Frequently asked questions
Straight answers about custom EA and trading bot development: source code, confidentiality, prop-firm rules, testing, pricing and support.
Working together
Do I get the full source code?
Yes, always. Every project includes the complete, commented source (.mq4, .mq5, .py or .pine) plus compiled files where relevant. You own the code outright once the project is paid. There are no licence keys and no account locks.
Will you sign an NDA before I share my strategy?
Yes. Every project starts with a mutual NDA. Your rules and parameters are never reused, resold or shared, and they never become a product.
What happens in the 15-minute review?
You describe the strategy at a high level, I ask the questions that decide feasibility and price, and you get my honest view on whether it is worth building. If it is, a fixed quote follows in writing.
How do we communicate during the project?
On WhatsApp or email, whichever you prefer, with progress updates at each stage. You always talk to the developer writing your code.
How do payment and revisions work?
Payment is 50% to start, 50% on delivery. 2 revision rounds within the agreed scope are included, and bug fixes are free for 30 days after delivery.
Prop firms
Will the EA respect my prop firm’s rules?
Yes. Daily loss limit, maximum drawdown, lot caps and news restrictions are built in and configurable, so the EA stops itself before a breach. Tell me the firm and account size during the brief and I will match its current rulebook.
If your strategy uses grid, martingale or high-frequency logic that most firms restrict, I will tell you before we start.
Can you add a prop-firm guard to an EA I already have?
Yes, if you have the source code. Adding daily loss, drawdown, news and lot rules to an existing EA is a common upgrade. See fix or upgrade an existing EA.
Technical
Which platforms and markets do you work with?
MetaTrader 4 and 5 (MQL4/MQL5), TradingView (Pine Script), Python with broker and exchange APIs such as OANDA, Interactive Brokers, Alpaca and Binance, and cTrader. Most work is on forex, gold (XAUUSD), indices such as US30 and NAS100, and crypto.
Can you fix or improve an EA someone else wrote?
Yes, if you have the source code (.mq4/.mq5). Send it with a description of the problem and I will give you an honest assessment and a fixed quote. Compiled-only files (.ex4/.ex5) cannot be edited.
Do I need a VPS?
For an EA or bot that trades while your computer is off, yes. A VPS close to your broker’s servers keeps it running and reduces delays. I can set one up as an add-on.
Will my indicator or EA repaint?
Not by default. Decisions are made on closed bars and higher-timeframe data is read from closed bars. Anything that could change on the forming bar is labelled and agreed with you.
How do you test a strategy?
On real tick data with realistic spreads and commission, then out of sample, with walk-forward and Monte Carlo tests for anything that is optimised. See backtesting and optimisation.
Pricing and results
How much does a custom EA cost?
A simple single-symbol EA starts $250. Multi-condition EAs with filters, multi-symbol systems and Python bots cost more. You get a fixed price after the 15-minute review, and the scope does not change without your agreement.
How long does it take?
Simple EAs and indicators take 3 to 7 working days. EAs with several conditions, filters or grids take 1 to 2 weeks. Python systems and multi-symbol EAs with dashboards take 2 to 4 weeks. The timeline is confirmed in writing before work starts.
Do you guarantee the strategy will be profitable?
No, and you should be wary of anyone who does. I guarantee the code does what your rules say, is tested properly, and comes with an honest report of how it behaved historically, including the losing periods.
Question not answered here?
Ask it directly on WhatsApp or by email. You will get a straight answer from the developer, usually within a few hours.