Select your instrument from the left sidebar (e.g. EURUSD, XAUUSD, US30)
The chart and order panel will open automatically
In the order panel, select your order type: Market (execute immediately at current price) or Limit/Stop (execute at a specific future price)
Set your lot size / volume — start small if you’re testing the platform
Set your Stop Loss
Optionally set your Take Profit
Click “Buy” or “Sell” to open the position
Understanding Your Account Metrics
The top bar of MatchTrader shows your real-time account health. Here’s what each metric means:
Metric | What It Means | Why It Matters |
Balance | Your account balance excluding open trades | Your starting reference point for drawdown calculation |
Equity | Balance + unrealised P&L on open trades | This is what determines your drawdown limit — not balance |
Margin | Capital currently used as collateral for open positions | Keeps track of how much buying power is committed |
Free Margin | Available capital for new positions | If this hits zero, no new trades can be opened |