The best first demo session has a small, concrete aim: connect the intended account, place a planned practice order, change it and close it correctly. A large virtual profit is less useful if you cannot explain which symbol, volume and exit produced it.
Create the demo in your existing Personal Area
The broker’s account-creation instructions describe selecting Open new account, choosing MT4 or MT5 and the desired account type, then Try demo. Set the currency, leverage, trading password and virtual balance before creating it. Use the options available to your account; you do not need a separate Personal Area for each demo.
If you are new to the company, first read the registration guide. Creating a demo is not evidence that the company will accept a later live account under the same conditions in every jurisdiction.
Record the account number and demo server. Follow the relevant MT4 connection steps or MT5 connection steps, then confirm the demo label before submitting anything.
Use a balance that makes the exercise meaningful
A huge virtual balance can hide position-sizing mistakes. Choose a balance close to the scale you want to understand and keep the leverage consistent through the exercise. This is a practice design choice, not a recommendation to fund a real account with that amount.
For an illustrative USD account with $1,000 virtual equity, a 1% planned loss budget is $10. If EUR/USD uses a 100,000-unit standard lot, one pip is $10 per standard lot. With a 20-pip stop distance, $10 ÷ (20 × $10) gives 0.05 standard lots before costs. Spread, commission and slippage can make the realised loss larger; the contract and allowed volume step must also be checked.
That example is about cash exposure, not required margin. The leverage guide explains why choosing higher leverage does not make a given price move less expensive.
A practice session with a clear finish
- Confirm the demo account, symbol specification and chart timeframe.
- Write the planned direction, entry type, volume and stop before opening the order ticket.
- Check that the ticket matches the plan, then submit the practice order.
- Locate the open position and distinguish it from an unfilled pending order.
- Practise modifying a stop, cancelling a pending order and closing an open position as separate tasks.
- Find the final history record and compare planned versus displayed outcome.
Keep notes on operational mistakes: wrong account, wrong suffix, incorrect lot units, missed confirmation or an exit applied to the wrong position. Fix one cause before repeating the exercise. A repeatable process matters more than winning the practice trade.
What demo cannot settle
Virtual funds cannot demonstrate whether a deposit or withdrawal works. Simulated fills also cannot establish the price available for your future live order, particularly around news or gaps. Treat the result as evidence of what happened in that demo session, not a broker performance guarantee.
There is also an account-condition difference to watch: the broker’s swap-free help says its swap-free status does not apply to demo accounts. Do not infer live overnight treatment from a demo swap entry alone. Compare the intended live account’s current terms separately.
If you practise in a browser, use the WebTrader guide and confirm that you selected the demo route. A browser tab and desktop terminal may show different account sessions.
Keep records before an inactive demo is archived
The broker’s archiving policy describes different inactivity conditions: MT4 demos after 45 days without login; MT5 demos after 14 days without trading activity and with no open trades. These are demo-account conditions, not a deadline to deposit real money.
Save the notes or reports you need for your learning record. If a demo disappears, first check the selected platform and account list. Recreating a practice account may be reasonable, but do not confuse that new starting balance with the performance of the old account.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to deposit money to use a demo?
Demo practice uses virtual funds. Do not make a real deposit merely to rehearse the platform workflow; check that the selected account is marked demo.
What demo balance should I choose?
Choose a realistic amount for the scale you want to study and keep it consistent. The purpose is to understand cash exposure and platform actions, not to make an oversized virtual account look successful.
Does demo profit prove a strategy will work live?
No. It documents a simulated result under that session’s conditions. Live costs, execution, market conditions and decisions can differ.
Can a demo account expire?
Yes. The broker documents different inactivity archiving conditions for MT4 and MT5 demos. Keep useful records and check the current policy rather than assuming the account remains indefinitely.
Sources and scope
Official public documentation checked on 14 September 2026. Account-specific screens and the agreement with your assigned company govern. This guide does not claim a funded-account or execution test.
