Charts, Timeframes & Market Watch

Navigate MT5 charts, switch timeframes, and use the Market Watch window effectively.

Understanding Chart Types

MT5 offers three fundamental chart types, each presenting price data differently:

  • Bar Charts — Each bar shows the Open, High, Low, and Close (OHLC) for a time period. The left tick is the open price, the right tick is the close.
  • Candlestick Charts — The most popular type. A filled (bearish) or hollow (bullish) body shows the range between open and close, with wicks showing the high and low. Candlesticks make price patterns visually obvious.
  • Line Charts — A simple line connecting closing prices. Useful for seeing the overall trend without noise, but hides intra-period price action.
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Recommended: Use Candlestick Charts

Most traders and all indicator developers use candlestick charts. They provide the most information at a glance and are the standard for technical analysis.

The 21 Timeframes

One of MT5's advantages over MT4 is its 21 timeframes (MT4 only had 9). Each timeframe determines how much time one candle represents:

Minutes: M1 (1 min), M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M10, M12, M15, M20, M30

Hours: H1 (1 hour), H2, H3, H4, H6, H8, H12

Long-term: D1 (daily), W1 (weekly), MN1 (monthly)

Lower timeframes (M1-M15) show more detail but more noise. Higher timeframes (H4-MN1) show clearer trends but less precision for entries. Professional traders often use multiple timeframes — for example, analyzing the trend on H4 and timing entries on M15.

Ctrl + 1 through 9 — Quick-switch between common timeframes

Navigating Charts

Essential chart navigation techniques:

  • Zoom in/out — Use + and - keys, or the mouse scroll wheel
  • Scroll history — Click and drag left to see older price data
  • Auto-scroll — The green arrow button at the bottom-right keeps the chart pinned to the latest candle
  • Chart shift — The double-arrow button adds empty space to the right of the last candle, useful for projection
  • Crosshair — Press Ctrl + F or click the crosshair button to see exact price/time at any point

The Market Watch Window

The Market Watch panel (View > Market Watch or Ctrl + M) is your gateway to all tradeable instruments. It displays:

  • Symbols tab — Real-time bid/ask prices, spread, and daily change for each instrument
  • Ticks tab — Live tick-by-tick price feed for the selected instrument
  • Details tab — Contract specifications: lot size, tick value, margin requirements, trading hours

To add an instrument to your chart, simply drag it from Market Watch onto the chart area, or right-click and select "Chart Window."

Adding Indicators to Charts

MT5 comes with 38 built-in technical indicators. To add one:

1
Open the Navigator panel

Press Ctrl + N or go to View > Navigator.

2
Expand the Indicators folder

You will see categories: Trend, Oscillators, Volumes, Bill Williams, and Custom.

3
Drag the indicator onto your chart

A settings dialog will appear where you can adjust parameters, colors, and the timeframe.

Templates and Profiles

Once you have configured a chart the way you like it (indicators, colors, timeframe), save it as a template so you can apply the same setup to any chart instantly. Go to Charts > Templates > Save Template.

Profiles save the entire workspace layout — all open charts, their templates, and window arrangement. Use profiles to switch between different trading setups (e.g., "Forex Scalping" vs "Stock Swing Trading").

Practical Tips

  • Use the One Click Trading panel (Alt + T) for fast order execution during active trading
  • Right-click any chart and select Properties to customize colors, grid visibility, and scale settings
  • Use Ctrl + D to open the Data Window, which shows exact OHLCV values and indicator readings for the candle under your cursor
  • Press F8 to quickly access chart properties

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