MT5 hedging vs netting when you copy trades
On a hedging account each copied signal is its own position. On a netting account signals on one symbol merge. Here is what that does to stops, partial closes and caps.
On a hedging MT5 account every copied signal becomes its own position. On a netting account, signals on the same symbol merge into one position. That difference decides whether a copier's partial closes, stops and take profits behave the way the signal room intended, so check which kind of account you have before you copy anything to MT5.
CopySignals is a cloud Telegram signal copier for MT4, MT5 and eTrader: it reads the rooms you already follow through your own Telegram account and places the trades on your own broker account. This article explains hedging and netting in terms of copied signals, with one worked example, and says plainly what we do and do not state about netting accounts.
What is the difference between hedging and netting in MT5?
MetaQuotes' help page for MetaTrader 5 says that the system used depends on the account and is set by the broker. You do not choose it in the terminal. Under netting, the same page says "you can have only one common position for a symbol at the same time". Under hedging, "you can have multiple open positions of one and the same symbol, including opposite positions".
The rest follows from those two sentences. A new deal on a hedging account opens an additional position and leaves the existing one alone. A deal in the opposite direction on a netting account can shrink the position, close it, or reverse it, according to the same page.
Why does it matter when you copy Telegram signals?
A signal copier works in tickets and positions, and a signal room thinks in trades. The room may post three buys on EURUSD in a morning, each with its own stop and targets, and later post "close the second one". On a hedging account that maps cleanly: three positions, and you can close the second. On a netting account there is one EURUSD position, and the "second trade" is only a slice of its volume that no longer exists as a separate thing.
Anything the room says about one trade in particular is affected: a break even on the first trade only, a partial close at TP1 of the third, a stop moved on the second. If you have not read how these updates work, the article on break even and partial close from signal updates covers the trigger side.
What happens to two signals on the same symbol?
Take an invented example, not a real trade. Signal A is a buy on EURUSD with a stop at 1.0820 and a take profit at 1.0880. An hour later signal B is another buy on EURUSD with a stop at 1.0830 and a take profit at 1.0910. Each is 0.10 lots on your account.
| Hedging account | Netting account | |
|---|---|---|
| After A | One position, 0.10 lots, stop 1.0820, target 1.0880 | One position, 0.10 lots, stop 1.0820, target 1.0880 |
| After B | Two positions, 0.10 lots each, each with its own stop and target | One position, 0.20 lots, with stop and target set from the latest order |
| Room says "close A" | Close the position that came from A | Sell 0.10 lots, which shrinks the combined position |
| Room posts a sell on EURUSD | A third, opposite position opens beside the two buys | The sell reduces, closes or reverses the buy position, depending on volume |
The netting column draws on MetaQuotes' description: when a position volume is increased or the position is reversed under netting, Take Profit and Stop Loss are placed according to the latest order. In the example, A's stop at 1.0820 is replaced by B's at 1.0830 for the whole 0.20 lots. That may be fine. It may also be nothing like the plan of either signal, and a copier that does not warn you will not tell you.
MetaQuotes' page on performing deals describes the closing side. On a netting account you close by performing an opposite operation for the same symbol and volume, and on a hedging account you pick the Close Position command on the position itself. It also says a partial close is made by entering the volume to close.
Does a copier need to know which account type you have?
Yes. MetaCopier's documentation page on copier settings, which we read for this article, does not mention netting or hedging, so what it does on a netting follower is a question for its vendor. Duplikium's home page lists MT5 among its supported platforms and does not discuss account types either. Neither is a criticism: a page that is silent is a gap, not a limit, and you fill it by asking before you pay.
The same goes for us. Our product description covers MT4, MT5 and eTrader accounts and what the copier does with the trade: break even, partial close, trailing stop, the exit when the room reports a stop. It does not describe netting behaviour in detail. If your MT5 account is netting, ask us before you connect it, and run the first week on a demo account with the same type.
How do you find out which account type you have?
Ask your broker, or open two small trades in the same direction on the same symbol on a demo account. If you end up with two separate positions, it is a hedging account. If you end up with one position of the combined volume, it is netting. The broker sets it per account, so a demo account is only a good test if it is the same account type as your live one.
Prop firms add a second layer. The firm's rules decide what you may hold, and the platform decides how it is shown, so read both. Our article on prop firm rules and trade copiers covers the rule side.
What should you set up differently on a netting account?
Four settings change in importance.
A cap on open positions. On hedging, five signals are five positions and a cap counts them. On netting, five signals on EURUSD may be one position, so a cap of five positions would not stop the volume growing. Cap the lot as well. The article on the maximum open positions cap covers the arithmetic, and the maximum lot on each account limits the combined size either way.
Take profits. Splitting a trade across TP1, TP2 and TP3 is built on several partial closes of one trade. Under netting, those closes are opposite deals against a position that may already hold other signals, so test the split before relying on it. The settings are explained in multiple take profits explained.
Reverse and opposite signals. Under netting, an opposite signal on a symbol you already hold nets against it. If the room often flips on the same pair, you will see positions shrink and reverse instead of hedge. Read a few days of your event log to learn how your room behaves.
Stops. If the account sets the stop from the latest order, check the stop on the combined position after every second signal on a symbol.
Which account type is better for copying signals?
For copying several signals on one symbol, hedging is the easier fit, because each signal keeps its own stop, target and ticket, and a room's instruction about one trade maps to one position. Netting is a valid way to trade, and plenty of traders prefer a single clean position, but it asks more of the copier and of you. If your broker offers both, that is the reason to ask for hedging, and it is the one choice here that makes copying simpler. Trading carries risk either way, and an account type does not change that.
The same question comes up between accounts you own. When you mirror a master account to followers at other brokers, a hedging master and a netting follower do not hold the same set of positions. The guides to copying trades between your own accounts and MT5 trade copiers go through that setup.
Where CopySignals fits
CopySignals runs the MetaTrader terminal for each connected account on its own servers, so nothing at home has to stay on, and one copier can send a signal to accounts on MT4, MT5 and eTrader at their own sizes. It supports MT4, MT5 and eTrader only. The MT4 and MT5 trade copier page shows the product. Plans start at $14 a month, every plan includes the whole product, and there is a 30 day money back guarantee. Details are on the pricing page.
Sources
- Position accounting systems, MetaTrader 5 help, MetaQuotes, checked 11 October 2026
- Performing deals, MetaTrader 5 help, MetaQuotes, checked 11 October 2026
- Copiers, basic features documentation, MetaCopier, checked 11 October 2026
- Duplikium home page, Duplikium, checked 11 October 2026