Expert Advisors (EAs) are essential in the world of forex trading, especially for those who use automated trading systems. These are pieces of software which help the trader to automate the analysis and execution of trades for in their platform – now one of the most popular forms of trading software. 

Definition and Function

• ✦ Auto Trading Solutions: Expert Advisors serve as auto trading programs, which place buy and sell orders on behalf of the trader following the code, algorithmic rules and logic it was placed on. Their primary objective is to take emotions out of trading decisions that frequently result in making impromptu and faulty decisions.
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• ✦ MetaTrader Compatibility: EAs are designed mainly for use with MT4, but can be also used with MT5. They are written in specialized programming languages that work in MT4 or MT5 and are not algorithms per se (although many of them are). 

How Expert Advisors function?

Experrt advisors work by enabling traders to set predetermined conditions to capture trades and manage opening and closing of trades. Basically, they are run on a bunch of conditional ifs and thens — like yes/no decisions — which automatically activate trade actions when these conditions are fulfilled. 

EAs are able to execute sophisticated trading strategies by the inclusion of a multitude of conditional rules in an advanced algorithm. These systems have the compute power and precision to analyze market conditions and execute trades in less than a second. 

Pros of EA’s and Forex Robots

Advantages:

• ◆ Automation of Trades:

You can trade automatically with EAs, which means less time glued to the screen and more time to do other things.

• ◆ Precision and Efficiency:

While humans cannot make decisions as fast, Forex robots have millions and billions of bits of data installed in their brains and can make decisions based on more accurate information than a human. 

• ◆ Reduced Emotional Impact:

Computer generated systems remove all gut based decision making, which usually is the cause of most "bad" trades. 

• ◆ Strategy Validation Through Backtesting:

Most EAs allow backtesting, where a trader can test the feasibility of their strategy with historical data prior to risking money in live markets.

• ◆ Time-Saving:

EA,s work 24/5 watching for trades, and while we sleep or work, we can be making huge money trades.

• ◆ Consistent Execution:

Robotic trading assists you to stay disciplined as it takes away the hesitation and emotional aspect of the whole trading operation.

• ◆ Efficient Data Handling:

Machines are able to automatically make decisions based on statistically significant patterns and probabilities contained in massive amounts of data. 

• ◆ Enhanced Analytical Support:

In addition to executing trades, a lot of bots can scan velocity, spread and price trends to make long term, slower, decision-making advisories less risky.

Potential Risks and Limitations

As Expert Advisors are written in pre-defined processors there can always be errors or reaction failures causing live trading to differ from back test simulation. It is normal and recommended to occasionally check the EA performance to ensure that it is working as expected.

There are some risks, however, such as the EA not working correctly during major news releases. To prevent undesired trades, one can usually manually suspend the EA just before a news event. 

How to Choose and Buy an Expert Advisor: 5 Factors You have to Consider

When choosing an Expert Advisor (EA) follow several important factors to satisfy your trading needs:

• ◈ Performance History (Backtesting and Live Testing)

Evaluate the EA’s Performance For you to determine the efficiency of the EA, check its past performance through both back-testing and forward-testing. Performance should indicate profitability under all markets, including real-time simulations.

• ◈ Clarity of Trading Strategy

Learn exactly how the EA takes trading decisions - whether this is based on technical forms, price themes or strategies. Ensure the method fits your own trading style and goals. 

• ◈ Risk and Capital Management Features

A good EA should enable you to manage risk settings like stop levels, take profit level, and trade size. It must also have protections to mitigate losses and steward capital prudently.

• ◈ Platform and Broker Compatibility

Make sure the EA is compatible with your trading platform (MT4 or 5) and is responding well to your broker’s conditions (spreads, execution speed and commissions).

• ◈ Support and Regular Updates

Being able to reach technical support and having access to instructions and software updates can make your life easier and possibly prevent any problems you might encounter after the sale.

• ◈ Price vs. Value Delivered

EA’s price should be relative to what it is worth performance, feature and ease of use-wise. If possible, check out trial releases or returns for the money prior to purchasing. 

How to Install a Forex EA to a VPS

Follow these easy steps to install your Trading System on a VPS:

• ◉ Pick a Reliable VPS Host: Go with a well known host that has clean servers for forex trading, such as ForexBox.

• ◉ Install MetaTrader Platform: download and install MT4 (MetaTrader 4) or MT5 (MetaTrader 5) on your VPS.
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• ◉ EA File Transfer: Transfer your EA files to your VPS from your local computer safely through SCP (Secure Copy Protocol) or Remote Desktop Connection (RDC).
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• ◉ Configure EA Settings: Set EA parameters based on your trading strategy/risk preference.
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• ◉ Monitor Performance From a Distance : With remote access you can check on the EA’s metrics and also see if its running properly, in real-time. 

Final Thoughts

It's traded 24/7, it doesn't feel any emotions, and you can backtest your trades, so it sounds like a magic, right?

But, it’s worth noting that there is no guarantee an EA will be consistently profitable. If you are looking for Forex EA online, make sure you read several user reviews to be able to find the one that is most trustworthy, as well as efficient!