Free trading journal template
A free spreadsheet trading journal for Excel or Google Sheets. It has a trade log with the plan written before entry, net P&L after charges and the R multiple calculated for you, a sheet for your if-then rules and a weekly review sheet. Download it, fill in one row per trade, and review once a week.
What is inside
| Sheet | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Read me | How to use the template in three steps. |
| Trades | One row per trade: plan, entry, exit, charges, net P&L, R multiple, rules followed, behaviour flag, emotion. Drop-down lists for side, flags, exit reason and emotion. |
| Rules | Five starter if-then rules to edit, with a column to tick each week. |
| Weekly review | Most expensive mistake, net when rules were followed vs broken, one focus rule and one lesson. |
How to use it
- Before each trade, fill the date, plan time, setup, reason, stop, target and planned risk.
- After the session, fill the exit, gross P&L and charges from your contract note. Net P&L and R multiple fill in automatically.
- Once a week, fill one row of the weekly review and choose one rule to focus on.
- Never edit old rows. Add a dated note instead, so hindsight cannot rewrite your record.
Spreadsheet limits
A spreadsheet cannot prove when you wrote a plan, cannot import broker files or compute charges for you, and will not remind you to do your morning rule check. If you want those, the free DisciplineTrade journal does them automatically. Read what to track in a trading journal for the reasoning behind each column.
Educational template. Not investment or tax advice.
Questions
Can I use this template in Google Sheets?
Yes. In Google Sheets choose File, Import, Upload and pick the .xlsx file. The formulas and drop-down lists come across. You can also import the .csv for a blank trade log.
Which charges should go in the Charges column?
Everything you paid on the trade: brokerage plus the taxes and fees on your contract note. Use the contract note from your broker so Net P&L matches what reached your account.
Why is there a Planned risk column?
It is the amount you would lose if the stop is hit, written before entry. Dividing the net result by it gives the R multiple, so trades of different sizes can be compared.