How Much Is 1 Lot of Gold? XAUUSD Lot Size in Ounces, Grams, Dollars and Margin
1 lot of XAUUSD = 100 oz (about 3.11 kg). What 1, 0.1 and 0.01 lot are worth, the profit per $1 move and the margin at 1:100 and 1:500.
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Gold basics: gold trading guides
Everything you need to understand before you place a gold trade: what XAUUSD actually is, how the price is made, what a lot and a pip are worth, and what the costs really are.
About this topic
Gold basics are the guides we point every new XAUUSD trader to first. They explain the market itself rather than any strategy: what the symbol XAUUSD means, how the spot gold price is set in London and traded around the clock, why a broker's XAUUSD quote differs from the COMEX futures price, and what you are legally holding when you trade a gold CFD. They also cover the arithmetic that trips up beginners, such as how much one lot of gold is worth, what a pip or point is on gold, how spreads, commissions and overnight swaps add up, and how to convert the dollar-per-ounce price into grams, tolas or kilos.
This topic is for people who have opened a demo account and feel the numbers do not quite make sense yet, and for traders coming from stocks or crypto who want to know how gold differs. Several guides also look at gold's long-run behaviour, including whether it really hedges inflation, how it behaved in the 2008, 2020 and 2022 stock-market drawdowns, and how real yields and the US dollar drive it. Figures in these articles come from public sources such as the LBMA, CME Group, the World Gold Council and FRED, and each article shows its publication date. Nothing here is a signal or a recommendation: the aim is to make you comfortable with the mechanics so that the strategy lessons in the Gold Trading Academy make sense.
Start here
What Is XAUUSD? The Complete Guide to Trading Gold
Everything about XAUUSD in one guide: how gold is priced, lots, pips, leverage, costs, sessions, drivers and a worked trade.
Read it first
Tools and lessons for this topic
All 16 gold basics articles
Newest first. Every article shows its publication date and, where relevant, an update date.
Does Gold Go Up When Stocks Crash? What 2008, 2020 and 2022 Show XAUUSD Traders
Why gold often falls in the first days of a stock crash, what 2008, 2020 and 2022 show, and the signals that tell you which kind of sell-off you're in.
Is Gold a Good Hedge Against Inflation? What 50 Years of Data Really Show
Long-run vs short-run evidence, why the CPI link is weak, the 1980 trap, and why rates matter more than inflation for XAUUSD traders.
Gold vs Bitcoin: Is Bitcoin Really 'Digital Gold'? A Comparison for Traders
Records and drawdowns, volatility, the 2026 correlation spike, trading hours, leverage and what each asset is actually good for.
What Is a Gold CFD? How XAUUSD Contracts for Difference Work, Cost and Can Go Wrong
How gold CFDs work, a worked profit-and-loss example, margin rules, overnight financing and a comparison with futures and ETFs.
Trading Gold vs Silver: How XAUUSD and XAGUSD Differ for Beginners
Contract sizes, the value of a move, volatility, leverage and drivers for XAUUSD vs XAGUSD, with worked examples.
How to Add a Free Live Gold Price Widget to Your Website or Blog
Copy-paste code for three free gold widgets, step-by-step setup for WordPress, Wix, Squarespace and HTML, plus sizing and currency options.
Real Yields and Gold: How the 10-Year TIPS Yield Moves XAUUSD
Nominal vs real yields, TIPS and breakevens in plain English, the latest readings, and how to use our gold vs real yields tracker.
XAUUSD Spreads, Commissions and Swaps: The Real Cost of Trading Gold
How spreads, commissions and overnight swaps work on XAUUSD, with dollar examples per lot, triple-swap days and a cost checklist for your own platform.
Gold Trading Glossary: 50 XAUUSD Terms Every Beginner Should Know
50 gold trading terms in plain English, grouped by topic: prices and quotes, contract maths, orders, risk, market drivers and chart analysis.
Gold Price per Gram, Tola and Kilo: How to Convert the XAUUSD Price Yourself
Formulas and worked examples to convert the XAUUSD ounce price to grams, 10 grams, tola and kilo for 24K, 22K and 18K, plus why local prices differ.
The Gold-Silver Ratio Explained: What It Tells XAUUSD and XAGUSD Traders
How many ounces of silver buy one ounce of gold, why the number swings from 17 to over 125, where it is now, and how traders use it as context.
Spot Gold vs Gold Futures: Why XAUUSD and COMEX GC Show Different Prices
Why XAUUSD and COMEX gold futures quote different prices, how carry and the basis work, contract sizes from 1 oz to 100 oz, and how to keep your levels consistent.
XAUUSD Pip Value Explained: How Pips, Points and Lots Work on Gold
Gold pip and point values for every lot size, why brokers disagree, and worked examples you can check yourself.
What Is XAUUSD? The Complete Guide to Trading Gold
Everything about XAUUSD in one guide: how gold is priced, lots, pips, leverage, costs, sessions, drivers and a worked trade.
What Moves Gold Prices? The US Dollar, Yields, Inflation and the Fed
The dollar, real yields, inflation, the Fed, safe-haven demand and central banks — and why the links shift.
Frequently asked questions
What should a complete beginner read first about gold trading?
Start with What Is XAUUSD?, which explains how the gold price is made, lots, pips, leverage and costs. Then read the pip-value and lot-size guides so the numbers on your demo account make sense before you look at any strategy.
Is XAUUSD the same as the gold price I see in the news?
Almost. XAUUSD is the spot price of one troy ounce of gold in US dollars, the same figure most news outlets quote. Your broker’s XAUUSD quote can differ by a small spread, and COMEX gold futures (GC) trade at a slightly different price because they settle on a future date.
Do I need a strategy before I understand the basics?
No. Lot size, pip value, margin and costs decide how much you can lose on any trade, whatever the strategy. Understanding them first is what lets you size trades sensibly when you move on to the Gold Trading Academy lessons.
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