How to Find and Select
Gold (XAUUSD) on MetaTrader 5

Brokers choose their own symbol naming conventions for several reasons: (1) Regulatory requirements in certain jurisdictions specify how instruments must be labelled; (2) Technical platform limitations — some brokers migrated from MT4 where "GOLD" was common, and retained the name in MT5; (3) Differentiation — using "XAUUSD" signals a professional/institutional orientation, while "GOLD" is more accessible for beginners; (4) Multi-asset brokers that added metals later may use their original commodity naming convention (XAU/USD). The underlying instrument is identical regardless of name — XAUUSD, GOLD, XAU/USD, and XAUUSD.m all represent the same OTC spot gold market.

Three possible reasons: (1) Your broker does not offer XAUUSD — some retail Forex brokers focus only on currency pairs and do not offer metals. Check your broker's instrument list on their website. (2) The symbol has a suffix or prefix — search for just "XAU" rather than "XAUUSD" to catch variants like XAUUSD.m, XAUUSD+, or XAUUSDpro. (3) Your account type may not have metals enabled — some brokers restrict instrument access by account type; contact your broker support to request metals access for your account. If none of these resolve it, you may need to consider switching to a broker that offers gold trading.

MT5 saves workspace configuration automatically when you close the terminal. Your Market Watch contents, open charts, and timeframe settings are saved in the MT5 profile and will be there next time you open the platform. To save a specific layout manually: File → Profiles → Save As → name it (e.g. "XAUUSD M15 Setup"). You can then load this profile any time via File → Profiles → [your profile name]. This is particularly useful if you use multiple MT5 installations or want to have different layouts for different strategies.

After your XAUUSD M15 chart is open: (1) Open the Navigator panel if it's not visible — View → Navigator (or Ctrl+N); (2) Expand the Expert Advisors section in Navigator by clicking the arrow next to it; (3) Find your EA by name; (4) Drag the EA from Navigator onto the XAUUSD chart — a properties window will open; (5) In the properties window, go to the Common tab and ensure "Allow live trading" is checked; (6) Configure parameters in the Inputs tab; (7) Click OK. The EA icon will appear in the top-right corner of the chart with a smiley face if it is running correctly. Make sure the AutoTrading button in the MT5 toolbar is also active (green play button).

Recommended settings for a XAUUSD M15 chart: (1) Chart type: Candlesticks (right-click chart → Properties → Common → Candlesticks); (2) Colors: dark background (Chart background: #0a0a0a or similar, Bull candles: green or #00ff88, Bear candles: red or #ef4444) — dark backgrounds reduce eye strain during long sessions; (3) Grid: off (reduces visual clutter); (4) Volumes: off unless you specifically use them; (5) Scale: right-click on the price axis → Properties → Auto scroll: on, Scale fix: off. Save this as a template (right-click chart → Template → Save Template → "XAUUSD_M15") to apply the same settings to new charts instantly.