The XAUUSD pip value depends on two things: your lot size and how your broker defines a pip. On the MetaTrader 5 account we used for the screenshots below, gold has 2 digits and a 100 oz contract. There, one pip is $0.10 of price, which is worth $10.00 per 1.00 lot, $1.00 per 0.10 lot and $0.10 per 0.01 lot.
That sounds simple until MT5 shows a stop loss in points, a calculator shows pips and your broker’s Specification shows ticks.
This guide explains how pips, points and ticks relate for gold, shows the numbers on a real Specification, and walks through three worked examples you can repeat with our own pip value calculator.
XAUUSD pip value at a glance
Using the convention “1 pip = $0.10 of price” and a 100 oz contract, these are the numbers for common lot sizes:
| Lot size | 1 pip is worth | 1 point is worth | A $1.00 price move is worth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.00 | $10.00 | $1.00 | $100.00 |
| 0.10 | $1.00 | $0.10 | $10.00 |
| 0.03 | $0.30 | $0.03 | $3.00 |
| 0.01 | $0.10 | $0.01 | $1.00 |
These figures are for a USD account and a 2-digit gold symbol. Other brokers can differ, so always confirm with your own Specification (we show how below).
Pip, point and tick: what each one means
- Tick: the smallest price change your broker allows. On our symbol the tick size is 0.01.
- Point: the smallest price unit shown by the platform. With 2 digits, one point is 0.01, so for this symbol a tick and a point are the same.
- Pip: a trading convention, not a platform setting. For gold, the common convention is 0.10, which equals 10 points. Some brokers and data providers use other definitions, which is why you should not assume.
Because the pip is only a convention, the safest number to trust is the one your platform actually uses to calculate profit: the tick value.
What the MT5 Specification shows
In MetaTrader 5, right-click XAUUSD in Market Watch and choose Specification. These are the fields that matter for the pip value of XAUUSD on our account:
| Field | Value on our account | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Digits | 2 | One point = 0.01 |
| Contract size | 100 | 1.00 lot controls 100 oz of gold |
| Tick size | 0.01 | Smallest price step |
| Tick value | 1 | $1 per tick for 1.00 lot |
| Minimal volume / Volume step | 0.01 / 0.01 | Smallest lot and lot increment |
The contract size also tells you how much gold you control. In the screenshot gold was quoted around $4,015, so 1.00 lot (100 oz) represented roughly $401,500 of gold. That is why a small price move is worth a lot of dollars.
If you want to read the same fields from code, MQL5 exposes them as symbol properties; see the MQL5 documentation on symbol properties. For context, the standard COMEX gold futures contract is also 100 troy ounces (CME Group contract specifications), but CFD contract sizes are set by each broker.
The gold pip value formula
You can derive the pip value of gold from the Specification:
Pip value per lot = Tick value × (Pip size ÷ Tick size)
With our numbers: $1 × (0.10 ÷ 0.01) = $10 per pip per 1.00 lot.
For any other lot size, multiply by the lot. For money on a price move, there is a shortcut:
Profit or loss = Lots × Contract size × Price move
Example check: 1.00 × 100 × $1.00 = $100, which matches “a $1.00 move is worth $100.00” in the table above.
The same formula works on a 3-digit symbol. There the tick size is 0.001, so the tick value will be about one tenth, and the pip (still 0.10 of price) comes out to the same $10 per lot. That is why reading tick size and tick value from your own Specification is safer than memorizing one number.
MT5 counts points, not pips
When you measure a move with the MT5 measure tool (Ctrl + click and drag), it reports the distance in points. Here we measured exactly $1.00 on a gold chart:
So if you plan a stop in pips, convert it to points (multiply by 10) before typing it into an order window or EA input that uses points.
Three worked examples with our calculator
We ran each of these on our XAUUSD Pip / Point / Tick Value Calculator with the broker settings from the Specification above (contract size 100, 1 pip = $0.10).
Example 1: 1.00 lot, one pip
At 1.00 lot, 1 pip is worth $10.00, 1 point is worth $1.00 and 1 tick is worth $1.00. The calculator also shows that a $1 move equals 10 pips, 100 points and $100.00.
Example 2: 0.10 lot, 50-pip stop
A 50-pip move is $5.00 of price (50 × $0.10). At 0.10 lot, one pip is $1.00, so the stop is worth 50 × $1.00 = $50.00. Check with the shortcut: 0.10 × 100 × $5.00 = $50.
Example 3: 0.03 lot, 40-pip move
A 40-pip move is $4.00 of price, or 400 points. At 0.03 lot, one pip is $0.30, so the move is worth 40 × $0.30 = $12.00. Check: 0.03 × 100 × $4.00 = $12.
Small lots matter on gold. A single 0.01 lot already moves $1 for every $1 in price, so a $20 swing is $20 on one micro lot.
A common mistake: pips and points mixed up
The most common error is entering a stop in the wrong unit. Say you plan a 50-pip stop at 0.10 lot:
- Entered as 50 pips ($5.00 of price): risk is $50.
- Entered as 50 points ($0.50 of price): risk is $5, and the stop is likely to be hit by normal noise.
- Entered as 500 points ($5.00 of price): risk is $50, which is what you planned. The same “50” typed in two different units gives a ten-times difference in dollars.
A second mistake is copying the “$10 per pip” figure from a forex guide. On EURUSD, 1 pip is about $10 per standard lot, which happens to match gold’s $10 under the $0.10 convention. But the reasons differ (contract size and tick value), and on JPY pairs, silver or another broker’s gold symbol the number is not the same. Read your own Specification.
From pip value to lot size
Once you know the pip value of gold, you can size a trade from your stop and risk. Our gold lot size calculator does this for XAUUSD, and our guide on how to calculate lot size in forex covers the formula for any pair. For general symbols, use the general pip value calculator or the position size calculator. Check the margin your trade needs with the margin calculator. Silver has a different contract size, so see our XAGUSD page instead of reusing these numbers.
If you size trades on the chart, our own Lot Architect indicator lets you drag entry, stop loss and take profit lines and shows lot size, margin, risk and R:R as you move them. It gives no signals and cannot guarantee results; it only removes manual math.
Lot Architect for MT5Lot Architect for MT4
These are our own products, and we earn money if you buy them.
Frequently asked questions
How much is 1 pip in gold?
On a 2-digit gold symbol with a 100 oz contract and the common $0.10 pip, 1 pip is worth $10.00 per 1.00 lot, $1.00 per 0.10 lot and $0.10 per 0.01 lot. Check your Specification to confirm.
How many pips is a $1 move in gold?
Under the $0.10 pip convention, a $1.00 move is 10 pips, or 100 points on a 2-digit symbol.
Is a pip the same as a point in XAUUSD?
No. A point is the platform’s smallest price unit (0.01 on a 2-digit symbol); a pip is a convention, commonly 0.10, which is 10 points. Some brokers use different pip definitions.
What is the pip value for 0.01 lot of XAUUSD?
About $0.10 per pip, $0.01 per point, with a 100 oz contract and a USD account. A $1.00 move is worth $1.00.
Does the gold pip value change with the price of gold?
On a USD account it does not. The value comes from the contract size and tick value, not the price. If your account is in another currency, the converted value changes with the exchange rate.
Key takeaways
- XAUUSD pip value on our account: $10.00 per pip per 1.00 lot (pip = $0.10 = 10 points).
- A $1.00 move equals 10 pips, 100 points, and $100 per 1.00 lot.
- Pip value per lot = Tick value × (Pip size ÷ Tick size). Always read your own Specification.
- MT5 measures in points; convert pips to points before entering a stop in points.
Trading leveraged products carries a high risk of loss. This article is educational, not financial advice. Read our risk disclaimer and see how our tools are built.