What should a trading journal template include?

Date, symbol, setup, the plan written before entry, whether execution matched that plan, and a one line lesson written after the trade closed.

Does it work in Excel and Google Sheets?

Yes. The template is plain columns and simple formulas, so it opens and calculates the same in both.

How is this different from logging profit and loss?

Profit and loss tells you the outcome. Separating plan from execution tells you the cause, which is the part you can change.

How often should I fill it in?

The plan column before entry and the lesson column the same day. A lesson written a week later is a reconstruction, not a record.

Do I need to journal every trade?

Every trade, including the ones you stood aside on. The no-trade rows are often the clearest evidence of discipline.

Trading JournalTemplate

Log the decision. Review the execution. Keep the lesson.

Get the free template View a sample

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TJTTrading Journal Template

Trade LogAnalyticsWeekly ReviewStrategy Notes

Date	Symbol	Setup	Direction	Entry	Exit	R	Size	Result	Rule Adherence	Notes
Apr 22	ES	Pullback	Long	5,212.50	5,233.00	+1.8	2	Win	100%	Followed plan. Clean trade.
Apr 23	AAPL	Breakout	Long	168.20	170.10	+0.9	3	Win	100%	Good execution.
Apr 24	NQ	Reversal	Short	17,455.00	17,502.00	-1.2	2	Loss	42%	Rule break
Apr 25	TSLA	Continuation	Long	182.10	184.30	+2.0	2	Win	100%	Held through plan.
Apr 26	GBPUSD	Range	Short	1.2710	1.2685	+1.1	1	Win	100%	Textbook setup.
Apr 29	CL	Pullback	Long	78.40	77.90	-0.6	2	Loss	67%	Tight stop. Accept it.
Apr 30	NVDA	Breakout	Long	877.50	889.20	+1.4	3	Win	100%	Good read.

R-multiple (per trade)

Rule adherence

86%

Trades following your rules

6 of 7

Selected trade review

What went well?: Setup was valid and entry was clean.
What could be better?: Exited early and broke my trailing rule.
Lesson: Stick to the plan. Let the trade work and manage, don’t bail early.

Trade LogAnalyticsWeekly ReviewStrategy Notes

PlanExecuteReviewImprove

Same process.
Better trades.

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TJTTrading Journal Template

Trade LogAnalyticsWeekly ReviewStrategy Notes

Date	Symbol	Setup	Direction	Entry	Exit	R	Size	Result	Rule Adherence	Notes
Apr 22	ES	Pullback	Long	5,212.50	5,233.00	+1.8	2	Win	100%	Followed plan. Clean trade.
Apr 23	AAPL	Breakout	Long	168.20	170.10	+0.9	3	Win	100%	Good execution.
Apr 24	NQ	Reversal	Short	17,455.00	17,502.00	-1.2	2	Loss	42%	Rule break
Apr 25	TSLA	Continuation	Long	182.10	184.30	+2.0	2	Win	100%	Held through plan.
Apr 26	GBPUSD	Range	Short	1.2710	1.2685	+1.1	1	Win	100%	Textbook setup.
Apr 29	CL	Pullback	Long	78.40	77.90	-0.6	2	Loss	67%	Tight stop. Accept it.
Apr 30	NVDA	Breakout	Long	877.50	889.20	+1.4	3	Win	100%	Good read.

R-multiple (per trade)

Rule adherence

86%

Trades following your rules

6 of 7

Selected trade review

What went well?: Setup was valid and entry was clean.
What could be better?: Exited early and broke my trailing rule.
Lesson: Stick to the plan. Let the trade work and manage, don’t bail early.

Trade LogAnalyticsWeekly ReviewStrategy Notes

Every Trade Tells a Story. Start Recording Yours.

Most traders can remember their biggest wins and most frustrating losses.

But remembering what happened isn’t the same as understanding why.

Without a structured trading journal, it’s difficult to see which setups perform differently, how your risk management affects your results or whether you’re consistently following your trading plan.

A trading journal template gives you a simple way to organise that information.

Record what you traded, why you entered, how you managed the position and what happened afterwards.

Turn individual trades into a record you can actually learn from.

Start Your Trading Journal

Find a Trading Journal Template That Works for You

Choose Your Preferred Format

Format 1

Excel Trading Journal Template

An Excel trade log with filled rows

Organise your trading activity in a familiar spreadsheet.

Record trades, calculate performance metrics and customise your journal around the information you want to track.

Explore Excel Templates

Format 2

Google Sheets Trading Journal Template

A Google Sheets tab on a laptop

Keep your trading records accessible in a cloud-based spreadsheet.

Organise your trades, review your results and update your journal across compatible devices.

Explore Google Sheets Templates

Format 3

Notion Trading Journal Template

A Notion board of trade cards

Bring your trading records, setup notes and reviews together in a flexible workspace.

Explore Notion Templates

Track More Than Your Profit and Loss

Understand How You Trade, Not Just What You Make.

A useful trading journal records both your financial results and the decisions behind them.

Trade Entries & Exits: Record your instrument, direction, entry price, exit price and position size.
Profit & Loss: Monitor the financial outcome of your trades and account for trading costs.
Risk Management: Record your planned risk, stop loss, position sizing and realised risk-to-reward.
Trading Psychology: Document your reasoning, emotional state and whether you followed your trading rules.

A filled-in journal spreadsheet seen at an angle