XAUUSD position size calculator
Size a gold trade from your risk and stop: 100 ounces per lot, a pip of 0.10 worth $10, lots rounded down to 0.01.
How lot size works on gold
Gold is quoted in US dollars per troy ounce, and the calculator assumes a common CFD contract of 100 ounces per lot (the contract varies by broker). It counts the stop in pips of 0.10, so a $1.00 move in the gold price is 10 pips. One pip on one lot is 100 × 0.10 = $10, and a $1.00 move is $100 per lot. A USD account needs no conversion; other account currencies use the rate you type or a reference rate labelled an estimate.
| Item | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Contract size | 100 troy ounces per lot |
| Pip in this calculator | 0.10 (a $1.00 move = 10 pips) |
| Value per pip, 1.0 lot, USD account | $10 |
| Value of a $1.00 move, 1.0 lot | $100 |
| Value per pip, 0.01 lot | $0.10 |
| Quote currency | US dollar |
| Typical CFD trading hours | Sunday evening to Friday 17:00 New York, with a daily break around 17:00–18:00 New York |
| Market it follows | Spot gold in London and COMEX gold futures in New York |
| Minimum lot and step | 0.01 lot, step 0.01, always rounded down |
A worked example: $10,000 account, 1% risk
Risk money is 1% of $10,000 = $100. Say the stop sits $8.00 below the entry — 80 pips in this calculator. One lot loses 80 × $10 = $800 at the stop, so the raw size is 100 ÷ 800 = 0.125 lots. Rounded down to the 0.01 step that is 0.12 lots, which risks 0.12 × $800 = $96: slightly less than planned, never more.
Widen the stop to $15.00 (150 pips) and one lot loses $1,500: 100 ÷ 1,500 = 0.067, so 0.06 lots and an actual risk of $90. If your broker's gold contract is 10 ounces, type 10 in the contract size field: the same $15.00 stop costs $150 per lot and the size becomes 0.66 lots, risking $99.
Typical stops and how gold moves
On an ordinary day gold can travel tens of dollars, and around US inflation data, the jobs report or a Federal Reserve decision it can move several dollars in a minute. Intraday stops behind a swing are often several dollars wide — 30 to 150 pips in this calculator — which is why gold positions are usually far smaller in lots than forex positions with the same risk. Spreads widen at the daily break and at news, so add them to a tight stop. These are general observations, not a forecast.
Gold sessions and Kill Zones
Gold trades almost around the clock from Sunday evening to Friday afternoon New York time, but unevenly. The Asian Kill Zone (20:00–00:00 New York time) is usually the quietest; the London Kill Zone (02:00–05:00) and the New York AM Kill Zone (07:00–10:00), with US data, carry most of the volume. The LBMA Gold Price is set twice a day, at 10:30 and 15:00 London time. See them in your time zone with the Kill Zone converter; today's sessions and news for gold are on the XAUUSD market page, and the gold trading sessions guide covers each one.
Sizing mistakes that are specific to gold
- Pip confusion. Some platforms call 0.01 a pip, others 0.10 or $1.00, so a "50-pip stop" can mean $0.50, $5.00 or $50.00. Convert the stop to dollars first, then count pips of 0.10.
- MT5 points. A gold symbol quoted with two decimals has a point of 0.01, so the stop MT5 shows in points is ten times the pips in this calculator — check how many decimals your symbol has.
- Copying a forex lot size. 0.50 lots with a 20-pip EURUSD stop risks $100; 0.50 lots of gold with a $10.00 stop risks $500.
- Mixing contracts. A size worked out for 100 ounces risks a tenth of the plan on a 10-ounce contract; the reverse risks ten times the plan.
The method is in how to calculate position size; for silver use the XAGUSD calculator, for other markets the main position size calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How many dollars is one pip on gold?
In this calculator a pip on XAUUSD is 0.10, worth $10 on one 100-ounce lot and $0.10 on 0.01 lot. A full $1.00 move is $100 per lot. Platforms that call 0.01 a pip show $1 per pip per lot for the same contract — the money per dollar of movement is identical, only the label differs.
What lot size is 1% risk on a $10,000 gold account?
It depends on the stop. With $100 of risk on a 100-ounce contract: a $5.00 stop gives 0.20 lots, an $8.00 stop 0.12 lots and a $15.00 stop 0.06 lots. Risking 1% is a common practice, not a rule.
Is XAUUSD always 100 ounces per lot?
No. 100 ounces is a common retail CFD contract, but the contract varies by broker — 10 ounces and other sizes exist. In MT5, right-click the symbol → Specification and check the contract size; if it is not 100, type your number in the contract size field.
Does the calculator work on a non-USD account?
Yes. Choose your account currency and type the rate — how many units of your currency one US dollar buys. Without it the calculator uses a reference rate from 27 September 2026 and labels the result an estimate.