How to link FTMO to MT5 and TradingView: server, rules and risk (2026)

How to link FTMO to MT5: login and server

FTMO's MT5 login FAQ (verified 4 October 2026) puts everything in one place: in your Client Area, open Account MetriX and then Credentials. There you have the MT5 login, the password and the server. FTMO's advice is to choose the server from the list in MT5 rather than typing it, and to make sure it is exactly the one in Credentials; a wrong server is the most common reason the login fails.

• Verified server name: FTMO-Demo, which FTMO names as the MT5 server for logins starting with 151 in a trading update.
• Other servers: FTMO does not publish a full list in a page we could verify, so we do not invent one: register in SignalForge exactly the server shown in your Credentials.

FTMO rules that matter for automation (verified 4 October 2026)

• Loss limits (trading objectives): 2-Step Challenge, 5% maximum daily loss and 10% maximum loss; 1-Step Challenge, 3% and 10%, of the initial simulated capital.
• EAs and algorithmic trading (FAQ): not restricted as long as trading is legitimate and does not resemble forbidden practices. A third-party EA may run the same strategy for many traders, and an EA that floods the server can be flagged.
• News (FAQ): only on an FTMO Account of the Standard type, no opening or closing trades (pending orders, SL and TP included) from 2 minutes before to 2 minutes after selected news. It does not apply during the evaluation.
• VPN/VPS (FAQ): generally allowed, but do not change your location to the United States.

Rules change: read FTMO's pages again before you automate a paid account.

Connect TradingView alerts to your FTMO MT5 login

1. Create your SignalForge account (14-day free trial, no card) and copy your webhook URL from the dashboard.
2. Register your FTMO account with the login and the exact server from Credentials.
3. Install the SignalForge EA on that terminal, drag it onto one chart and switch Algo Trading on.
4. Set the position size type to risk in the dashboard and create the TradingView alert with a stop:

{
  "symbol": "XAUUSD",
  "action": "buy",
  "sl": 30,
  "tp": 60
}

Without a lot field the EA sizes the trade with the position size type of your dashboard; sl and tp are in pips by default. Always send a stop when you size by risk.

5. Fire a test alert on an FTMO Free Trial (FTMO-Demo) and confirm the order in MT5.

Risk settings that fit the FTMO limits

• Size by risk, not by lots. 0.5-1% per trade is a common start for a 5% daily cap; on the 1-Step (3% daily) go lower.
• Cap your worst day. 1% per trade with up to three trades open costs ~3% on a full stop-out day: fine against 5%, too much against 3%. Work backwards from your own limit with the drawdown calculator.
• Prop Firm Shield (Trader plan and above) closes positions when your daily loss ($ or %) or profit target is hit and re-arms at 00:00 broker time. It does not cancel pending orders and does not enforce the maximum loss, so FTMO's 10% stays your responsibility.
• News filter (Trader plan and above) pauses alerts 30 or 15 minutes around high-impact ForexFactory news, useful on the Standard FTMO Account.
• Break-even, trailing and a trading schedule per account keep winners from round-tripping into the daily loss.

More on this: FTMO rules for EA trading, passing a prop firm challenge with an EA and the prop firm bridge.

Is there an "FTMO exploit" that actually works?

Every few weeks a forum thread or short video promises an "FTMO exploit". None of them survives verification: news-spike lot abuse, stacked evaluations or copying someone else's funded account break the FTMO terms, and accounts caught doing it are disqualified. What passes challenges is boring: size every position from the daily loss limit, backtest the exact rules before paying for an evaluation, and automate the guardrails. See also why traders fail prop firm challenges.

Common errors with FTMO and TradingView alerts

These are generic MT5 problems that also appear on FTMO accounts; each link goes to a step-by-step fix.

• Invalid account on login. The server does not match Credentials, or you used the investor password. Pick the server from the list and use the trading password.
• Wrong symbol name or suffix. The alert must name a symbol that exists in your terminal. Suffixes are resolved automatically; aliases on our server only cover GOLD to XAUUSD and SILVER to XAGUSD, so if your MT5 lists gold as GOLD, ask support for a per-account alias. Fix: wrong symbol, lot size or account in MT5.
• Different contract size on gold and indices. One lot of XAUUSD or of an index CFD is not the same exposure on every account. Check the contract size in the symbol specification (right-click the symbol, Specification) before you size by lot.
• Webhook received, but no trade. Usually Algo Trading is off, the EA is not on a chart, or the login registered in the dashboard is not the one logged in. Fix: TradingView webhook not executing in MT5.
• Error 4756 when sending the order. MT5 refused the trade request: invalid stops, volume or margin are the usual causes. Fix: MT5 error 4756.
• Nothing executes after a restart. If MT5 or the PC restarted, the terminal must be running again with the EA on a chart. See what happens when MT5 restarts.

FAQ

How do I link my FTMO account to MT5?

Open your FTMO Client Area, go to Account MetriX and then Credentials: you will find the login, the password and the server. In MT5 use File, Login to Trade Account and choose the server from the list so it matches Credentials exactly.

Does FTMO allow EAs and automated trading?

Yes. FTMO says it does not restrict algorithmic trading or EAs as long as trading is legitimate and does not resemble forbidden practices. With a third-party EA, other traders may run the same strategy, and an EA that floods the server can be flagged (verified 4 October 2026).

What are the FTMO daily loss and maximum loss limits?

On FTMO's trading objectives page (verified 4 October 2026): 2-Step Challenge, 5% maximum daily loss and 10% maximum loss; 1-Step Challenge, 3% and 10%, all of the initial simulated capital. Check the page again before you start, as rules change.

Can I trade news with TradingView alerts on FTMO?

During the evaluation, yes. On an FTMO Account of the Standard type you may not open or close trades, including pending orders, SL or TP, from 2 minutes before to 2 minutes after selected news; the Swing type has no such restriction (verified 4 October 2026). The Trader plan news filter can pause alerts around high-impact news.

Can I run my FTMO account on a VPS?

FTMO says VPN and VPS use is generally allowed, but you should not change your location to the United States (verified 4 October 2026). The EA can run on your own PC or on SFCloud, a hosted MT5 for the bridge in the UK and France.

Is there an FTMO exploit that works?

No. Every public exploit, from news-spike lot abuse to stacked evaluations or copying a funded account, breaks the FTMO terms and ends in disqualification. What passes is boring: risk-based sizing from the daily loss limit, backtested rules and automated daily-loss locks.

Related: FTMO rules for EA trading and the rest of our prop firm guides.