Take profit in steps, move the stop behind you, and let the rest run
Most signals come with several take-profits. You choose how they are traded, how the stop moves as targets are reached, and what happens to a part with no target, a runner.
- Several take-profits share one size. With "Risk % of equity" or "Fixed cash", 1% on a signal with three targets is 1% in all.
- By default three take-profits open three trades ("Split"). After TP1 the stop of the others moves to your entry, after TP2 to TP1.
- Targets and stops at the broker work with your PC off. Stop moves, "One trade" closes and runners need the app and MetaTrader running.
Four ways to trade a signal with several take-profits
"Split: a separate trade for each take-profit" is the default. One trade per target, each with the signal's stop and its own target at the broker.
"One trade: a share closes at each take-profit" opens one position and closes a share of it at each target.
"Nearest take-profit only" and "Furthest take-profit only" put the whole size on that one target.
- 1
Open "Settings" and pick "Take-profits & trailing" in the list on the left.
- 2
Set "Multiple take-profits" to the mode you want.
- 3
The choice is saved by itself: a green tick shows beside it.
BUY XAUUSD 2400, SL 2390, TP1 2410, TP2 2420, TP3 2430. Account 10,000 USD at 1% risk: 0.10 lots for the whole signal.
Split: three trades of 0.03, 0.03 and 0.04 lots, each with the stop at 2390. They close at 2410, 2420 and 2430.
One trade: one position of 0.10 lots, stop 2390, target 2430. 0.03 closes at 2410, 0.03 at 2420, and the last 0.04 at 2430 at the broker.
Multiple take-profits
per signal per listener too
How a signal with several take-profits is traded. Split opens a separate trade for each take-profit, each with its own target at the broker. One trade opens a single trade and closes each take-profit's share of it when the price gets there. Nearest or Furthest take-profit only puts the whole size on that one take-profit. On a netting account Split and One trade both become one position, and the earlier take-profits rest at the broker as orders that close their share.
Split: a separate trade for each take-profitOne trade: a share closes at each take-profitNearest take-profit onlyFurthest take-profit only
When it applies
How much each take-profit gets follows "Share across take-profits", and fixed lots follow "Fixed lots are for". With One trade the shares close only while MetaTrader is open; the stop-loss and the last take-profit stay at the broker. Until the trading bridge in MetaTrader is updated, One trade signals trade as Split.
Example
Take-profits at 2410, 2420 and 2430 with 0.03 lots shared equally: Split opens three trades of 0.01 lots; One trade opens 0.03 lots and closes 0.01 at 2410, 0.01 at 2420 and the last 0.01 at 2430.
How it works, more examples and what to watch out for
The app sorts a signal's take-profits nearest first and turns each one into a part of the signal: TP1, TP2 and so on. A signal that also says to hold (“TP4: hold”, “runner”) gets one more part without a take-profit, the runner.
Split sends one order per part. Each has the signal's stop-loss and its own take-profit, and the broker holds both, so every part closes at its target even when the app or MetaTrader is off.
One trade sends a single order with the whole size, the stop-loss and the last take-profit (no take-profit if the signal has a runner). The earlier take-profits are levels the trading bridge in MetaTrader watches: when the price reaches one, it closes that take-profit's share of the trade.
Nearest and Furthest take-profit only send one order with the whole size on TP1 or on the last take-profit. The other take-profits and any runner part are not used.
Whatever you choose, a signal with a single take-profit is one trade, and a signal with no take-profit is one trade without a target, which the app treats as a runner. On a netting account a symbol can hold only one position, so Split and One trade both become one position whose earlier take-profits rest at the broker as closing orders.
EURUSD buy at 1.1000, stop 1.0970, take-profits 1.1020 / 1.1040 / 1.1060, 0.06 lots for the whole signal, equal shares. Split: three trades of 0.02 lots, with take-profits 1.1020, 1.1040 and 1.1060. One trade: one trade of 0.06 lots with 1.1060 at the broker; 0.02 closes at 1.1020 and 0.02 at 1.1040.
XAUUSD sell at 2400, take-profits 2390 / 2380 / 2370, 0.03 lots. Nearest take-profit only: one trade of 0.03 lots that closes entirely at 2390. Furthest take-profit only: one trade of 0.03 lots that waits for 2370 or the stop.
US30 buy at 42 000, stop 41 850, TP1 42 100, TP2 42 200, “TP3: hold”, 0.03 lots for the whole signal in Split: 0.01 with take-profit 42 100, 0.01 with 42 200, and 0.01 with no take-profit, which your Runners settings look after.
With One trade, the shares before the last take-profit close only while MetaTrader is running. If it is closed when the price passes TP1, that share stays open; the stop-loss and the last take-profit still work at the broker. It also needs the updated trading bridge in MetaTrader: with an older one the signal trades as Split and its story says so.
In Split on a hedging account each part is a position of its own, so it counts toward “Max open positions” and “Max open positions per symbol”. A 4-take-profit signal uses 4 slots.
Nearest take-profit only gives up any move past TP1. Furthest take-profit only keeps the whole size at risk until the last target or the stop, and your trailing stop has nothing to follow.
Share across take-profits
per signal per listener too
How much of the signal each take-profit gets, as numbers relative to each other, first take-profit first. Empty shares it equally; the last number repeats for take-profits beyond the list, and for a runner.
When it applies
Not used with Fixed lots for each take-profit, where every take-profit gets the full lots. A take-profit whose share would fall under the broker's smallest lot is left out, the farthest first, and its lots go to the ones kept.
Example
2,1 puts twice as much on the first take-profit: with 4 take-profits that is 40%, 20%, 20% and 20%. 50,30,20 on 3 take-profits is exactly those shares.
How it works, more examples and what to watch out for
Your sizing first works out the size of the whole signal: from Risk % of equity, Fixed cash, or Fixed lots for the whole signal. This setting then shares that size across the take-profits.
The app adds up the numbers and gives each take-profit its number divided by the total. Only the ratio matters: 2,1 and 50,25 give the same result. You can write up to 10 numbers, separated by commas, each above 0; decimals are fine. Empty means equal parts.
If the signal has more take-profits than numbers, the last number repeats. A runner part counts as one more take-profit and takes the last number too.
Each part is rounded down to the broker's lot step, and whatever is left over goes to the last part. If a part would come out under the broker's smallest lot, the farthest take-profit is left out and the size is shared again across the rest, until every part fits.
0.10 lots on 3 take-profits with 2,1,1: 0.10 × 2/4 = 0.05 on TP1; 0.025 rounds down to 0.02 on TP2; TP3 gets what is left, 0.03. Total 0.10.
0.20 lots with 50,30,20 on 3 take-profits: 0.10, 0.06 and 0.04. The same numbers on a signal with 3 take-profits and a runner give 50,30,20,20: 0.08, 0.05, 0.03 and 0.04 for the runner.
0.03 lots, 4 take-profits, empty (equal), smallest lot 0.01: a quarter is 0.0075, under 0.01, so TP4 is left out and TP1–TP3 get 0.01 each.
The setting is hidden with Fixed lots for each take-profit, the default sizing. There every take-profit gets the full lots, so 0.01 lots on 3 take-profits puts 0.03 in the market.
Shares do not change your risk: every part has the same stop-loss, and the total is what your sizing chose. They only decide how much of it is still open after each take-profit.
Small accounts lose far take-profits to the smallest lot. If that happens and “Require full signal” is on, the whole signal is skipped.
Max take-profits per signal
per signal per listener too
The most take-profits one signal uses. A leg is one take-profit's part of the signal: its own trade in Split, its share of the one trade in One trade; a runner is a leg too. The nearest take-profits are kept. "No cap": this setting sets no cap of its own.
When it applies
Only with Split or One trade. With Risk % of equity, Fixed cash or Fixed lots for the whole signal, the signal's size is shared across the legs kept; with Fixed lots for each take-profit, fewer legs mean fewer lots. In Split on a hedging account each leg is also a position, so "Max open positions" and "Max open positions per symbol" can trim a signal further.
Example
A signal with 4 take-profits and a cap of 2 uses the two nearest: two trades in Split, or one trade closing a share at each in One trade.
How it works, more examples and what to watch out for
Before sizing the parts, the app counts what the signal wants: one part per take-profit, plus the runner if the signal has one. If that is more than this cap, it keeps the nearest take-profits and drops the rest, the runner first since it comes last.
The size is shared across the parts kept. With Risk % of equity, Fixed cash or Fixed lots for the whole signal your risk stays the same; it is just spread over fewer targets. With Fixed lots for each take-profit, each dropped part is lots you no longer put in.
Every dropped part is listed in the signal's story as “not placed: Max take-profits per signal is” and the number. In Split on a hedging account the position caps can drop more parts after this one, the same way, nearest kept.
With “No cap” this setting sets no cap; the signal's own take-profits and your position caps still bound it.
Cap 3, a signal with 5 take-profits and a runner, 1% risk: TP1, TP2 and TP3 are placed and share the full 1%; TP4, TP5 and the runner are not placed.
Cap 2, Fixed lots for each take-profit at 0.05, a signal with 4 take-profits: two trades of 0.05 lots, 0.10 in total instead of 0.20.
“No cap”, Split, “Max open positions” 10 with 8 already open: a 4-take-profit signal places TP1 and TP2 only, because there are 2 slots left.
A cap of 1 is not the same as Nearest take-profit only in every case: it keeps TP1 and puts the whole size there, but a runner is dropped. If you only ever want one target, choosing that mode is clearer.
The cap alone never makes “Require full signal” skip a signal: a signal cut to the cap counts as complete.
A runner counts as a leg. With a cap equal to the number of take-profits, the runner of a “TP4: hold” signal is the part that goes.
Require full signal
per signal per listener too
Yes: if your limits or the lot sizes cannot fit every take-profit the signal should use (all of them, or as many as "Max take-profits per signal" allows), nothing is placed and the story says why. No: whatever fits is placed, keeping the nearest take-profits.
When it applies
Only with Split or One trade. In Split on a hedging account both the position caps and the broker's smallest lot can leave take-profits out; a signal held as one position (One trade, or a netting account) only loses take-profits to the smallest lot.
Example
Split, 3 take-profits, only 2 position slots left: Yes skips the signal, No places the 2 nearest. With "Max take-profits per signal" at 2 the same signal is complete at 2 and is placed.
How it works, more examples and what to watch out for
The app first works out how many parts the signal should place: every take-profit plus the runner, or fewer if “Max take-profits per signal” is lower. Then it sees how many actually fit.
Two things can make fewer fit: the position caps (“Max open positions”, “Max open positions per symbol”, and a listener's own caps), which apply to Split on a hedging account, and the broker's smallest lot, when a share of the size is too small.
With Yes, if fewer parts fit than it should place, nothing is placed and the story says how many of how many fit. With No, the parts that fit are placed, nearest take-profits first.
0.03 lots on 4 take-profits, equal shares, smallest lot 0.01: only 3 parts of 0.01 fit. Yes: the signal is skipped (3 of 4). No: TP1–TP3 open with 0.01 each.
Split, “Max open positions per symbol” 3, one XAUUSD trade already open, a new gold signal with 3 take-profits: 2 slots left. Yes: skipped. No: TP1 and TP2 are placed.
The same gold signal with One trade: held as one position, it takes one slot, so it is placed in full either way.
With Yes and a small account, sizing that leaves far take-profits under the smallest lot skips signals often. Lower the number of targets with “Max take-profits per signal” instead, or put more on the first take-profits.
It has no effect with Nearest or Furthest take-profit only, where the signal is always one trade.
Trailing stop
per listener too
As each take-profit of a signal is reached, the stop-loss of what is still open moves forward by this rule: the other trades in Split, the rest of the one trade in One trade or on a netting account. A stop only ever tightens, and only when a take-profit is reached, never on a stop-out.
OffTo the entryA fixed step from the entryTo the take-profit beforeJust behind the take-profit reached
When it applies
Needs a signal with at least two take-profits, traded as Split or One trade. “A fixed step from the entry” is anchored on the entry, so uneven take-profits can land it off the real levels; “Just behind the take-profit reached” is the tightest. “To the entry” and “To the take-profit before” can keep some room behind the stop.
Example
A sell at 1000, stop-loss 1100, take-profits 900 / 800 / 700, a pip of 1. To the entry: after TP1 the stop goes to 1000 and stays. To the take-profit before: 1000 after TP1, 900 after TP2. A fixed step from the entry: 900 after TP1, 800 after TP2. Just behind the take-profit reached, 10 pips: 910 after TP1, 810 after TP2. With 50 pips of room behind the stop, to the take-profit before goes to 1050, then 950, then 850.
How it works, more examples and what to watch out for
The app watches the parts of each signal. When one closes at its take-profit, it works out a new stop from this rule and moves the stop-loss of every part still open, runner included.
“Entry” is the price the signal's first trade filled at. To the entry: the stop goes to the entry after TP1 and stays there. To the take-profit before: the entry after TP1, then TP1 after TP2, TP2 after TP3. A fixed step from the entry: after take-profit k the stop goes to entry + k × (TP1 − entry), which after TP1 is TP1 itself. Just behind the take-profit reached: the stop sits “Pips behind the take-profit” from the take-profit just reached, the tightest of them.
With “To the entry” and “To the take-profit before”, “Room behind the stop” puts the stop that many pips further back, toward the loss side, so a dip back to the level does not close what is still open.
A stop is moved only if the new one protects more than the current one. A close at the stop, a manual close or a runner closing never moves anything.
If the broker keeps stops a minimum distance from the price, the stop goes as close as it allows. If the price is already past the new stop, the app closes that part at market, where the stop would have closed it.
The rule used is the one in force when the signal was placed, including a listener's own setting. Changing it later does not change signals already open. After a restart the app picks the open signals back up and keeps moving their stops.
XAUUSD buy at 2400, stop 2390, take-profits 2410 / 2420 / 2430 and a runner. After TP1, TP2 and TP3 the stop of what is left goes to: To the entry 2400, 2400, 2400. To the take-profit before 2400, 2410, 2420. A fixed step from the entry 2410, 2420, 2430. Just behind the take-profit reached with 5 (0.50 on gold) 2409.50, 2419.50, 2429.50. To the take-profit before with 20 pips of room (2.00 on gold) 2398, 2408, 2418.
EURUSD sell at 1.1000, take-profits 1.0980 / 1.0960 / 1.0940, To the take-profit before. TP1 fills: the two trades left get a stop at 1.1000. TP2 fills: the last trade's stop goes to 1.0980, so it can no longer lose.
Uneven targets with Fixed step: buy at 2400, take-profits 2405 / 2430 / 2460. The step is 5, so after TP2 the stop goes to 2410, not to 2405 or 2430.
“A fixed step from the entry” puts the stop on the take-profit that was just reached, where the price is at that moment. A small pullback then closes the rest at once. “To the take-profit before” and “Just behind the take-profit reached” leave room, and “Room behind the stop” adds more to “To the entry” and “To the take-profit before”.
Nothing moves for a signal with one take-profit, or with Nearest or Furthest take-profit only: there is only one part.
With One trade the moves happen only while MetaTrader is running, since that is when the earlier take-profits close.
Runners follow this rule too while the other take-profits are being reached; with runner protection on, whichever stop is tighter is used.
Pips behind the take-profit
per listener too
How many pips behind the take-profit just reached the new stop sits.
When it applies
Only with “Just behind the take-profit reached”.
Example
10 pips, a sell: when TP2 at 800 is reached, the stop of what is still open moves to 810.
How it works, more examples and what to watch out for
Used only by the “Just behind the take-profit reached” rule. When a take-profit is reached, the new stop for what is still open is that take-profit minus this many pips on a buy, plus this many on a sell.
A pip is the symbol's pip: 0.0001 on EURUSD, 0.01 on USDJPY, 0.10 on gold, one point on indices and crypto. The same number therefore means very different distances on different instruments.
The stop only moves if it protects more than the current one, and never closer to the price than the broker allows.
XAUUSD buy, TP1 2410 reached, 5 pips: 5 × 0.10 = 0.50, so the stop goes to 2409.50.
EURUSD sell, TP1 1.0980 reached, 15 pips: 15 × 0.0001 = 0.0015, so the stop goes to 1.0995.
US30 buy, TP1 42 100 reached, 20 pips: one pip is one point, so the stop goes to 42 080.
5 pips is half a dollar on gold and five points on US30: tight enough that normal noise can close the rest right after the take-profit. Pick the number for the instrument the group trades, or give that listener its own value.
A value larger than the distance from TP1 back to the original stop would put the new stop behind the original one; then the stop does not move, because a stop only tightens.
Room behind the stop (pips)
per listener too
How many pips further back than its level the new stop goes: below it on a buy, above it on a sell, so a dip back to the entry or to the take-profit before does not close what is still open.
When it applies
With “To the entry” and “To the take-profit before”.
Example
A sell at 1000, take-profits 900 / 800 / 700, 50 pips of room: after TP1 the stop goes to 1050, after TP2 to 950, after TP3 to 850.
How it works, more examples and what to watch out for
When a take-profit is reached, these rules move the stop to the entry or to the take-profit before; with room, it goes that many pips further back, toward the loss side: below on a buy, above on a sell.
It is for groups that enter over a range: the app fills at the near end, and with no room a dip back to the entry closes what the group still holds.
A pip is the symbol's pip: 0.0001 on EURUSD, 0.01 on USDJPY, 0.10 on gold, one point on indices and crypto.
The stop still only moves forward: if the room would put it behind where it already is, it stays.
XAUUSD buy, the group's zone 2400–2395: the app fills at 2400, the group's average is lower. Take-profits 2410 / 2420, “To the entry”, 30 pips of room (3.00 on gold). TP1 fills: the stop goes to 2397, not 2400, so a dip to 2398 leaves the rest open, as the group's own trade is.
Max jump between take-profits
per signal per listener too
Leaves out a take-profit that is far out of line with the others, because it is probably a typo. The number is how many times bigger than the signal's normal gap between take-profits a gap may be. The take-profits after it are left out too; the rest trade as normal.
When it applies
TP1 and TP2 are always kept. The check starts at TP3.
Example
A short on gold, with the setting at 5:
Entry 4180
TP1 4175
TP2 4168
TP3 4155
TP4 4142
TP5 4120
TP6 4210 – 90 away, when the others are 5 to 22 apart: left out
TP7 4200 – comes after TP6: left out too
The trade runs with TP1 to TP5.
How it works, more examples and what to watch out for
The app measures the gaps from the entry to TP1, TP1 to TP2 and so on, and takes their middle value as the signal's usual step.
From TP3 on, a target more than this many times that step past the one before is left out as a likely typo, with every target after it.
The left-out targets are listed with the signal, each saying why, with a button to this setting.
A signal with no entry price is measured from the price at the time.
Setting 5. Sell at 2400 with targets 2395, 2390, 2385, 2340: the step is 5, 2340 is 45 past 2385 (9 times), so it goes and three targets trade.
Setting 5. Buy at 2400 with targets 2410, 2420, 2450: the step is 10 and 2450 is 30 past (3 times), so all three trade.
A signal with a deliberately far last target (a scalp with one swing target) loses it at a low setting: raise it for such a group, on its listener.
The check reads the signal's own levels, before the price is compared with them.
More detail
The size comes from your sizing mode and is the same in all four modes. A signal with one take-profit is always one trade. A signal with no take-profit is one trade without a target: a runner.
In "One trade" the earlier targets are levels that the trading bridge, the app's helper inside MetaTrader, closes when the price gets there. It needs trading bridge 1.13 or newer. With an older one the signal trades as Split and its story says so. Close MetaTrader and open it again once, and the current bridge loads.
Nearest take-profit only, on the gold signal: one trade of 0.10 lots that closes whole at 2410, so nothing is left to trail. Furthest take-profit only: one trade of 0.10 lots that waits for 2430. Nothing closes at 2410 or 2420 and the stop stays at 2390, so a price that turns at 2425 can still end at the full loss.
In money, on the usual 100-ounce gold contract and before spread and commission: if all three targets are reached, Split and One trade make about 30 + 60 + 120 = 210 USD, Nearest about 100 USD, Furthest about 300 USD. If the stop is hit first, each loses about 100 USD. The figures only show the arithmetic of each mode.
After each target the stop of what is still open moves by your "Trailing stop" rule, the same way in Split and in One trade.
On a netting account (one position per symbol) Split and One trade both become one position, and the earlier take-profits rest at the broker as orders that each close their share.
When a take-profit is left out
In Split each trade is a position of its own, so "Max open positions" and "Max open positions per symbol" can run out. A share under the broker's smallest lot, usually 0.01, cannot be placed. The app keeps the nearest take-profits and lists the rest under "Legs not placed" with the reason.
0.02 lots on a signal with 4 take-profits cannot be split four ways.
The app opens 0.01 at TP1 and 0.01 at TP2, and lists TP3 and TP4 with "lots too small to split further (broker minimum 0.01)".
More detail
With "Require full signal" on, it is all or nothing. When the take-profits the signal should use cannot all fit, nothing is placed and the story says why.
The farthest take-profits are left out first. With risk-based sizing their lots move to the ones that are kept, so the total stays the same. If even two shares do not fit, the whole size goes in as one trade at TP1.
A signal held as one position ("One trade", or any signal on a netting account) uses one position place, so the position caps do not trim it. Only the smallest lot can.
Trailing stop: the stop moves as targets are reached
When a take-profit is reached, the stop of what is still open moves forward by the rule in "Trailing stop". The default is "To the take-profit before". A stop only tightens, and only a take-profit triggers a move.
"To the entry": after TP1 the stop goes to 2400 and stays there.
"To the take-profit before": after TP1 2400, after TP2 2410, after TP3 2420.
"Just behind the take-profit reached" with 5: after TP1 2409.50, after TP2 2419.50, after TP3 2429.50. A gold pip is 0.10, so 5 pips are 0.50.
More detail
The options are "Off", "To the entry", "To the take-profit before" (the default), "A fixed step from the entry" and "Just behind the take-profit reached" (with "Pips behind the take-profit", 5 by default). "A fixed step from the entry" gives 2410 after TP1, 2420 after TP2 and 2430 after TP3. For the stop at your entry after TP1, choose "To the take-profit before" or "To the entry".
The stop that moves belongs to the other trades in Split, or to the rest of the position in One trade. It needs a signal with at least two take-profits. A stop-out or a trade you close by hand never triggers a move. The signal's story shows each stop move, or the broker's refusal when a move was too close.
A signal keeps the rule that was in force when it was placed. Changing the setting later does not move signals that are already open. The stops of open signals keep moving after an app restart.
Runners: the part with no take-profit
A runner is a trade with no take-profit: the part of a signal that says to hold ("TP4: hold", "runner"), or a signal with no target. With "Protect runners" on, the default, its stop follows the price once it is far enough in profit, measured in R or pips.
Sell gold at 4316 with the stop at 4324: 1R is 8.00. "Start following at" 2, "Keep the stop behind by" 1.
The price reaches 4300: the stop moves to 4308. It falls to 4290: stop 4298. It bounces to 4296: the stop stays at 4298.
The price rises to 4298: the runner closes there and keeps 18.00 of the move.
Protect runners
per listener too
A runner is a trade with no take-profit: the part of a signal that says to hold (“TP4: hold”, “runner”), or a signal that gives no target at all. With this on, the app follows the runner's stop once it is far enough in profit, so a big move keeps most of what it made instead of riding back to the original stop.
When it applies
The stop only ever moves in the trade's favour. While the signal's other take-profits are still being reached, the stop also follows your trailing stop rule above; whichever stop protects more is used. Changes here also apply to runners already open.
How it works, more examples and what to watch out for
While MetaTrader is connected, the app checks every runner about every 10 seconds. It keeps track of the best price the runner has reached: the bid for a buy, the ask for a sell.
Once the runner is “Start following at” in profit, the app puts its stop “Keep the stop behind by” behind that best price. From then on the stop moves only when the best price improves, and never back.
To avoid a stream of changes at the broker, a stop moves at most once every 15 seconds, only when it improves by at least a tenth of the trail, and never closer to the price than the broker allows.
The weekend close and the time limit are separate settings: they close runners even with protection off. Changes here apply at the next check, also to runners already open.
Defaults (R, start 2, trail 1), XAUUSD buy at 2400, stop 2390: 1R is 10.00. At 2420 following starts and the stop goes to 2410. At 2435 it moves to 2425. The price falls back to 2425 and the runner closes there, 25.00 above the entry.
Protection off, same trade: the price reaches 2435 and falls back to 2390. The runner closes at its original stop, a full 1R loss.
Protection runs in the app, not at the broker. If the app or MetaTrader is closed, the stop stays where it was last put.
A signal with no take-profit at all is a runner too, so these settings also decide how it exits.
While the signal's other take-profits are still being reached, the trailing stop rule also moves the runner's stop; the tighter of the two is used.
Measure in
per listener too
R is how much the trade risks when it opens: the distance from its entry to its original stop-loss. 1R is that distance, 2R twice it. Because it is measured from each trade, 2R means the same thing on gold and on EURUSD — while 100 pips is a small move on gold and a big one on EURUSD.
R — the trade's own riskpips
When it applies
Pips suit one instrument whose moves you know well. A runner opened before this version, whose original stop the app did not keep, can only be followed in pips.
Example
Sell gold at 4316 with the stop at 4324: 1R is 8.00, 2R is 16.00 — the price at 4300.
How it works, more examples and what to watch out for
The unit applies to both “Start following at” and “Keep the stop behind by”.
With R, the app takes the runner's fill price and the stop it opened with; the distance between them is 1R. Each runner has its own R, so the same numbers fit a tight scalp and a wide swing.
With pips, a pip is the symbol's pip: 0.0001 on EURUSD, 0.01 on USDJPY, 0.10 on gold, one point on indices and crypto.
If the unit is R and a runner has no opening stop, or it is on the wrong side, there is nothing to measure from. The app leaves that runner's stop alone and says once that it should be switched to pips.
R, start 2, trail 1. EURUSD buy at 1.1000, stop 1.0970: 1R = 30 pips, so following starts at 1.1060 with the stop at 1.1030. XAUUSD buy at 2400, stop 2390: 1R = 10.00, following starts at 2420 with the stop at 2410.
Pips, start 30, trail 15. EURUSD buy at 1.1000: at 1.1030 the stop goes to 1.1015. On gold the same setting starts after only 3.00 and trails 1.50 behind, which a normal swing can hit.
Pips fit when a listener trades one instrument. If a group posts both gold and forex, R keeps the distances sensible on both, or give each listener its own unit.
A signal without a stop that trades with no stop at all (default stop 0 for that kind of instrument) gives R nothing to measure; use pips for such a listener.
Start following at
per listener too
How far in profit the runner must be before its stop starts to follow, in the unit above. Until then the stop stays where it is.
When it applies
Must be larger than the distance the stop keeps behind the price.
Example
2 (R): the sell at 4316, where 1R is 8.00, starts being followed when the price reaches 4300.
How it works, more examples and what to watch out for
The app measures the runner's profit from its fill price to the best price it has reached. Until that reaches this distance, the runner's stop is not touched by this rule.
When it does, the first move puts the stop at the best price minus the trail on a buy, plus the trail on a sell. Since the trail must be smaller than the start, that first stop is already past the entry.
The app saves settings only when the trail is smaller than this value.
Start 2 R, trail 1 R, US30 buy at 42 000, stop 41 850: 1R is 150 points. Following starts at 42 300 with the stop at 42 150, 150 points of profit locked.
Start 1.5 R, trail 1 R on the same trade: following starts at 42 225 with the stop at 42 075, only 75 points past the entry.
A low start follows the runner early but locks in little at first; a high start lets it breathe but may never begin on a modest move.
The start and the trail share the same unit. Switching from R to pips without changing the numbers turns 2 R into 2 pips.
Keep the stop behind by
per listener too
Once following, the stop sits this far behind the best price the runner has reached, and moves only when that best price improves — never back.
When it applies
Smaller than where following starts, so the very first move already locks in profit. The app changes a stop at most every 15 seconds, and only when the new stop is better by at least a tenth of this distance, so your broker is never flooded with modifications.
Example
1 (R) on that sell: price reaches 4300 → stop 4308; falls to 4290 → stop 4298; bounces to 4296 → stop stays at 4298; rises to 4298 → the runner closes at 4298, keeping 18.00 of the move.
How it works, more examples and what to watch out for
Once following has started, the new stop is the best price reached minus this distance on a buy, plus it on a sell.
The app only sends the change when the new stop is better than the current one by at least a tenth of this distance, at most once every 15 seconds, and not closer to the price than the broker's minimum distance.
A pullback does not move the stop. If the price comes back to it, the broker closes the runner there.
Trail 1 R on a XAUUSD buy at 2400, stop 2390 (1R = 10.00): best price 2440, stop 2430. The price creeps to 2440.80: the stop would improve by 0.80, less than a tenth of 10.00, so it stays at 2430 until the best price reaches 2441.
Trail 15 pips on an EURUSD buy: best price 1.1050, stop 1.1035. The price dips to 1.1045 and the stop stays at 1.1035.
A tight trail keeps more of a move but closes the runner on ordinary noise; a wide one survives pullbacks but gives more back.
After an app restart the best price is not known. If the stop is already in profit, the app assumes the best price was one trail beyond it, so the stop does not jump.
Close runners before the weekend
per listener too
Forex and metals stop trading from Friday 17:00 New York time until Sunday evening. A runner left open over the weekend pays swap and can reopen on Monday far from where it stopped — past its stop, at whatever price the market opens.
When it applies
Timed on New York's clock, so it stays right through daylight saving and whatever time zone your broker's server shows. It closes every runner, including instruments that trade at the weekend.
How it works, more examples and what to watch out for
On Friday, from “Minutes before the weekly close” before 17:00 New York time until 17:00, the app closes every runner at market during its regular check, about every 10 seconds.
Only runners are closed. Trades with a take-profit keep their take-profit and stop over the weekend.
If the broker refuses a close, for example because the symbol is already closed, the app tries again at most once a minute until 17:00.
30 minutes, a gold runner open on Friday: at 16:30 New York time, 23:30 on a broker whose server shows midnight at the close, the app closes it at market.
A BTCUSD runner open on Friday afternoon is closed at the same time, even though crypto trades at the weekend.
The app must be running in that window. If the computer is off on Friday evening, the runner stays open over the weekend.
If you trade crypto at the weekend, turn this off for that listener only, with a setting of its own.
Minutes before the weekly close
per listener too
How long before the Friday close (17:00 New York time) runners are closed.
When it applies
Leave some room: in the last minutes before the close spreads widen, and some brokers stop gold a few minutes early.
Example
30: runners close from 16:30 New York time — 23:30 on the many brokers whose server clock shows midnight at the close.
How it works, more examples and what to watch out for
Sets the start of the Friday window in which runners are closed. The window always ends at 17:00 New York time; with 30 it runs from 16:30 to 17:00.
Accepted values are 1 to 720 minutes, so the window can open as early as 05:00 New York time on Friday.
60: runners close from 16:00 New York time, 21:00 in London, 23:00 on a broker whose server shows midnight at the close.
240: from 13:00 New York time, before the thin Friday afternoon.
Too few minutes risks the close landing in the last minutes when spreads are widest, or after your broker has already stopped gold.
Only used when “Close runners before the weekend” is on.
Close runners after
per listener too
Closes a runner once it has been open this many hours, whatever it is doing.
When it applies
Counted from when the runner was filled. Useful for channels whose “hold” means a day, not a week.
Example
48: a runner filled on Monday at 10:00 is closed on Wednesday at 10:00.
How it works, more examples and what to watch out for
At each check, about every 10 seconds, the app compares how long the runner has been open with this number. Once it is reached, the runner is closed at market, in profit or not.
The time counts from the runner's fill; if that is not known, from the signal. Weekends and closed markets count too: the clock does not pause.
It works whether or not “Protect runners” is on.
24: a runner filled on Tuesday at 14:20 closes on Wednesday at 14:20.
72 with the weekend exit off: a runner filled on Thursday at 09:00 would reach its limit on Sunday at 09:00 while the market is closed, so the close goes through when the market reopens.
The app must be running for the close to happen; if it is off at that moment, the runner closes at the next check after it starts.
Pick the number from how the group trades: a scalping channel's “hold” is hours, a swing channel's can be days.
More detail
R is the distance from the entry to the original stop. A runner with no original stop to measure R from is left alone, and the app says so. Switch "Measure in" to pips to protect it.
In Split and One trade a runner is added after the real take-profits and gets a share like they do. "Nearest take-profit only" and "Furthest take-profit only" leave it out.
"Measure in" is "R — the trade's own risk" or "pips". "Start following at" is 2 by default and "Keep the stop behind by" is 1. R means the same thing on gold and on EURUSD, which is why it is the default. The stop never moves back.
In pips: EURUSD buy at 1.1000, start 30, behind by 15. At 1.1030 the stop moves to 1.1015, at 1.1050 to 1.1035.
The app checks runners about every 10 seconds while MetaTrader is connected, and changes a stop at most every 15 seconds. Changes to the runner settings also apply to runners that are already open.
Before the weekend, and time limits
"Close runners before the weekend" is on by default. It closes every runner on Friday, 30 minutes before the market shuts at 17:00 New York time. "Close runners after" closes a runner that many hours after its fill.
30 minutes: runners close from 16:30 New York time. That is 23:30 on the many brokers whose server clock shows midnight at the close.
48 hours: a runner filled on Monday at 10:00 is closed on Wednesday at 10:00.
More detail
"Minutes before the weekly close" is 30 by default. The weekend exit is timed on New York's clock, so daylight saving and your broker's time zone do not matter. A trade that has a take-profit keeps its stop and target at the broker over the weekend.
"Close runners after" is on "Never" until you switch it on. It suits channels whose "hold" means one day.
When the channel sends its own instructions
Many channels follow a signal with "SL to entry", "close half" or "close it". The app reads those and, once you have switched follow-ups on, applies them to the trades that signal opened, on Manual and Auto listeners. A follow-up can only tighten a stop.
More detail
"SL to entry" uses the entry price the signal stated. "Close half" closes whole trades first, the ones nearest their take-profit, then part of the next. Closing part of one position needs trading bridge 1.15, which one MetaTrader restart loads.
A message like "SL 20 pips" changes nothing, because only a stated price is used. Moving the stop by a distance is what the trailing stop and the runner rules do.
A plain "TP1 hit" is a report and changes nothing. Your trailing stop reacts to the take-profit itself, and follow-ups work next to it.
The prefilter reads messages with a number and a trading word (in about 25 languages) or an instrument with its prices, and follow-ups while a trade is open. What it sets aside is listed under Signals → "Every message" for a week.
Different rules for one group
Under "Settings of its own" on an open listener, "Add a setting of its own…" gives one group its own value for any take-profit, trailing or runner setting. It replaces the profile's value for that group, looser or stricter. What the listener does not set follows the profile.
- 1
Open "Listeners", open the listener and pick "Settings of its own".
- 2
Choose "Multiple take-profits" in "Add a setting of its own…".
- 3
Set it, for example, to "Nearest take-profit only". The profile's value shows under it, after "Profile:".
- 4
It is saved by itself, and stays listed there until you remove it.
More detail
Every setting under "Take-profits & trailing" and "Runners" can be its own: "Multiple take-profits", "Share across take-profits", "Trailing stop", "Pips behind the take-profit", "Max take-profits per signal", "Require full signal", "Protect runners", "Measure in", "Start following at", "Keep the stop behind by", "Close runners before the weekend", "Minutes before the weekly close" and "Close runners after".
With "Multiple take-profits" on "Nearest take-profit only" for one noisy group, its 4-target signals open one trade at TP1 with the whole size, and your other groups keep the profile's setting.
Common setups
What you want, and the settings that give it.
Move the stop to break-even after TP1
- →Settings → Trailing stop → To the entry
After TP1 the stop of what is still open goes to the entry, 2400 on the gold example, and stays.
Close most at TP1 and let a small part run
- →Settings → Multiple take-profits → Split: a separate trade for each take-profit
- →Settings → Share across take-profits → 3,1
- →Settings → Trailing stop → To the take-profit before
- →Settings → Protect runners → On
Gold example: 0.06 lots close at 2410, 0.02 at 2420, 0.02 at 2430. A runner gets a small share too.
My account is small and the lots cannot be split
- →Settings → Multiple take-profits → Nearest take-profit only
0.01 lots cannot be shared across three targets. This makes one trade at TP1 the rule.
Never hold a runner over the weekend
- →Settings → Runners → Close runners before the weekend → On
- →Settings → Minutes before the weekly close → 30
Runners close from 16:30 New York time on Friday. The app has to be running then.
One position instead of three trades
- →Settings → Multiple take-profits → One trade: a share closes at each take-profit
- →Keep MetaTrader open
One position uses one place in "Max open positions". The shares at TP1 and TP2 close only while MetaTrader runs.
Lock in more after every target
- →Settings → Trailing stop → To the take-profit before
- →Or tighter: Settings → Trailing stop → Just behind the take-profit reached, Pips behind the take-profit → 5
"To the take-profit before" gives 2400, 2410, 2420 on the gold example. "Just behind the take-profit reached" gives 2409.50, 2419.50, 2429.50.
Use only the first two take-profits of every signal
- →Settings → Max take-profits per signal → 2
The two nearest take-profits share the whole size. A runner counts as a leg, so it is left out.
One noisy group: a single target, the rest as usual
- →Listener → Add a setting of its own… → Multiple take-profits → Nearest take-profit only
Only that group changes. Its signals open one trade at TP1 with the whole size.
My channel's "hold" means one day
- →Settings → Runners → Close runners after → On, 24
A runner is closed 24 hours after it was filled, whatever it is doing.
Runners in pips for a gold channel
- →Listener → Add a setting of its own… → Measure in → pips
- →Listener → Add a setting of its own… → Start following at → 100
- →Listener → Add a setting of its own… → Keep the stop behind by → 50
A gold pip is 0.10. Following starts 10.00 in profit and the stop stays 5.00 behind the best price.
Common pitfalls
✕"My stop went to TP1 right after TP1 was hit and I was stopped out at once."
✓That is "A fixed step from the entry". Choose "To the take-profit before", which moves the stop to your entry after TP1, or "Just behind the take-profit reached".
✕"TP1 was hit but the stop of my other trades did not move."
✓"Trailing stop" is "Off" for the profile or the listener, only one trade was left, the trade closed by stop or by hand, or the broker refused the move.
✕"With One trade the price passed TP1 and nothing closed."
✓MetaTrader was closed at that moment. In "One trade" the earlier shares close only while MetaTrader is running. Choose Split if your PC is not always on.
✕"My runner was closed on Friday afternoon."
✓"Close runners before the weekend" is on. It closes runners 30 minutes before 17:00 New York time. Switch it off, for the profile or one listener, to keep them.
✕"The runner's stop never moves."
✓It has not reached "Start following at", "Protect runners" is off, or it is measured in R with no original stop. Then switch "Measure in" to pips.
✕"One trade mode opened separate trades."
✓The trading bridge in MetaTrader is older than 1.13, and the signal's story says so. Close MetaTrader and open it again so the current bridge loads.
✕"I gave a listener its own Measure in of pips and the save was refused."
✓A listener's own "Measure in" needs its own "Start following at" and "Keep the stop behind by" too, because the profile's numbers are in the profile's unit. Add both from "Add a setting of its own…".
What your plan allows
Multiple take-profits, every trailing stop mode, runners and settings of its own on a listener are in every plan. The plans differ in how many positions may be open. In Split each take-profit is a position of its own.
| Basic | Advanced | Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple take-profits, trailing stop modes and runners | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Highest "Max open positions" you can set, per profile | 10 | 50 | 100 |
Frequently asked questions
What does Relay2Trade do when a signal has three take-profits?
By default it opens three trades, one per take-profit, with the signal's stop on each and the size shared across them. You can instead hold one trade that closes a share at each target, or put the whole size on the nearest or the furthest target.
Does Relay2Trade move the stop-loss to break-even after TP1?
Yes. With "Trailing stop" on "To the entry" or on the default "To the take-profit before", the stop of what is still open moves to the entry when TP1 is reached. The second one keeps moving behind each further target.
Do my take-profits work when my computer is off?
In Split, yes: every target and the stop are stored at the broker. Moving stops, closing shares in "One trade" mode, following runners and the weekend exit need the app and MetaTrader running.
What is a runner?
A trade with no take-profit: the part of a signal that says to hold, or a signal with no target. With "Protect runners" on, its stop follows the price once it is far enough in profit and never moves back. A take-profit line that says "open" or "hold" with no price ("TP OPEN") makes a runner; a target that calls itself the runner but gives a price ("TP4 (RUNNER): 4434.73") is an ordinary take-profit.
Does Relay2Trade close trades before the weekend?
It closes runners, the trades with no take-profit, shortly before Friday 17:00 New York time when "Close runners before the weekend" is on. Trades with a take-profit stay open with their stop and target at the broker.
Can one Telegram group have its own take-profit rules?
Yes. Under "Settings of its own", a listener can have its own take-profit mode, shares, trailing stop, number of take-profits and runner settings. What it does not set follows the profile.
Why was one of the signal's take-profits not placed?
Most often "Max jump between take-profits" left it out as a likely typo: a target far past the signal's usual step, with every target after it. On a buy at 4140 with targets 4143, 4146, 4150, 4153, 4156, 4200 and 4265, the step is 3, so 4200 and 4265 go and the other five trade. The default is 5 times the step, and its switch turns it off. The signal lists each target it left out with the reason and a "Go to" button to the setting.
Risk a share of the account or a fixed amount per signal, cap what is open at once, and stop for the day after a set loss.
Which posts become trades, which are left alone, how follow-ups find their trade, and what happens to late messages and duplicates.
The Dashboard, the story behind every signal, open positions, notifications, and the Desk for your phone.