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Partial Close in MT5 and MT4: Six Ways to Set the Levels

By Brendon, a trader for 15 years and the maker of Stopline Trade Manager. Updated 27 October 2026.

A partial close takes part of a position off at a level and lets the rest run, to lock in some profit before the final take profit. MetaTrader 5 and MetaTrader 4 can close part of a position by hand; placing the levels and closing there automatically is what a trade manager adds.

Two Decisions: Where and How Much

Every partial-close plan answers two questions for each level: where it sits (the level) and how much it closes (the lot). Stopline Trade Manager closes a position in up to ten steps.

Six Ways to Place the Levels

The example: a buy of 1.00 lot at 1.10000, stop loss 1.09800 (200 points, 20 pips), take profit 1.10600, three levels.

Level by	You type	Level prices
Automatic: evenly between the entry and the take profit	nothing	1.10150, 1.10300, 1.10450
Price	1.10200, 1.10400, 1.10500	1.10200, 1.10400, 1.10500
Points from the entry	200, 400, 500	1.10200, 1.10400, 1.10500
Reward-to-risk (multiples of the initial risk)	1, 2, 2.5	1.10200, 1.10400, 1.10500
Percent change from the entry	0.1, 0.2, 0.3	1.10110, 1.10220, 1.10330
Percent of the take-profit distance (negative: of the stop-loss distance)	25, 50, 75, or -50	1.10150, 1.10300, 1.10450, or 1.09900

Reward-to-risk levels scale with the stop: move the stop and the levels move with it, so "take half off at 1 R" means the same thing on every trade. Price and points suit fixed targets such as a round number or the last swing.

Three Ways to Size Each Close

With lot values 30, 30 and 40 on the 1.00-lot position (volume step 0.01):

Lot by	Closes	Left open
Percent of the initial lot	0.30, 0.30, 0.40	0.00
Percent of the current lot	0.30, 0.21, 0.19 (40 % of 0.49 = 0.196, rounded down)	0.30
Fixed lots	the lots you type	the rest

Closes are rounded down to the volume step and never exceed the remaining volume.

When a Level Fires

• A level triggers when the closing price reaches it: the Bid for a buy, the Ask for a sell.
• Each level fires once per position, even after a terminal restart, one level at a time.
• Negative values place a level on the loss side, to reduce a losing position before the stop.
• Take-profit levels set on the Trade tab (up to five, each with its own share of the lot) replace the In Parts levels for that position.

MetaTrader 4 and Netting Accounts

In MetaTrader 4 a partial close gives the rest of the position a new ticket; the panel follows it, so the remaining levels, the trailing stop and breakeven continue. On MetaTrader 5 netting accounts the levels are based on the merged position.

Partial Close in Stopline Trade Manager

The In Parts tab holds the levels, the lot method and an Auto distribute button; the chip PC in the header shows that new positions get them. Each level is drawn on the chart as a line you can drag. It works the same on MetaTrader 5 and MetaTrader 4.

Watch it in the video manual of Stopline Trade Manager, at 22:59.

If closing in parts by hand is enough, Stopline Trade Manager EZ, free on the MQL5 Market, closes a percentage of a position with one press and takes profit at up to five levels, each closing its own share.

Questions

How Do I Close Half of a Position in MT5?

Open the Trade tab with Ctrl+T, double-click the position, type half its volume in the Volume field (0.50 of a 1.00-lot position) and press Close. The rest stays open with the same stop loss and take profit. On MetaTrader 4 the rest gets a new ticket. To close parts at set levels while you are away from the screen, you need an Expert Advisor such as Stopline Trade Manager, which closes a position at up to ten levels.