Excel Trading Journal Template Free .xlsx Risk + R

Free Excel Trading Journal Template (ProfitPulse .xlsx Download)

Download the ProfitPulse Excel trading journal template and track trades with consistent fields: planned risk, R-multiples, fees, net P&L, setup tags, and review notes. Use it as a clean starting point - then upgrade to ProfitPulse when you want automated analytics like expectancy, profit factor, and drawdown.

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What’s inside How to use it Fields to track Excel limitations FAQ

What’s inside the Excel trading journal template

This Excel journal is designed to keep you consistent. It’s not meant to be a complex spreadsheet project- it’s meant to capture the minimum data required to review performance.

Structured trade log

  • • One row per trade
  • • Risk + outcome fields
  • • Setup tags for review
  • • Notes for learning

Risk-first journaling

  • • Planned dollar risk
  • • R-multiple tracking
  • • Net P&L focus
  • • Fee-aware results

Weekly review ready

  • • Filter by setup
  • • Identify rule-breaking
  • • Review best vs worst
  • • Build an action plan

The best upgrade path

Use Excel to build consistency. When you want deeper analytics (expectancy, profit factor, drawdown, time-based performance), switch to ProfitPulse so your reviews are faster and more reliable.

How to use the Excel trading journal (simple workflow)

The #1 reason Excel journals fail is inconsistency. Use this exact workflow and your journal will actually improve your trading.

  1. 1
    Download and open the .xlsx file
    Save the file locally and open it in Excel. Keep one workbook per account or strategy if you want clean review.
  2. 2
    Log planned risk first
    Before you log the outcome, write your planned risk (stop + $ risk). This is what makes R-multiples meaningful.
  3. 3
    Track net P&L (after fees)
    Fees matter. Review net results or you’ll overestimate your edge-especially if you trade frequently.
  4. 4
    Run a weekly review
    Filter by setup tag and compare best vs worst. Decide what to repeat, what to stop, and what one rule to enforce next week.
Download the Excel Template Prefer automated analytics? Launch ProfitPulse

What to track in an Excel trading journal

If you want Excel to produce real insight, you must log consistent fields. These are the minimum viable fields that make review work.

Core fields (every trade)

• Instrument / symbol
• Date + time
• Direction (long/short)
• Entry / stop / target
• Position size
• Planned dollar risk ($)
• Fees/commissions
• Net P&L
• R-multiple
• Setup / strategy tag
• Rule adherence (yes/no)
• Notes (1–3 lines)
Excel success rule
If you skip risk or fees “just this once,” Excel will slowly become unreliable. Consistency beats complexity.

Optional (high signal)

  • • Time window / session
  • • Market regime (trend/range)
  • • Hold time
  • • Mistake tags
  • • Screenshot links
Do this automatically in ProfitPulse

Excel trading journal limitations (when you’ll outgrow it)

Excel is a great starting point. But most serious traders outgrow it once they want deeper analytics and faster review.

Common Excel journaling problems

  • • Manual entry becomes inconsistent over time
  • • Analytics break when fields are missing
  • • Hard to filter across months cleanly
  • • Time-based performance review is slow

Upgrade path: ProfitPulse analytics

If you want professional trading analytics without spreadsheet maintenance, ProfitPulse is built for traders who treat their capital like a business. Track expectancy, profit factor, drawdown, time-of-day performance, and setup edge automatically.

Launch ProfitPulse View Pricing

Usage & license

This Excel template is provided for personal use. Please don’t redistribute, resell, or republish it (or derivatives) as your own.

Excel trading journal template FAQ

How do I use Excel as a trading journal?
Use one row per trade with consistent fields: planned risk, fees, net P&L, R-multiple, and setup tag. Then review weekly by filtering setups and identifying where expectancy and drawdown improve or deteriorate.
What should a trading journal spreadsheet include?
Instrument, date/time, entry/stop/target, position size, planned risk, fees, net P&L, R-multiple, setup tag, and short notes. Without risk + net results, the spreadsheet won’t produce reliable insight.
Is Excel good for trading analytics?
Excel can work, but the quality depends on consistent logging. Most traders upgrade when they want automated analytics, faster filtering, and deeper metrics like expectancy, profit factor, drawdown, and time-based performance.
Where do I download the ProfitPulse Excel trading journal template?
Use the download button on this page to get the .xlsx file. It downloads directly from the ProfitPulse site.
Download the Excel Template Launch ProfitPulse

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