Get started in 3 steps.

A computer gives you more room for the first setup; a phone or tablet works too. Keep this guide open and use the action links to open Shadow in another tab.

The eligible Basic trial is USD 0 for seven days, with one Master and one Slave. A card is required at Stripe Checkout after email verification. Read the trial and renewal explanation before deciding.

You will need the numeric trading account ID, the trading Master password and the exact trading server. These come from HFM, not from your Shadow login. If you do not have an account yet, follow the HFM route below.

Shadow currently connects HFM MT5 accounts for supported gold instruments XAUUSD and XAUUSDC, including supported cent accounts. MT4 and other brokers are not supported. A Master is your main trading account; a Slave is an optional additional account that can follow it.

Use the button below. Check that the selected plan is Basic. If you already have a Shadow account, log in to that account instead of creating another.

Check the email spelling carefully. Use an address you can access now because the next step requires an email verification link.

Use a unique Shadow password. The SHOW button lets you check for typing mistakes. This is not your HFM trading password.

If you were given a referral code, check or enter it before submitting; otherwise leave it blank. Read the Terms, Billing Policy, Privacy Notice and Risk Disclosure, then tick the agreement box only if you accept them.

Complete the browser verification if shown, then press Start Basic Trial. This creates your login; the trial is activated only after the later billing confirmation. Leave the verification page open.

Look for the Shadow verification message. If it is missing, check Spam, Junk and other inbox folders.

Links expire after 24 hours. If it has expired or no message arrived, use Send a Fresh Verification Link on the verification page. A new link replaces the previous one.

Use the email and Shadow password you just created. If verification opened another browser or device, sign in there to continue.

Review the risk disclosure and user agreement shown by Shadow. Accept them if you agree, then continue to Billing & Trial. Acceptance does not place a trade.

Check the plan, seven-day trial and price that will apply afterward. Higher tiers charge at Checkout. One eligible Basic trial is available per customer.

The card supports the one-trial-per-customer policy and helps discourage duplicate accounts and repeat-trial abuse. It also sets up the automatic subscription if you continue after the trial. It is not only an anti-abuse requirement.

The consent explains the required card, seven free days, one Master plus one Slave, and automatic renewal every 30 days unless cancelled. Read it before continuing.

Enter the requested card and billing details on Stripe, check the amount due today and future subscription terms, and complete any bank authentication. Proceed only if the checkout matches the trial you intended.

Keep the checkout flow open until Shadow confirms activation. Creating your login, closing checkout or seeing a return URL alone does not activate access. Trading Account Settings unlocks after confirmed billing.

Open Billing & Trial to see your actual end date. Set your own reminder. To avoid the first charge, open Manage Billing in Stripe, complete cancellation before the trial ends, and check that cancellation is confirmed. A reminder is not scheduled by this guide.

New to HFM? Use the new-account guide below, complete HFM registration and any verification it requests, then create a supported MT5 trading account. Already with HFM? Locate your existing MT5 account in myHF. Broker availability and requirements depend on HFM and your region.

Use the trading account information HFM provides. The account ID is numeric, 4–20 digits. Copy the complete server name, including its number or suffix. Do not use your email, myHF profile ID or a similar-looking server.

The Master password allows trading. An investor password is read-only and cannot be used for this setup. If unsure, recover or reset the trading password through HFM and verify the exact login/server/password in MT5 before connecting it.

A verified Shadow X partner relationship can give 30% off the Shadow subscription. New users can follow the partner signup route; existing users can ask HFM to link their myHF profile to Partner ID 30480684. Add the exact account HFM confirms. The saving starts only when Shadow verifies the match in a completed partner report; it is not automatic just because you use HFM.

Shadow normally takes you here after billing activation. If you left the flow, use the button below and log in. Any unfinished verification, agreement or billing step must be completed first.

Use the Master row, not Add Slave. On first setup, Private Setup Concierge focuses one field at a time; press Next after entering each value. Back lets you review a previous field. Give the account a recognisable name if the form offers one.

Paste only the numeric MT5 trading account ID. Check the digits against HFM. Broker is HFM.

Enter the trading Master password, not your Shadow password, myHF password or investor password. Enter credentials only in the authenticated Shadow account form, never in this guide or a support message.

Select the exact HFM server for that login. If the correct server is missing, ask support instead of choosing a similar server.

After the Master fields, the first-setup concierge may ask whether you want a Slave. Choose No / Continue without one to learn with the Master first, or Yes / Set up my Slave to enter a separate account and review the safety settings in the optional Slave instructions. A Slave is not required to continue.

At Review, then save, press Save & Continue in the concierge. The form may say Save Master & Continue, Save Master + Slave & Continue, or Save Account Settings on later visits. Wait for the saved/provisioning status. Hosted provisioning normally takes 2–3 minutes and can take up to 5 minutes; this is an estimate, not a guarantee. Saving details alone is not proof that MT5 connected.

When Would you like Telegram alerts? appears, choose Not Now, Start Tour to enter the Command Center, or Set Up Telegram to follow the optional Telegram instructions now. After notification setup, press Continue to Command Center. You can add Slaves and Telegram later from Account Settings.

Read the welcome tour if shown and use Next to move through its screens; Back lets you review, Finish Tour closes the last screen, and Skip tour closes it if you already know the controls. Locate Channel A and confirm that its Master account matches the HFM login you saved.

Wait for the connection status and current account information. Check account identity, balance and any visible last-update or stale/offline notice. A closed market can stop price movement; it does not by itself prove disconnection.

Click the body of the Master account card. Look for · SELECTED and check the channel/account name before interacting with any order or management control. Buttons inside a card can execute actions rather than select it.

If Shadow shows offline, stale, an unexpected account or a pending command, resolve it before adding exposure. Check MT5 directly and contact support if needed. A command being sent or accepted is not proof that the broker executed it.

Gather that account’s own numeric login, trading Master password and exact server. Do not repeat the Master account identity in the Slave row.

Add it under the intended Master/channel, within your plan capacity. Enter its trading details and a clear name if available.

Review Follow Mode (Magic Numbers, Zone Edges or Grid), Grid Pips when Grid is selected, Follow % Per Catchup Layer, Drawdown Trigger, Use Scaling and Scale Multiplier. These affect when and how exposure is added. Use the detailed guide or ask support if a setting is unclear; example/default values are not a recommendation.

Press Save Account Settings and verify the Slave identity and current connection status in Shadow and MT5. New Slaves start OFF. Changing a Slave’s saved configuration also switches it OFF until manually re-enabled.

Leave it OFF while learning. If you intentionally want it to follow, review existing Master positions and the Slave settings first, then switch the intended Slave ON and read the confirmation. Following can add exposure; OFF does not close existing positions.

Have Telegram installed and signed in. Use the in-app guide below to identify the official Shadow bot. Do not enter broker credentials into Telegram.

For the standard personal-alert flow, open the bot, press Start and send a short message such as Hi. For a group, add the bot to the group and send a short message there.

Use the linked Chat ID video. Copy the complete personal ID or group ID, including a leading minus sign such as -100. If your account instead shows Connect Telegram, press it and then Start in the linked bot; that account-specific flow links privately without copying a Chat ID.

For standard setup, switch Telegram Enabled to On, paste the Chat ID, review the notification toggles and press Save Telegram Settings. Multiple destination IDs may be comma-separated. For a connected flow, follow its in-app confirmation and check the available settings.

For standard notifications, open Command Center → Telegram Notifications → Send Test. Confirm the message arrives in the intended chat. If it does not, check On, the exact ID, Start permission and group membership, then ask support.

Open the illustrated guide and relevant videos. Understand BUY/SELL, lots, stop-loss, take-profit and close scope. A trade basket is the group of managed positions on an account. AP is its lot-weighted average entry price. No trade is required just to finish setting up.

In Live Trading confirm · SELECTED, current connection information and the symbol. Choose your own direction, size and risk limits. Leave Slaves OFF unless you deliberately want following. Shadow is a workflow tool, not a signal service or a profit guarantee.

BUY/SELL controls can send live market orders. Follow the actual control and confirmation shown, then wait for the result and verify the position in Shadow and MT5. If the outcome is unclear, reconcile it before clicking again; do not resend blindly.

Review the relevant lesson before setting stop-loss, take-profit, break-even or another tool. Check the target account, scope and confirmation, then verify the resulting position/armed state in MT5. An armed trigger is not a completed exit; protective tools cannot guarantee no loss.

Choose the close control matching your intended scope. Close Basket targets the named Slave basket; Close All covers the Master and assigned Slaves in that channel. Read confirmations and keep Fast Close off while learning. Verify intended positions and related pending orders in MT5 after the result; sent/ACK alone is not closure.

Check the recorded result and use Basket Replay when retained data is available. History/replay can have data limits. If the result or remaining positions are uncertain, contact support rather than assuming the account is flat.

Return to this guide whenever you need a setup step. Checklist progress is saved only in this browser when storage is available. It does not check your Shadow account or sync across devices.

In Billing & Trial, confirm the trial end date, renewal price and any verified HFM saving. If you do not want to continue, complete cancellation in Stripe before the end date and verify the confirmation.

Use the YouTube links below for account connection and feature lessons. Some videos show an earlier interface; current in-app labels and billing terms take precedence. For help, send your account email, the step you reached, error wording and a screenshot with private details hidden. Never send passwords, card details or verification links.