How to Close All Trades at Once on MT4

When the market turns against you, when a news release looms, or when a trading session ends and you want to start clean tomorrow, closing all open positions quickly becomes important. MetaTrader 4 does not have a single "Close All" button in its standard user interface, but several methods exist to close every position you have open. Some are slow but always available; others are faster but depend on whether your MT4 build or installation includes the necessary tools.

This guide covers the available methods for closing all open trades on MT4, the situations where bulk close is useful, the slippage risk that accompanies rapid bulk close in fast markets, and how the approach differs on MT4 mobile.

When Traders Close All Trades at Once

Closing all positions in one batch is useful in several scenarios. These are descriptions of common situations, not advice.

Risk-off in a fast market: if news or geopolitical developments are about to move prices unpredictably and you do not want any exposure during the volatility, closing everything is one approach.

End of trading day or session: some traders prefer to start each session flat, with no overnight risk. Closing all positions at the close of their session removes swap exposure and lets them assess the next day without legacy positions.

Strategy switch: if you are moving from one trading approach to another, closing existing positions creates a clean slate for the new strategy.

Hedging removal: if you opened hedged positions (long and short on the same instrument) to flatten exposure temporarily, closing all of them removes the hedge entirely.

The methods below work regardless of the reason.

The Reality: No Native "Close All" Button in MT4

In the standard MT4 interface, there is no single menu item, button, or keyboard shortcut that closes all open positions at once. The Terminal Trade tab's right-click menu offers Close Order for the individual position you clicked, but not a global close-all option. This is a function of how MetaQuotes designed MT4; it is not a quirk of any specific broker's setup.

To close all trades, you use one of several workarounds described below.

Method 1: Close Each Position Manually

This is the slowest approach but the most reliable. It is always available regardless of MT4 build.

Press Ctrl+T to open the Terminal window. The Trade tab lists your open positions. For each position:

Right-click the position row.

Select Close Order.

In the Order dialog, click the yellow Close button.

Repeat for the next position.

With a small number of positions this is workable. With many positions, the time taken between the first close and the last close can mean the last positions close at noticeably different prices than the first.

Method 2: Use a Script

MetaTrader 4 supports MQL4 scripts that can perform actions like closing all open positions in one execution. Scripts are run by dragging them onto a chart from the Navigator window.

Press Ctrl+N to open the Navigator. Expand the Scripts node. If a close-all script is installed (commonly named something like CloseAllOrders or CloseAllPositions), drag it onto any open chart. The script runs immediately and closes all positions matching its criteria.

Whether a close-all script is included depends on your MT4 installation. Some builds ship with such a script; others do not. Custom scripts can be obtained from the MQL5 Code Base, written in MQL4 by anyone with programming experience, or commissioned. When using any third-party script, review its source code or its provider's reputation before running it on a live account.

A close-all script typically does not ask for confirmation per position. Once you drag it onto the chart, the closes happen automatically. Make sure you mean to close everything before launching it.

Method 3: Use an Expert Advisor

Expert Advisors (EAs) are programs that can monitor markets and execute trades automatically. Some EAs include a "panic close" or "close all" function that runs on a button press or trigger condition.

If you use an EA that includes such a function, follow the EA's documentation to invoke it. Otherwise, this method requires either acquiring or building an EA with that feature.

Like scripts, EAs that close all positions do so quickly and without per-position confirmation. The same caution applies.

Multiple-Row Selection in the Terminal

In some MT4 builds, you can select multiple rows in the Terminal Trade tab using Ctrl+click to add individual positions to a selection, or Shift+click to select a range. Whether the right-click Close Order then applies to all selected rows depends on the build. Test this on a demo before relying on it on live positions; the standard MT4 behaviour is to right-click only on the row directly clicked.

Closing Pending Orders Is a Separate Process

A "close all" approach for open positions does not delete pending orders. Buy Limit, Sell Limit, Buy Stop, and Sell Stop orders that have not yet triggered are separate from open positions and require their own deletion process (typically right-click in Terminal > Modify or Delete Order > Delete button).

If you want a true clean slate, close all positions and also delete all pending orders. Scripts and EAs that handle both exist; check whether the close-all tool you are using handles pending orders as well as positions.

Closing All Trades on MT4 Mobile

The MT4 mobile app does not have a bulk close feature. Each position must be closed individually: tap the position in the Trade tab, select Close Order, and confirm. For traders who want to close many positions on mobile, this is unavoidable; the desktop platform is faster for bulk close.

Practical Considerations

Bulk close in fast markets carries slippage risk. The first position closes at one price; subsequent positions close at later prices that may have moved against you. In a sharply moving market, the price degradation between the first and last close can be significant.

Verify the close worked by checking two places after a bulk-close operation. The Trade tab should show no open positions (or only the ones you intended to keep). The Account History tab shows the closed positions with timestamps and realised P&L.

The maximum number of open and pending orders combined per client at TIOmarkets is 200. If you regularly run close to this limit, having a reliable close-all method in place is more important than for traders with only a handful of positions.

Demo accounts let you practise bulk-close approaches without risking funds. Confirm the behaviour of any script or EA on demo first.

Trading at TIOmarkets

TIOmarkets offers MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 on desktop, web, and mobile, across four account types. The Standard account is created automatically on registration with a minimum deposit of $20 or currency equivalent. The Raw and VIP Black accounts are opened separately through the client area. The Nano account is MT5 only with a $20 minimum deposit, USD only. Hedging is supported on all accounts. A swap-free Islamic account is available; contact TIOmarkets for eligibility and instrument requirements. Copy trading is available on both MT4 and MT5.

Orders are executed at the best available market price, which may result in positive or negative slippage. Demo accounts often execute instantly and may not fully replicate live slippage conditions. Spreads are variable and are typically higher than minimum figures shown. Leverage on each instrument is subject to change depending on market conditions and applicable regulatory requirements. You can review the full list of account types on the TIOmarkets accounts page.