Read Time: 8 Minutes

If you are a regular trader and you’ve realized that trading is taking up way too much of your time, you might want to look into automated trading.

For the uninitiated, automated trading involves inputting a set of commands that will automatically execute when certain conditions are met.

You can set your buying price and selling price in advance. When the stock or currency price meets the price you’ve set beforehand, trading software (like MetaTrader) will automatically execute your trade. For the more seasoned traders, you can also base the buying and selling points on conditions like moving averages or convergences. You can even go more complex with algorithmic trading, using complicated algorithms you write yourself to execute trades. This is where trading robots come in, and they can be pretty good at what they do.

The best thing about automated trading is that you don’t have to spend hours upon hours monitoring graphs and charts, waiting for the best time to trade. This is wonderful for forex trading, where the markets are open 24/5.

Additionally, automated trading gives you (or at least, your trading robot) the power to scan millions of different charts at a speed that no human ever could.

There are even features like Fusion+ copy trading, where you can set the program to automatically copy a trader’s actions. If there’s a forex trader you really trust, for example, then you can save yourself the hassle and just set the software to copy all their trades.

Of course, automated trading takes a little learning to get into, which is why we are providing this beginner’s guide to automated trading.

1)     Buy off the shelf to start

There are a number of platforms that offer automated trading software. There’s no need to build a trading robot from scratch, especially if you’re just starting out.

Trading platforms like MetaTrader4 — the most popular forex trading platform — have tools that allow you to get into automated forex trading. You can check out the “Market” tab in your trade terminal section within the platform and have a browse of a wide range of EAs/robots to purchase to get started.

Their platform lets you use trading robots built by others (there are paid and free versions) and if you want to start off with a small amount of capital just to see how it feels, this is the place to do it.

2)     Know the difference between a good robot and a bad robot

As with any software you plan to download and use, you should know if the robot you’re planning to use is a good one. After all, real money is involved here.

In forex trading, where markets run 24/7, you don’t want to waste your money on a trading robot that gives you losses.

First, you can consider the track record of the trading robot. This can be as easy as looking at the robot’s reviews on the website itself or looking it up on forex trading forums where you’re bound to find forex traders who regularly use robots.

Second, just look at the website itself. If it looks unprofessional or promises unrealistic returns, you’ll want to stay away. One of the primary rules in forex trading is that if a deal is too good to be true, it probably is.

Third, look at the price itself. Trading robots are complicated software that took a lot of work to make. You’ll be hard-pressed to find good robots that are cheap or even free. If you see a trading robot that’s a little too cheap for you, keep looking.

Finally, you can find plenty of third-party websites such as Myfxbook.com, Forex Peace Army, or the MetaTrader Market that let you find the most popular robots, reviews from real traders that have used the EAs. We recommend doing a lot of research on the sites above before you dive straight in.

3)     If building your own, know what’s involved.

As we said, trading robots are complicated software that run on immense lines of code. If you want to build your own, you’ll need the necessary coding and programming skills.

It can take months to build a successful trading robot, and it will take a lot of trial and error, along with plenty of frustration.

If you have an idea for what you want but want someone else to build your automated trading robot without getting into too many complications, you can look at possible vendors like TradingCoders or Robotmaker that can build them for you.

Automatic trading robot builders give you a clean interface where you can build and edit your trading robot without learning complicated programming from scratch.

Regardless of how you choose to build your robot, you’ll still need a lot of market and technical analysis skills to succeed, especially if you are entrusting others to build something for you. Study well beforehand and know exactly what you’re getting into.

4)     You’re going to need a virtual private server.

Again, the markets in forex trading are open 24/5. Good trading opportunities come and go in the blink of an eye. The last thing you want to happen is missing a good trade because you suddenly had connectivity issues.

By using a virtual private server like the vendors from Fusion Markets Sponsored VPS (Virtual Private Server), your trading terminal can be connected 24/7 on a virtual machine. You’re basically using a constantly connected server to give you more reliable connectivity so that you are always online and not missing out on trades.

A good VPS will give you not only consistent connectivity but also low latency and fast executions. In forex trading and algorithmic trading, every millisecond counts, so you might as well use the best available tools out there.

Automated trading can be a lot of work at first. Still, it can also be very rewarding once you’ve established your own system. Hopefully, we’ve given you enough information to get you started on your very own automated forex trading journey.