--- title: "If you are new: what this site is" url: "https://smpfund.com/help/how-the-site-works" language: "en" --- # If you are new: what this site is This is a prop-trading site. You buy a challenge (a test account), trade on MetaTrader with our rules, and if you pass you may get a funded account and a payout. You do not need to know jargon yet — start here. 6 min read ## Step 1: Two parts of the site Think of the site as two houses. House 1 is public (no login). Here you read and buy: the [Shop](https://smpfund.com/shop) to pick a challenge, [Compare challenges](https://smpfund.com/compare-challenges) to see programs side by side, [Build your challenge](https://smpfund.com/build-challenge) to set size yourself, [How it works](https://smpfund.com/how-it-works) for the journey, and [Trading Rules](https://smpfund.com/trading-rules) — that page is the real contract (profit target, daily loss, news, payouts). Also public: [Brokers](https://smpfund.com/brokers), [Platforms](https://smpfund.com/platforms), [Scaling](https://smpfund.com/scaling), [Payout info](https://smpfund.com/payout-info), [Leaderboard](https://smpfund.com/leaderboard), [Economic news](https://smpfund.com/economic-news), [FAQ](https://smpfund.com/faq), and [Contact](https://smpfund.com/contact). House 2 is your private trader panel. You reach it only after [Register](https://smpfund.com/register) and [Sign in](https://smpfund.com/login). After login, [Trader dashboard](https://smpfund.com/account) is the home. From there you manage challenges, MetaTrader passwords, KYC, payouts, and tickets. If a sentence below says “open Account → …”, it means: sign in, then use the left menu (on a phone: the tabs at the bottom). ![Annotated screen: Two parts of the site](https://smpfund.com/help/screenshots/shop.webp) - Program cards - Account size ## Step 2: Words you will see (plain language) Challenge = a paid test. You get a demo trading account with a profit target and loss limits. You did not receive company money yet. Phase / evaluation = stages of that test (for example Phase 1 then Phase 2). Instant programs skip some stages — read the card on the [Shop](https://smpfund.com/shop). Funded = you passed the test and KYC was approved. On Prime and Rapid the evaluation login is closed and a new funded MetaTrader account is issued — its login appears in [Credentials](https://smpfund.com/account/credentials). Instant is funded from the start on the account you bought. You still must follow [Trading Rules](https://smpfund.com/trading-rules). Payouts (your share of profit in crypto) start only after funded rules and [KYC](https://smpfund.com/account/kyc). Credentials / vault = the page [Credentials](https://smpfund.com/account/credentials) that shows the MetaTrader login, password, and server. This is not the same as the email and password you use on [Sign in](https://smpfund.com/login). If a word is still unclear, search this help center or open [FAQ](https://smpfund.com/faq). ![Annotated screen: Words you will see (plain language)](https://smpfund.com/help/screenshots/dashboard.webp) - KPIs - Quick actions ## Step 3: Suggested order if you are starting from zero 1) Create a site account on [Register](https://smpfund.com/register), then confirm the email. 2) [Sign in](https://smpfund.com/login). 3) Read [Trading Rules](https://smpfund.com/trading-rules) and [How it works](https://smpfund.com/how-it-works) before you pay. 4) Pick a card on the [Shop](https://smpfund.com/shop) (or [Compare challenges](https://smpfund.com/compare-challenges), or [Build your challenge](https://smpfund.com/build-challenge)) and complete crypto checkout. 5) Wait until the order is paid and the trading account is issued — payment is not MetaTrader access. 6) Open [Credentials](https://smpfund.com/account/credentials), copy login / password / server, install the platform, then follow [Log in to MetaTrader 5](https://smpfund.com/help/connect-mt5). 7) Watch limits on [Trader dashboard](https://smpfund.com/account) and [My challenges](https://smpfund.com/account/challenges), not only inside MetaTrader. 8) If something breaks, use [Tickets](https://smpfund.com/account/tickets). This [help center](https://smpfund.com/help) exists because the person who already knows all of this does not need it. Click every blue link in these articles — they open the real page. ![Annotated screen: Suggested order if you are starting from zero](https://smpfund.com/help/screenshots/onboarding.webp) ## Open these pages - [Shop](https://smpfund.com/shop) - [Compare challenges](https://smpfund.com/compare-challenges) - [Build your challenge](https://smpfund.com/build-challenge) - [Trading Rules](https://smpfund.com/trading-rules) - [How it works](https://smpfund.com/how-it-works) - [Sign in](https://smpfund.com/login) - [Dashboard](https://smpfund.com/account) ## Related guides - [Create a website account (step by step)](https://smpfund.com/help/create-account): First you only create a login for this website (email + password, or Google). That is not a MetaTrader account and not a purchased challenge. Confirm the email or the trader panel stays locked. - [Sign in to the website (not MetaTrader)](https://smpfund.com/help/sign-in): The Sign in page is only for this website. MetaTrader has a separate login, password, and server that appear later under Credentials. Mixing the two is the most common beginner mistake. - [Buy a challenge when you have never done it](https://smpfund.com/help/buy-a-challenge): A challenge is a paid test account, not a live bank deposit and not MetaTrader access yet. Pick a program and size, pay the exact crypto amount, then wait. Fees are generally not refundable; a refund is possible only in special cases with admin approval. A challenge reset is a self-service discounted rebuy. - [Public pages you can read before you buy](https://smpfund.com/help/public-info-pages): These pages do not need a login. They explain the journey, brokers, platforms, scaling, rankings, and headlines. Live trading risk still uses the in-panel news calendar after you have an account.