Who this is for
Forex journaling is different because market behavior shifts across sessions and costs can hide inside the spread and swaps. This pillar is for traders who want a professional system to review performance by pair, session, and setup.
London, New York, and the overlap behave differently-tag sessions to see your edge.
Day trading journalWhat should a forex journal include?
Forex journaling works when trades are comparable and reviewable. That requires pip-aware risk, real costs (spread/commission + swaps), and tags that let you segment by pair and session.
| Category | Fields to track | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Pair + Context | Pair, timeframe, key level, news flag | Pairs behave differently; volatility shifts. |
| Execution + Risk | Entry/stop/target, stop (pips), position size, planned risk | Compute realized R to compare trades. |
| Costs (Edge-killers) | Spread/commission, swap/rollover, net P&L | Swaps can quietly erase profitability. |
| Session Tags | Asia, London, New York, Overlap | Setups often only work in one session. |
| Review Layer | Setup tags, rule adherence, notes | Turns logging into a feedback loop. |
If your stop is 25 pips and planned risk is $100, your position size must make 25 pips = $100. Track pips + risk so R-multiples stay consistent.
Gross P&L $140 minus spread/comm $12 and swap $4 = net P&L $124. Track net or your metrics are fake.
Tag sessions like London and NY overlap. This is the fastest way to find (and stop) trading in bad time windows.
How to journal forex trades
A workflow that actually improves performance is session-aware, cost-realistic, and review-driven. Don't just log; analyze.
Log pair + session
Forex behavior changes across sessions-tag them so your review is meaningful.
Record stop size (pips) + planned risk
Store both stop size in pips and planned risk so you can compute realized R.
Track real costs
Include spread, commission, and swap. If you hold overnight, swaps matter.
Tag setup + conditions
Your journal becomes useful when you can isolate what works by setup and context.
Weekly review
Review by pair/setup using profit factor and expectancy.
Common Mistakes in Forex Journaling
Costs can hide in the spread and overnight swaps-net performance must include them.
London and NY overlap can behave totally differently than Asia-tag sessions to see it.
Win rate alone is misleading. Use expectancy and profit factor to measure true quality.
If you don’t tag by pair/setup, you can’t isolate what is actually working vs luck.
Forex Journal Templates
Metrics to Review
Definition, benchmarks, and common mistakes.
Expectancy per trade and how to use it.
Track sessions, track costs, track reality.
Start with templates, then upgrade when you want automated review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Forex trading journal template
A forex journal template should track pair, session, stop size (pips), planned risk, costs (spread/commission and swap), net P&L, realized R, setup tags, and brief review notes.
Forex trading journal excel
Excel works well if you consistently record pips + planned risk and include costs. The downside is maintenance-most traders upgrade to software when review becomes slow.
Forex trading journal sample
A sample entry includes: EURUSD, London session, long, entry/stop/target, stop 22 pips, planned risk $100, spread/commission, swap (if held), net P&L, setup tag, and a short post-trade note.
Forex trading journal pdf
A PDF can work for manual discipline, but it can’t calculate expectancy/profit factor or filter by pair/session. Spreadsheets or apps are better for performance review.