Apex Drawdown Zero V9.20 Settings Guide: Every Input Explained
Published Sep 18, 2026, 09:53 AM · 5 min read
Update, September 2026: Apex Drawdown Zero V12 is out: a separate gold edition with a trend-pullback strategy, a daily-loss firewall and an FTMO challenge mode. V9 is still sold and supported. Read the V12 review and V12 vs V9 comparison.
This is the official settings guide for Apex Drawdown Zero Version 9.20, written by the developer. It covers every input, the per-symbol presets, the one setting that trips up most new users (broker server time), and how to choose your risk for a personal or prop-firm account.
Short version: attach the EA to an H1 chart of XAUUSD, EURUSD or EURJPY, leave Preset = AUTO, choose your RiskPercent, check your broker's server time, and enable Algo Trading. Everything else can stay at its default.
Quick start
- Copy
ApexDrawdownZero_V9.ex5from your client portal download into your terminal'sMQL5\Experts\folder (in MT5: File → Open Data Folder). - Restart MT5 or right-click Expert Advisors in the Navigator and choose Refresh.
- Open an H1 chart of XAUUSD, EURUSD or EURJPY and drag the EA onto it.
- Leave Preset = AUTO, set your RiskPercent, and click OK.
- Enable Algo Trading on the toolbar. The on-chart dashboard should show SCANNING.
Run one chart per symbol. A VPS is recommended so the EA is online when each day's range forms.
Presets: one click per symbol
The Preset input (default AUTO) detects the chart symbol and loads its validated tuning. A button on the dashboard cycles through AUTO → XAUUSD → EURUSD → EURJPY → MANUAL. Presets change only the two values that differ between the tested sets; everything else uses the shared defaults.
| Symbol | Status | RiskReward | FirstEntryHour |
|---|---|---|---|
| XAUUSD (gold) | Recommended | 2.0 | 8 |
| EURUSD | Recommended | 1.5 | 8 |
| EURJPY | Recommended | 1.5 | 12 |
| US30 and other indices | Not recommended | — | — |
| Any other symbol | Untested | — | — |
On an untested symbol the EA falls back to your MANUAL inputs and writes a warning to the Experts log. The opening-range logic does not suit indices, so do not run it on US30.
Broker server time — check this first
The session window (FirstEntryHour to LastEntryHour) is measured in your broker's server time, not your local time. The defaults assume a server on GMT+2 / GMT+3, which is the most common setup and covers the London and New York sessions.
If your broker's server runs on a different offset, shift both hours by the difference. For example, on a GMT+0 server, move 8 → 6 and 20 → 18. You can read the server time in MT5's Market Watch window.
A wrong server-time offset is the most common reason the EA trades at odd hours or seems never to trade.
Every input explained
| Input | Default | What it does | Change it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preset | AUTO | Loads the tuning for the chart symbol | Leave on AUTO |
| RiskPercent | 1.0 | Risk per trade, as % of balance | Yes — see the risk section below |
| MaxLots | 0.0 | Hard cap on lot size per trade (0 = off) | Optional safety cap |
| BoxCandles | 5 | Number of H1 bars that form the day's opening range | No |
| RiskReward | 1.5 | Take-profit as a multiple of risk (set by preset) | No — the preset sets it |
| ConfirmBodyPercent | 60 | Minimum body size for a displacement candle | No |
| SweepCloseBackPercent | 20 | How far a sweep must close back inside the range | No |
| BreakBufferAtr | 0.20 | Breakout buffer as a multiple of ATR | No |
| UseAtrStop / AtrStopMult | true / 2.5 | Stop-loss distance = 2.5 × ATR | No |
| MinBoxAtr | 1.50 | Skip the day if the range is too narrow | No |
| MaxBoxAtr | 4.00 | Skip the day if the range is too wide (0 = off) | No |
| FirstEntryHour / LastEntryHour | 8 / 20 | Session window, in server hours | Only if your server is not GMT+2/+3 |
| UseBiasFilter / BiasEMAPeriod | true / 50 | Only trades in the direction of the 50 EMA | No |
| OneTradePerDay / StopAfterWin | true / true | One trade a day; none after a win | Keep both on |
| UseBreakEven / BreakEvenTriggerRR | true / 0.60 | Moves the stop to entry at 60% of the way to target | No |
| UseTrailing | false | R-based trailing stop | Off by default |
| UsePyramid / PyramidTriggerRR | false / 0.70 | Optional scale-in | Off by default — leave it off |
| MaxSpreadPoints | 350 | Skips entries when the spread is wider than this | Lower it on a tight-spread account if you like |
| ShowDashboard / ShowVisuals | true / true | On-chart panel and range drawings | Your choice |
How the EA trades each day
- Builds the box — the high and low of the first 5 H1 bars of the day.
- Waits for a signal — a sweep of the box that closes back inside, or a strong displacement close beyond it, in the direction of the 50 EMA.
- Enters at market on the close of the signal bar, inside the session window.
- Manages the trade with a fixed take-profit at the preset's RiskReward, moving the stop to break-even at 60% of the way to target.
- Sizes the lot from RiskPercent and the ATR-based stop distance, capped by available margin.
If the range is too narrow or too wide, the signal never comes, or the spread is too wide, the EA does not trade that day. Several quiet days in a row are normal.
Choosing your risk
Apex protects the account per trade: a fixed percentage at risk, a stop-loss from entry, and at most one trade a day. It has no account-level daily-loss or drawdown halt, so RiskPercent is the setting that decides how far a bad run can take you.
| RiskPercent | Cost of 3 losses in a row | Cost of 5 losses in a row | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25% | ~0.75% | ~1.25% | Strict prop-firm challenges |
| 0.5% | ~1.5% | ~2.5% | Most prop-firm challenges and funded accounts |
| 1.0% | ~3% | ~5% | Personal accounts (the default) |
| 2.0% | ~6% | ~10% | Aggressive — not for prop firms |
For a prop-firm account with a 5% daily and 10% overall limit, 0.5% per trade leaves room for a long losing streak plus slippage. Always check your firm's current rules and confirm it allows Expert Advisors.
Recommended account setup
- Platform: MetaTrader 5
- Timeframe: H1 only
- Account type: Standard, ECN or Raw Spread
- Leverage: 1:30 or higher where permitted
- Minimum for testing: about 100 USD
- Recommended for live use: 500 USD or more
- VPS: recommended
- Symbol suffixes: if your broker names gold
XAUUSD.aorGOLD, choose the matching preset by hand instead of AUTO
The EA is not trading — checklist
- Is Algo Trading switched on, and does the dashboard say SCANNING?
- Has it already traded today, or won today? It stops for the day in both cases.
- Is it inside the session window for your server time?
- Is the spread above
MaxSpreadPoints? - Was today's range too narrow or too wide (
MinBoxAtr/MaxBoxAtr)? - Is the chart H1 on a supported symbol?
More detail in the help centre: The EA is not trading and Setting your risk for a prop-firm account.
Live results
Version 9 runs on a real-money account, updated daily: Apex Drawdown Zero V9 on Myfxbook.
Get Apex Drawdown Zero
Buy Apex Drawdown Zero MT5 here and download it instantly from your client portal — lifetime licence on up to 5 MT5 accounts, with free updates. Questions first? Message the developer on WhatsApp.
Trading Forex, gold and CFDs on margin carries a high level of risk. Backtests and live results do not guarantee future performance. Forward-test on a demo account with your own broker before trading live.
