What Happens to My EA
If My Broker Goes Down?

Open trades are held on the broker's server, not on your VPS or local machine. When the VPS loses connection, the EA stops managing those trades — it cannot move the stop loss, close the position, or open new orders. However, any stop loss or take profit orders already placed at the broker server level will continue to be monitored and executed by the broker. This is why having hard stop losses on every trade is essential — they protect the position even when your EA is unreachable.

A broker server outage means the broker's MT5 trading server is offline — no one can trade, your open trades are in limbo until the server comes back. An MT5 connection drop means your client (VPS or PC) lost connectivity to the broker server, but the server itself is fine. In the second case, your trades are safe on the server, stops are being monitored, and the EA will resume managing them once the connection is restored. The first case is more serious — during server downtime, stop orders are typically queued but may not execute at the exact level if the market moves significantly while the server is offline.

This depends heavily on the broker's regulatory status and jurisdiction. FCA-regulated brokers in the UK must hold client funds in segregated accounts, separate from company funds, and clients may be eligible for up to £85,000 compensation through the FSCS. ASIC-regulated Australian brokers require segregated accounts but the compensation scheme is more limited. CySEC (Cyprus) brokers offer €20,000 ICF protection per client. Brokers in less regulated jurisdictions (offshore) may have no formal compensation scheme. This makes regulatory tier the single most important factor in choosing a broker.

Yes — and this is a recommended risk management approach. Running the same EA on accounts at two different regulated brokers simultaneously diversifies counterparty risk. If one broker goes down, the other continues running. If one broker restricts your EA, the other provides continuity. The main consideration is capital allocation — you will need sufficient margin on each broker to sustain both EAs running at full size. Some traders run one broker as primary and one as backup with lower position sizes.

First: check if it is your connection or the broker server (visit the broker's status page or check MT5 community forums for reports). Second: if the server is confirmed down, do not panic about open positions — your stops are still active at the broker level. Third: contact broker support via their emergency line or live chat to report open positions and request status. Fourth: if you cannot reach the broker and the outage exceeds 30 minutes with significant market movement, consider whether another broker account allows you to open a hedging position in the opposite direction as a temporary risk management measure.