Skipped Signal Ledger
Every discretionary or semi-automated strategy has gates that sit between "the signal fired" and "the order actually goes in" - a spread cap, a trading-hours window, a margin check - and those gates are exactly the part most trading journals never capture, because a blocked signal leaves no order behind to review. This EA evaluates a documented breakout signal (the just-closed bar's close breaking above the highest high, or below the lowest low, of a lookback window) on every new bar, then runs it through three fixed gates and logs the result either way: TAKEN, or BLOCKED with the specific gate(s) responsible. The spread gate rejects when the current spread exceeds a configured point limit. The session gate rejects outside a configured server-hour window (with midnight wraparound supported). The margin gate estimates the free margin that would remain after opening a configured lot size, using the broker's own per-lot margin figure, and rejects if that would fall below a configured floor - an honest estimate, not a full broker margin-call simulation, since no order is ever actually sent to confirm it. The output is a simple ledger: how many signals fired, how many were blocked, and by which gate most often - the number that tells a trader whether their own risk rules are the actual constraint on their strategy, not the market. Notes and limitations - The base signal is a plain lookback breakout. It is a vehicle for the gate-logging behaviour this tool demonstrates, not a strategy recommendation. - The margin gate is an estimate from the broker's per-lot margin figure (MODE_MARGINREQUIRED) times InpLots, not a live broker margin check - it does not account for existing open positions netting against the hypothetical new one, or broker-specific margin rules beyond the simple per-lot figure. - Only evaluates once per new bar, matching the breakout signal's own bar-close nature. - This EA never places, modifies or closes any order.
Expert advisor · MT5 · v1.0 · Free
About Skipped Signal Ledger
Skipped Signal Ledger is a script for MetaTrader 5. It can alert you with a pop-up, sound, email or push message. It has 7 settings, such as Lookback bars, Max spread points and Session start hour. MQL source code included.
Files in the download: SkippedSignalLedger.ex5, SkippedSignalLedger.mq5, SkippedSignalLedger.txt.
Settings
| Setting | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Lookback bars | 20 | Bars used to build the breakout high/low (base signal) |
| Max spread points | 30 | Gate: reject if current spread exceeds this many points |
| Session start hour | 7 | Gate: session start, server hour (0-23) |
| Session end hour | 20 | Gate: session end, server hour (0-23) - may wrap past midnight |
| Lots | 0.10 | Lots used only to estimate the margin gate, never traded |
| Min free margin after | 100.0 | Gate: required free margin remaining after the hypothetical trade |
| Log file name | SkippedSignalLedger.csv | CSV log, in MQL5\Files\ |
How to install
- Download the ZIP from your PolyMaria library and unzip it.
- In MetaTrader 5 open File → Open Data Folder, then go to MQL5 → Scripts.
- Copy the .mq5 file(s) there. Put any .mqh files in MQL5 → Include.
- Open the .mq5 file in MetaEditor and press Compile (F7) if MetaTrader does not show it.
- Drag the script onto a chart to run it once.
Tags: Breakout · Buy/Sell Arrows · Trading Sessions · Alerts · MT5 Expert Advisor · MQL5 Source Code