What ATR period should I use on gold?

Fourteen periods on the timeframe you trade is the common default. What matters more is applying the same setting consistently so results are comparable.

Is a high ATR on gold good or bad?

Neither by itself. It means larger bars, which means wider stops and smaller position size for the same account risk.

Can ATR predict direction?

No. ATR measures range magnitude only. Direction has to come from structure, trend or macro context.

How do I turn ATR into a lot size?

Set the stop as an ATR multiple in dollars, then divide your cash risk by that distance times 100 per lot to get position size.

WHAT IS ATR ON GOLD?

ATR on gold is the average true range: the mean of recent bar ranges, where each true range is the largest of high minus low, high minus previous close, and previous close minus low. The gap terms matter on XAUUSD because the market reopens on Sunday and can jump several dollars away from the Friday close.

Because gold daily ranges can double between a quiet week and a CPI or FOMC week, a fixed dollar stop is effectively a different strategy in each regime. Setting the stop as a multiple of ATR and then deriving lot size from that distance keeps cash risk per trade constant while allowing the stop to breathe with current volatility.