MT5 history comments: what [sl], [tp] and so: mean

The comment on a closed trade tells you how it was closed. What the common tags mean, where to see them and how to use them in a review.

What the Comment column is

Every order and deal in MetaTrader 5 can carry a short text called a comment. You, an Expert Advisor or the broker’s server can write it. On a closed trade it often explains how the trade was closed, which is information your profit column does not give you. Short tags such as [sl 1.08300], [tp 1.09100] or so: 49.8% are typical, though the exact wording depends on the broker.

Where to see comments in the History tab

Open the Toolbox (Ctrl+T) and choose the History tab.
Right-click the table and choose the view. The Positions view is a summary that usually does not offer a comment column. Use the Deals view or the Orders view, where comments are listed.
If the Comment column is hidden, right-click the header and enable it. The column list varies between builds.
Set the period (today, last week, last month or custom) from the same menu so that the trade you want is in range. If it still is not, see why trade history is not showing.

The common tags and what they usually mean

Tag	Usual meaning	What to check
[sl] or [sl 1.08300]	The position was closed because its stop loss was hit. The number, when shown, is usually the stop price	Compare with the exit price: slippage means the fill can differ from the stop
[tp] or [tp 1.09100]	The position was closed because its take profit was hit	Was the target your own plan or a default?
so: 49.80%	Stop out. The broker closed the position because the margin level fell to its stop-out level	See margin level explained
Empty comment	A manual close, or a broker that does not write one	Check the deal type and the time
Text you typed or an EA name	A comment added on order entry, or the name of the Expert Advisor that placed the trade	Useful for separating manual trades from automated ones

These meanings come from common usage, and the wording is not guaranteed. Some brokers change or replace the comment, and some forums report variants of the same tag. Treat the comment as a clue, then confirm against the exit price and the time. If a tag matters to you, ask your broker how it labels closed deals.

Why a closed-by-stop trade is not the same as a bad trade

A trade that closes on its stop loss did what the plan said it would. A trade that is stopped out by the broker did not: it means the account ran short of margin, which is a failure of position sizing or risk, not of the entry. The two look the same in the profit column, a loss, and very different in the comment column. A journal that keeps them apart gives you a more useful view of your losses.

Loss type	What it tells you	Typical fix
Stop loss hit as planned	The setup failed, within the risk you accepted	Review the setup. Nothing about risk needs to change
Stop moved or removed, then closed manually	A plan break	Write the reason in the notes and count the plan-followed field
Stop out by the broker	The size or the number of positions was too large for the account	Reduce size. See the position size calculator
Take profit hit early	Target too close or placed by habit	Compare with how far price went afterwards

A worked example (hypothetical)

In a month a trader has twelve losing trades. Reading the comments in the Deals view, eight carry an sl tag, three have no comment because the trader closed them by hand, and one has a stop-out tag. The eight stop-loss trades sum to -$310. The three manual closes sum to -$270, an average of -$90 each, because the trader never let them reach the stop. The stop-out cost -$640 on a day the trader added a third position. The invented totals show where the month’s damage really came from: the single stop-out and the three manual exits are 75% of the losses, and not one of those four was a stop that worked as designed.

Without the comments that grouping is not possible. With them, it is a ten-minute exercise.

Getting the comment into your journal

There are two ways. In a spreadsheet, export the Deals view and filter the Comment column. The export guide and the Python guide both include it. In AI Trading Journal, each closed position becomes one entry with a result, setup, emotion, plan-followed flag, rating, tags and notes that you fill in. The app does not interpret the broker’s comment for you, so the habit that works is to add a tag when you review: for example stopped, manual-exit or stop-out. Then the dashboard filters and the Excel report can split the month the way the worked example does. The tagging guide shows tag names that stay useful over time.

Honest limits

The tag formats shown here are the common ones. Brokers can rewrite comments, and I could not find an official specification that lists them all.
The Positions view does not show comments in the builds I describe. If yours does, use it.
A comment tells you how the platform closed the trade, not why you opened it. Only your own notes can do that.
This is information about reading a platform, not trading or financial advice.

To see what moving a stop does to your history and numbers, read MT5 break-even stop and MT5 trailing stop explained.

For what leads up to an 'so' close, read MT5 stop out and margin call explained.

A bulk close leaves a distinctive pattern: MT5 close all positions in history.

Frequently asked questions

What does [sl] mean in MT5 trade history?

It usually means the position was closed because its stop loss was hit. The number after it, when present, is typically the stop price. Wording can vary by broker.

What does [tp] mean?

It usually means the position was closed by its take profit level.

What does so: mean in the MT5 comment?

It usually stands for stop out: the broker closed the position because the margin level fell below its stop-out level.

Why is the Comment column missing?

The Positions view does not offer it. Switch to the Deals or Orders view and enable the column by right-clicking the header.

Does AI Trading Journal read the broker comment?

It does not interpret it. You can tag the trade yourself when you review, for example as stopped or manual-exit.

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