Why traders close part of a trade
A partial close means shutting down only some of your position — for example closing half of it — while leaving the rest open. Traders do this to take some profit off the table, reduce their exposure, or free up margin while still keeping a stake in a move they think may continue.
It is a middle path between the all-or-nothing choice of holding the whole trade or closing it entirely. Used sensibly it can smooth out results; used constantly it just multiplies your trading costs.
The numbered steps in MetaTrader
Step 1: Open the Terminal (Ctrl+T) and go to the "Trade" tab. Right-click the open position you want to reduce and choose "Close Order" (on MT5, this opens the order/close dialog).
Step 2: In the close window, change the "Volume" field to the amount you want to close, not the full size. If your position is 0.10 lots and you want to close half, enter 0.05.
Step 3: Click the yellow "Close #... for ... by Market" button. The platform closes the volume you specified and leaves the remainder open as a separate, smaller position.
Step 4: Check the Trade tab afterwards. You should now see the reduced position still running, with your remaining volume, entry price, and any stop-loss or take-profit still attached (you may need to reapply them on some setups).
What happens to your stop and target
After a partial close you are holding a smaller position, so the money at risk from your stop-loss is now smaller too, and the money your take-profit would deliver is smaller as well. Many traders use a partial close together with moving the remaining stop to break-even, so the leftover portion is a "free" runner.
Double-check that a stop-loss is still attached to the remaining position. If for any reason it is not, the leftover trade is running unprotected, which defeats the purpose of banking part of it for safety.
An honest risk note
Each partial close is a separate trade and carries its own share of spread and, on some accounts, commission. Doing it repeatedly out of nerves will quietly erode your results. Partial closing is a planned tool, not something to reach for every time a trade wobbles.
Taking some profit early feels safe, but it also caps how much your best trades can earn. There is a real trade-off between locking in gains and letting winners run, and no setting is right for everyone.