Journaling and Logging in MetaTrader 5
Read platform logs, decode common errors, track your trade history, export reports, and build a simple review routine to improve faster.
- Locate and use Journal and Experts tabs in Toolbox
- Interpret common errors and message codes and know what actions to take
- Navigate the History tab, periods, and report views
- Export trade history (HTML/CSV) and perform a basic trade analysis
1. Journal vs Experts: where and what
MT5 logs platform events and EA messages in two separate tabs.
Toolbox → Journal tab:
Platform-level messages, connections, orders, errors, system info.
Toolbox → Experts tab:
Messages from Expert Advisors/Scripts (if used), including custom logs and trade operation results.
How to read:
- Each line shows time (server time), source, and message text. Severity may be highlighted.
- Use the search field to filter by symbol, "error", "order", or ticket number.
- Right-click to open log files folder or clear the view (varies by build).
What you'll find:
Journal: Connection states (connected, no connection), trade requests and fills, "modify order", "position closed", "market closed", etc.
Experts: EA initialization/deinitialization, parameter prints, trade result codes.
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Toolbox Journal tab
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Toolbox Experts tab
2. Reading errors and message codes
Understanding common errors helps you react quickly and fix issues.
"Invalid stops" or "SL/TP too close"
Meaning: Your Stop-Loss/Take-Profit is inside the symbol's Stop level.
Fix: Place SL/TP further from current price; see Stop level in Specifications (Lesson 4).
"Not enough money"
Meaning: Margin requirement exceeds free margin.
Fix: Reduce lot size, increase leverage responsibly, or add funds; check margin calculation (Lesson 4).
"Market closed" or "Trading disabled"
Meaning: Symbol outside trading hours or disabled by broker.
Fix: Check Trading hours in Specifications; try again during sessions.
"Off quotes" / "Price changed" / "Requote"
Meaning: Requested price unavailable (volatility, Instant/Request execution).
Fix: Use Market execution, increase allowed deviation, or retry.
"Trade context busy"
Meaning: Previous trade operation still processing.
Fix: Wait a moment and retry; avoid rapid repeated commands.
Numeric/retcodes (typical MT5 trade results):
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| TRADE_RETCODE_DONE/PLACED | Success (order placed or executed). |
| TRADE_RETCODE_INVALID_STOPS | SL/TP distances invalid. |
| TRADE_RETCODE_NOT_ENOUGH_MONEY | Insufficient margin. |
| TRADE_RETCODE_MARKET_CLOSED | Session closed. |
| TRADE_RETCODE_PRICE_OFF | Price changed/off quotes. |
| TRADE_RETCODE_TRADE_DISABLED | Trading disabled for symbol/account. |
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Common error messages
3. Trade History and reports
Track all your trades and analyze performance in the History tab.
Where:
Toolbox → History tab.
Periods:
Right-click → All History, Last 3 Months, Last Month, Today, or Custom period to specify dates.
Views:
Right-click in History to switch between Deals, Orders, Positions (available modes vary by build); use what matches your review style.
Details:
Double-click an entry (or use context menu → Details) to see order/deal info: volume, price, SL/TP, commission, swap, comment, magic (for EA), and timestamps.
Columns:
Customize visible columns (ticket, symbol, type, lots, price, SL, TP, commission, swap, profit). Use comments to tag strategies or reasons for entries.
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History tab with custom period
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Deal/order details
4. Exporting history and basic analysis
Export your trade data for deeper analysis in spreadsheets.
Export:
- Right-click History → Save as Report (HTML). Many builds also support Export to Excel/CSV; otherwise copy rows (Ctrl+C) and paste into a spreadsheet.
- Saved reports include summary metrics (total trades, profit factor, expected payoff, drawdown), depending on build/version.
Quick analysis workflow:
In a spreadsheet, compute:
Win rate: winning trades / total trades
Average win and average loss: sum of wins / count, sum of losses / count
Risk:Reward: average win / average loss
Expectancy: (win rate × avg win) − ((1 − win rate) × avg loss)
Max consecutive losses: count longest losing streak
Group by symbol, session hour, day of week, or strategy tag (from Comments) to find edges and mistakes.
Archiving:
Save monthly reports and keep a changelog of settings or system tweaks (reference Lesson 6 system template).
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Save as Report menu
5. Best-practice workflow for logging and review
Build a consistent routine to improve your trading over time.
- Check Journal for connection or execution errors.
- Add clear comments on each trade entry about setup/reason and system name.
- Export History for the week; update your spreadsheet.
- Review key metrics (win rate, R:R, expectancy) and 3 annotated trades (best, worst, typical).
- Adjust your checklist for next week (Lesson 5 risk controls, Lesson 6 system rules).
- Save a monthly HTML report and back it up.
- Note system changes in a simple changelog.
Your progress is saved locally — no signup required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Knowledge Check
Lesson 7 Quiz
Test your understanding with 5 questions. Pass with 4/5 correct.
Resources
What's Next?
You've mastered MT5's logging system: Journal and Experts tabs, error codes, trade history, exports, and a review routine. In Lesson 8, we'll cover Expert Advisors: installation and permissions.