Beginner15–20 min

Lesson 15. Launch Path — Demo → Small Live → Scaling

Bring everything together: demo 'green-light' criteria (PF/DD/stability/discipline), a tiny live pilot, a phased scaling plan, scheduled reviews/adaptations, and emergency rules. Leave with a 1-page launch & control plan and (optionally) a capstone pack.

15.1. Demo 'green-light' criteria

Before going live, your demo results should meet these thresholds (adjust for your strategy). These aren't guarantees, but they filter out obviously bad EAs:

Demo Green-Light Evaluator

Enter your demo results to see if you meet the green-light criteria for a live pilot.

Target Thresholds:

Profit Factor (rolling or full demo): ≥ 1.2
Max Drawdown (relative): ≤ 15%
Expectancy per trade: ≥ +0.05R
Stability: ≥ 60% positive months (or equity slope positive)
Trades: ≥ 200 for intraday; fewer if H1+ but over longer span
Discipline: ≥ 90% of trades followed the plan (journal confirms SL/TP and filters used)
Costs: Average spread/slippage within plan; no drift ≥ 20%

Profit Factor

Max Drawdown (%)

Expectancy (R)

Stability (%)

Total Trades

Discipline (%)

Cost Drift (%)

15.2. Small live pilot (how to do it safely)

Once demo passes green-light, start a tiny live pilot to confirm execution, slippage, and psychology match expectations.

Small Live Pilot Planner

Plan your first tiny live pilot with safe risk limits and stops. Keep it minimal to validate execution.

Pilot Guidelines:

Size: Minimum lot (0.01) or 10–20% of your demo volume
Risk: 0.25–0.5% per trade (keep daily/weekly stops: −2%/−5%)
Environment: VPS near broker for intraday; notifications on; logs checked daily
Duration: 2–4 weeks; same rules/filters as demo (no 'tweaks on the fly')

Account Balance ($)

Risk per Trade (%)

Daily Stop (%)

Weekly Stop (%)

15.3. Scaling plan builder (phased with gates)

Gradually increase size only when performance gates are met. No rushing; let data prove readiness.

Scaling Ramp Builder

Gradually increase position size only when performance gates are met. No rushing; let data prove readiness.

Phase 1 (Micro)

Size: 0.25× demo

Duration: 2–4 weeks

Gate: PF_rolling(60) ≥ 1.2, DD_rolling ≤ 12%, Expectancy ≥ 0R, no execution alerts

Phase 2 (Small)

Size: 0.5× demo

Duration: 4–8 weeks

Gate: PF_rolling(60) ≥ 1.3, DD_rolling ≤ 15%, Costs stable (spread/slippage ≤ +20% baseline)

Phase 3 (Baseline)

Size: 1.0× demo

Duration: Ongoing

Gate: Scale further only if gates maintained 8–12 weeks

15.4. Review & adaptation schedule (keep edge alive)

Markets change. Regular reviews catch degradation early and keep your EA aligned with current conditions.

Review & Adaptation Schedule

Regular reviews catch degradation early and keep your EA aligned with current market conditions.

Weekly

• Journal/alerts review
• Confirm PF/Expectancy/DD vs thresholds
• Check logs/errors/costs

Monthly

• Period compare A vs B
• Consider minor parameter nudges within validated ranges only

Quarterly or on alert breach

• Re-validation (walk-forward/re-optimization on IS → evaluate OOS)
• Check if regime shift requires filter adjustments

Review Triggers (act immediately if any occur):

• PF_60 drop ≥ 20%
• DD > threshold
• Volatility regime shift
• Cost drift ≥ 20%

15.5. Emergency playbook ('if this then that')

Pre-decide actions for common failure scenarios. Don't improvise in stress. Write your rules now; follow them mechanically.

Emergency Playbook Builder

Pre-decide actions for common failure scenarios. Don't improvise in stress. Write rules now, follow them mechanically.

Rule 1

IF (Trigger):

THEN (Action):

Rule 2

IF (Trigger):

THEN (Action):

Rule 3

IF (Trigger):

THEN (Action):

Rule 4

IF (Trigger):

THEN (Action):

Rule 5

IF (Trigger):

THEN (Action):

Rule 6

IF (Trigger):

THEN (Action):

Playbook Summary:

6 emergency rules defined. Print or save this playbook and follow it mechanically when triggers occur.

15.6. One-page Launch & Control Plan (composer)

Pull everything together into a single-page reference document. Copy, print, or save for your records.

One-Page Launch & Control Plan

Pull everything together into a single-page reference. Fill in each section based on your previous work.

Strategy/EA identification; market/symbol/TF

Demo green-light values (PF/DD/Expectancy/Stability/Trades/Discipline)

Pilot plan (risk %, stops, size, duration)

Scaling phases and gates

Review schedule & triggers

Emergency playbook

Infrastructure (VPS/home PC), notifications, backups

15.7. Optional Capstone Project (deliverables)

Apply everything you've learned in a structured mini-project. This is your 'graduation portfolio' for the Automated Trading course.

Optional Capstone Project

Apply everything you've learned in a structured mini-project. Build your graduation portfolio.

Build a complete launch package for one EA

Choose one EA (or EASY Bot)
Backtest with realistic costs → short forward demo (2–4 weeks)
Compile report: PF/DD/Expectancy, monthly stability
Write 'Go/Adjust/Stop' plan with risk limits, protections, infra (VPS/mobile monitoring)

Deliverables:

• 1-page Launch & Control Plan (from Composer)
• Backtest+Demo report (HTML/CSV) with KPI summary
• Launch checklist (Safety)
• Journal of 1–2 weeks (KPIs/alerts/actions)

Available Templates:

This capstone is optional but highly recommended. It consolidates your learning and gives you a concrete reference for future projects.

Lesson 15 Quiz

Test your understanding with 3 questions. Pass with 2/3 correct.

Course Complete!

You've covered all 15 lessons of Automated Trading on MT5. You now have a structured path from installation to live deployment with risk controls, monitoring, and safety rails. Continue learning, keep testing, and always prioritize capital preservation.

Educational content only. Not financial advice. Trading involves risk of capital loss. Backtests and past performance do not guarantee future results. Start on demo; keep risk small; follow your plan.

Beginner15–20 min

Lesson 15. Launch Path — Demo → Small Live → Scaling

15.1. Demo 'green-light' criteria

Before going live, your demo results should meet these thresholds (adjust for your strategy). These aren't guarantees, but they filter out obviously bad EAs:

Demo Green-Light Evaluator

Enter your demo results to see if you meet the green-light criteria for a live pilot.

Target Thresholds:

Profit Factor (rolling or full demo): ≥ 1.2
Max Drawdown (relative): ≤ 15%
Expectancy per trade: ≥ +0.05R
Stability: ≥ 60% positive months (or equity slope positive)
Trades: ≥ 200 for intraday; fewer if H1+ but over longer span
Discipline: ≥ 90% of trades followed the plan (journal confirms SL/TP and filters used)
Costs: Average spread/slippage within plan; no drift ≥ 20%

Profit Factor

Max Drawdown (%)

Expectancy (R)

Stability (%)

Total Trades

Discipline (%)

Cost Drift (%)

15.2. Small live pilot (how to do it safely)

Once demo passes green-light, start a tiny live pilot to confirm execution, slippage, and psychology match expectations.

Small Live Pilot Planner

Plan your first tiny live pilot with safe risk limits and stops. Keep it minimal to validate execution.

Pilot Guidelines:

Size: Minimum lot (0.01) or 10–20% of your demo volume
Risk: 0.25–0.5% per trade (keep daily/weekly stops: −2%/−5%)
Environment: VPS near broker for intraday; notifications on; logs checked daily
Duration: 2–4 weeks; same rules/filters as demo (no 'tweaks on the fly')

Account Balance ($)

Risk per Trade (%)

Daily Stop (%)

Weekly Stop (%)

15.3. Scaling plan builder (phased with gates)

Gradually increase size only when performance gates are met. No rushing; let data prove readiness.

Scaling Ramp Builder

Gradually increase position size only when performance gates are met. No rushing; let data prove readiness.

Phase 1 (Micro)

Size: 0.25× demo

Duration: 2–4 weeks

Gate: PF_rolling(60) ≥ 1.2, DD_rolling ≤ 12%, Expectancy ≥ 0R, no execution alerts

Phase 2 (Small)

Size: 0.5× demo

Duration: 4–8 weeks

Gate: PF_rolling(60) ≥ 1.3, DD_rolling ≤ 15%, Costs stable (spread/slippage ≤ +20% baseline)

Phase 3 (Baseline)

Size: 1.0× demo

Duration: Ongoing

Gate: Scale further only if gates maintained 8–12 weeks

15.4. Review & adaptation schedule (keep edge alive)

Markets change. Regular reviews catch degradation early and keep your EA aligned with current conditions.

Review & Adaptation Schedule

Regular reviews catch degradation early and keep your EA aligned with current market conditions.

Weekly

• Journal/alerts review
• Confirm PF/Expectancy/DD vs thresholds
• Check logs/errors/costs

Monthly

• Period compare A vs B
• Consider minor parameter nudges within validated ranges only

Quarterly or on alert breach

• Re-validation (walk-forward/re-optimization on IS → evaluate OOS)
• Check if regime shift requires filter adjustments

Review Triggers (act immediately if any occur):

• PF_60 drop ≥ 20%
• DD > threshold
• Volatility regime shift
• Cost drift ≥ 20%

15.5. Emergency playbook ('if this then that')

Pre-decide actions for common failure scenarios. Don't improvise in stress. Write your rules now; follow them mechanically.

Emergency Playbook Builder

Pre-decide actions for common failure scenarios. Don't improvise in stress. Write rules now, follow them mechanically.

Rule 1

IF (Trigger):

THEN (Action):

Rule 2

IF (Trigger):

THEN (Action):

Rule 3

IF (Trigger):

THEN (Action):

Rule 4

IF (Trigger):

THEN (Action):

Rule 5

IF (Trigger):

THEN (Action):

Rule 6

IF (Trigger):

THEN (Action):

Playbook Summary:

6 emergency rules defined. Print or save this playbook and follow it mechanically when triggers occur.

15.6. One-page Launch & Control Plan (composer)

Pull everything together into a single-page reference document. Copy, print, or save for your records.

One-Page Launch & Control Plan

Pull everything together into a single-page reference. Fill in each section based on your previous work.

Strategy/EA identification; market/symbol/TF

Demo green-light values (PF/DD/Expectancy/Stability/Trades/Discipline)

Pilot plan (risk %, stops, size, duration)

Scaling phases and gates

Review schedule & triggers

Emergency playbook

Infrastructure (VPS/home PC), notifications, backups

15.7. Optional Capstone Project (deliverables)

Apply everything you've learned in a structured mini-project. This is your 'graduation portfolio' for the Automated Trading course.

Optional Capstone Project

Apply everything you've learned in a structured mini-project. Build your graduation portfolio.

Build a complete launch package for one EA

Choose one EA (or EASY Bot)
Backtest with realistic costs → short forward demo (2–4 weeks)
Compile report: PF/DD/Expectancy, monthly stability
Write 'Go/Adjust/Stop' plan with risk limits, protections, infra (VPS/mobile monitoring)

Deliverables:

• 1-page Launch & Control Plan (from Composer)
• Backtest+Demo report (HTML/CSV) with KPI summary
• Launch checklist (Safety)
• Journal of 1–2 weeks (KPIs/alerts/actions)

Available Templates:

This capstone is optional but highly recommended. It consolidates your learning and gives you a concrete reference for future projects.

Lesson 15 Quiz

Test your understanding with 3 questions. Pass with 2/3 correct.