Cannot find your broker server in the list in MetaTrader 5

What is causing it

You are using a generic MetaTrader 5 download, not your broker version, or the server list is out of date.

Why this happens

The server list is not a global directory that MetaTrader looks up. It is a file shipped inside the installation, and a broker's own build of the platform contains their servers while a generic download contains a default set that will not include most brokers. This is why the identical version of MetaTrader can show your broker on one computer and not another: the two installations came from different places.

The list can also go stale. Brokers add, rename and retire trade servers, and an installation that has not been updated for a long time keeps the list it was built with. Typing the server name in manually works because the terminal will attempt a connection to a name it has been given directly, which is a faster route than reinstalling when you already know the exact name.

The fix, step by step

1. Download MetaTrader 5 from your own broker rather than a generic source, so their servers are preloaded.
2. In the login window, type the exact server name and press Enter to add it.
3. Use File, Open an Account, search your broker name, and select their company.

How to confirm it is fixed

After adding the server, log in and confirm the account line in the Navigator shows both your account number and the server name you entered. The status bar should show a data centre and a live traffic figure. If the login is rejected rather than the server being unreachable, the name reached a real server and the credentials are the remaining issue.

Stopping it happening again

Always install MetaTrader from your own broker's download link rather than a general one, so the correct servers are present and stay current with platform updates. Keep the exact server name from your welcome email, since it is the one piece of information that cannot be worked out from anything else.