Speed and consistency are crucial when trading for a prop firm. Every time you open a new chart window, you can't afford to lose time navigating across charts or reapplying your favorite indicators. Once you set up MT5's custom templates, you'll question how you managed to survive without them.
So let's go over how to make, modify, and use templates in MetaTrader 5 like a pro step-by-step.
What Is a Template in MT5?
The following applies if you're new to MT5 or haven't worked with templates before: In MetaTrader 5, a template is a chart layout that has been preserved. It keeps things such as:
- Indicators you've applied
- Chart type (candlestick, bar, line)
- Color schemes
- Custom tools or scripts
- Timeframes
- Expert Advisors (EAs) attached to the chart
Therefore, you load your stored template and are immediately set up, rather than creating your chart from beginning each time.
This is obvious, especially for prop traders, for whom time is literally money. Moreover, templates make it simple and hassle-free to maintain compliance if your company has certain rules or wants a consistent chart arrangement.
Why Templates Matter More in a Prop Firm Environment
It's one thing to trade your own account; you have complete control and no one is interfering. However, a prop firm often involves more structure.
Perhaps your company requires clear, understandable charts for performance assessments, or perhaps there are specific risk management overlays that you must keep an eye on. With the use of templates, you may make a layout that meets all of those requirements once and utilize it consistently.
Additionally, you don't want to constantly reapply your indicators, recolor your candlesticks, or move your moving averages while you're moving between assets throughout the day, such as EUR/USD, NASDAQ, and gold. It is consistent thanks to templates.
Briefly? With templates, you can concentrate on strategy and execution rather than setup.
Step 1: Set Up Your Ideal Chart Layout
Choose Your Chart Type
There are different types of charts in MT5:
- Candlestick (most popular)
- Bar chart
- Line chart
Most prop traders stick with candlesticks for the level of detail they provide but go with whatever floats your boat.
To choose your chart type, just right-click on the chart > Properties > Common tab.
Customize Your Colors
This one’s personal. Some folks like light backgrounds; others prefer dark themes. Whatever you choose, make it easy on the eyes—especially if you’re staring at charts for hours.
Go to Charts > Properties (or press F8) to open up the chart customization panel. You can adjust:
- Background and foreground colors
- Grid visibility
- Colors for bullish and bearish candles
- Volume bars
- Ask/Bid line colors
Quick tip: Save a few minutes of eye strain and pick high-contrast colors that highlight movement clearly.
Add Your Favorite Indicators
This is where your trading style comes into play. Are you a trend follower? Throw in some moving averages and maybe MACD. More of a breakout trader? Bollinger Bands or ATR might be your thing.
Drag indicators directly from the Navigator pane or insert them via the top menu: Insert > Indicators.
Take your time here. Adjust settings, colors, and placement until it looks just right.
Throw in Any Scripts or EAs
If you’re using Expert Advisors or custom scripts for order execution, alerts, or automation, add them now too. Most prop traders use EAs to manage trailing stops or execute preset orders fast, so if that’s part of your flow, include it in your template.
Step 2: Save Your Chart as a Template
Here’s how:
- Right-click anywhere on the chart.
- Hover over Templates.
- Click Save Template…
- Give it a name that actually makes sense. Something like PropSetup_MACD or DarkMode_Scalping will save you future confusion.
Your template is now saved as a .tpl file in your MT5 directory. This means you can load it any time, on any chart with just a couple clicks.
Step 3: Load the Template on New Charts
Say you’ve opened up a new chart—maybe you’re switching from EUR/USD to GBP/JPY. That blank and boring default chart pops up. Instead of rebuilding your layout from scratch, just do this:
- Right-click on the chart.
- Hover over Templates.
- Select your saved template.
The entire setup loads instantly—indicators, colors, everything. Now you can get back to analyzing the market instead of wasting time on aesthetics.
You can also set up default templates (more on that below) so your layout loads automatically every time you open a new chart.
Pro Tip: Set a Default Template in MT5
Want every new chart to load with your custom setup automatically?
Here’s a slick trick:
- Save your preferred template as usual.
- Rename the file to default.tpl.
- Drop it in the templates folder (usually found in File > Open Data Folder > Templates).
From now on, every time you open a new chart, it’ll load your default setup automatically.