How to Set the Broker Server Time Offset in an MT4 or MT5 Trade Copier

If your MT4 or MT5 accounts show different broker server times, set Transmitter Server Offset Hours in the Receiver settings of Local Trade Copier EA. Subtract the Receiver’s server time from the Transmitter’s server time, using readings taken at the same moment. If the Transmitter is one hour behind the Receiver, enter −1. If it is one hour ahead, enter 1.

This matters when the Receiver uses the source trade’s timestamp to apply Copy Current Trades, Copy New Trades, Copying Delay in Seconds, or Copying Expiration in Seconds. The offset aligns the timestamps used by those rules. The broker clocks themselves stay as displayed.

Compare both broker clocks in Market Watch

1. Open View → Market Watch in the Transmitter and Receiver terminals. Confirm that both are connected to their respective broker servers.

2. Compare the two Market Watch times side by side during an active session. Use a symbol receiving fresh quotes on both terminals. If one reading looks stale, wait for fresh quotes before working out the hour difference.

3. Subtract Receiver server time from Transmitter server time. Use the broker clocks for the calculation. Your Windows clock and local time zone can differ from both.

4. Open the EA’s Inputs on the Receiver and enter the result under Transmitter Server Offset Hours. See the Settings & Inputs Guide for the related copying controls.

In the last example, the Receiver is already on the next calendar day. Include the date when comparing readings around midnight.

What the offset changes in a demo test

Suppose your Transmitter opens a trade at 11:30:00 on its broker clock. At that moment the Receiver’s broker clock reads 12:30:00. With a −1 offset, the source entry corresponds to 12:30:00 on the Receiver’s clock. Ten seconds later, at 12:30:10 Receiver time, the trade is ten seconds old.

That distinction matters if the Receiver has a short copying expiration. With Use Copying Expiration in Seconds = true and Copying Expiration in Seconds = 60, the Receiver has a limited window to copy an eligible source trade. A trade can also be subject to an intentional copying delay, price conditions, and the Receiver broker’s execution rules. See the guide to entry timing, price limits and retries for how those controls fit together.

Verify the offset on two demo accounts

1. Use two demo accounts with different broker server times and run both copier terminals on the same Windows PC or Windows VPS. The Installation Guide covers the Transmitter and Receiver setup.

2. Enter the calculated offset on the Receiver. On a clean demo setup, set Copy Current Trades = false and Copy New Trades = true. Start with Copying Delay in Seconds = 0 and expiration disabled. Choose a symbol and volume both brokers accept.

3. Open a fresh demo market trade. Check that the corresponding position appears on the Receiver. Record the trade times and compare them after accounting for the broker clock difference. Close the test positions before the next run.

4. If you plan to use expiration, enable it and run a second test with a fresh trade and a window long enough to observe the result, such as 60 seconds. If the trade stays uncopied, inspect the Receiver’s Experts and Journal tabs and check symbol mapping, filters, and trading permissions. The Troubleshooting Guide covers these checks.

When to recheck the value

Compare the clocks again after changing brokers or broker servers, or when one broker changes its server clock for daylight saving time. If the two brokers still differ by the same number of hours, the existing offset still applies.

For a copying-speed test, compare events using a common time reference. A one-hour difference in the displayed trade times can come from the brokers’ clocks. For a practical measurement setup, see How to Test Trade Copier Speed Between MT4 & MT5 Accounts.

Download the free MT4 or MT5 demo to verify the setting with your own broker combination.

Built for Fast and Reliable MT4/MT5 Trade Copying

Local Trade Copier EA MT4/5© is designed for fast local synchronization between MetaTrader terminals while giving each receiver account independent control over lot sizing, symbol mapping, trade filters and risk-management settings. Under suitable conditions, trades can typically be synchronized between local terminals in under 0.5 seconds.

Whether you need MT4-to-MT4, MT5-to-MT5 or cross-platform MT4 ↔ MT5 copying, you can test the software on demo accounts before deciding which version or configuration suits your setup.

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