What to Send a Developer Before They Build Your Trading Bot

Most custom trading bot projects that go wrong don't fail in the code. They fail in the brief. The trader knows the strategy by feel, the developer guesses at the gaps, and the finished bot does something slightly different from what the trader meant.

Here's the one-page spec I ask every client for before building an MT5 Expert Advisor. If you fill this in, any competent developer can quote accurately and build what you actually want.

1. Market and timeframe

• Which symbols (for example EURUSD, XAUUSD, US30)?
• Which timeframe are signals calculated on?
• Which broker and account type (hedging or netting)?

2. Entry rules

Write each condition as a plain sentence:

• "Go long when the 20 EMA closes above the 50 EMA on the H1 chart."
• "Only if RSI(14) is below 70 at that close."

Say whether the signal is checked at bar close or on every tick. This one detail causes more backtest-versus-live surprises than anything else.

3. Exit rules

• Stop loss: fixed pips, ATR-based, or below the last swing?
• Take profit: fixed, ATR-based, or none?
• Trailing stop and breakeven: when do they activate, and by how much?
• Time exit: close after a maximum number of bars?
• Opposite signal: does it close the trade, reverse it, or do nothing?

4. Position sizing and risk

• Fixed lot size, or a percentage of the account per trade?
• Maximum number of open trades at once, and per symbol?
• Daily and weekly maximum loss before the bot stops trading?

5. Filters

• Trading hours or sessions to allow or avoid.
• Maximum spread allowed for an entry.
• News avoidance, if any.

6. What "done" looks like

• Backtest period and the results you expect to roughly reproduce.
• Inputs you want to be able to change without touching the code.
• Whether you need alerts (Telegram, email, push) for entries and exits.

A tip that saves money

If you can, send screenshots of three or four past trades marked up with exactly where you would have entered and exited, and why. Developers can test their logic against those examples, and you'll catch misunderstandings before a single line is written.

Why this matters

A clear spec means a fixed, honest quote, a faster build, and a bot that behaves the way you trade on your best day.

I build custom MT5 Expert Advisors with this process, plus a proper risk and execution layer in every build. If you've got your rules written down and want them automated, have a look at CustomTradingBots.com.