Price alerts in MT5 — how to set correctly

Jarosław Wasiński · Published: · 4 min read
Risk warning · YMYL This article is for educational purposes only and is not investment advice. Trading on the Forex market involves a high risk of capital loss — ESMA reports 74–89% of retail accounts lose money.

Trader sits in front of monitor 8h daily waiting for 1.0900 price. "Maybe I already missed". Meanwhile a price alert would do that work — phone would buzz when price touched level. Here\'s how to set MT5 alerts and use time wisely.

3 MT5 alert types

MT5 alert types
Price level alertPrice touches specific level (1.0900)
Indicator alertIndicator hits condition (RSI > 70)
News alertMacro event publishes

Plus: time-based alerts (e.g. "at 14:30 CET check NFP"), bid/ask spread alerts (when spread widens beyond X).

Price level alert setup (step by step)

  1. View → Toolbox → Alerts (or Ctrl+T)
  2. Right-click → Create
  3. Symbol: EUR/USD
  4. Condition: Bid > (or <)
  5. Value: 1.0900
  6. Action: Sound + Email + Push notification
  7. Expiration: how long active
  8. OK

Push notifications on phone

For mobile alerts:

  1. Download MT5 mobile app (Android/iOS)
  2. Login to your account
  3. Settings → MetaQuotes ID — copy
  4. In desktop MT5: Tools → Options → Notifications
  5. Enter MetaQuotes ID
  6. Tick "Enable Push Notifications"
  7. Test (Test button)

Now every alert has "Push" option — reaches phone in 1-3 seconds.

Indicator alerts

Alert when indicator hits condition. Example: RSI(14) > 70 on D1 EUR/USD = overbought. Setup:

  1. Insert → Indicators → RSI
  2. Apply to chart
  3. Right-click on RSI line → Edit
  4. Tab "Levels" → Add level 70
  5. Unfortunately MT5 has no native indicator level alert — requires custom EA or TradingView

For indicator alerts: TradingView is better. Cloud alerts, easy setup, multiple conditions.

News alerts

MT5 has built-in Economic Calendar (View → Toolbox → Calendar). Right-click on event → Add Alert. Notification 30 min before event. Alternative: ForexFactory app (mobile) with customizable alerts.

Top 5 retail trader alerts

  1. D1 support/resistance — when price touches key levels (e.g. EUR/USD = 1.0500, 1.1000)
  2. EMA50/SMA200 D1 — when price crosses (trend change)
  3. RSI overbought/oversold — > 70 or < 30 on D1
  4. News 30 min before — NFP, CPI, Fed decisions
  5. Position TP/SL near — 5 pips from close

VPS for 24/7 alerts

Local MT5 must be open for alerts. If you close, alerts don\'t work. Solutions:

  • VPS ($10-30/month) — always-on cloud MT5
  • TradingView Premium ($60/month) — cloud-based alerts, reliable
  • Mobile MT5 — works only when app open in background

Practical integration

Optimal setup for swing trader:

  1. TradingView Premium for alerts (key levels, indicators)
  2. MT5 for execution (after alert)
  3. Mobile app for push notifications
  4. VPS if using EAs

Without alerts = trader sits 8h in front of screen. With alerts = trader lives normally, alert informs about setup. Quality of life difference enormous. To speed up platform work further, it's also worth learning the MT4/MT5 keyboard shortcuts that save trader time.

Jarosław Wasiński
About the author

Jarosław Wasiński

Editor-in-chief at MyBank.pl · Financial and market analyst

Independent analyst and practitioner with 20+ years in finance. Founder and editor-in-chief of MyBank.pl, running since 2004. Fundamental analysis of FX and macro markets since 2007.

Sources & bibliography

  1. MetaQuotes MT5 Terminal Help · oficjalna dokumentacja terminala (sekcja Alerts) www.metatrader5.com ↗
  2. BabyPips School of Pipsology — Forex Lessons · edukacja www.babypips.com ↗
  3. TradingView About Alerts · oficjalna dokumentacja alertów www.tradingview.com ↗

Frequently asked

How to set price alert in MT5?

4 steps: (1) View → Toolbox → Alerts (or Ctrl+T). (2) Right-click → Create. (3) Alert Properties window: Symbol = EUR/USD, Condition = Bid >, Value = 1.0900, Action = Sound + Email. (4) OK. Alert active when price exceeds level. Plus: Push notifications — Tools → Options → Notifications, enter MetaQuotes ID from mobile app. Then alert reaches phone.

Do alerts work when MT5 closed?

Only with VPS. Local MT5 must be open for alerts. If you close MT5 or computer powers off, alerts don't work. Solution: VPS ($10-30/month) with always-on MT5. Or: use TradingView alerts (cloud-based, work always). Or: Push notifications from MT5 — work only when MT5 open on computer + internet connected.

What's better: MT5 alerts vs TradingView?

TradingView better for: alerts (cloud, always work), custom indicators (Pine Script), email + SMS notifications, multiple instruments. MT5 better for: trading integration (click alert → open position), free, simple. Practice: TradingView Premium ($60/month) for alerts, MT5 for execution. Best-of-both-worlds. Most pro retail traders use this setup.

What alerts to set?

Top 5 for swing trader: (1) D1 support/resistance — when price touches key levels. (2) EMA50/SMA200 — for trend decision. (3) News calendar — 30 min before red impact event. (4) RSI overbought/oversold (D1, >70/<30). (5) Position TP/SL near — when close to close. For day-trader: tighter levels, more frequent. For position trader: weekly levels, rare.

Go deeper · the complete guide

Reading now Price alerts in MT5 — how to set correctly