Build Your Trading Brand Toolkit

Use Claude, ClickUp, Leonardo AI, n8n, Viktor, and Higgsfield to create trading content.

Introduction

30 Second Summary

The traders who stand out in any community aren't just the ones with the best strategies. They're the ones who show up consistently with sharp visuals, clear messaging, and content that positions them as someone worth following.

In this project, you will assemble a six-tool AI toolkit that handles everything from brand strategy to visual content to video production. Every tool runs on its free tier, so you spend nothing while building a content engine you can customize for any trading niche.

What You'll Build

You will have a branded trading image generated by AI, a short-form video clip ready for social media, and a content calendar organizing it all, built entirely with free tools you can keep using after this project.

By the end of this project, you'll have:

  • A trading brand identity (name, tone, and content pillars) brainstormed with Claude and organized in a ClickUp content board you can reuse for any niche.
  • A branded trading visual generated with Leonardo AI and turned into a scroll-stopping short-form video using Higgsfield.
  • A connected content workflow powered by n8n and Viktor that automates content briefs and ties your toolkit together.
  • Secret Mission: Batch-produce three trading community posts with matched visuals and schedule them in your ClickUp content calendar.

Are there any prerequisites?

No coding or trading experience required. You just need a browser, an email address, and a Slack or Microsoft Teams account (for Viktor). Every tool in this project has a free tier.

Before We Start

Before we dive in, let's get clear on what you're building and why. You're about to assemble a complete AI content toolkit for trading, and every tool you'll use is free.

Meet the Mission

Set Up Your Toolkit

Building a trading content engine requires multiple tools working together. Instead of paying for expensive all-in-one platforms, you can assemble a powerful toolkit from six free-tier AI tools.

In this step, you will create free accounts on every tool you need. By the end, your entire toolkit will be ready to go, and you will not have entered a credit card anywhere.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Create free accounts on Claude, ClickUp, Leonardo AI, Higgsfield, and n8n Cloud.
  • Add Viktor to your Slack or Microsoft Teams workspace.
  • Confirm all six tools are accessible and ready to use.
Create your free accounts

Each tool below has a free tier that covers everything you need for this project. Open each link in a new tab, sign up, and keep the tabs open.

  • Go to claude.ai and sign up with your email or Google account. No credit card required.
  • Go to clickup.com and click Get Started Free. Create a workspace with any name.
  • Go to app.leonardo.ai and sign up. You get 150 free tokens per day on the free tier.
  • Go to higgsfield.ai and create an account. The free tier gives you about 10 credits per day.
  • Go to n8n.io/cloud and start a free trial. No credit card required for the 14-day Starter trial.

What does each tool do?

Claude is your AI writing assistant for brainstorming brand strategy and drafting content. ClickUp organizes your content calendar and tasks.

Leonardo AI generates trading visuals from text prompts. Higgsfield turns those images into short-form videos for social media.

n8n connects your tools into automated workflows. Viktor is an AI employee that lives in Slack or Teams, executing tasks across your connected tools.

Add Viktor to Slack or Teams
  • Go to viktor.com and click Get Started for Free.
  • Choose Slack or Microsoft Teams and authorize Viktor in your workspace.
  • Viktor will introduce himself in your workspace. You start with $100 in free credits.

Every tool stays free for this project

You will not need a credit card for any of these signups. The free tiers on all six tools cover everything this project requires. You can customize the toolkit later by swapping any tool for an alternative that fits your workflow.

Confirm your toolkit is ready
  • Verify you can see the Claude chat interface at claude.ai.
  • Verify your ClickUp workspace loads with an empty space.
  • Verify the Leonardo AI dashboard shows your daily token count (150 tokens).
  • Verify the Higgsfield dashboard loads and shows your credit balance.
  • Verify the n8n editor canvas opens with a blank workflow.
  • Verify Viktor has sent a welcome message in your Slack or Teams workspace.

Your entire toolkit is live and every tool is free. Next up, you will use Claude and ClickUp to plan a trading brand identity you can customize for any niche.

Install MetaTrader 5 and Open MetaEditor

Plan Your Trading Brand with Claude and ClickUp

Your toolkit is ready. Now you need a brand identity to feed into it. Without a clear brand direction, every piece of content you create will feel random.

In this step, you will use Claude to brainstorm a trading brand identity and then organize it in a ClickUp content board. The brand you create is fully customizable. Swap the niche, tone, or audience anytime.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Brainstorm a trading brand identity using Claude.
  • Set up a content calendar board in ClickUp.
  • Save your brand brief so every tool uses the same direction.
Brainstorm your brand identity with Claude

A trading brand identity has three parts: a name, a tone of voice, and content pillars (the topics you consistently post about). Claude can generate all three from a single prompt.

  • Open claude.ai in your browser.
  • Start a new conversation.
  • Paste the following prompt and press Enter:
I'm building a personal brand around trading. Help me brainstorm:

1. Three brand name options (short, memorable, easy to search)
2. A one-sentence brand tagline for each
3. A tone of voice description (2-3 sentences)
4. Four content pillars (recurring topics I'll post about)

My trading niche is: [[TRADING_NICHE="your trading focus, e.g. forex day trading, crypto swing trading, options strategies"]]
My target audience is: [[TARGET_AUDIENCE="who you want to reach, e.g. beginners learning forex, experienced traders looking for community"]]

Make it yours

The prompt has two placeholders you customize: your trading niche and your target audience. The more specific you are, the sharper Claude's suggestions. You can always re-run the prompt with different inputs to explore other directions.

  • Read through Claude's response and pick one brand name, tagline, and tone.
  • Copy the full response to your clipboard. You will paste it into ClickUp next.

Why start with a brand brief?

Every tool in your toolkit needs the same creative direction. When you generate images in Leonardo AI or videos in Higgsfield, you will reference this brief so everything looks and sounds consistent.

Set up your content board in ClickUp
  • Open your ClickUp workspace.
  • Click the + button in the left sidebar to create a new Space.
  • Name the Space Trading Content.
  • Inside the new Space, create a List called Content Calendar.
  • Switch the view to Board by clicking the Board tab at the top.

You now have a Kanban board with columns for each status. This is where you will track every piece of content you create.

  • Create a new task in the first column called Brand Brief.
  • Open the task and paste the Claude brand identity response into the task description.
  • Drag the task to Complete.

You have a brand identity and an organized content board. Next, you will use Leonardo AI to generate your first branded trading visual.

Create and Compile Your First Expert Advisor

You have MetaTrader 5 and MetaEditor installed, and you can see the MQL5 folder structure in the Navigator. But a development environment that has never compiled anything is just a text editor. You need to prove the full toolchain works by creating, editing, and compiling real MQL5 code.

In this step, you will use the MQL5 Wizard to generate your first Expert Advisor from a template, add log messages to its core functions, and compile it into a runnable .ex5 file.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Create a new Expert Advisor using the MQL5 Wizard template.
  • Add log messages to the EA's three core functions.
  • Compile the EA and verify 0 errors in the Toolbox.
Create a new EA using the MQL5 Wizard

The MQL5 Wizard is a built-in tool in MetaEditor that generates template files for you. Instead of writing boilerplate code from scratch, you select a project type and the wizard scaffolds the file with the correct structure.

  • In MetaEditor, press Ctrl+N to open the MQL5 Wizard.
  • Select Expert Advisor (template) and click Next.
  • Type SquadTestEA in the Name field.
  • Enter your name in the Author field.
  • Leave the Link and Parameters fields empty and click Next.

What are the next wizard pages?

The wizard shows two more pages where you can select additional event handlers and tester event handlers. You do not need any of these for this project.

  • On the event handlers page, leave all checkboxes unchecked and click Next.
  • On the tester event handlers page, leave all checkboxes unchecked and click Finish.

The wizard generates SquadTestEA.mq5 and opens it in the editor. You should see a file with three empty functions already in place.

What did the wizard create?

The wizard generated a .mq5 source file saved in MQL5\Experts\ with the three essential functions every EA needs:

  • OnInit() runs once when the EA loads onto a chart.
  • OnDeinit() runs once when the EA is removed.
  • OnTick() runs on every new price tick. This is where trading logic goes.
Add log messages and compile

The wizard generated empty function bodies. You need to add Print() statements so your EA produces visible output when it runs. This is how you will confirm the toolchain works end to end.

  • In SquadTestEA.mq5, update the three functions so they match the following code. Replace the empty //--- placeholder comments with the Print() lines shown below:
int OnInit()
  {
   // Log a message when the EA loads
   Print("SquadTestEA initialized successfully.");
   return(INIT_SUCCEEDED);
  }
void OnDeinit(const int reason)
  {
   // Log a message when the EA is removed
   Print("SquadTestEA removed, reason: ", reason);
  }
void OnTick()
  {
   // Log a message on every new price tick
   Print("SquadTestEA is running! Tick received.");
  }

What does this code do?

  • Print() is a standard MQL5 function that outputs messages to the Experts tab in MetaTrader 5 and to the Journal tab in the Strategy Tester.
  • The OnInit() message confirms the EA loaded successfully. return(INIT_SUCCEEDED) tells MetaTrader 5 the initialization worked.
  • The OnDeinit() message logs the removal reason code, which is useful for debugging.
  • The OnTick() message fires on every price tick. You will see this output repeat many times when you run the EA in the next step.

Before you compile, what do you think you will see in the Toolbox panel at the bottom of MetaEditor? Will there be errors, or a clean build?

  • Press F7 to compile.
  • Check the Toolbox panel at the bottom of MetaEditor.

You should see 0 errors, 0 warnings. The compiler creates a SquadTestEA.ex5 file in the same MQL5\Experts\ folder. This is the compiled binary that MetaTrader 5 actually runs.

Seeing errors in the Toolbox?

  • Double-check that each Print() statement ends with a semicolon.
  • Make sure you did not accidentally delete the opening or closing curly braces of any function.
  • Verify the string inside each Print() is wrapped in double quotes.
  • Click on the error line in the Toolbox. MetaEditor highlights the exact line in your code where the problem is.

Still stuck? Help me fix my MQL5 compilation errors in SquadTestEA.mq5.

  • Switch back to MetaTrader 5 by pressing F4.
  • In the Navigator panel on the left, look under Expert Advisors. You should see SquadTestEA listed.

Don't see SquadTestEA in the Navigator?

  • Right-click Expert Advisors in the Navigator and click Refresh.
  • Make sure you compiled with 0 errors. If the compile failed, the .ex5 file was not created and the EA will not appear.

✔️ Awesome, I've got everything!

Great. Double check you have saved your file, then confirm that SquadTestEA appears under Expert Advisors in the MetaTrader 5 Navigator.

ⓧ I'd like to double check the full code

Your SquadTestEA.mq5 file should contain the following sections in order. Scroll through your file and confirm each one is present:

  • A file header comment block and three #property lines (copyright, link, version) generated by the wizard.
  • OnInit() containing Print("SquadTestEA initialized successfully."); followed by return(INIT_SUCCEEDED);.
  • OnDeinit() containing Print("SquadTestEA removed, reason: ", reason);.
  • OnTick() containing Print("SquadTestEA is running! Tick received.");.

Your first Expert Advisor is compiled and ready to go. Next up, you will run it in the Strategy Tester to see it process real historical price data.

Run Your EA in the Strategy Tester

Your SquadTestEA compiled with zero errors and is listed in the MetaTrader 5 Navigator. Your code is valid MQL5, ready to run.

But you have not seen it process actual price data yet. The Strategy Tester lets you run your EA against historical market data to prove it works, all without risking any real money.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Open and configure the Strategy Tester with your EA and test settings.
  • Run a backtest on historical data and verify your EA processes every tick.
Open the Strategy Tester and configure it

The Strategy Tester simulates a market environment using historical price data. You will point it at your EA, choose a symbol and timeframe, and let it replay past price bars so your OnTick() function fires on each one.

  • In MetaTrader 5, open the Strategy Tester by pressing Ctrl+R (or go to View then Strategy Tester).
  • On the Settings tab, select SquadTestEA from the Expert Advisor dropdown.
  • Set the Symbol to EURUSD.
  • Set the Period (timeframe) to H1.
  • Select Open prices only as the modeling mode.
  • Check the Use date checkbox and set the date range to cover approximately the last month.

What is Open prices only mode?

In this mode, the tester generates one tick per bar at the Open price. Your OnTick() function fires once at the beginning of each bar rather than on every real tick.

This is the fastest testing mode. It is perfect for a quick verification that your EA compiles and runs correctly.

Run the test and check the output

Before you click Start, think about what you expect to see. Your OnTick() function calls Print() with a specific message. Where do you think that message will appear, and how many times?

  • Click Start on the Settings tab.
  • Wait for the test to complete. A progress bar appears on the left side of the Strategy Tester.
  • Click the Journal tab in the Strategy Tester panel.

You should see repeated lines of SquadTestEA is running! Tick received. as the test replays each bar's open price.

What does this output confirm?

Each Journal line proves three things at once. Your EA compiled into a valid .ex5 file. The Strategy Tester loaded it and attached it to the historical chart. Your OnTick() function executed on every bar.

Your full MQL5 development toolchain is now proven end to end: write code in MetaEditor, compile, and run in the Strategy Tester.

🙋‍♀️ Not seeing any Print messages in the Journal?

Make sure you are looking at the Journal tab inside the Strategy Tester panel, not the Journal tab in the main Toolbox at the bottom of MetaTrader 5. The Strategy Tester has its own set of tabs.

If the Journal tab is empty, confirm that you selected SquadTestEA in the Expert Advisor dropdown and that the test actually completed (the progress bar should reach the end).

If you see 0 errors but SquadTestEA does not appear in the dropdown, switch to MetaEditor with F4, recompile with F7, then switch back and refresh the tester.

Help me troubleshoot why my EA output is not appearing in the Strategy Tester Journal.

Your development environment is fully proven. You can write MQL5 code, compile it, and run it on historical data. Next up, you will join the team Discord and introduce yourself.

Join the Team Discord

Your EA compiled, loaded into the Strategy Tester, and logged tick messages to the Journal. Your MQL5 development environment is fully working.

You are not connected to the team yet, though. Joining the team's Discord and introducing yourself is how the team knows you have completed onboarding and are ready to collaborate on projects.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Join the team's Discord server.
  • Post your introduction in the team channel.
  • Confirm your MQL5 resource bookmarks.
Join the Discord server
  • Open your team's Discord invite link in your browser: your team's Discord invite URL
  • Accept the invite to join the server.
  • If you do not have a Discord account, follow the prompts to create one.

Invite link not working?

Discord invite links can expire. Reach out to your team lead for a fresh link if the one you have is no longer valid.

Ask for help: My Discord invite link is expired or not working. How can I get a new one?

Post your introduction

Your introduction tells the team who you are and confirms you have completed the full onboarding setup. It should cover five things.

  • Find the introductions or general channel in the server's channel list on the left side.
  • Post a message that includes all of the following:
  • Your name and coding background (e.g. "I know Python and some JavaScript").
  • What interests you about MQL5 and Expert Advisors.
  • Confirmation that you have MetaTrader 5 and MetaEditor installed and working.
  • Confirmation that you successfully compiled and ran SquadTestEA in the Strategy Tester.
  • One trading concept or strategy you want to explore with the team.

Why does the team need all five items?

Your coding background helps the team know what you are comfortable with. The MetaTrader 5 and Strategy Tester confirmations prove your toolchain works end to end, so the team can assign you real tasks right away.

Sharing a trading concept you want to explore helps the team match you with the right project.

After posting, you should see your introduction message appear in the channel. Other team members may react or reply to welcome you.

Confirm your resource bookmarks

These are the five key resources you bookmarked earlier. You will use them on every project the team works on. Take a moment to verify they are all still accessible in your browser bookmarks.

  • Open each bookmark to verify the page loads correctly.

Organize your bookmarks

Create a browser bookmark folder called "MQL5" to keep all five resources grouped together. When you are debugging or looking up a function, having them one click away saves time.

Your introduction post is visible in the team Discord, and all five MQL5 resources are confirmed and bookmarked. You are officially onboarded.

Secret mission

Make Your EA Log the Current Bid Price

Your EA proves the toolchain works, but it only prints a static message. Can you upgrade it to read live market data and log the current bid price on every tick?

Clean Up Your Resources

Clean Up Your Resources

This project runs entirely locally using free tools. MetaTrader 5, MetaEditor, and all MQL5 resources are completely free, so there are no ongoing costs to worry about.

Decide whether to keep your resources running, pause them to come back later, or delete them entirely.

Resources you used:

  • MetaTrader 5 installation with demo broker account.
  • SquadTestEA files (SquadTestEA.mq5 and SquadTestEA.ex5 in your MQL5 data folder).
  • Team Discord server membership.
  • Browser bookmarks for MQL5 resources.

Keep everything running

No action needed. Choose this if you plan to continue working on team projects.

  • Your MetaTrader 5 installation and demo account are free indefinitely. Keep them installed for future MQL5 development.
  • Your SquadTestEA files remain in the data folder, ready to open and edit in MetaEditor.
  • Your Discord membership keeps you connected to the team for collaboration and support.
  • Your bookmarked MQL5 resources stay in your browser for quick reference.

Pause - I'll come back to this later

Close MetaTrader 5 to free up system resources. All your files and settings persist on disk.

  • Close MetaTrader 5. Your EA source files, compiled files, and demo account settings are saved automatically.
  • When you are ready to return, reopen MetaTrader 5 and press F4 to launch MetaEditor. Everything will be exactly where you left it.

Delete - I don't want to use this again

Remove all project resources from your machine and leave the team server.

  • Open your MQL5 data folder. If MetaTrader 5 is still running, go to File then Open Data Folder to locate it.
  • Delete the SquadTestEA.mq5 and SquadTestEA.ex5 files from the MQL5\Experts\ folder.
  • Uninstall MetaTrader 5 by running Uninstall.exe from the MetaTrader 5 installation folder, or by selecting Uninstall from the MetaTrader 5 program group in the Start menu.
  • During uninstallation, enable the Delete user personal data option to remove all remaining user data (history, MQL5 applications, and platform settings). Without this option, your data folder files will remain on disk.
  • In Discord, right-click the team server icon in the left sidebar and select Leave Server.
  • Remove your MQL5 resource bookmarks from your browser.

Nice Work!

Nice Work!

You just built your first Expert Advisor from scratch and proved it works on real historical price data. Your MQL5 development environment is ready, and you are officially part of the team.

You've learned how to:

  • Installed MetaTrader 5 and MetaEditor, created an Expert Advisor using the MQL5 Wizard, and compiled it with zero errors.
  • Ran your EA in the Strategy Tester on historical price data, confirming your full toolchain works end to end.
  • Joined the team Discord, introduced yourself, and bookmarked the five essential MQL5 resources you will use on every project.
  • Completed an optional Secret Mission to push your skills further.

Ready to quiz yourself?