What to track in software
This is the minimum spec for “serious” journaling. If a platform doesn’t capture these fields consistently, your analytics won’t be trustworthy.
- • Date / Time
- • Symbol
- • Direction + Size
- • Entry / Exit
- • Stop distance ticks/pips
- • Planned Risk $ or R
- • Commissions / Slippage
- • Net P&L
- • Setup Tag
- • Session Tag (RTH/ETH)
- • Market Condition
- • Realized R
- • Profit Factor
- • Expectancy
- • Drawdown
- • Traders who want weekly decisions (keep/cut).
- • Futures traders needing cost/session awareness.
- • Forex traders needing spread tracking.
- • Anyone sharing reports with a mentor.
Start with a template and weekly review. Upgrade when friction stops you.
Get Free TemplateSpreadsheet vs. Software
Spreadsheets can work. Most traders switch to software when tagging, segmentation, and weekly review take too long to do consistently.
| Capability | Spreadsheet | Typical Software | ProfitPulse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost-aware Net P&L | Manual; often forgotten. | Supported, varies. | Core to "true edge". |
| Risk Normalization (R) | Requires strict formula discipline. | Often inconsistent. | Built-in R analysis. |
| Segmentation | Manual filtering; fragile. | usually available. | Fast context filtering. |
| Futures Sessions | Manual pivoting. | Often missing. | Futures-first focus. |
| Export / Backup | Simple file ownership. | Varies. | Export-oriented. |
Why "software" matters more in futures
Futures journaling has failure modes that general software ignores. If costs and sessions aren't first-class, your conclusions drift.
In futures, commissions and slippage can flip "profitable" setups into losers. Software should make cost-awareness unavoidable.
Tag RTH vs ETH (or Open/Midday/Close). Many edges exist only in specific windows.
Futures Journal GuideWhat traders expect software to do
Frequently Asked Questions
Trading journal software
Trading journal software helps you log trades consistently and analyze performance. Prioritize cost-aware net results, risk normalization (R), segmentation by setup/session, and exports for backup and sharing.
Trade journaling software
Look for tagging, filtering, and core metrics like profit factor and expectancy. If you trade futures, ensure sessions and costs are handled properly.
Automated trading journal
Automation is useful, but the real value is consistent fields and reviewable analytics. If costs and risk aren't captured accurately, "automation" just produces misleading stats faster.
Best trading journal software
The best software makes weekly review fast and accurate: net-after-costs performance, risk normalization, segmentation by setup/session, and metrics like profit factor, expectancy, and drawdown. Compare options here: best trading journal.