- Strategy
- Does not open trades. Moves the stop of each selected position behind price using the chosen trailing mode, and only ever in the direction of profit.
- Risk model
- Opens no trades; only tightens stops on existing positions
What it does
Trailing Stop Manager EA follows your open trades with a stop that moves as price moves in your favour. You pick one of five well-known trailing methods, and the EA applies it to the positions selected by the symbol and magic filters. The stop never moves backwards, and the EA never opens or closes a trade itself; exits happen when price reaches the stop.
How it works
Every tick and every second, the EA loops through positions from last to first, selected by ticket. Once profit reaches the start threshold, it calculates a candidate stop. For buys:
- Fixed: bid minus the set number of points.
- ATR: bid minus ATR × multiple.
- Chandelier: highest high of the last 22 closed bars minus 3 × ATR.
- Previous candle: lowest low of the last N closed candles, minus an optional buffer.
- Swing: the most recent swing low below price (a low lower than the bars on each side), minus the buffer.
Sells use the mirror image (ask plus distance, lowest low plus ATR, highs instead of lows). The candidate is applied only if it is better than the current stop by at least the minimum step, respects the broker's stops and freeze levels, and stays on the correct side of price. A position without a stop receives one from the first valid candidate.
How to use it
ATR and Chandelier modes adapt to volatility and suit trend-following trades on H1 and above. Candle mode is tight and suits short-term momentum trades. Swing mode keeps the stop behind market structure and gives trades more room. Set a start threshold if you do not want the stop moved before the trade is in profit. Use a higher timeframe setting than your chart for a looser trail.
Settings
| Input | Default | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Trailing mode | ATR | Method used |
| Timeframe | chart | Source of bars and ATR |
| Start after (points) | 0 | Activation profit |
| Minimum step (points) | 10 | Avoids tiny modifications |
| Buffer (points) | 0 | Extra room in candle and swing modes |
| Fixed distance (points) | 200 | Fixed mode |
| ATR period / multiple | 14 / 2.0 | ATR mode |
| Chandelier bars / multiple | 22 / 3.0 | Chandelier mode |
| Candle bars | 1 | Candle mode |
| Swing strength / lookback | 2 / 60 | Swing mode |
| Symbols / Positions | Chart / All | Scope |
Limitations
Every trailing method trades off protection against room: tight trails exit early in normal pullbacks, loose trails give back more profit. Stops are server-side only after the EA modifies them, so nothing updates while the terminal is off. Gaps can fill beyond the stop. Do not run two trailing tools on the same positions.
Before you run it live
Try each mode on a demo account or in the Strategy Tester alongside a strategy EA, and compare how far behind price each one sits. Check your broker's stops level, especially on gold and indices. Our stop-loss lesson covers the basics. Trading carries a substantial risk of loss.