INSTRUCTION SECTIONS OVERVIEW:
1. INTRODUCTION TO MT4 TO NINJATRADER TRADE COPIER
3. TRIAL AVAILABILITY AND REFUND POLICY
4.1 Installing and Configuring the MT4 Expert Advisor as a Sender
4.2 Installing and Configuring the NinjaTrader Strategy as a Receiver
4.3 Establishing and Checking the Connection Between Sender and Receiver
5. FUNCTIONAL FEATURES AND SETTINGS OF SENDER (METATRADER 4 EXPERT ADVISOR) AND RECEIVER (NINJATRADER STRATEGY)
5.2 Sender Parameters and Their Description
5.3 Receiver Parameters and Their Description
6.1 Types of Orders Copied and their processing
6.2 Partial Execution and Modification of Orders
6.3 Order Execution Method – FIFO
7. SUPPORT AND CONTACT INFORMATION
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
The MT4 to NinjaTrader Trade Copier is a dedicated solution for copying trades from MetaTrader 4 (MT4) to NinjaTrader. Acting as a bridge between the two platforms, the Trade Copier enables traders to execute trades on MetaTrader 4 and automatically copy them to NinjaTrader 8 in real time. Trade Copier duplicates both manual and automated trades.
This version of the product copies trades locally on a single computer (both the MT4 and NinjaTrader platforms must be running on the same PC).
The MT4 to NinjaTrader Trade Copier works using two key components:
Copying trades is only possible in one direction: from MetaTrader 4 to NinjaTrader 8. Due to technical limitations of the platforms, simultaneous two-way trade copying is not supported.
Please note!
Our Trade Copier is currently in beta testing, and we invite you to help improve it by providing your valuable feedback. Your suggestions and reports of any bugs you encounter are crucial to enhancing our product. Thank you for your support in helping us deliver the best possible version! Contact Us
Warning!
Do not begin using this product by trading directly on a real account. First, thoroughly test its features on a demo account to ensure you fully understand its capabilities and limitations. Only once you are confident in its operation should you consider trading on a real account.
To start using the MT4 to NinjaTrader Trade Copier, you will need a licensed email address.
To obtain this, subscribe by clicking the “DOWNLOAD” button on the product page, then click “SUBSCRIBE” in the window that appears.
After paying for the subscription, return to the product page, click “DOWNLOAD” again, and in the “Subscriber Access” section of the window, enter the email you provided when subscribing. Then, click “SUBMIT” and “DOWNLOAD”, and a zip file with all necessary files for using the product will automatically download to your device.
The product is available on a monthly subscription basis, which renews automatically each month. You may cancel your subscription at any time if you decide to stop using the product. To avoid unintended charges, please remember to cancel your subscription if you no longer need the service.
Currently, all of our products are available under a single subscription. This means that, in addition to the MT4 to NinjaTrader Trade Copier, you will also have access to our NinjaTrader and MT4 indicators.
We do not offer a trial period, but you may request a refund within 7 days if the product does not meet your expectations and needs. We guarantee a hassle-free, dispute-free refund process.
The downloaded ZIP file from the product page contains two files: the .ex4 file named “Nordman_MT4NT8_Sender_EA” (Sender), for installation in MetaTrader 4, and the ZIP archive “NordmanMT4NT8Receiver” (Receiver), for installation in the NinjaTrader 8 terminal.
Step 1: Import the “Nordman_MT4NT8_Sender_EA.ex4” file (Expert Advisor) into MetaTrader 4
1. Extract the file “Nordman_MT4NT8_Sender_EA.ex4” from the general ZIP archive "Nordman_MT4_to_ NT8_Trade_Copier".
2. Open or launch your MetaTrader 4 terminal.
3. Go to the designated folder in the MetaTrader 4 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 MQL4 folder, then open the Experts folder. Paste the “Nordman_MT4NT8_Sender_EA.ex4” file into the Experts folder.
Step 2: Verify File Import
1. Open the Navigator window: If the Navigator window is not visible, click the Navigator icon in the main menu or press Ctrl + N.
2. In the Navigator window, select the “Expert Advisors” section, right-click it, and then click “Refresh”.
3. Confirm that the “Nordman_MT4NT8_Sender_EA” appears in the updated Navigator window. This confirms successful import into the terminal.
Step 3: Terminal Setup
Before running the EA (“Nordman_MT4NT8_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 AutoTrading function is enabled in the MetaTrader 4 control panel:
After verifying the general settings of “Expert Advisors”, check if the AutoTrading function is enabled on the control panel of the MetaTrader 4 terminal. For the EA to automatically execute trades, you must click this button. When enabled, the button will display a green play icon.
Step 4: Install the Expert Advisor on the Chart and Configure It
1. Open the Navigator window. If the Navigator window is not visible, click the Navigator icon in the main menu or press Ctrl + N.
2. In the “Expert Advisors” section, locate “Nordman_MT4NT8_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 ensure the following permissions are enabled:
4. Navigate to the “Inputs” tab: Configure the EA according to the instructions in paragraph 5.2, “Sender Parameters and Their Description”.
Step 1: Import the “NordmanMT4NT8Receiver” 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 “NordmanMT4NT8Receiver” (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 5.3, “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 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 the charts, ensure that the connection between them is successfully established. Both the Sender and Receiver include connection indicators to confirm this. If everything is set up correctly, and the connection is established, 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 7: “Support and Contact Information” for important details before reaching out to technical support.
The Sender is an Expert Advisor for MetaTrader 4, 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 via a specially established local connection.
The Receiver, implemented as a NinjaTrader Strategy, processes and executes the orders sent by the Sender. Using the “Sender ID” parameter as a identifier, it links signals from the Sender to the appropriate 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 need to open two charts for the symbol you want to copy. Attach the Sender EA to one chart and your trading EA to the other, as MetaTrader 4 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 EA is placed.
The Sender only tracks 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 on 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 (MT4 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 can cause trades to be copied to the wrong symbol.
• For example, if you are viewing charts and accidentally change a symbol on the Receiver chart, the Sender will send an order to the Receiver for the changed symbol.
• It should be noted that orders are copied based on the Sender ID, not the symbols. For example, if the GBPUSD symbol is selected in the Sender on the chart and the GOLD symbol is set in the Receiver instead of GBPUSD, then opening 1 lot of GBPUSD in the Sender will result in the Receiver opening 1 lot of GOLD.
#License Email
Field for entering the license email address. Enter the email address used to subscribe. Specifying an email address is mandatory for the proper operation of the Trade Copier. Without email, 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 an identifier within the system. The server uses this value to establish the connection between the Sender and the Receiver. Only one Sender with a given ID can be active at a time. If you attempt to connect multiple Senders with the same Sender ID, a warning message will appear. Avoid using special characters when setting up 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.
#License_Email
Field for entering the license email address. Enter the email address used to subscribe. Specifying an email address is mandatory for the proper operation of the Trade Copier. Without email, 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 to connect to the Sender. To establish a connection between the Sender and Receiver, you must specify the same value set on the MetaTrader 4 Sender side.
#Lot Multiplier
This parameter adjusts the lot size of trades copied to the Receiver side. The lot size of the original trade will be multiplied by this value before being executed on the Receiver.
Formula: MT4 lot size * Lot Multiplier.
Using this parameter is essential 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 lot size is copied correctly to the Receiving side, you need to 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 need to 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 order copying speed is less than 1 second, although the speed and quality of your internet connection can affect this timing. | Pending orders are not copied at the time they are placed. Instead, they are copied to the Receiver side only when the order is triggered (executed). Why Are Pending (Limit) Orders Not Copied Immediately? Since current Bid/Ask prices may differ across platforms and brokers, a situation may arise when copying limit orders where the price touches and executes the order on one side but not on the other, resulting in desynchronized positions. |
Partial Execution: Orders are processed according to the market execution principle.
Order Modification: Orders are not copied at the time they are placed. Instead, they are only copied to the Receiver’s side when they are executed, following the principle of actual market execution.
Since the NinjaTrader 8 platform operates on a netting system and most MetaTrader 4 terminals operate on a hedging system, it is impossible to establish a one-to-one correspondence between trades. Therefore, when opening and closing trades, the MT4 to NinjaTrader Trade Copier uses the FIFO (First In, First Out) rule system.
Example:
If several trades were opened in the Long direction on the Receiver side, then upon receiving a Sell signal from the Sender, the Receiver's Strategy will close the previously opened Long trades and open the required number of short positions.
For instance, if the following trades exist on the Receiver side:
And the Sender issues a signal for a Short position of 5.0 lots, the Receiver's Strategy will immediately close trades #1, #2, and #3 and open a Short position of 1.0 lot.
We have prepared detailed instructions for you and hope they will resolve most of your issues and answer your questions. If you have any further inquiries or encounter technical problems, please contact us using the form on the Contact Us page.
Troubleshooting
The Sender (MT4 Expert Advisor) and Receiver (NinjaTrader Strategy) generate detailed activity records in the 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 assist in troubleshooting your support request.
How to Access Logs in Terminals
| MetaTrader 4 | 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}\Documents\NinjaTrader 8\_LogCust\NordmanMT4NT8Receiver C:\Users\{YourUserName}\Documents\NinjaTrader 8\log |
Quick answers to common questions about the MT4 to NinjaTrader Trade Copier
Q: How fast does the Trade Copier copy trades?
A: Trade copying occurs at a speed of less than 0.1 seconds.
Q: What happens if there are connection issues between platforms? Will trades be lost?
A: The Trade Copier does not retain information about open or closed trades. It simply sends a command to copy a trade and does not track it afterward. If trades are executed while the copier is offline or disconnected, they will not be synchronized or copied.
Q: Does the Trade Copier copy pending (limit) orders from MT4 to NinjaTrader?
A: Pending (limit) orders are not copied at the time they are placed but are copied when they are executed. This is because Bid/Ask prices can differ between platforms, potentially causing a situation where an order is executed on one platform but not on the other, leading to desynchronization of positions. For further details, please refer to Instruction Point 6.1 Types of Orders Copied and their processing.
Q: Is it possible to copy trades from one MT4 account to several NinjaTrader accounts? Are there any special requirements?
A: The current standard version of the MT4 to NinjaTrader Trade Copier does not support this feature. However, we can develop a custom version of the Trade Copier tailored to your specific needs, including the ability to copy trades to multiple NinjaTrader accounts. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.
Q: NinjaTrader uses a netting account type, while MetaTrader 4 uses a hedging account type. How will trades be copied in this case?
A: Due to differences in account systems—NinjaTrader 8 operates on a netting system, and most MT4 platforms use a hedging system—the MT4 to NinjaTrader Trade Copier applies the FIFO (First In, First Out) rule to manage trade execution. For further details, please refer to Instruction Point 6.3: Order Execution Method – FIFO.
Q: How do I trade the same lot size on the Sender and Receiver side?
A: Use the Lot Multiplier parameter to align lot sizes. This parameter adjusts the copied trade's lot size by multiplying the original trade's lot size by the specified value.This ensures consistent position sizing across platforms, even when brokers have different lot specifications.
