Free Trading Journal Template
A complete journal spreadsheet — trade log with automatic P&L and R-multiple, a setup playbook with per-setup stats, and a dashboard with win rate, profit factor, and expectancy. Works in Excel, Google Sheets, and LibreOffice. No email required.
Download the template (.xlsx)41 KB · Excel / Google Sheets / LibreOffice
What's inside
- Trade log (300 rows) with automatic P&L, initial risk $, and R-multiple per trade
- Direction-aware math (long/short), fees included, futures point values supported
- Setup playbook: define up to 15 setups, get per-setup win rate, net P&L, and avg R
- Dashboard: win rate, profit factor, expectancy in R, average win/loss, total fees
- Dropdowns for direction, setup, and trade grade (A/B/C/F) to keep data clean
- Three worked example trades showing the expected format — delete and go
Not sure what to log or why? The companion guides cover the method: building a journal in a spreadsheet, R-multiple tracking, and journal best practices.
The spreadsheet works — until typing every trade doesn't.
TradersForge Journal fills the same log automatically from a read-only broker connection (NinjaTrader, Tradovate + 25 more), adds AI trade reviews, and tracks prop-firm drawdown live. Free tier — keep the spreadsheet as backup.
FAQ
- Is this trading journal template really free?
- Yes — direct download, no email address, no signup. It’s a genuinely useful spreadsheet we give away because traders who build a journaling habit eventually outgrow spreadsheets, and we’d like to be the tool they graduate to.
- Does it work in Google Sheets?
- Yes. Upload the .xlsx to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets (File → Import also works). All formulas — P&L, R-multiple, win rate, profit factor, expectancy, per-setup stats — use functions Google Sheets supports. It also works in Excel and LibreOffice Calc.
- What does the template calculate automatically?
- Per trade: P&L (direction-aware, minus fees), initial risk in dollars from your stop distance, and R-multiple. Across the log: win rate, profit factor, average win/loss, expectancy in R, total R, best/worst trade, and total fees. Per setup: trade count, win rate, net P&L, and average R for each playbook setup you define.
- How do I log futures trades — what is “point value”?
- Point value is the dollars one full point of price movement is worth per contract: $50 for ES, $5 for MES, $20 for NQ, $2 for MNQ, and so on (a reference table is on the Read Me sheet). For stocks, use 1 — a $1 price move on 1 share is $1. This one column lets the same log handle futures, stocks, and crypto.
- What are the template’s limits compared to journal software?
- A spreadsheet can’t import trades automatically — every entry is typed, which is the main reason spreadsheet journals get abandoned. It also can’t pair partial fills, track prop-firm trailing drawdown live, or review your execution. If the habit sticks, that’s the point at which software journals (ours is TradersForge Journal, free tier available) earn their keep.