EA shows a sad face (not a smiley face)
✓ Fix
The EA needs permission to trade. Right-click the chart → Expert Advisors → Properties → Common tab. Check both Allow live trading and Allow DLL imports. Click OK. Then make sure the AutoTrading button in the toolbar is green (not gray/red).
"License Required" or "Invalid License"
✓ Fix 1 — Check the key
Open the EA properties (right-click chart → Expert Advisors → Properties → Inputs). Make sure InpLicenseKey has your full key including the PG- prefix: PG-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX. No extra spaces before or after.
✓ Fix 2 — Check the email
Make sure InpLicenseEmail matches exactly the email you used when purchasing. Uppercase/lowercase doesn't matter, but spelling does.
✓ Fix 3 — Enable WebRequest
The EA needs internet access to verify your license. In MT4: Tools → Options → Expert Advisors → Check Allow WebRequest for listed URL. Click "Add" and paste: https://api.proof.trading. Click OK and restart the EA.
EA is running but not opening trades
✓ This is probably normal
The EA only trades when market conditions pass all 25 safety checks. During low-volatility periods, it might wait several hours. Check the dashboard on your chart — if it shows the current session as "ACTIVE" and the spread as acceptable, the EA is working correctly and simply waiting for a good setup.
✓ Check the Experts tab
Click the "Experts" tab at the bottom of MT4. You should see log messages from Proof Gold. If it says "Spread too wide" or "Outside session," that's the EA doing its job — protecting you from bad entries. If you see errors, screenshot them and email us.
✓ Check your chart
Make sure you're on a XAUUSD chart with M5 timeframe. The EA only trades gold on the 5-minute chart.
EA disconnected or went offline
✓ Just restart MT4
Proof Gold has built-in crash recovery. When MT4 restarts, the EA automatically finds any open trades from before the disconnect and resumes managing them. Any trades that have been sitting unmanaged for too long are safely closed. You don't need to do anything — just make sure MT4 is running and AutoTrading is enabled.
Can't find XAUUSD in MT4
✓ Fix
Press Ctrl+M to open Market Watch. Right-click anywhere in the Market Watch panel → click Show All. Now search for XAUUSD. It might also be listed as "Gold", "XAU/USD", or under a category like "Spot Metals" or "CFDs" depending on your broker. If you still can't find it, your broker might not offer gold — contact them or switch to ICMarkets or Pepperstone.
Can't find the EA in Navigator panel
✓ Fix 1 — Right folder?
Make sure you copied the .ex4 file to the correct folder. In MT4: File → Open Data Folder → MQL4 → Experts. The file should be here — not in a subfolder.
✓ Fix 2 — Refresh
Right-click "Expert Advisors" in the Navigator panel → click "Refresh." If it still doesn't show, close MT4 completely and reopen it.
Activation limit reached
✓ Fix
Each plan has a limited number of account activations (Starter: 2, Professional: 3, Institutional: 5). If you've changed broker accounts, you need to deactivate the old one first. Go to My Account, log in, and click "Deactivate" next to the account you're no longer using. This frees up a slot for your new account.
The EA is losing money
✓ This is normal
No trading system wins every day or every week. Proof Gold has a 62% win rate — that means 38% of trades lose. A losing week doesn't mean the EA is broken. It means you're seeing a small sample. We recommend running for at least 30 days before evaluating. The edge compounds over hundreds of trades, not a handful.
✓ Check your broker spreads
High spreads eat into profits. If you're using a broker with gold spreads above 30 points, consider switching to ICMarkets or Pepperstone. This alone can double your net profit.