MT5 Platform Shortcuts Every Funded Trader Should Know

Every second matters when trading a prop firm account. It’s not only about making the proper deals; it’s also about making them quickly, responding to abrupt changes in the market, and evaluating data without having to fumble with a tangle of buttons. This is where having a thorough understanding of MetaTrader 5 (MT5) provides you with a great advantage.

With its tools, charts, and automation, MT5 is already rather more advanced. However, you’re losing out on a whole level of speed and efficiency if you’re still dragging your mouse over the screen to perform simple tasks like placing trades or switching periods. The luxury of wasted time is not available to funded traders, particularly those operating under stringent prop company regulations. Let’s now discuss shortcuts. 

Why Shortcuts Even Matter in Prop Trading

In prop firm trading where every tick matters and execution speed can be the difference between profit and loss, being able to react instantly is a huge deal.

If you’re watching the markets then an opportunity opens up and instead of hitting a hotkey, you’re digging through menus. That hesitation? It could cost you. Especially when you’re trading with someone else’s capital and there’s a profit target or drawdown limit looming.

Shortcuts help eliminate hesitation. They free up mental energy. And in a trading environment where you need to stay sharp for hours, that’s gold.

The Essential MT5 Shortcuts You Need to Memorize

F9 – Open the New Order Window

A trade setup is visible. Then press F9. There’s no need to hover or right-click.

With this shortcut, the New Order box appears promptly, allowing you to quickly enter the size of your lot, establish your take-profit and stop-loss, then click Buy or Sell.

To save time, set your default trade size in advance in the settings menu rather than having to input it each time. 

Ctrl + T – Toggle the Terminal

Your biggest enemy and best buddy is the Terminal window. It displays your exposure, balance, open deals, trading history, and more. However, there are instances when hiding it is necessary to create room for chart analysis.

You may turn it on and off without clicking by pressing Ctrl + T. Take a quick look at your PnL. Completed. Let’s get back to charts.

Press Ctrl + M to launch Market Watch

Do you need to view the current bid/ask prices or swap pairs? The Market Watch opens instantly when you press Ctrl + M.

From there, you may right-click to see the market depth or drag a pair into a chart. Incredibly useful when trading several pairs or assets. 

Ctrl + N – Open the Navigator

The Navigator contains scripts, expert advisers, and indicators. It appears instantly when you press Ctrl + N.

This is essential if you utilize custom indicators or EAs as a prop trader. Particularly if you frequently change your designs or profiles. 

Ctrl + Y – Show/Hide Period Separators

Do you want to see quickly where one day finishes and another starts? Analyzing daily price activity is made incredibly simple by the period separators that Ctrl + Y adds to your chart.

If you’re trading intraday and need to refer to yesterday’s highs or lows without straining at timestamps, this is really helpful. 

Ctrl + G – Show/Hide Grid

Some traders love the grid. Others hate it. Whatever side you’re on, you’ll probably want to toggle it from time to time.

Ctrl + G makes it snappy. No menus. No scrolling. Just a tap and you’re good.

Ctrl + F – Crosshair Tool

You’re trying to line up a candle wick with a price or time? Ctrl + F activates the crosshair so you can see exact coordinates.

It’s great for pinpointing entries, measuring pip distances, or just double-checking your SL and TP levels.

Bonus tip: While using the crosshair, click and drag to measure distance in pips and bars. It’s faster than doing math in your head (or on your phone).

Chart Navigation Shortcuts to Speed Up Your Analysis

Page Up / Page Down – Scroll Left or Right Quickly

Don’t use your mouse to click and drag on the screen as you did in 2012. Page Down takes you ahead, while Page Up takes you back in time in the MT5 trading platform.

Use it to catch up on the previous few hours of price activity or to swiftly examine historical data.

Home/End: Navigate to the Chart’s Beginning or End

Do you have to start from scratch? Strike Home.

Do you want to bypass scrolling and get straight to the most recent candle? The rescue’s end key.

This is excellent for manually backtesting or examining past setups before the start of the prop firm trading day.