How to Calculate XAUUSD Lot Size
Gold position size connects an account-currency risk budget to the price distance between entry and stop. A lot number alone does not describe risk: contract size and stop distance matter too.In this guide
Choose the inputs
Start with account balance, a risk amount you have chosen, entry, stop and the broker’s ounces per lot. Confirm that a buy stop lies below entry or a sell stop above it. Check the volume step and minimum permitted trade.
Work through the numbers
For a $10,000 account at 1% risk, the budget is $100. With entry 2000 and stop 1990, distance is $10/oz. At 100 oz per lot, risk per lot is $1,000. Dividing $100 by $1,000 gives 0.10 lot. If the budget were $99, raw size would be 0.099 lot; a 0.01 step gives 0.09, not 0.10.
Check what the estimate excludes
For a non-USD account, convert USD loss per lot to account currency before dividing. Costs and slippage can increase actual loss. If the broker minimum is too large for the budget, do not force the result upward. The calculator reports no permitted positive size. A default contract size is only an example; verify your own instrument.
Check the answer in reverse
Multiply the rounded lots by ounces per lot and the stop distance. For 0.09 lot, 100 ounces per lot and a $10 stop, the planned loss is $90. That is below the $99 budget by $9. This difference is unused risk capacity caused by the volume step; it is not a fee or an error. Rounding to the nearest step could increase exposure beyond the chosen budget.
What happens when the stop widens?
With the same $100 budget and 100-ounce contract, a $20 stop produces 0.05 lot instead of 0.10. Twice the stop distance requires half the size before rounding. Moving a stop after opening a position does not automatically resize that position. Recalculate the monetary exposure whenever the intended exit changes.
Can I use a live gold quote directly?
An indicative spot quote is a reference input. Check the timestamp and your broker’s executable entry price. A stale source must not be treated as current. Applying a new entry can also put an old stop on the wrong side of the trade; review both fields before calculating.
Try the related calculator with your own inputs and review its assumptions.
Further reading: Calculation methodology and related guides.
Educational information, not personalized investment advice. Verify broker rules and contract specifications.