[Course] [Build an EA 1] What a trading bot looks like: overview

"I want to build a trading bot but don't know where to start" is the most common question. You don't need to know how to code. Follow this series in order and you'll build a moving-average EA, backtest it and run it on a demo account.

What is an EA?

EA (Expert Advisor) = a trading program that runs inside MT5. Instead of a person watching the chart and clicking, the program reads the price → checks conditions → places orders by fixed rules.

An EA does exactly three things.

1. Look: read the current price, moving averages, RSI and so on
2. Decide: check a condition like "did the fast line cross above the slow line?"
3. Act: if it matches, buy or sell and set the stop loss and take profit

The series

1. The big picture (this post)
2. Setup: MT5, a demo account, opening MetaEditor
3. Turning your trading idea into numeric rules
4. Your first EA: a moving-average cross (copy and use)
5. Stops, targets and lot sizing that risks 1% of the account
6. Backtesting in the Strategy Tester and reading results
7. Demo → small live → live verification on EADesk
8. 10 common beginner mistakes
9. Writing EA code with AI (ChatGPT, Claude)

Know this before you start

• An EA is not a money machine. It's a tool that follows your rules without emotion. Bad rules produce bad results — faithfully.
• Don't start on a live account. Backtest → a few weeks on demo → small live is the standard order.
• You need less coding than you think. The first EA is about 60 lines, and mostly you copy it and change numbers.

If you get stuck, post the exact error message in Q&A. Other members will answer quickly.