How to Keep Good Trading Records for Your Expert Advisor: Exporting MT5 History and Reviewing It

Why records matter for an EA

Records answer three questions. Is the EA doing what it did in testing? What does it really cost me to run it? And what do I need to show if someone asks, such as an accountant or a broker? Without records you rely on memory, which favours the last few trades. With records, you can compare months, spot drift and make decisions from facts. They also protect you if there is a dispute with a broker or a seller, as covered in our buying checklist.

Export your account history from MT5

1. 1

   Step 1: Open the History tab

   In the Toolbox window at the bottom, choose the Trade tab and the History tab. History lists closed positions, orders and deals.

2. 2

   Step 2: Set the period

   Right-click in the History tab and choose a period such as last month, last three months or a custom period.

3. 3

   Step 3: Choose what to show

   Positions show each trade with entry, exit, profit, commission and swap. Deals show every execution, including deposits and withdrawals.

4. 4

   Step 4: Save the report

   Right-click and choose Report, then pick HTML or Excel (CSV style) and save it. Use a clear name such as account-12345-2026-10-positions.

5. 5

   Step 5: Save a copy of the statement from the broker

   Your broker's client area provides official statements. Keep these too, because they are the broker's record.

6. 6

   Step 6: Back up the files

   Store copies in two places, such as your computer and a cloud folder.

Menus differ slightly between versions of the terminal. If an item is missing, check the MetaTrader help or ask your broker. MetaQuotes describes the trading history and the report options in its help pages on trading operations.

What to track each month

Put the table in a spreadsheet and add one row per month. After a quarter you will see whether results, drawdown and costs match what you tested. If they do not, the log tells you when the difference began, which helps you find the cause. This is also the data you need for the decisions in what to do when your EA is in drawdown and when to turn off your EA.

A monthly review in ten minutes

1. 1

   Step 1: Export and save the history

   Do it on the same day each month.

2. 2

   Step 2: Update the log

   Fill in the row from the table. Use the account history for exact figures.

3. 3

   Step 3: Compare with the test

   Check drawdown, trade count and average trade against the backtest and forward test.

4. 4

   Step 4: Check costs

   Add spread, commission, swap and software costs and compare with profit.

5. 5

   Step 5: Write one line of conclusion

   For example: within range, no change; or drawdown above plan, reduced lot by half.

A simple folder structure

• A folder per year, with a subfolder per account.
• Inside each: monthly history exports, broker statements and the EA log spreadsheet.
• A separate folder per EA with the manual, the setfile, the version file, the licence and the order confirmation.
• A notes file of changes with dates, so that you can match them with the results.
• Backups in a second place. Test that you can open them.

Records for your accountant

How trading profits and losses, software costs and VPS fees are treated depends on your country, your status and your circumstances, and the rules change. This guide does not give tax or legal advice. What it can do is help you gather the material a professional will usually ask for: the broker statements for the period, the account history export, deposit and withdrawal records, invoices for the EA and for the VPS, and the dates and amounts of any payouts. Ask your adviser in advance what form they want, because it is easier to export it correctly than to rebuild it later.

The wider routine is in the MT5 Expert Advisors guide, and the first 30 days plan shows what to record from the start.

A sample three-month log

The figures below are invented to show how a log reads. They are for a 2,000 euro account running one EA.

Three months of rows already tell a story. August was close to the tested drawdown, so the trader reviewed and kept the plan. In September the deposit is shown separately from profit, so the balance growth is not mistaken for performance. Costs are written down, which shows they were over 80 percent of the profit in July, a figure many traders never see. That is the value of the log: it turns a vague feeling into numbers you can act on.