EA Setup Guide

Connect AlgoLens in 60 seconds

Install our lightweight expert advisor on your MT4 or MT5 terminal and start seeing your portfolio data immediately.

1
⏱ 10 seconds

Create your AlgoLens account

If you haven't already, sign up for a free trial. No credit card required.

You'll get immediate access to a personal connection key. Keep it handy, you'll need it in step 4.

Create account →
2
⏱ 15 seconds

Download the AlgoLens EA

From your account dashboard, download the AlgoLens expert advisor file.

  • For MT5: file is AlgoLens.ex5
  • For MT4: file is AlgoLens.ex4
Why an EA? An expert advisor is the cleanest way to read your trade history without ever touching your broker login credentials. The AlgoLens EA is read-only and never places trades.
3
⏱ 20 seconds

Install the EA in your terminal

Open MetaTrader 5 and follow these steps:

  • Click File → Open Data Folder
  • Navigate to MQL5 → Experts
  • Copy the AlgoLens.ex5 file into this folder
  • Back in MT5, right-click Expert Advisors in the Navigator panel and click Refresh

You should now see AlgoLens in your Expert Advisors list.

4
⏱ 10 seconds

Allow AlgoLens in MT5 settings

MetaTrader blocks external connections by default. You need to allow our domain so the EA can sync your trades.

  • In MT5, click Tools → Options
  • Open the Expert Advisors tab
  • Check Allow WebRequest for listed URL
  • Click Add and paste: https://algolens.ai
  • Click OK to save
Why this step matters: Without this, MT5 silently blocks the EA from sending data and you'll see no trades in your dashboard. This is a one-time setup per terminal.
5
⏱ 15 seconds

Attach the EA to a chart

Open any chart (any symbol works, the EA reads all your trades regardless).

  • Drag the AlgoLens EA from the Navigator onto the chart
  • In the popup, go to the Inputs tab
  • Paste your connection key from the dashboard
  • Click OK
Important: Make sure AutoTrading is enabled in your MT5 toolbar. The EA needs this to run, even though it doesn't place trades.
✓
✓ Done

You're connected

Open your AlgoLens dashboard. Within a minute, your trades will start syncing.

The EA will run in the background, sending only trade data (open/close times, prices, volumes, profit/loss). It uses minimal CPU and won't affect your other EAs.

You can attach AlgoLens to multiple terminals using the same connection key. All trades from all accounts will appear in your dashboard.

✓

Setup complete

You should see your trades populating the dashboard within 1-2 minutes. If anything seems off, our support team responds quickly.

Go to dashboard →

Setup FAQ

Common questions during installation

Yes, the EA needs your MT5 terminal to be running for trades to sync in real time. Most EA traders already use a VPS for this reason. If you only run MT5 on your personal computer, trades will sync whenever the platform is open.
No. AlgoLens reads trade data and never places, modifies, or closes trades. It uses minimal CPU and runs as a passive observer.
Install the EA on each terminal, using the same connection key. AlgoLens will recognize each account separately and let you analyze them individually or as a combined portfolio.
Yes. AlgoLens works with any broker that supports MT4 or MT5. The EA only reads data from your terminal, so broker compatibility is not an issue.
Both. When you first connect, the EA will sync your full trade history available in the terminal. After that, new trades sync as they close.
First, check that you've added https://algolens.ai to the allowed URLs (Tools → Options → Expert Advisors → Allow WebRequest for listed URL). This is the most common cause. Also confirm AutoTrading is enabled (toolbar button green) and the connection key is correct. If problems persist, contact support@algolens.ai.
MetaTrader blocks expert advisors from making external connections by default as a security measure. By adding https://algolens.ai to the allowed URLs list, you're explicitly granting our EA permission to send your trade data to your AlgoLens dashboard. This setting is per terminal, so you'll need to do it on each MT5 instance where you install the EA.