Trading Journal Template
A plain CSV with thirteen columns and three sample rows. Logging every trade in R rather than dollars makes results comparable across instruments and account sizes.
Download
trading-journal-template.csv, 401 bytes, header plus three sample rows.
Columns
| Column | What goes here |
|---|---|
| Date | YYYY-MM-DD so the sheet sorts correctly. |
| Instrument | Ticker or contract, e.g. AAPL, ESZ6, EUR/USD. |
| Direction | Long or Short. |
| Setup | Short name for the pattern you traded; keep the vocabulary small. |
| Entry | Fill price. |
| Stop | Stop price at entry. Defines 1R. |
| Target | Planned exit. |
| Size | Shares, contracts, lots or units. |
| R planned | (target - entry) / (entry - stop), sign adjusted for shorts. |
| Exit | Actual exit price (average if scaled). |
| R realized | (exit - entry) / (entry - stop), sign adjusted for shorts. |
| Mistakes | Rule breaks only: chased, moved stop, oversized, no plan. |
| Notes | Anything else worth remembering. |
Template (copy this table)
| Date | Instrument | Direction | Setup | Entry | Stop | Target | Size | R planned | Exit | R realized | Mistakes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-05 | AAPL | Long | Breakout | 185.20 | 183.70 | 189.70 | 60 | 3.00 | 188.10 | 1.93 | Cut early on volume fade | |
| 2026-01-06 | MES | Short | Failed breakout | 5012.25 | 5018.25 | 4994.25 | 2 | 3.00 | 5018.25 | -1.00 | Chased | Entered late, stop was the right call |
| 2026-01-07 | EUR/USD | Long | Pullback | 1.0850 | 1.0830 | 1.0910 | 0.5 | 3.00 | 1.0910 | 3.00 |
Import into Google Sheets or Excel
- Download the CSV (or copy the table below).
- Google Sheets: File > Import > Upload, choose the file, separator type Comma, then Import data.
- Excel: Data > From Text/CSV, pick the file and load it. Numbers: just open the file.
- Delete the three sample rows and keep the header. Add one row per trade, the same day you take it.
- Add a cell with =AVERAGE(K:K) for average R and =COUNTIF(K:K,">0")/COUNT(K:K) for win rate.
Raw CSV
Date,Instrument,Direction,Setup,Entry,Stop,Target,Size,R planned,Exit,R realized,Mistakes,Notes 2026-01-05,AAPL,Long,Breakout,185.20,183.70,189.70,60,3.00,188.10,1.93,,Cut early on volume fade 2026-01-06,MES,Short,Failed breakout,5012.25,5018.25,4994.25,2,3.00,5018.25,-1.00,Chased,"Entered late, stop was the right call" 2026-01-07,EUR/USD,Long,Pullback,1.0850,1.0830,1.0910,0.5,3.00,1.0910,3.00,,
How it's calculated
The download is generated in your browser; nothing is uploaded. The same rows are shown as a table you can copy straight into a sheet.
| 1R | |entry − stop| |
|---|---|
| R planned | (target − entry) / (entry − stop), sign adjusted for shorts |
| R realized | (exit − entry) / (entry − stop), sign adjusted for shorts |
| Average R | =AVERAGE(K:K) in Sheets or Excel |
| Win rate | =COUNTIF(K:K,">0")/COUNT(K:K) |
Educational only, not financial advice. The maths is simple arithmetic on the numbers you enter; it knows nothing about your broker, fees, slippage or the market. Questions about the maths? Ask in the forums.