Learn copy trading, without the hype
Short, practical guides on how trade copying actually works: sizing, symbols, platforms, signals and the risk controls that keep an account alive. Written for traders, with the arithmetic shown.
Basics
- What is a trade copier and how does it work?A trade copier watches one trading account or signal source and repeats its trades on other accounts, resized for each one. Here is what that means in practice, and what it doesn't.4 min read
- Slippage and latency in copy trading, explainedWhy a copied trade never fills at exactly the source's price, where the milliseconds go, what the difference costs over a month, and which settings keep it small.3 min read
- Pips, points and lots: the units behind every tradePip and point conventions across forex, gold, indices, oil and crypto, what a standard, mini and micro lot are, and how to turn a price move into money in your account currency.3 min read
Sizing and risk
- How lot sizing modes work in copy tradingFixed lot, multiplier, balance or equity ratio, and risk percent from the stop: the five ways to size a copied trade, with the arithmetic and when to use each.3 min read
- Copying trades to prop-firm accounts safelyDaily loss limits, static and trailing drawdowns, news rules and copy-trading policies: what to check, how to size, and how to set guard rails before the firm's own.4 min read
- Breakeven and trailing stops on copied tradesMoving the stop to entry and trailing it behind the price: how both work, how to pick the numbers, and what they cost you in trades that would have won.3 min read
- Drawdown protection: limits that act before you have toDrawdown, why a 50% loss needs a 100% gain, and how account-level equity rules can alert you, pause copiers or close everything at a line you set in advance.3 min read
- Risk/reward basics: R multiples, win rate and expectancyWhat a 1:2 risk/reward means, the win rate you need to break even at each ratio, how to compute expectancy, and why the ratio on paper isn't the one you trade.2 min read
Signals
- How Telegram signal copying worksFrom a post in a channel to sized positions on your MT4/MT5 account, and how edits, replies like "close half" and multiple take-profits are handled.3 min read
- Choosing a signal provider: what to check and the red flagsThe numbers that actually tell you something about a provider, the warning signs that should end the conversation, and how to trial one without risking much.3 min read
Platforms
- MT4 vs MT5: what matters for copying tradesThe platform differences that affect copying (position accounting, order types, partial closes, symbol lists) and how to copy safely in either direction.2 min read
- Investor password vs trading passwordMetaTrader accounts have two passwords. One can only watch, the other can trade. Here is which one a copier needs on each side, and why neither can withdraw money.2 min read
- Symbol mapping and broker suffixes explainedEURUSD.m, XAUUSD+, GOLD, US30Cash: why symbol names differ between brokers, how a copier matches them, and the cases where you should map a symbol by hand.3 min read
Calculators
- Lot size calculatorBalance, risk % and stop loss in, lots out. Forex, gold, indices, oil, crypto.
- Pip value calculatorWhat one pip is worth for any instrument, lot size and account currency.
- Risk/reward calculatorEntry, stop and target in: R:R, break-even win rate and expectancy out.
- Position size calculator (risk amount)Risk a fixed amount between two prices: lots and units, rounded to the step.
- Slippage cost calculatorWhat half a pip per trade adds up to over a month and a year.
- Margin calculatorMargin a position ties up, from lots, price and leverage.
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Presets for balanced, low-risk, prop-firm and Telegram copying. Change anything afterwards.
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Risk warning. Trading forex, CFDs, metals, indices and crypto on margin carries a high risk of loss and is not suitable for everyone. Copying trades does not reduce market risk: a copied loss is a real loss. Examples on this page are illustrations, not advice or a forecast. CopyTraderTool is software; it does not give investment advice or manage funds. See the Risk Disclosure.