How to Save a Chart Template on MT4
BY TIOmarkets
|June 9, 2026A chart template in MT4 stores the full visual configuration of a chart: colours, applied indicators, drawn objects, timeframe, scaling, and various display options. Saving a chart as a template means you can apply that exact configuration to any other chart with one click, instead of recreating it from scratch each time. Templates are one of the most useful productivity features in MT4, especially for traders who use a consistent visual setup across multiple instruments.
This guide covers what templates store, how to save and apply them, how to set a default template that applies to all new charts, where templates live on your computer, and how templates differ from profiles.
What a Template Stores
A template saves the visual state of a single chart. Specifically, this includes:
- The colour scheme (background, foreground, grid, bull and bear candles, line colours, and so on)
- Applied indicators along with their parameters and visual settings
- Drawing objects such as trendlines, horizontal lines, Fibonacci levels, rectangles, and any other annotations
- The chart's timeframe at the moment of saving
- Chart scaling, scale fix settings, and chart shift
- OHLC display, period separators, ask line, and other Show options
- Volumes display setting
A template does not save your account credentials, trade history, profile state, or anything related to the rest of the MT4 workspace. It is purely a per-chart visual configuration.
How to Save a Chart as a Template
There are two ways to save the current chart as a template.
The first is the right-click menu. Right-click anywhere on the chart and hover over Template in the context menu. A submenu appears; select Save Template. A file save dialog opens.
The second is the menu bar. With the chart in focus, click Charts > Template > Save Template. The same file save dialog opens.
In the save dialog, enter a descriptive name for the template (for example, "EUR Major Daily" or "Scalping M5"). Click Save. The template is saved as a .tpl file in the MQL4/Profiles/Templates folder of your MT4 installation and becomes available from the Template menu thereafter.
Choosing a Template Name
A descriptive name makes templates easier to manage as your collection grows. Consider naming conventions such as:
- By trading style: "Day Trading H1," "Swing D1," "Scalping M5"
- By instrument type: "Forex Standard," "Stocks Dark," "Indices Clean"
- By colour scheme: "Dark Default," "High Contrast"
- By purpose: "Pre Market Analysis," "Live Trading View"
Avoid generic names like "Template1" or "test" if you plan to build up several templates; you will struggle to remember which is which. Names can contain spaces and most punctuation, but it is generally cleaner to use letters, numbers, and basic separators.
How to Apply a Template to Another Chart
To apply a saved template to a different chart:
Step 1: Open the chart you want to apply the template to (or click on an existing chart to give it focus).
Step 2: Right-click the chart and hover over Template, or click Charts > Template from the menu bar.
Step 3: Select your template from the list. The template's settings are applied immediately. The chart's colour scheme, indicators, drawings, and other settings are replaced with those of the template.
The new template completely replaces the previous chart configuration. Any indicators or drawings that were on the chart before are removed and replaced with those stored in the template. If you want to preserve the original setup, save the previous configuration as its own template first.
Setting a Default Template for All New Charts
Every time you open a new chart in MT4, the platform applies the default template to it. By default this is a basic out-of-the-box configuration. You can override it by saving your own template with the filename "default".
To set your custom configuration as the new default, save the template through Charts > Template > Save Template (or right-click > Template > Save Template) and enter "default" (without the quotes) as the filename. Click Save. MT4 overwrites the existing default.tpl file with your configuration.
From that point on, any new chart you open uses your default template, including colour scheme, indicators, drawings, and other settings.
To revert to the original out-of-the-box default, save a template based on the standard Black on White colour scheme with no indicators or drawings, and name it "default", overwriting your custom default.
Where Templates Are Stored on Your Computer
Templates are stored as .tpl files in the MQL4/Profiles/Templates folder of your MT4 installation. To access this folder directly:
Step 1: In MT4, click File > Open Data Folder. Windows Explorer (or your operating system's file browser) opens at the MT4 data folder for your installation.
Step 2: Navigate into MQL4 > Profiles > Templates. You will see a .tpl file for each template you have saved, plus default.tpl if it exists.
The folder is the canonical location for templates. Adding a .tpl file to this folder makes it available in the Template menu inside MT4. Removing a file from the folder removes the template from the list (after MT4 refreshes, which happens on restart or when the Templates menu is reopened).
Sharing Templates with Other Traders
Because templates are simple .tpl files, you can share them by copying the file from one MT4 installation to another.
To share a template:
Step 1: Open the Templates folder on your installation (File > Open Data Folder > MQL4 > Profiles > Templates).
Step 2: Copy the .tpl file for the template you want to share.
Step 3: Send the file to another trader (via email, messaging, cloud share, or any standard file transfer method).
Step 4: The recipient saves the file into their own MQL4/Profiles/Templates folder. After restarting MT4 or refreshing the Template menu, the new template appears in their list.
Shared templates work on any MT4 installation that has the same indicators available. If the template references a custom or third-party indicator that the recipient does not have installed, the indicator does not appear on the chart (although the rest of the template is applied).
Templates vs Profiles: Key Distinction
Templates and profiles are often confused. The difference matters.
A template stores the configuration of one chart: its colours, indicators, drawings, timeframe, and so on.
A profile stores the configuration of the whole MT4 workspace: which charts are open, their arrangement (tile or cascade or free positioning), and the templates applied to each. Profiles also remember whether charts are detached.
In practice: you use templates to keep individual charts consistent, and profiles to keep your full workstation layout consistent. A profile can contain multiple charts, each using a different template.
To save a profile, use File > Profiles > Save As. To load a profile, use File > Profiles and select from the list.
Practical Considerations
Templates are not tied to a specific instrument. The same template can be applied to a EURUSD chart and a XAUUSD chart; the colour scheme and indicators carry over, and the timeframe is applied. Some drawing objects may not make sense on the new instrument (for example, a Fibonacci retracement specific to a EURUSD swing has fixed price coordinates that do not apply to XAUUSD), so review drawings after applying a template across instruments.
Updating a template requires re-saving over the original file. Modify the chart in the way you want, then save the template again under the same name when prompted to overwrite the existing file. The new version replaces the old.
Templates work identically on MT5, but MT5 stores its templates in MQL5/Profiles/Templates and uses a slightly different .tpl file format. Templates cannot be transferred between MT4 and MT5; each platform requires its own set.
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Behind every blog post lies the combined experience of the people working at TIOmarkets. We are a team of dedicated industry professionals and financial markets enthusiasts committed to providing you with trading education and financial markets commentary. Our goal is to help empower you with the knowledge you need to trade in the markets effectively.
