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Avoiding Common Mistakes

This page lists common setup and risk mistakes made by new EA users.

Use it as a checklist before moving from demo testing to live trading.

Changing Settings Too Often​

Changing many settings at once makes it difficult to understand what caused a result.

Avoid:

  • Changing risk after one trade.
  • Switching presets repeatedly.
  • Adjusting several inputs at the same time.
  • Re-optimizing because of a short losing period.

Better process:

  1. Write down the setting you want to change.
  2. Change one setting only.
  3. Test on demo or Strategy Tester.
  4. Keep notes.
  5. Revert if the change does not solve the problem.

Using Too Much Risk​

High risk can make normal losing streaks difficult to tolerate.

Before live use:

  • Start small.
  • Confirm calculated lot size.
  • Check maximum open trades.
  • Decide your drawdown limit in advance.
  • Do not increase risk to recover losses.

Stopping During A Drawdown Without Review​

A drawdown does not automatically mean the EA is broken. It does mean you should check the setup.

Review:

  • Is AutoTrading still enabled?
  • Did the correct preset load?
  • Did broker spread change?
  • Are there order errors in Experts or Journal?
  • Is drawdown still inside your planned limit?

Pause trading if drawdown exceeds your limit or if you cannot explain the behavior.

Expecting Immediate Results​

Short-term results are not enough to judge an EA setup.

Avoid expectations such as:

  • The EA should be profitable immediately.
  • A few trades prove the setup works.
  • One losing day proves the setup is broken.

Focus on:

  • Correct setup.
  • Stable platform operation.
  • Risk control.
  • Enough trades to review.
  • Demo testing before live use.

Not Learning The Basics​

Do not run the EA live without understanding the main controls.

Learn:

  • How to attach the EA to a chart.
  • How to load a .set file.
  • What risk method is selected.
  • How stop loss and take profit are applied.
  • Where to read Experts and Journal messages.
  • How to stop the EA if needed.

First Month Checklist​

  • Use demo first.
  • Keep risk small.
  • Use one preset at a time.
  • Keep a setup journal.
  • Review Experts and Journal messages.
  • Ask support when an error message is unclear.
  • Avoid changing settings after every trade.

Next Pages​