INSTRUCTION SECTIONS OVERVIEW:
1. INTRODUCTION TO THE MT5 TO NINJATRADER TRADE COPIER
3.1 Installing and Configuring the MT5 Expert Advisor as a Sender
3.2 Installing and Configuring the NinjaTrader Strategy as a Receiver
3.3 Establishing and Checking the Connection Between Sender and Receiver
4.2 Sender Parameters and Their Description
4.3 Receiver Parameters and Their Description
5.1 Types of Orders Copied and their processing
5.2 Partial Execution and Order Modification
5.3 Order Execution Specifics for MT5 Hedging Accounts (FIFO Logic)
6. SUPPORT AND CONTACT INFORMATION
The MT5 to NinjaTrader Trade Copier is a local trade copying solution that replicates trades from MetaTrader 5 to NinjaTrader 8 in real time. It supports both manual and automated strategies, multi-symbol trading, and adjustable lot scaling. The copier operates on a single machine using an MT5 Expert Advisor (sender) and a NinjaTrader Strategy (receiver), ensuring fast and synchronized execution.
This version of the copier is designed for local operation, meaning both MT5 and NinjaTrader must be running on the same computer. All trade replication takes place locally without the use of external servers.
The MT5 to NinjaTrader Trade Copier operates as an integrated solution that connects MetaTrader 5 with NinjaTrader 8 through two core components:
Copying trades is only possible in one direction: from MetaTrader 5 to NinjaTrader 8. Due to technical limitations of the platforms, simultaneous two-way trade copying is not supported. If you need to copy trades from NinjaTrader to MT5, please visit the NinjaTrader to MT5 Trade Copier product page.
Do not start using this product on a live account. First, thoroughly test all features on a demo account to ensure you fully understand its capabilities and limitations. Only after you are fully confident in its operation should you consider using it on a live account.
To ensure the Trade Copier works correctly, make sure your MT5 terminal is updated to the latest available version before installation.
To start using the MT5 to NinjaTrader Trade Copier, you will need a licensed email address. A 5-day free trial is available — you can test the copier before committing to a paid subscription. If you don’t cancel within 5 days, the monthly subscription will start automatically.
To subscribe, click the “Get Access” button on the product page, then select “Subscribe” in the window that appears. After completing the payment, return to the product page, click “Get Access” again, and in the “Subscriber Access” section, enter the email address you used during the subscription process. Then click “Submit” and “Download” — a zip file containing all the necessary components will automatically be downloaded to your device.
You may cancel your subscription at any time through your PayPal account. To avoid unintended charges, please remember to cancel if you no longer require the service.
Currently, all of our products are available under a single subscription. In addition to the MT5 to NinjaTrader Trade Copier, you will also gain access to all our indicators and other trade copiers.
The ZIP file downloaded from the product page contains two components: the .ex5 file named “Nordman_MT5NT8_Sender_EA” (Sender) for installation in MetaTrader 5, and the ZIP archive “NordmanMT5NT8Receiver” (Receiver) for installation in the NinjaTrader 8 platform
Step 1: Import the “Nordman_MT5NT8_Sender_EA.ex5” file (Expert Advisor) into MetaTrader 5
1. Extract the file “Nordman_MT5NT8_Sender_EA.ex5” from the general ZIP archive “Nordman_MT5_to_ NT8_Trade_Copier“.
2. Open or launch your MetaTrader 5 terminal.
3. Go to the designated folder in the MetaTrader 5 terminal for placing Expert Advisors. To do this, click “File” in the terminal’s main menu and then select “Open Data Folder”.
4. In the folder that opens, go to the MQL5 folder, then open the Experts folder. Paste the “Nordman_MT5NT8_Sender_EA.ex5” file into the Experts folder.
Step 2: Verify File Import
1. Open the Navigator window. If the Navigator panel is not visible, go to the “View” menu and enable “Navigator”, or press the Ctrl + N keyboard shortcut.
2. In the Navigator window, select the “Expert Advisors” section, right-click it, and then click “Refresh”.
3. Confirm that the “Nordman_MT5NT8_Sender_EA” appears in the updated Navigator window. This confirms successful import into the terminal.
Step 3: Terminal Setup
Before running the EA (“Nordman_MT5NT8_Sender_EA”), ensure that the terminal settings are configured correctly:
1. Open the Options window: Click “Tools” in the top navigation menu and select “Options”.
2. Go to the “Expert Advisors” tab and check the following settings (refer to the provided screenshot for confirmation):
3. Ensure the Algo Trading function is enabled in the MetaTrader 5 control panel:
After verifying the general “Expert Advisors” settings, check whether the Algo Trading function is enabled on the MetaTrader 5 toolbar. This button must be activated for the EA to execute trades automatically. When enabled, the button displays a green play icon.
Step 4: Install the Expert Advisor on the Chart and Configure It
1. Open the Navigator window. If the Navigator panel is not visible, go to the “View” menu and enable “Navigator”, or press the Ctrl + N keyboard shortcut.
2. In the “Expert Advisors” section, locate “Nordman_MT5NT8_Sender_EA”. Drag it onto the chart using your mouse, or right-click it and select “Attach to a Chart”.
3. In the EA settings window, go to the “Common” tab and make sure that “Allow Algo Trading” is enabled. Then, in the “Dependencies” tab, ensure that “Allow DLL imports” is enabled as well.
4. Navigate to the “Inputs” tab: Configure the EA according to the instructions in paragraph 4.2, “Sender Parameters and Their Description”.
Step 1: Import the “NordmanMT5NT8Receiver” zip file into NinjaTrader trading terminal
1. Open your NinjaTrader trading terminal. In the “Control Center” window, click the “Tools” menu, then select “Import” and choose “NinjaScript Add-On”.
2. When prompted to select a file with the *.zip extension, specify the folder where you saved the downloaded zip file. Select the file “NordmanMT5NT8Receiver” (do not unpack/extract the zip file) and click “Open” to begin the installation process.
3. Verify that the import was successful. Once the add-on is imported, NinjaTrader will display the message: “NinjaTrader successfully imported all scripts contained in the NinjaScript Archive File.”
Step 2: Attach the Receiver (NinjaTrader Strategy) to the Chart
1. Right-click on the chart area in NinjaTrader and select “Strategies” from the menu.
2. In the “Strategies” window, locate the installed Strategy, click on it, and press “Add”.
Now you can begin setting up the Strategy.
Step 3: Configure the Strategy Parameters
Refer to paragraph 4.3, “Receiver Parameters and Their Description”, to configure the Strategy settings as needed.
After configuring all the necessary parameters, make sure to enable the “Enable” option in the Strategy settings under the “Setup” section.
You can also enable this option in the “Control Center” by navigating to the bottom “Strategies” tab.
To establish a proper connection, it is important to follow the correct order when setting up the Sender and Receiver. The Sender must always be installed first.
1. Setting Up the Sender:
2. Setting Up the Receiver:
After installing the Sender and Receiver on their respective charts, ensure that the connection between them has been successfully established. Both components include connection indicators to confirm this. If everything is configured correctly, the indicators will display the status “Connected”.
If all connection indicators show the status “Connected”, the Trade Copier is fully operational, and you can begin copying trades.
If any connection indicators display “Disconnected”, the most common reasons for this status are:
Please verify that the “Sender ID” is correctly specified for the symbols being copied.
If you are confident that the issue is not caused by these factors, refer to Section 6: “Support and Contact Information” for important details before reaching out to technical support.
The Sender is an Expert Advisor for MetaTrader 5 designed to record entry and exit events for positions executed on a specified symbol. It tracks all actions on the chart where it is installed and transmits the corresponding data in real time to the Receiver through a dedicated local connection.
The Receiver, implemented as a NinjaTrader Strategy, processes and executes the orders sent by the Sender. Using the “Sender ID” parameter as an identifier, it links signals from the Sender to the correct Receiver instance. All positions are then copied directly from the Sender to the chart where the NinjaTrader Strategy is applied.
If you are using automated trading with an EA, you must open two charts for the symbol you intend to copy. Attach the Sender EA to one chart and your trading EA to the other, as MetaTrader 5 does not allow two EAs to run on the same chart. However, if you are placing orders manually, this step is unnecessary—you can trade directly from the chart where the Sender EA is attached.
The Sender tracks only the orders placed on the symbol to which it is attached. For example, if the Sender EA is placed on AUDCAD, it will not track or copy orders from EURUSD.
If multiple charts are open for the AUDCAD symbol and the Sender EA is attached to one of them, it will track executions across all AUDCAD charts. To copy trades for multiple symbols, you must use separate Sender EAs with unique Sender ID parameters for each symbol.
Example:
| Symbol to be Copied |
Trade Copier Connection Channel |
“Sender ID” in the Sender (MT5 Expert Advisor) |
“Sender ID” in the Receiver (NinjaTrader Strategy) |
|---|---|---|---|
| EURUSD | Sender #1 ➜ Receiver #1 | MyWordMyNumbers | MyWordMyNumbers |
| GBPUSD | Sender #2 ➜ Receiver #2 | Nordman001 | Nordman001 |
Important:
• Monitor the charts where the Sender and Receiver are placed. Changing the symbol on either chart may cause trades to be copied to an unintended instrument.
• For example, if you are browsing charts and accidentally change the symbol on the Receiver chart, the Sender will still send orders, but the Receiver will execute them on the newly selected symbol.
• Note that orders are copied based on the Sender ID, not the symbol. For instance, if the Sender is attached to a GBPUSD chart and the Receiver chart is set to GOLD instead of GBPUSD, then opening 1 lot of GBPUSD in the Sender will cause the Receiver to open 1 lot of GOLD.
#License Email
Field for entering the license email address. Enter the email address used during the subscription process. Specifying an email address is mandatory for the proper operation of the Trade Copier — without it, the Trade Copier will not function. For more information about the license email, refer to paragraph 2 “PRODUCT LICENSE”.
#Sender ID
The Sender ID parameter serves as an identifier within the system. The server uses this value to establish a connection between the Sender and the Receiver. Only one Sender with a given ID can be active at any time. If you attempt to connect multiple Senders with the same Sender ID, a warning message will appear. Avoid using special characters when configuring your Sender ID — use only letters and numbers.
#Magic Number
The Magic Number parameter allows you to specify the types of trades that will be copied:
| Magic Number Value | Description |
|---|---|
| Magic Number = -1 | The EA will capture all market trades on the EA’s instrument. |
| Magic Number = 0 | The EA will capture only manually opened market trades. |
| Magic Number > 0 | The EA will capture market trades with this specific magic number only. |
Ensure your Magic Number settings are configured correctly to achieve the desired trade-catching behavior.
#Enable Connection Loss Alert
Enables an alert that notifies you when the Sender loses connection with the Receiver. If activated, the system will display a warning whenever the connection is interrupted, helping you react promptly to any disruption in trade copying.
#License Email
Field for entering the license email address. Enter the email address used during subscription. Providing a valid email address is mandatory for the proper operation of the Trade Copier — without it, the Trade Copier will not function. For more detailed information about the license email, refer to paragraph 2 “PRODUCT LICENSE”.
#Sender ID
The Sender ID parameter serves as a unique identifier for connecting to the Sender. To establish a proper connection between the Sender and Receiver, you must enter the same value that is set on the MetaTrader 5 Sender side.
#Lot Multiplier
This parameter adjusts the lot size of trades copied to the Receiver. The lot size of the original trade is multiplied by this value before being executed on the Receiver side.
Formula: MT5 lot size × Lot Multiplier
Using this parameter is important when the lot specifications for the same asset differ between brokers. For example, suppose you are trading the asset ABC. At the sending broker, 1 lot of ABC equals 10 units, while at the receiving broker, 1 lot equals 1 unit. To ensure that the equivalent position size is copied correctly, you must set Lot Multiplier = 10.
Conversely, if 1 lot of ABC equals 1 unit at the sending broker and 10 units at the receiving broker, you must set Lot Multiplier = 0.1.
This ensures that your position size remains consistent across platforms.
#Debug Log
Logs all trading events in the related log file.
| Market Orders | Pending (Limit) Orders |
|---|---|
| Market orders are copied immediately. Typically, the copying speed is under one second, although the speed and quality of your internet connection may affect this. | Pending orders are not copied at the moment they are placed. Instead, they are copied to the Receiver only when the order is triggered (executed). Why Are Pending (Limit) Orders Not Copied Immediately? Because Bid/Ask prices may differ across platforms and brokers, a situation may occur where a limit order is triggered on one side but not on the other. This can lead to desynchronized positions, which is why pending orders are copied only when they are actually executed. |
Partial Execution: Orders are processed according to the market execution principle.
Order Modification: Orders are not copied at the moment they are placed or modified. Instead, they are copied to the Receiver only when they are actually executed, in accordance with the market execution principle.
If your MetaTrader 5 account is configured as a hedging account type, the Trade Copier applies a FIFO (First In, First Out) execution rule. This is necessary because NinjaTrader 8 operates exclusively on a netting model, where all positions are combined into a single net position.
In hedging mode, MT5 allows multiple independent positions on the same symbol, while NinjaTrader does not. Therefore, in order to maintain synchronization between platforms, the Trade Copier processes incoming trade signals using FIFO logic.
If your MT5 account uses the netting account type, no additional processing is required—both MT5 and NinjaTrader operate under the same netting model, allowing for straightforward one-to-one synchronization.
When multiple trades are open in MT5 and a reverse signal arrives (e.g., a Sell signal while long positions are open), the Receiver processes the trades in the order they were opened—oldest first.
This ensures that the resulting net position on NinjaTrader accurately reflects the intended position on MT5.
Assume the following long positions currently exist on the Receiver side:
If the Sender issues a Short signal for 5.0 lots, the Receiver will process it as follows:
This ensures that the final net position on NinjaTrader matches the intent of the executed trade on the MT5 hedging account.
We have prepared detailed instructions for you and hope they will address most of your questions and issues. If you have any further inquiries or encounter any technical problems, please contact us using the form on the Contact Us page.
Troubleshooting
The Sender (MT5 Expert Advisor) and Receiver (NinjaTrader Strategy) generate detailed activity records in their logs. These logs are essential for diagnosing and resolving any issues. If you encounter an error, please send us the relevant log files along with a screenshot of the chart to help us troubleshoot your support request.
How to Access Logs in Terminals
| MetaTrader 5 | NinjaTrader 8 |
|---|---|
| Logs can be viewed in the Experts tab of the Terminal panel. To save the log files, right-click in the Expert Advisor log, select Open from the pop-up menu, and save the files. | Logs can be viewed in the Log tab of the Control Center’s bottom panel. To save the log files, right-click on the logs, select Export from the pop-up menu, and save them to your preferred folder. Log File Locations The related log files can also be found in the following folders: C:Users{YourUserName}DocumentsNinjaTrader 8_LogCustNordmanMT5NT8Receiver C:Users{YourUserName}DocumentsNinjaTrader 8log |
We are committed to the ongoing improvement of our MT5 to NinjaTrader Trade Copier.
If you encounter an issue, feel that an important feature is missing, or have suggestions that could make the copier more efficient or user-friendly, please send us a message.
Your feedback helps us refine the tool and better meet the needs of traders who rely on it every day.
