Gold & Silver Position Size Calculator

Calculate the correct lot size for XAUUSD or XAGUSD based on account balance, risk percentage, and stop-loss distance in price units per troy ounce.

Enter in price units ($/oz) — not pips. E.g. for Gold at $2,500 with stop at $2,495, enter 5.00.

Exchange Rate

Formula

Gold/Silver position size formula

Risk Amount Account Balance × Risk% ÷ 100
Lots Risk Amount ÷ (Stop Distance × Contract Size × Rate)
Units (oz) Lots × Contract Size

XAUUSD: Contract size = 100 oz · Pip size = $0.01/oz

XAGUSD: Contract size = 5,000 oz · Pip size = $0.001/oz

Stop distance is entered in $/oz (price units) — pipSize cancels algebraically in the lot calculation.

Worked Example

Given

XAUUSD · $10,000 account · 1% risk · $5.00 stop distance (price units) · USD account

Risk Amount
$10,000 × 1% = $100
Lots
$100 ÷ ($5 × 100 × 1) = 0.2 lots
Units
0.2 × 100 = 20 troy oz
Stop Pips
$5.00 ÷ $0.01 = 500 pips

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the stop-loss distance entered for gold?
Enter the stop distance as a price difference in dollars per troy ounce — not in pips. If gold is at $2,500 and your stop is at $2,495, enter 5.00. The calculator converts to pips internally using the gold pip size ($0.01/oz), but you do not need to calculate this yourself. Entering in $/oz is more intuitive because that's how gold prices are quoted.
What is the contract size for XAUUSD and XAGUSD?
The standard XAUUSD (gold) contract is 100 troy ounces per lot. The standard XAGUSD (silver) contract is 5,000 troy ounces per lot. A 0.1 lot gold position = 10 troy ounces. At a gold price of $2,500, 0.1 lot = $25,000 notional value.
What pip size is used for gold and silver?
Gold (XAUUSD) pip size = $0.01 per ounce. Silver (XAGUSD) pip size = $0.001 per ounce. These differ from forex convention (0.0001) because precious metals are priced in dollars per ounce, not as currency ratios. The stopPips output shows how many pips your stop distance equals — for a $5 stop on gold, that's 500 pips.
Why is my lot size very small for gold?
Gold has a large contract value — at $2,500/oz × 100 oz/lot, 1 standard lot = $250,000 notional. Even a $5 stop on a $10,000 account at 1% risk ($100) allows only 0.02 lots. This is normal. Use micro-lots (0.01 lot = 1 oz) or ensure your broker supports fractional lot sizing.