Learn: testing MT5 algos properly

Practical guides from the Guild's testing culture: how to backtest honestly, read reports, and keep risk in code rather than in hope.

• How to backtest an MT5 EA on real ticks (and why your results will change)Step-by-step: set up the MetaTrader 5 Strategy Tester for real-tick backtests, pick realistic spreads and delays, and read the report without fooling yourself.
• What is a .set file in MT5? Loading, saving and versioning EA presetsA .set file stores an Expert Advisor's input values. Here's how to load, save and version presets in MetaTrader 5, and why a preset is only valid for the market it was tuned on.
• How to spot a martingale or grid EA before it spots your accountMartingale and grid Expert Advisors can show beautiful equity curves right up to the trade that wipes the account. Here are the warning signs in the report and in the inputs.
• Out-of-sample and walk-forward testing in MT5, step by stepOptimising an EA on the same data you test it on guarantees a pretty result and proves nothing. Here's how to use out-of-sample and forward testing in the MT5 Strategy Tester.
• Running an EA on a prop-firm challenge: the rules to code in, not rememberDaily loss limits, maximum drawdown, news restrictions and weekend holding: how to turn prop-firm challenge rules into hard EA inputs and an equity guard.
• Spread and news filters: the two EA inputs that save scalpersWhy spread and news filters matter for MT5 scalping EAs, how to set sensible values, and how to test them in the Strategy Tester.