How to keep a trading journal (with template)
A trading journal is the simplest tool to become a better trader. Here is what to log for every trade, how to review it and which mistakes almost everyone makes.
What is a trading journal?
A trading journal is a list of all your trades. Each trade has the hard facts (coin, direction, entry, exit, size, result) and the soft facts: why you entered, how you felt and whether you followed your plan.
The point: you replace gut feeling with numbers. After 30 to 50 trades you see patterns you never noticed, for example that you trade much worse in the evening, or that one of your strategies has been losing money for weeks.
What to log for every trade
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Date and time (entry and exit) | Shows your strong and weak hours and your holding time. |
| Coin and direction (long/short) | Many traders are clearly worse on one side or on certain coins. |
| Entry, exit, size, leverage | The basis for result, position size and risk. |
| Stop-loss and target | Gives you your planned risk and the R-multiple. |
| Result after fees | Fees and funding eat a big part of the profit if you trade often. |
| Strategy / setup | The only way to see which setup really works. |
| Mistakes | FOMO, moved stop, oversized position, revenge trade. These are the most expensive habits. |
| Note and emotion | Why did you enter? Were you calm, greedy, stressed? This is often the real cause. |
Template to copy
If you want to start with a spreadsheet, use these columns. They also work directly with the trading journal's CSV import:
Entry date, Exit date, Coin, Direction, Entry, Exit, Size, Leverage, Stop, Fees, Result, Strategy, Mistakes, Note
How often to review
- After every trade: log the trade, tag mistakes, write one line. Takes a minute.
- Once a week: check your metrics. Which strategy worked, which didn't? Which mistake came up most?
- Once a month: look for bigger patterns and set one rule for the next month.
The key is one single rule per review. If you plan ten changes, you will implement none.
The most common trading journal mistakes
- Only logging winners. Losers are the most valuable entries. Log everything, even the embarrassing trades.
- Ignoring fees. With leveraged futures, fees and funding quickly make up 20 to 40 percent of the gross profit.
- No stop logged. Without planned risk you can't calculate an R-multiple or judge whether a win was good.
- Quitting after three weeks. A journal becomes meaningful at around 30 to 50 trades. Automatic import does the work for you.
- Never reviewing. A journal nobody reads is useless. Book a fixed slot every week.
Spreadsheet or trading journal tool?
A spreadsheet is better than nothing, but you have to type every trade, build metrics like profit factor or drawdown yourself and hack together breakdowns by hour or strategy with pivot tables. A tool like the free trading journal imports your trades directly from the exchange and calculates everything automatically, plus an AI review that tells you what costs you the most money.
Try it right away: the trading journal calculates everything for you. Free, with an AI coach.
Start for freeFAQ
How many trades do I need for a useful review?
You see first patterns from about 20 trades. Metrics become really reliable from 50 to 100 trades per strategy.
Should I log demo trades too?
Yes, but separately. Create a separate strategy or tag in the journal so demo and real money don't mix.
How long does logging take per day?
With CSV or API import almost nothing. You only add strategy, mistakes and a short note, about a minute per trade.