XAUUSD lot size calculator: position size for gold
To find your XAUUSD lot size, divide the amount you are willing to lose by the loss one lot would take at your stop. With a standard lot of 100 ounces, every $1 move in gold is worth $100 per lot, so the formula is: lots = risk amount ÷ (stop distance in dollars × 100). Risking $100 with a stop $10 away gives 100 ÷ 1,000 = 0.10 lots. The calculator below does this for you, including accounts in other currencies and brokers with a different contract size.
Calculate your gold lot size
Enter your account, how much of it you want to risk, and your entry and stop. The result updates as you type. The example shows a $10,000 account risking 1% on a long from $4,000 with a stop at $3,990 and a target at $4,030.
- Risk budget (1%)
- $100.00
- Actual risk at this size
- $100.00
- Stop distance
- $10.00
- Loss per lot at the stop
- $1,000.00
- Position value
- $40,000.00
- Risk-reward
- 1:3
- Profit at the target
- $300.00
Lots are rounded down to 0.01, the step most brokers use. Contract sizes vary by broker, so check yours. Spreads, commissions and slippage are not included.
How lot size works on gold
- A standard lot of XAUUSD is 100 troy ounces at most brokers, so a $1 move in gold changes a 1-lot position by $100.
- 0.10 lots is 10 ounces, worth $10 per $1 move. 0.01 lots, the usual minimum, is 1 ounce, worth $1 per $1 move.
- At $4,000 an ounce, one standard lot controls $400,000 of gold. That is why small lot sizes are normal even on large accounts.
- Some brokers, and some account types, use a different contract size. Check your broker's contract specification and change the contract size in the calculator if it differs.
Worked examples
| Account | Risk | Stop distance | Lot size | Ounces |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | 1% = $10 | $5 | 0.02 lots | 2 oz |
| $5,000 | 0.5% = $25 | $2.50 | 0.10 lots | 10 oz |
| $10,000 | 1% = $100 | $10 | 0.10 lots | 10 oz |
| $25,000 | 1% = $250 | $15 | 0.16 lots | 16 oz |
| $50,000 | 0.5% = $250 | $25 | 0.10 lots | 10 oz |
The pattern to notice: a wider stop means a smaller position for the same risk. A tight stop on a 5-minute chart allows a bigger size than a swing stop on the 1-hour chart, but the dollar risk stays the same.
Pips, points and dollars on gold
Brokers do not agree on what a pip is on gold: some count $0.01 as a pip, others $0.10, and some talk about points instead. That is a common source of sizing mistakes. The calculator avoids it by working in dollars: you enter the actual entry and stop prices, and the distance is measured exactly as it appears on your chart.
Get the levels from your chart first
A position size is only as good as the stop behind it. Wick reads a screenshot of your gold chart and returns the support and resistance, a bullish and a bearish scenario, and a trade plan with the trigger, entry, stop and target, with the risk-reward already worked out. Take those levels, size the trade here, and you have a complete plan in under a minute.
Related guides
- How to analyze a gold (XAUUSD) chart with AIScreenshot your XAUUSD chart, upload it to an AI chart analysis app, and read the trend, key levels, scenarios and trade plan it returns. A real example.
- Position size calculator for forex, gold, indices and stocksCalculate how many lots or shares to trade from your account size, risk per trade, entry and stop loss. Works for forex, gold, indices, crypto and stocks.
- Entry, stop loss and target: how to read a trade planWhat the trigger, entry, stop loss, target and risk-reward ratio mean in a trade plan, with a worked gold example and the arithmetic behind 1:1.5.
Frequently asked questions
How much is one lot of gold?
At most brokers, one standard lot of XAUUSD is 100 ounces. At a gold price of $4,000 that is $400,000 of gold, and each $1 move in price changes the position's value by $100.
What lot size should I use for gold with a $1,000 account?
It depends on your stop, not just the account. If you risk 1% ($10) and your stop is $5 away, the size is 10 ÷ (5 × 100) = 0.02 lots. With a $10 stop it would be 0.01 lots. Work out the stop from the chart first, then the size.
How much does gold move per lot?
With a 100-ounce contract, $100 per lot for every $1 move, $10 for 0.10 lots and $1 for 0.01 lots.
Is a pip on XAUUSD 0.01 or 0.1?
It depends on the broker. That is why this calculator uses the dollar distance between your entry and stop instead of pips.
Does the calculator include spread and commission?
No. It sizes the trade from your entry and stop. On gold the spread can widen around news, so leave some room in your risk budget, for example by risking slightly less than your maximum.
Educational content, not financial advice. Trading involves risk, including the loss of your capital. AI analysis can be wrong; always do your own research. Read the full disclaimer.