Where & how to save the file
Drop it in the right folder, with the right encoding, with the right filename. The EA reads it once at attach-time.
- Path
<MT5 Data Folder>\MQL5\Files\eatrading_prompts.txt— in MT5: File → Open Data Folder → MQL5 → Files. - Encoding ANSI (Notepad → Save As → Encoding: ANSI). UTF-16 LE also works. Avoid UTF-8 with BOM.
- Filename must match input
2.10 PresetFileexactly.
Verify it loaded. After saving, remove the EA from the chart and drag it back. Check the Experts tab — you should see PromptLibrary loaded N presets. If not, jump to Common Errors.
File syntax
A flat, line-based format. Each preset is a [PRESET]…[/PRESET] block with a STRATEGY and a RULES section inside.
# Lines starting with # are comments # All markers MUST be at column 0 (no indentation) [PRESET] NAME=Short Name ← required, <30 chars SUMMARY=One-line hint ← optional WHITELIST=EMA,ATR,RSI ← optional, comma-separated, no spaces TIMEFRAME=H4 ← optional (H4, D1, M15…) STRATEGY_BEGIN ...multi-line strategy... STRATEGY_END RULES_BEGIN ...multi-line rules... RULES_END [/PRESET]
- Missing
NAME→ file rejected (falls back to built-ins). - Unclosed block (no
STRATEGY_END,RULES_END, or[/PRESET]) → file rejected. - Unknown keys → silently ignored. Spell things right.
- Hard cap: 16 presets per file. Anything beyond is dropped.
Indentation kills the file. Markers like [PRESET], STRATEGY_BEGIN, RULES_END must start at column 0. A leading space or tab and the parser sees zero blocks.
STRATEGY block — teach the AI how to think
This is what the Analyst, Bull, and Bear agents read. Write it like you're briefing a junior trader: mechanism first, then signals, then both sides of the argument.
Why does this strategy have an edge?
One or two sentences. Talk about the market mechanism — order flow, volatility regime, mean reversion — not the indicator setup. "Bull / bear traps after extended moves" beats "RSI < 30".
When does it work, when does it die?
- WORKS in: <regime — e.g. trending, low-vol range, post-news drift>
- FAILS in: <regime — e.g. chop, news spikes, gap opens>
What's each indicator for?
- Indicator → role (e.g. EMA(200) → trend filter)
- Signal → meaning (e.g. RSI>70 → exhaustion, not entry)
Quantified reasons to go long
- Price > EMA(200) on H4
- Stoch %K < 20 crossing up
- ATR(14) < 1.5× ATR(50) — calm enough to hold
Quantified KILL conditions
- Daily close below 20EMA → invalidate long thesis
- VIX > 30 → skip mean-reversion longs
- Spread > 2× median → no entry
How to tier the verdict
Define what "all clean", "partial", and "blocked" actually mean for this strategy — see the ladder below.
Balance is non-negotiable. Equal counts of Bull and Bear angles, or the AI biases long. The Bear agent needs ammo — give it explicit kill conditions, not vibes.
RULES block — execution parameters
Where STRATEGY teaches the AI to think, RULES tells it what to do once it decides to enter. Keep it numeric and ATR-relative.
Order type · timing · confirmation
Market vs limit, bar-close confirmation, retest entry. State explicitly when the entry trigger expires.
SL · TP · Trailing
- Hard SL:
2.0 * ATR(14) - Take Profit:
3.0 * ATR(14) - Trailing: activate after
1.0*ATRfavorable
Risk per trade
- Risk: 1.0% of equity per position
- Max portfolio heat: 3% across open trades
When NOT to trade
- Session window:
12:00–20:00 UTC - Skip news: NFP, FOMC, CPI ±2h
- Skip if
ATR(14) > 2.5× ATR(50)
Concurrency & cooldown
Max 1 open position. No DCA. No averaging-down. Cooldown of 4 bars after any stop-out before re-entering the same direction.
ATR-based stops only. Pip-based stops break across symbols and timeframes — "20 pips" on EURUSD is noise on XAUUSD. Express SL, TP, and trailing in multiples of ATR(14) so the same preset survives a symbol swap.
Quality checklist
Read your preset back top-to-bottom and confirm each row. If you can't, fix it before loading the file.
Quantify everything
"Stoch %K < 20 crossing up", not "oversold". The AI cannot act on adjectives.
Balance bull and bear angles
Equal count, or the AI biases long. Three for three is a good baseline.
State KILL conditions explicitly
The Bear agent needs ammunition. "Don't enter if X" is a hard gate, not a hint.
ATR-based stops only
Auto-adapts across symbols. Pip-based stops are a portability bug.
One preset = one edge
Don't stack a trend-following entry with a mean-reversion exit. Make a second preset instead.
English, ASCII only
No Vietnamese diacritics, no smart quotes, no em-dashes. Avoids encoding garble inside the AI prompt.
Demo before sharing
Run the preset on a demo account for at least one full session before publishing or selling it. Never ship unverified prompts.
Common errors
Five symptoms cover ~95% of broken prompt files. The Experts log tells you which one you hit.
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Only built-ins in the dropdown | File didn't load at all. | Open the Experts tab, find PromptLibrary entries, re-save as ANSI. |
| Log: no NAME | The NAME= line is missing inside a [PRESET] block. |
Add it. NAME is required and must be <30 chars. |
| Log: Unterminated block | A STRATEGY_END, RULES_END, or [/PRESET] is missing. |
Close the block. Each _BEGIN needs its _END. |
| Log: zero [PRESET] blocks | Markers are indented, or the file is in the wrong encoding. | Move all markers to column 0. Re-save as ANSI. |
| Garbled text inside the AI debate | UTF-8 BOM or non-ASCII characters slipped in. | Save as ANSI. Strip diacritics, smart quotes, em-dashes. |
Full working example — Donchian-20 Turtle
A complete, parser-valid preset built from the classic Turtle Trading rules (Richard Dennis, 1983). Copy it as-is, or use it as a template — every required section is filled in with real, deployable content.
# ============================================================================= # DONCHIAN-20 TURTLE BREAKOUT — Quant AI Agents Prompt Library # ============================================================================= # Source : Classic Turtle Trading rules (Richard Dennis, 1983) # "Way of the Turtle" by Curtis Faith # Backtest : 20 US futures markets including gold, 1990-2025 # Win Rate : ~45% (low — characteristic of trend-following) # Profit Fac : 1.5+ # Confidence : Verified across multiple decades and instruments # Transfer : LOW (gold in original universe) # # DEPLOY: # 1. Save this file as eatrading_prompts.txt in MQL5\Files\ (encoding: ANSI) # 2. Or append the [PRESET] block below to your existing prompts file # 3. Reload EA on chart # ============================================================================= [PRESET] NAME=Donchian-20 Turtle SUMMARY=~45% WR / PF 1.5+ — channel breakout, trend-following WHITELIST=Donchian,ATR TIMEFRAME=H4 STRATEGY_BEGIN === HYPOTHESIS === Sustained moves come from genuine breakouts of recent N-bar ranges. We accept low win rate to capture the few large trends. Classic Donchian-20 Turtle adapted to XAUUSD H4. === MARKET REGIME === WORKS in: regime transitions, fundamental catalyst phases, sustained directional moves. FAILS in: ranging chop, mean-reverting markets, post-news whipsaws. === KEY OBSERVATIONS === - Donchian-20 upper = highest High of last 20 bars; lower = lowest Low of last 20 bars. - ATR(14) vs ATR(50) ratio = volatility expansion gauge (genuine breakout needs expansion). - Recent failed breakouts = whipsaw zone (avoid re-entry). === BULL ANGLES (long breakout) === - Current bar CLOSES above Donchian-20 upper (not just wicks above) - ATR(14) > ATR(50) average -> volatility actually expanding - No failed breakout in last 4 bars (no whipsaw) - No recent swing high directly overhead within 1*ATR (room for follow-through) === BEAR ANGLES (invalidate breakout) === - Wick-only breach (close back inside range) -> false breakout, KILL - ATR(14) flat/declining vs ATR(50) -> low-conviction breakout - Within 4 bars of a losing breakout -> whipsaw zone - Right at major weekly/daily structure -> high reversal odds - Symmetric for shorts: close below Donchian-20 lower with same filters === CONFIDENCE GUIDANCE === HIGH: clean close beyond Donchian + ATR expanding + no whipsaw history + clear path MEDIUM: close beyond Donchian but ATR not expanding OR overhead structure near HOLD: wick-only OR within whipsaw cooldown OR low-volatility regime Note: this is trend-following — accept ~45% WR for large R:R via trailing stops. STRATEGY_END RULES_BEGIN === ENTRY MECHANICS === Order type: market on bar close confirmation (not intra-bar wick). === STOPS === - Hard SL: 2.0 * ATR(14) from entry - No fixed TP — exit via trailing - Trailing: Donchian-10 opposite channel (long exits if close < 10-bar low; short exits if close > 10-bar high) === SIZING === - Risk per trade: 0.5-1.0% of equity - Lot from 2.0*ATR SL distance === SESSION & VOLATILITY GATES === - Trade 24/5; avoid Friday after 18:00 UTC - Skip +/-2h around NFP/FOMC/CPI - Skip if ATR(14) flat vs ATR(50) (low-conviction breakout) === POSITION RULES === Max 1 open per direction. No pyramiding in this preset. Cooldown: skip new entry for 4 bars after a stopped-out breakout. RULES_END [/PRESET]
You're ready. Save it, re-attach the EA, watch the Experts tab confirm PromptLibrary loaded N presets, and pick your new preset from the 2.1 PresetStrategy dropdown. The council takes it from there.