Expert advisors and automated trading at prop firms
Many prop firms permit automated trading, though nearly all impose conditions. The following sets out what is generally accepted and what is not.
Generally permitted
EAs that you have developed, or purchased and adapted, together with trade managers and risk tools, are widely accepted, particularly on MT5 and cTrader.
Generally prohibited
High-frequency trading, latency arbitrage, tick scalping and widely distributed commercial EAs operated by many traders simultaneously. Firms monitor for identical trades across accounts.
The role of the platform
MT5 runs EAs; cTrader runs cBots written in C#. Web platforms such as Match-Trader and TradeLocker do not support MT5 EAs.
Before commencing
Obtain written confirmation from support that your EA is permitted and retain the reply. The EA ranking sets out each firm's position.
Questions and answers
Is a trade copier permitted?
Copying your own trades between your own accounts is frequently permitted; copying others generally is not.
Do EAs function on TradingView?
Not in the same manner. TradingView relies on alerts and scripts rather than EAs.