Getting Started
Install a cBot or custom indicator
A downloaded tool needs to be installed in the correct cTrader app before you can use it. The procedure below is for Windows and Mac desktop; installation is separate from starting a cBot or attaching an indicator.
Understand the file first
An .algo file is a cTrader algorithm package. It may contain a cBot, indicator or another supported algorithm type. It can be distributed with or without editable source, so successful installation does not guarantee that you can inspect or change its code.
A .cs file is C# source, not the same thing as an installable .algo package. A ZIP may contain a whole source project or an .algo inside it. Read the supplier’s instructions and inspect the contents rather than changing a file extension. Only install tools from a source you trust, and review any requested access.
Install on Windows or Mac
- Install and open cTrader desktop, then sign in with the cTrader ID you intend to use. Keep your first test on a demo trading account.
- Locate the downloaded .algo file. If it arrived in an archive, extract it first. Open the .algo file on your computer; on Windows this is normally a double-click, and on Mac open it with cTrader.
- Follow the cTrader installation/start dialogue. A cBot package may open a start window with an account, symbol, period and execution choice. Review these before starting; installation alone is not a reason to run it.
- Open Algo and look in cBots or Indicators according to the package type. Select the installed tool and read its available settings. A protected package may have no editable source.
- For an indicator, open a chart in the desktop Trade area, open the indicator selector and choose your custom indicator. Set its inputs and add it to the chart. For a cBot, use the separate demo-running guide to configure an instance.
Store, synchronisation and other apps
For tools obtained through cTrader Store, use the product’s Install option while signed in to the intended cTrader account. With cloud synchronisation enabled, the installed algorithm is delivered to your desktop apps. Check that you are using the same cTrader ID if it appears on one device but not another.
These desktop instructions should not be applied to Web as a local file-opening workflow. Mobile can receive supported algorithm files, and Web and Mobile can manage cloud cBots, but custom indicators are used on Windows and Mac. Installing a package on an account does not make every algorithm type usable in every app.
If the tool does not appear
Check the file extension and download location first. A browser error page saved as a file, a partial download or an unextracted archive is not a working package. If the operating system does not associate .algo with cTrader, use its Open with facility to select the installed desktop app.
Next, confirm the algorithm category, signed-in identity and synchronisation settings. Check the supplier’s required cTrader version and any licence or account restriction. If installation reports an error, keep its full text and the package version. Ask the supplier for a compatible package rather than repeatedly starting unrelated files.
Installation is only the first check
An indicator should be visibly attached to the intended chart; a cBot needs a configured and running instance. Verify inputs on demo and inspect logs before relying on either. If you only have source code, create or open the correct project type and build it in cTrader Windows or Mac instead of trying to import it as an .algo file.