A Practical Trading Journal Template

Start with an entry you can reconcile: account, market, trading symbol, side, quantity, execution timestamps and prices. Add a source reference when one is available. The template download is empty; it contains no invented trades or results.

Next add the plan and review context: strategy, original reason, intended exit rule, state before entry and the actual exit reason. A brief useful note is better than an unused field that makes recording every trade difficult.

Execution details should come from the confirmed record. Personal observations should be clearly identified as notes. Retain the original entry when adding a later review so that hindsight does not overwrite what you recorded at the time.

If you use a spreadsheet, give each journal entry a stable reference. Keep an untouched copy of broker exports separately from the editable journal. This helps you compare a correction with its source.

This download is a one-row-per-journal-entry worksheet header. It is not a broker tradebook or a universal import format. Trade Diary’s generic tradebook importer expects execution data and a reviewed column mapping; entry-and-exit journal rows may need transformation before import.

Open the CSV in your preferred spreadsheet tool and save a workbook copy if you add formatting or private formulas. Do not put passwords, broker login information or unnecessary account identifiers in the file.

Use consistent strategy labels and timestamps so related entries can be compared. Check gross results and charge estimates against broker-confirmed records before describing a net result as reconciled.

When you move to an account-based journal, map the data deliberately and preview an import before confirming. Imported execution records should not replace your existing notes without review.