Risk Management: The Heart of Professional Trading

Risk management is the lifeblood of prop traders. If you overlook risk, no amount of strategy will be able to save you. Here’s how to properly handle it: 

Position Sizing

Going too large is one of the most common blunders made by new traders. Keep it simple: each trade should only risk 1% to 2% of your money. Be extra cautious if your prop business has strict withdrawal regulations.

To determine the size of your lot, use this formula:

Lot size = (Risk per transaction) / (Pip value * Stop-loss in pip)

For instance, your lot size should be about 1.0 standard lot (assuming a $10 pip value) if you have a $10,000 account and risk 1% ($100) of each transaction with a 10-pip stop loss. 

Stop Loss and Take Profit Placement

• Your stop loss will be quickly struck if you set it too tight.
• Avoid placing your stop loss at random. Make use of technical levels such as ATR-based volatility measures, support, and resistance.
• If your risk-to-reward ratio is 1:1.5 or greater, your take-profit levels should be at least 1.5–2 times your risk.

The Trailing Stop Strategy

A trailing stop locks in gains while letting the trade breathe by moving your stop-loss level as the transaction advances in your favor. Use the built-in trailing stop function of MT5 or set it manually. 

Managing Trades Like a Pro

Scaling Up and Down

Professional traders don’t come and go all at once. When the trade supports their bias, they scale in; when they want to lock in profits while maintaining some exposure, they scale out.

Applying Breakeven to Stop Loss

To remove risk, you might move your stop loss to breakeven after your trade is profitable. Just wait for the trade to develop before making the move.

Position Reversal and Hedging

When the market suddenly changes, you can reverse a position or hedge (open buy and sell positions at the same time) if your strategy permits it and your prop firms permit it.