Templates and profiles: the difference
A template stores the look and tools of a single chart: colours, chart type, grid, indicators with their settings, drawn objects and an attached Expert Advisor (an automated trading program). It does not store the symbol or the timeframe, so you can apply it to any chart.
A profile stores the whole workspace: which charts are open, their symbols and timeframes, window positions, and the template-like settings of each chart.
Use a template to give many charts the same style. Use a profile to switch between complete layouts, for example a forex layout and a gold layout.
If you have not set up your chart yet, start with Chart setup and Add indicators.
- Timeframes: one candle = one minute (M1) up to one day (D1).
- Symbol and timeframe of the chart.
- Candles: open, high, low and close of each period.
- Indicator drawn on the price, here a moving average.
- Price scale with the current price.
- Time scale, in the platform's server time.
- Indicator window below the chart, here RSI with levels 70 and 30.
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How to save a chart template in MT5
- Set up the chart the way you want it.
- Right-click the chart and choose Templates, then Save Template. You can also use the Charts menu, then Template.
- Type a name and click Save.
To apply it, right-click any chart, choose Templates, and pick the name from the list.
Two names have a special role:
- default is applied to every new chart you open.
- tester is applied to charts in visual testing mode of the Strategy tester.
How to save a chart template in MT4
The steps are almost the same. Right-click the chart, choose Template, then Save Template, and give it a name. The Charts menu has the same option. Templates from MT4 and MT5 are not interchangeable, because the platforms use different indicator code. See MT4 vs MT5.
MT5 profiles
- Arrange the charts and windows.
- Open File, then Profiles, then Save As.
- Enter a name and confirm.
To switch, open File, then Profiles, and choose a saved profile. Unsaved changes in the current profile are usually kept automatically when you switch or close the terminal. Save a copy under a new name before you experiment.
Moving templates and profiles to another computer
- In the old terminal, open File, then Open Data Folder.
- Go to the Profiles folder. Inside it, Templates holds your templates and Charts holds a separate folder for each profile.
- Copy the files you need to a USB drive or cloud storage.
- On the new computer, open the data folder the same way and paste the files into the matching folders.
- Restart the terminal so it reads the new files.
In MT4, templates are in a templates folder and profiles in a profiles folder inside the data folder.
A template or profile only refers to the indicators and Expert Advisors it uses. It does not contain them. If they are custom files, copy them as well. See Custom indicators and Expert Advisors.
Templates and profiles change how charts look. They do not reduce risk. Leveraged CFD and forex trading can lose money fast, so read Risk management before you trade on a live account.
Frequent questions
Does a template save the symbol and timeframe?
No. Only a profile keeps symbols and timeframes. A template keeps style, indicators, objects and an attached Expert Advisor.
Why do indicators disappear after I move a template?
The indicator file is missing on the new computer, or it was built for the other platform version. Copy the indicator file and restart the terminal.
Can I change the style of every new chart?
Yes. Save your template under the name default.
Do templates work on Mac or in the web terminal?
The desktop terminal on Mac uses the same menus. For the browser version, see MetaTrader on Mac and MT WebTerminal, and check which features the version you use supports.
