The fastest way to lose money on MT4 isn’t a bad strategy — it’s slow execution. By the time you’ve mouse-navigated through three menus to place an order, the spread has widened and the setup is gone.
This cheatsheet covers every MT4 keyboard shortcut that exists, plus the 12 hotkeys that pay back their learning curve in the first week.
The 12 Shortcuts Every MT4 Trader Should Memorise
If you only learn 12, learn these:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| F9 | Open New Order dialog |
| F11 | Toggle full-screen mode |
| Ctrl+T | Toggle Terminal panel (Trade tab, Account, Journal) |
| Ctrl+M | Toggle Market Watch panel |
| Ctrl+N | Toggle Navigator panel |
| Ctrl+B | Open Objects List (manage drawing tools) |
| Ctrl+I | Open Indicators List on active chart |
| F8 | Chart Properties (background, grid, candle colours) |
| + / – | Zoom in / out on chart |
| F12 | Step forward one bar (replay mode) |
| Shift+F12 | Step backward one bar |
| Delete | Remove selected drawing object |
These cover 90% of daily MT4 actions. Master them and you’ll never miss a setup again.
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Order Placement Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| F9 | New Order dialog |
| One Click (toolbar toggle) | Skip confirmation dialog — instant buy/sell |
| Ctrl+F9 | Open Order Wizard (multi-step) |
For order management once positions are open, see How to Place a Trade on MT4.
Chart Navigation Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Page Down | Scroll forward in time (newer data) |
| Page Up | Scroll backward in time (older data) |
| Home | Jump to first available bar (oldest) |
| End | Jump to most recent bar (latest) |
| + | Zoom in (compress bars) |
| – | Zoom out (expand bars) |
| Up arrow | Scroll chart up |
| Down arrow | Scroll chart down |
| Left/Right arrow | Step backward/forward by one bar |
| F8 | Chart Properties (background, candle colours, grid) |
| F11 | Toggle full screen on/off |
| Ctrl+F5 | Apply previous template (cycle templates) |
| Backspace | Delete last drawn object |
Timeframe Shortcuts
Each timeframe has a hotkey via the chart toolbar:
| Shortcut | Timeframe |
|---|---|
| Click M1 toolbar button | 1-minute |
| Click M5 toolbar button | 5-minute |
| Click M15 toolbar button | 15-minute |
| Click M30 toolbar button | 30-minute |
| Click H1 toolbar button | 1-hour |
| Click H4 toolbar button | 4-hour |
| Click D1 toolbar button | Daily |
| Click W1 toolbar button | Weekly |
| Click MN toolbar button | Monthly |
MT4 doesn’t ship with keyboard shortcuts for timeframes — but you can assign custom hotkeys via Tools > Options > Hotkeys (covered below).
Indicator and Drawing Object Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+I | Open Indicators List on active chart |
| Ctrl+B | Open Objects List (drawings, lines, Fibos) |
| Insert | Toggle the crosshair on/off |
| \ (backslash) | Activate trendline drawing tool |
| F4 | Open MetaEditor (compile / edit indicators and EAs) |
Removing an indicator: select it on the chart, press Delete. The indicator disappears immediately — no confirmation.
Window and Panel Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+M | Toggle Market Watch panel |
| Ctrl+N | Toggle Navigator panel (indicators, EAs, accounts) |
| Ctrl+T | Toggle Terminal panel (Trade, Account History, Journal) |
| Ctrl+D | Toggle Data Window (cursor’s bar OHLC values) |
| Ctrl+R | Toggle Strategy Tester panel |
| Ctrl+Y | Toggle Period Separators (vertical lines at day boundaries) |
| Ctrl+G | Toggle Grid |
| Ctrl+L | Toggle Volumes histogram |
| Ctrl+W | Close active chart |
| Ctrl+F4 | Close active chart (alternative) |
| Ctrl+F6 | Cycle to next chart window |
| Ctrl+Tab | Cycle to next chart window (alternative) |
| F11 | Full-screen mode toggle |
Multi-Chart Shortcuts
When you have several charts open:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+F6 / Ctrl+Tab | Switch to next chart |
| Window menu → Tile, Cascade, Tile Vertically | Auto-arrange windows |
| Ctrl+Shift+W | Print active chart |
Combine with profiles to switch between multi-chart setups in one click.
Strategy Tester Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+R | Open Strategy Tester panel |
| F12 (during visual mode) | Pause / resume backtest |
For backtest configuration and reading reports, see MT4 Strategy Tester Guide.
Customising Your Own Shortcuts
MT4 lets you assign hotkeys to indicators, scripts, and EAs — useful for one-key indicator toggles or rapid EA attachment.
- Open Tools > Options > Hotkeys.
- The list shows every command available in MT4 with its current shortcut.
- Pick a command (e.g. an indicator name in the Custom Indicators section).
- Click Set Hotkey, press the key combination you want (e.g. Ctrl+Shift+M for “Add MACD”).
- Click Assign, then OK.
Now pressing your custom hotkey on any chart applies the indicator instantly.
Useful custom assignments:
- Ctrl+1 through Ctrl+9 for your 9 favourite indicators
- Ctrl+Shift+E to attach your most-used EA
- Ctrl+Shift+T to apply your default template
Tip: avoid overwriting MT4’s built-in shortcuts (F9, Ctrl+T, etc.). Stick to combinations involving Shift or Alt that aren’t pre-assigned.
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Pro Tips
- Print the PDF and tape it to your monitor. You’ll glance at it for the first week, then never again — by which point you’ll have memorised the 12 essentials.
- Use One Click Trading + F9 combination for fastest order placement during news.
- Bind your most-used indicator to a Ctrl+number shortcut — saves dozens of mouse clicks per day.
- Combine Ctrl+M + drag-and-drop: Ctrl+M shows Market Watch, then drag a symbol onto an existing chart to switch the chart’s pair without recreating indicators.
- Master full-screen mode (F11) — gives you 30% more chart real estate. Toggle on for analysis, off for order management.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the shortcut for new order in MT4?
F9. Press F9 with any chart selected to open the New Order dialog. The dialog auto-fills the symbol of the active chart.
How do I quickly switch between charts in MT4?
Ctrl+F6 or Ctrl+Tab cycles through open chart windows. Combined with profiles, this lets you flick through your full trading dashboard without using the mouse.
Can I add a hotkey to an indicator?
Yes. Tools > Options > Hotkeys lets you assign keyboard shortcuts to any indicator, script, or EA. Most useful for one-key application of frequently-used indicators.
What’s the shortcut for Strategy Tester?
Ctrl+R opens (and closes) the Strategy Tester panel. From there, configure parameters and click Start to run a backtest. See MT4 Strategy Tester Guide for full setup.
How do I delete an indicator quickly?
Click the indicator’s line on the chart to select it, then press Delete. The indicator vanishes immediately. To delete all indicators, open Ctrl+I Indicators List → select all → Remove.
Are there shortcuts for changing timeframes?
MT4 doesn’t include built-in shortcuts for timeframes by default. You can assign custom shortcuts via Tools > Options > Hotkeys for each “Periodicity Change” command, or click the M1/M5/M15/H1 buttons on the chart toolbar.
Related Tutorials
- How to Place a Trade on MT4 – Use F9 + One-Click Trading for fastest order placement
- MT4 Templates and Profiles Guide – Combine shortcuts with templates for one-key chart layouts
- How to Install Custom Indicators on MT4 – Add custom indicators, then assign them hotkeys
- MT4 Strategy Tester Guide – Press Ctrl+R to open, F12 to pause visual backtests