What is the news blackout rule in forex?

The blackout rule says: no new trades 30 minutes before or after a high-impact economic release (NFP, CPI, FOMC, GDP). Spreads widen and price gaps during releases, destroying stops and edges.

How long should I wait after news to trade?

At least 30 minutes after a high-impact release, and only when price has settled into a new technical structure. The first minutes are pure re-pricing noise.

What are the highest-impact forex news events?

US Non-Farm Payrolls (NFP), CPI inflation, FOMC interest rate decisions, GDP, PMIs, and central bank speeches. NFP and CPI are the two that move the majors most.

Should EAs trade during news?

No - an EA should hold positions but refuse to open new ones during the blackout window (Guideline 18), and it should skip trades when spreads exceed its configured maximum.

Forex News Blackout Timer

Guideline 9: no new trades 30 minutes before or after a high-impact release. This timer shows the next events (from the same feed as our economic calendar) and counts down the blackout window live.

--:--:--

Next high-impact event

Manual Mode — Set Your Own Blackout

Event name

Event time (your local time)

Blackout (minutes before/after)

Why the Blackout Exists

Spreads explode: a 30-pip average spread can become 100+ pips in the seconds around a release — your stop can be filled far from its level.
Gaps: price can jump straight through both your stop and target in one tick.
Noise: the first 30 minutes after a release are re-pricing, not analysis — trades taken there have no technical edge.

The blackout rule applies to EAs too (Guideline 18): an automated robot must hold positions but must not open new ones inside the window. If you scale, the same timer logic belongs inside your EA's code.

Continue Your Build

Choose the next useful step

Most visitors arrive with one question: build, test, price, or trust. These shortcuts keep the path practical.

Get a Quote See Pricing

Trust Client Reviews See verified feedback before hiring a solo MT4/MT5 developer. Proof Case Studies Review dashboards, backtests, overlays and market-structure builds. Tools Free Calculators Check pip value, lot size, drawdown, spread, swap and prop-firm risk. Build EA Development Turn the idea into MQL4/MQL5 code with source and testing.