From Telegram file to a running EA, in order.
Work down the list without skipping. Almost every failed install comes down to the same two things, so those two steps are marked and explained rather than left as one line in a list.
The two things that break most installs
The EA file ends up in the wrong terminal folder, or the WebRequest URL is never added so the licence check cannot reach the server. Steps 02 and 05 handle those. If the EA is not showing up or not activating, start there.
Have these three ready.
MetaTrader 5 installed and logged in to your broker account.
Your MT5 account number, with the licence already activated for it.
The GOLDTRAP .ex5 file sent to you on Telegram, saved somewhere you can find it again.
Licence not activated yet? Claim a free licence or choose a paid one first. Installing before activation just produces a licence error on the chart.
Six steps, in this order.
Each step ends where the next one begins. Do not jump ahead to attaching the EA before the licence URL is whitelisted.
Save the EA file from Telegram
The EA is sent to you directly on Telegram after your licence is activated — a single .ex5 file, plus a preset file if your package includes one.
Save it somewhere you can reach easily, like Downloads or Desktop. On a phone, forward the file to yourself on the computer running MT5; you cannot install it from the phone.
Use the file sent to you directly rather than a copy from elsewhere. Versions passed around outside the group are often older builds, and they may not match the licence bound to your account.
Open the data folder from inside MT5
In MetaTrader 5, use the menu:
Do not navigate to the folder by hand. If you have more than one MT5 terminal installed — a second broker, an old install, a portable copy — each one has its own data folder, and they look identical. Opening it from inside the running terminal is the only way to be certain the file lands where that terminal will read it. This is the single most common install failure.
Copy the EA into Experts
Inside the data folder, go into MQL5, then Experts, and drop the .ex5 file there.
MQL5/ ├── Experts/ ← Goldtrap.ex5 goes here ├── Presets/ ← .set preset file, if provided ├── Indicators/ ✕ not here ├── Scripts/ ✕ not here └── Files/ ✕ not here
An EA placed in Indicators or Scripts will never appear under Expert Advisors in Navigator, no matter how many times you refresh.
Refresh the Navigator panel
Back in MT5, right-click Expert Advisors in the Navigator panel and choose Refresh. GOLDTRAP should appear in the list.
If it does not, close MetaTrader 5 completely and reopen it. Still missing? The file is in the wrong folder — go back to step 02.
Allow WebRequest for the licence URL
The EA verifies its licence online every hour. Without this URL whitelisted, the check cannot leave your terminal and the EA stops trading.
Tick Allow WebRequest for listed URL, add the address below, then press OK.
https://a689.link
Enter it exactly as shown — no trailing slash, no extra path.
Attach the EA to your chart
Open an XAUUSD chart, then drag GOLDTRAP from Navigator onto it. In the settings window, allow algo trading and load the supplied preset if you have one.
Before you leave it running, confirm the symbol, lot size, preset, spread, account balance, and risk settings all match what you intended.
A smiling face in the top right corner means the EA is live. A sad face means algo trading is off — check the Algo Trading button in the toolbar as well as the setting in the EA window.
Confirm all five before you walk away.
Nothing is submitted here — the list is just so you can see what is still outstanding.
Symptom first, then the usual cause.
The EA is not in the Navigator list
The file went into a different terminal's data folder, or into Indicators instead of Experts. Open the data folder again through File → Open Data Folder in the terminal you actually want to run it on, and check that the .ex5 sits inside MQL5 → Experts. Then refresh Navigator.
A licence error appears on the chart
First confirm the WebRequest URL is listed exactly as https://a689.link. If it is there and the error stays, the licence is probably not bound to that MT5 account number yet — send your account number and registered email on Telegram so it can be checked.
The EA loads but never opens an order
Check the chart is XAUUSD on your broker's exact symbol name — some brokers use a suffix. If the symbol is right, the EA may be sitting out a rollover window or a high-impact news pause, which is normal behaviour rather than a fault.
It was running, then stopped mid-session
The licence is verified every hour. If it expires, is revoked, or the recheck cannot reach the server, pending orders are removed and no new trades open. Confirm the WebRequest URL is still listed and your internet connection is stable.
Trades were left unmanaged overnight
The EA can only manage a basket while MetaTrader is running. Closing the terminal or letting the machine sleep leaves open positions with no grid management and no basket exit. Run it on a Windows VPS if you cannot keep the terminal on.
Send two things and it can be checked.
Your registered email address and your MT5 account number. With those, the licence status can be looked up directly instead of guessing from a screenshot.