MT5 alerts: price and time alerts, push notifications and email

An MT5 alert watches a price or a time for you and then plays a sound, sends a push notification to the MT5 app on your phone, sends an email or runs a file. Alerts created in the desktop platform are checked by that platform, so it has to be running and connected.

MT5 · Guide 7/10 2 min read · Platform menus checked against official help: October 2026

⚠️ Risk warning: CFDs and leveraged forex are complex instruments with a high risk of losing money rapidly. Most retail accounts lose money. This content is education only, not investment advice or a recommendation.

MT5 alert window (drawn mock-up)AlertActionNotificationSymbolXAUUSDConditionBid >Value3,900.00SourceGold above 3,900Expiration2026.11.07 18:00TestOK
MT5 alert window (drawn mock-up) — Drawn mock-up for illustration, not a screenshot. Names may differ slightly between versions and brokers.

Create a price alert

  1. Open the Alerts tab. Open the Toolbox (Ctrl+T) and click the Alerts tab. Right-click and choose Create, or press Insert.
  2. Set the condition. Choose the Symbol, a Condition (Bid >, Bid <, Ask >, Ask <, Last >, Last <, Volume >, Volume < or Time =) and the Value, for example Bid > 3900.00.
  3. Choose the action. Sound, File, Email or Notification. For Notification, type the message (up to 255 characters) in Source.
  4. Limit repeats and expiry. Set Timeout (time between repeats), Maximum iterations and, if you want, an Expiration time. Click Test, then OK.

Create an alert from the chart

  1. Right-click at the price. Right-click the chart at the level you care about and choose Alert. Above the current price it creates “Bid > price”; below, “Bid < price”.
  2. Check the expiry. Chart alerts expire automatically, based on the timeframe: 1 hour on M1, 1 day on H1, 24 days on D1. Edit the alert in the Alerts tab to change it.
  3. Move it. Alerts show as red arrows at the right edge of the chart; drag the arrow to change the price.

Send alerts to your phone

  1. Find your MetaQuotes ID. Install the MetaTrader 5 app, open its Messages section and copy the MetaQuotes ID shown there.
  2. Enter it on the desktop. Tools → Options → Notifications: tick “Enable Push Notifications”, paste the ID (up to four IDs, separated by commas) and click Test.
  3. Choose trade notifications (optional). In the same tab you can ask for notifications of trades and balance operations. “Notifications from the trade server”, where your broker supports it, keeps working while your computer is off, for example when a take profit is hit.
  4. Email instead. For Email alerts, fill in Tools → Options → Email (SMTP server, login, password, From and To) first.

Common problems

The alert never fired
Desktop alerts run in your terminal. Check MT5 was open and connected at the time, the alert is enabled, it has not expired, and the condition matches the price type (Bid vs Ask).
No push notification arrived
Check the MetaQuotes ID in Tools → Options → Notifications, press Test, and make sure notifications are allowed for the MT5 app on the phone.
The email alert failed
Check the SMTP server, port and password in Tools → Options → Email.

Frequently asked questions

Do MT5 alerts work when my computer is off?

Alerts you create in the desktop platform need it running and connected. Trade notifications from the trade server, where your broker offers them, are sent by the broker's server even when your computer is off.

Where do I find my MetaQuotes ID?

In the MetaTrader 5 mobile app, in the Messages section.

Why did my chart alert disappear?

Alerts created from the chart expire automatically, after a period based on the timeframe. Edit the Expiration in the Alerts tab to keep it longer.

Sources (official help pages)