What Is the Navigator Window in MetaTrader?
The Navigator window in MetaTrader is the panel that lists the user’s accounts, indicators, Expert Advisors, scripts, and other resources available to the platform. It sits on the left side of the platform by default, below or beside the Market Watch window, and acts as the central place from which traders apply tools to charts. Most of the time spent setting up a workspace involves dragging items from the Navigator onto charts or right-clicking entries to launch them.
The Navigator appears in both MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. The two versions are broadly similar but include some differences in category structure, reflecting the wider feature set in MT5.
This article explains what the Navigator window contains, how it is organised, how to use it to apply indicators and Expert Advisors, and the practical differences between MT4 and MT5 versions.
Opening the Navigator
If the Navigator is not visible:
- In MT4 or MT5, click the View menu and select Navigator
- Alternatively, press the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+N
- The window appears as a panel, by default on the left side of the platform
Like the Market Watch, the Navigator can be detached and floated, docked to other edges, or hidden entirely. Closing it is done via the X in its title bar or by repeating the Ctrl+N shortcut.
What the Navigator Contains in MT4
The MT4 Navigator is organised into expandable categories:
Accounts lists the trading accounts configured on the platform. A single MT4 installation can hold multiple accounts (such as a demo and a live account at the same broker, or accounts from different brokers if the broker permits it). Double-clicking an account in the Accounts list switches the platform to that account. Right-clicking offers options to login, delete, or scan the server list.
Indicators lists all built-in technical indicators. They are grouped into sub-categories: Trend, Oscillators, Volumes, and Bill Williams. Each sub-category contains the standard indicators in that group. Dragging any indicator onto a chart applies it; double-clicking opens its configuration dialog.
Expert Advisors lists all installed Expert Advisors. New EAs added to the MQL4/Experts folder appear here after a refresh. Drag an EA onto a chart to attach it. The Examples sub-folder contains EAs that ship with MT4 for demonstration purposes.
Custom Indicators lists user-installed custom indicators from the MQL4/Indicators folder. They are applied to charts the same way as built-in indicators.
Scripts lists short MQL4 programs that execute once when attached to a chart, rather than running continuously. A script might close all open positions, place a specific order pattern, or perform a quick calculation. Scripts are not designed for long-running strategies; that role belongs to EAs.
At the bottom of the Navigator panel, two tabs are visible: Common (the default view described above) and Favorites (a customisable list of frequently used items). Items can be added to Favorites by right-clicking and selecting “Add to Favorites.”
What the Navigator Contains in MT5
The MT5 Navigator includes similar categories with some additions and modifications:
Accounts functions the same as in MT4.
Indicators is structured similarly but uses MT5’s revised category names and includes additional default indicators.
Expert Advisors is split into two sub-folders: Advisors (for EAs) and Examples (sample EAs that ship with MT5). MT5 EAs use MQL5 and are not interchangeable with MT4 EAs.
Market provides access to the MQL5 Market within the Navigator, allowing browsing and installation of indicators and EAs directly from the marketplace.
Scripts functions as in MT4 but uses MQL5 scripts rather than MQL4.
Services is unique to MT5. It lists background services that run independently of charts, such as data feeds or analytical services.
MT5 also includes a Signals subscription feature, accessed from a separate panel rather than the Navigator, allowing users to subscribe to other traders’ trade signals.
Refreshing the Navigator
When a new EA, custom indicator, or script is added to its respective folder, the Navigator may not display it immediately. To refresh:
- Right-click on the category header (such as Expert Advisors or Custom Indicators) and select Refresh
- The Navigator re-reads the folder and displays the newly added items
If a refresh does not work, restarting MetaTrader forces a complete reload. Items not appearing after both a refresh and a restart usually indicate a problem with the file: it may be in the wrong folder, the file may be corrupt, or the platform may have rejected it for security reasons (in the case of compiled .ex4 or .ex5 files from untrusted sources).
Applying Items from the Navigator
The standard way to use the Navigator is to drag an item onto a chart. The cursor changes to a drag indicator, and releasing over a chart applies the item to that chart’s symbol.
Alternative methods include:
Double-clicking an item in the Navigator. The configuration dialog opens, and the item is applied to the currently active chart when OK is clicked.
Right-clicking an item. The context menu offers options such as Attach to a chart, Modify (which opens the source in MetaEditor for items the user has access to edit), Delete from disk, and Add to Favorites.
The active chart, for the purposes of double-clicking, is the chart with the highlighted title bar. If no chart is open, double-clicking has no effect; an item must be dragged onto an existing chart, or a chart must be opened first.
Practical Uses of the Navigator
Beyond simply listing resources, the Navigator supports several common workflows.
Switching between accounts. Traders with multiple accounts (different brokers, demo versus live, different account types) use the Accounts section to switch quickly. The platform remembers the chart layouts for each account separately, so switching brings up the appropriate setup.
Comparing indicator variants. A trader testing different parameter sets for an indicator can drag the indicator from the Navigator multiple times onto the same chart, configuring each instance differently.
Quick EA deployment. When testing a new EA, dragging it from the Navigator onto multiple charts at once allows trading multiple symbols simultaneously. Each instance runs independently.
Organising via Favorites. Traders who use a small subset of indicators and EAs regularly find that adding them to the Favorites tab speeds up the workflow, since Favorites display together regardless of category.
Common Issues
An installed EA does not appear in the Navigator.
Verify the file is in the correct folder (MQL4/Experts for MT4, MQL5/Experts for MT5), not MQL4/Indicators or MQL4/Scripts. Right-click the Expert Advisors category and select Refresh. If still missing, the file may not have compiled successfully. Open MetaEditor and check for errors.
An EA appears in the Navigator but with a different icon than expected.
Different icons indicate different states. A normal black-and-white icon indicates a healthy, ready-to-run EA. A red icon may indicate a compilation error or that the file failed to load properly.
The Accounts section shows duplicate entries.
Older or stale account entries can accumulate when servers change. Right-click duplicates and select Delete to clean up the list. The active account cannot be deleted while in use.
Dragging an item does nothing.
The chart underneath may not be the active chart, or the item may be incompatible with the chart type. Custom indicators occasionally fail to attach if their dependencies (such as DLL libraries) are not enabled in platform settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I open the Navigator in MT4? Click the View menu and select Navigator, or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+N. The Navigator appears on the left side of the platform by default.
What is the difference between Indicators and Custom Indicators in the Navigator? Indicators lists the built-in technical indicators that ship with MetaTrader. Custom Indicators lists those installed by the user from the MQL4/Indicators or MQL5/Indicators folder. Both can be applied to charts the same way.
Why does my Navigator have an Accounts section? The Accounts section shows trading accounts configured on the platform. A single installation can hold demo and live accounts, and accounts from multiple brokers if the broker setup permits. Switching between accounts is done from this section.
Can I add my own categories to the Navigator? No. The categories are fixed by the platform. The Favorites tab can be used to consolidate frequently used items across categories, but new top-level categories cannot be created.
Why does the Navigator look different in MT5 compared to MT4? MT5 has additional categories (Market and Services) reflecting its broader feature set. The Indicators category includes more default indicators in MT5, and the Expert Advisors folder is organised slightly differently. The basic function and usage pattern are the same.
How do I refresh the Navigator after installing a new EA or indicator? Right-click the relevant category header (Expert Advisors or Custom Indicators) and select Refresh. If the new file does not appear, restart MetaTrader to force a full reload.
Can I run scripts from the Navigator? Yes. Scripts are listed in their own category in the Navigator. Dragging a script onto a chart runs it once. Scripts differ from EAs in that they execute their logic immediately and then stop, rather than continuing to run on every tick.