XAUUSD is gold against the US dollar. It is heavily traded, heavily marketed, and routinely mis-sized by new traders. Here is the structural primer.
Contract specs (typical)
- 1 standard lot = 100 troy ounces.
- Pip = 0.01 of price.
- Pip value per standard lot ≈ $1 (in USD).
What this means in practice
A 100-pip stop on 1 standard lot ≈ $100 risk. A 100-pip stop on 0.10 lot ≈ $10. New traders look at "0.5 lot, gold is just one number" and wake up to losses they did not plan for.
Sessions
Asia is usually quieter. London open injects liquidity. The most aggressive moves come on US economic releases — CPI, NFP, FOMC.
News risk
Spreads widen sharply during news. Stops can slip. Trade smaller during scheduled high-impact releases or step aside.
Weekend gaps
Sunday gaps following weekend geopolitical news happen. Decide ahead of Friday close whether to hold.
First gold trade — example sizing
$3,000 account. 1% risk = $30. Stop 100 pips. Size = $30 / ($1/pip × 100) = 0.30 lots. Use the XAUUSD calculator rather than rounding.
Next steps on ShaFX
- Free trading calculators — position size, pip value, margin, risk/reward, drawdown.
- Take a quiz on this topic and see what you missed.
- Glossary — precise definitions for every term used here.
- Compare brokers using our methodology.