When off quotes (error 136) is most likely, and what helps.

When off quotes (error 136) is most likely, and what helps.

"Off quotes" means the broker had no price to give your order at the moment it arrived. MetaTrader 4 reports it as error 136, ERR_OFF_QUOTES, and the order is not filled, so no position opens. The nearest MetaTrader 5 equivalent is return code 10021, "There are no quotes to process the request".

Off Quotes Error in MT4 (Error 136): Why It Happens and How to Stop It. MT4 code: 136: Off quotes; Closest MT5 code: 10021: No quotes to process the request; Typical timing: News releases, the daily rollover, Monday open; Main setting involved: Maximum deviation on instant execution; Money at risk: None: the order is simply not filled
Off Quotes Error in MT4 (Error 136): Why It Happens and How to Stop It: the figures from this section at a glance.

It usually appears in fast markets, during thin trading hours or on a slow connection, and it is closely related to requotes. Changing your execution settings, your timing and sometimes your account type removes most of it.

MT4 code136: Off quotes
Closest MT5 code10021: No quotes to process the request
Typical timingNews releases, the daily rollover, Monday open
Main setting involvedMaximum deviation on instant execution
Money at riskNone: the order is simply not filled

Why the price disappears

When you click Buy or Sell, the terminal sends the price it is showing you. If that price has moved by the time the request reaches the server, the server must either fill you at a new price, ask you to accept one, or reject the order. Off quotes is the rejection path. It means no tradable price existed within the limits your order allowed.

Three conditions make that more likely. Prices jump around economic releases such as US payrolls. Liquidity thins around the 5pm New York rollover and at the Sunday open, so quotes can pause. A slow or distant internet connection adds delay between your click and the server, which gives the price longer to move.

SituationWhy off quotes happensWhat helps
News releasePrices jump past your deviationWait two to five minutes, or widen deviation
Daily rolloverLiquidity providers pause quotingAvoid entries from about 16:55 to 17:10 New York time
Monday openFirst quotes are sparse and wideLet the first 15 to 30 minutes pass
Slow connectionYour request arrives lateUse a stable connection or a VPS near the server
Exotic pairsFew quotes at quiet hoursTrade them during their main session

The setting that controls it: maximum deviation

On accounts using instant execution, the order window has a field called Maximum deviation or Enable maximum deviation from quoted price. It sets how far the fill price may differ from the price on your screen, measured in points. With a deviation of zero, any movement at all can cause an off quotes or requote message.

Raising the deviation to a few points lets the server fill you at a slightly different price instead of rejecting the order. The cost is that you accept small slippage. Five to ten points on a major pair is a common compromise, which equals half a pip to one pip on a five-digit quote.

Market execution accounts behave differently

Many brokers now use market execution, where orders fill at the best available price without requotes. On these accounts you see off quotes far less often, but you accept slippage instead. Our comparison of requotes, slippage and off quotes shows which one you will meet on each execution type.

To see which type your account uses, open the order window. Instant execution shows a deviation field. Market execution shows no deviation and simply lists Sell by Market and Buy by Market.

Worked example

A trader in Nairobi tries to buy GBP/USD the second UK inflation data is released. Three clicks in a row return off quotes. The account uses instant execution with a deviation of zero. Setting the deviation to 10 points and waiting 90 seconds for the first spike to settle lets the next order fill, about 0.6 pips above the price on screen.

Steps to stop seeing it

  1. Check your connection: the bottom-right corner of MT4 shows the ping to the server.
  2. Set a sensible maximum deviation on instant-execution accounts.
  3. Avoid the first minutes after major news, the rollover and the Monday open.
  4. Ask your broker whether a market-execution account is available.
  5. If it happens on quiet days with a good connection, report the times to the broker's support desk.

A virtual private server close to your broker's server cuts the delay between click and fill. Several brokers offer one free above a monthly volume; our IC Markets VPS guide explains how those offers work.

Do not keep clicking during a fast move. Each click is a separate request, and when prices settle you can end up with several positions instead of one.

Off quotes in Expert Advisors

Expert Advisors meet error 136 more than manual traders, because they often send orders at the exact second a signal appears, which tends to be the busiest moment. An EA should refresh prices with RefreshRates on MT4 before resending, wait a short moment between attempts, and give up after a few tries so it does not flood the server.

The slippage parameter in MT4's OrderSend function plays the same role as maximum deviation in the manual order window. A value of zero makes off quotes and requotes far more likely. Most EA settings expose it as Slippage or Max deviation; check it is set to a few points for the account's digit format.

Checking whether the broker is the cause

Keep a note of the time, symbol and connection ping for each off quotes message over a week. If they cluster around news, rollover and Monday opens, the market is the cause. Messages on quiet afternoons with a ping under 100 milliseconds are worth raising with support, with the Journal lines attached. Any regulated broker should explain its execution under its published order execution policy.

Frequently asked

How do Expert Advisors handle off quotes?

A well-written EA refreshes prices, waits briefly and resends a limited number of times, with a sensible slippage value in the order function. EAs that send at the exact second of a signal, with zero slippage, see error 136 most often, especially around news.

What does off quotes mean in MT4?

It is error 136 in MetaQuotes' MQL4 list: the server had no valid price for your order when it arrived. The order is not filled, so nothing is charged. It is most common during news, at the rollover and on slow connections.

Is off quotes the same as a requote?

They are related but different. A requote offers you a new price to accept or decline. Off quotes rejects the order because no acceptable price was available at all. Both come from instant execution, where the server tries to fill at the price on your screen.

How do I fix off quotes on MT4 mobile?

In the order screen, turn on maximum deviation and set a few points, then wait for fast markets to calm before trading. A steady Wi-Fi connection helps more than mobile data during busy periods, since delay between tap and server is part of the cause.

Does off quotes mean my broker is cheating?

Not by itself. It happens across the industry when prices move fast or liquidity thins. If you see it constantly on quiet days with a good connection, ask the broker for the server logs of those orders and consider an account with market execution.

Does MT5 have an off quotes error?

MT5 uses return code 10021, "There are no quotes to process the request", for the closest equivalent. Market-execution accounts on MT5 rarely show it, because orders fill at the next available price instead of being rejected.

Official sources: MQL5: trade server return codes · MQL4: error codes · MetaTrader 5 Help: trading basics