Is Excel enough or do I need software?

Excel/Sheets is enough to start. The column schema above + weekly review beats casual journaling. Switch to software if you log 50+ trades/week or want automated news-day segmentation and rule-adherence tracking.

What's the minimum to track?

For beginners: Facts (entry/exit/fees) and Process (rules Y/N). Add Context (setup, session) after 20 trades; Psychology (tilt/emotion) after 40.

How often should I review?

End-of-day: 5 minutes to tally “most broken rule.” Weekly: 30 minutes for win rate, expectancy, rule %, and one change. Monthly: review time-of-day and news-day performance.

Should my trading plan live in the journal?

Yes—keep a Rules sheet or tab and reference rule IDs in entries (e.g., “Broke rule #3: no trades in first 30 minutes on CPI days”).

How do I make screenshots easy?

Use a hotkey tool (ShareX/Lightshot) to auto-upload to a cloud folder; paste the URL in your Screenshot column.

How trading journal looks like

TradeTrakR Editorial · Oct 27, 2025 · ~12 min read · [Journaling]

In one glance: A trading journal looks like a structured record for each trade—facts (entry/exit, size, P&L), context (setup, market conditions), risk (planned vs. realized R), process (rules followed/broken + screenshot), psychology (emotion, tilt), and a short review with one action for next time.

Your trading journal isn’t a diary—it’s a behavior-change tool. If you don’t know what a trading journal looks like—the fields, screens, and weekly workflow—you’ll either skip it or build something that doesn’t hold you accountable.

This guide shows exactly how a trading journal looks like across paper, Excel/Sheets, and modern apps. You’ll get copy-paste column schemas, accountability prompts you’ll actually use, and a weekly review process that turns logs into improvements.

How trading journal looks like: the core sections

Every entry should include six blocks. Skip any one and you lose a chance to spot patterns or enforce discipline.

1) Facts

Ticker/contract, direction, size, entry/exit, fees—clean, objective “what happened.”

2) Context

Setup name, higher-timeframe bias, volatility, news tags (CPI/FOMC), session (Open/NY/Late)—why the trade fit conditions.

3) Risk

Planned stop/target, R planned, R realized, and whether stops/targets moved—“did I risk what I said I would?”

4) Process

Rules followed (Y/N), most broken rule, screenshot link—“did I follow the plan or freelance?”

5) Psychology

Pre/post emotion and a tilt score (1–10)—“was I in control or reactive?”

6) Review

One lesson and one next action. End-of-day: tally the top broken rule.

How trading journal looks like in Excel (copy this layout)

Copy this column schema into Excel or Google Sheets to start today.

Column	Example
Date	2025-10-27
Time	09:45
Ticker/Contract	ES
Direction (L/S)	Long
Size	2
Entry	4750.25
Exit	4753.50
Stop (planned)	4748.00
Target (planned)	4756.00
R Planned	2.5
R Realized	1.5
Gross P&L	+650
Fees	-6.50
Net P&L	+643.50
Setup	Bull Flag
HTF Bias	Bullish
Volatility	High
News Tag	CPI
Session	NY
Rules Followed (Y/N)	N
Most Broken Rule	Moved stop wider
Emotion (pre/post)	FOMO / Relief
Tilt (pre/post 1–10)	7 / 3
Screenshot URL	https://drive.google.com/file/xyz
Lesson	Don’t widen stops on first pullback
Next Action	Review stop rules Monday

Formulas

R Planned: Longs: (Target − Entry) / (Entry − Stop) · Shorts: (Entry − Target) / (Stop − Entry)

R Realized: Longs: (Exit − Entry) / (Entry − Stop) · Shorts: (Entry − Exit) / (Stop − Entry)

Net P&L: Gross P&L − Fees

Weekly review table

Win rate, Avg R, Expectancy
Performance by weekday, session, and news tag
Rule Adherence % and Most Broken Rule
Tilt vs. R (group averages or simple correlation)

Create a Trades sheet with the columns above; freeze header.
Add formulas for R Planned, R Realized, Net P&L.
Create a Weekly Review sheet with the summaries above.
Set a Sunday reminder for a 30-minute review.

Prefer automation? Read Automated Trade Tracker. Keep it consistent with How to maintain trading journal.

How trading journal looks like in an app (what the screens show)

Capture view

Required: date/time, ticker, direction, size, entry/exit, stop, target
One-tap emotion/news tags; tilt slider (1–10)
Attach the last 3 minutes of chart as a screenshot
Micro-prompts: “What rule gives this trade its edge?” and “Did I move my stop?”

Card view

Badges: Rules ✓/✗, R realized, Net P&L
Two prompts: “What to keep?” / “What to change?”

Insights view

Filters: News tag, Weekday, Session
R distribution, Rule % trend, Tilt vs. R
Top broken rules (bar chart)

Compare free options in Which trading journal is free? or explore deeper analytics in Clarity Panel.

Who this is for (and the hurt points we’re solving)

Beginners

Pain: Not sure what to log; scattered notes; can’t tell if you’re improving.

Fix: Use the six blocks; one screenshot per trade; 5-minute end-of-day tally; after 30 trades, review win rate and rule-adherence % and pick one change.

Experienced traders

Pain: Accountability drift; time-of-day and news-day blind spots; skipped screenshots.

Fix: Segment by session and news in weekly review; enforce “log within 15 minutes or no trading tomorrow”; if Rule Adherence % < 70%, pause and revisit plan.

Accountability prompts you’ll actually use

Pre-trade: “What rule gives this trade its edge?”
Post-fill: “Did I move my stop? Why?”
At exit: “Was exit per plan or emotion?”
End-of-day: “Top broken rule today?” (tally weekly)
Weekly: “One change to test next week?” (specific, small, measurable)

Examples you can copy today

Example 1: Single-trade card

Facts: Long 2 ES @ 4750.25, exit 4753.50, fees −$6.50, Net P&L +$643.50
Context: Bull Flag, HTF bullish, High vol, CPI, NY session
Risk: R planned 2.5, R realized 1.5
Process: Rules followed: No. Most broken rule: Moved stop wider
Psychology: Pre: FOMO (7/10). Post: Relief (3/10)
Review: Lesson—don’t widen stops on first pullback. Next—review stop rules Monday

Example 2: Week review

Stats: Win rate 55%, Avg R 1.2, Expectancy 0.4R
Best day: Wed (Win 70%, Avg R 1.8) · Worst: Mon (Win 40%, Avg R 0.3)
Most broken rule: “Moved stop wider” (5×)
Action next week: Log “most broken rule” by 9:00 AM; if 2+ violations Monday, stop trading afternoon

How trading journal looks like for beginners vs. veterans

Beginners: must-have minimum

Date, Time, Ticker, Direction, Size, Entry, Exit, Fees
One screenshot per trade (even if you skip analysis)
Daily three bullets: “What worked? What didn’t? What’s the plan tomorrow?”
Weekly one change (fix the most broken rule)
Start dashboards after 30+ trades (enough data)

Veterans: advanced segmentation

Segment by news (CPI/FOMC/PPI vs. None) and session (Open/NY/Late)
Grade Rule Adherence % weekly (target 80%+; if <70%, pause trading)
Track Tilt on every trade; identify triggers
Guardrails: “Stop trading if tilt > 7 for three trades” or “If rule adherence < 70% for 2 weeks, review plan.”

How trading journal looks like in screenshots (what to show)

FAQ

Is Excel enough or do I need software?: Excel/Sheets is enough to start. The column schema above + weekly review beats casual journaling. Switch to software if you log 50+ trades/week or want automated news-day segmentation and rule-adherence tracking.
What’s the minimum to track?: For beginners: Facts (entry/exit/fees) and Process (rules Y/N). Add Context (setup, session) after 20 trades; Psychology (tilt/emotion) after 40.
How often should I review?: End-of-day: 5 minutes to tally “most broken rule.” Weekly: 30 minutes for win rate, expectancy, rule %, and one change. Monthly: review time-of-day and news-day performance.
Should my trading plan live in the journal?: Yes—keep a Rules sheet or tab and reference rule IDs in entries (e.g., “Broke rule #3: no trades in first 30 minutes on CPI days”).
How do I make screenshots easy?: Use a hotkey tool (ShareX/Lightshot) to auto-upload to a cloud folder; paste the URL in your Screenshot column.

Next reads: How to maintain trading journal · Which trading journal is free? · Automated Trade Tracker · Clarity Panel