What’s inside the template
Trade Log
One row per trade: date, time, market, asset class, long or short, setup, entry, stop loss, target, quantity, exit, fees, mood, “followed plan?”, mistake, notes and a screenshot link. Risk, planned R:R, P&L, R-multiple, result, cumulative R and drawdown fill in by themselves.
Dashboard
Closed trades, win rate, average win and loss in R, risk:reward, the breakeven win rate for that RR, expectancy, net R, net P&L, max drawdown, best and worst trade, and how often you followed your plan. Plus tables by setup, by mood, by mistake and by month.
Lists
Your setups, asset classes, moods and mistakes. Edit them once and every dropdown in the Trade Log follows, so your stats group the way you trade.
How to use the trading journal template
- Download the .xlsx file and open it in Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice or Numbers.
- Clear the examples. Rows 2–11 of the Trade Log are sample trades. Select A2:L11 and T2:X11 and press Delete — the formula columns stay.
- Set your lists. On the Lists sheet, replace the sample setups with your own (for example “ORB”, “VWAP reclaim”, “Range break”).
- Log every trade — wins, losses and break-evens. The maths needs Direction, Entry, Stop loss, Quantity and Exit. Fill in the stop you planned before entry, not where you finally got out.
- Review weekly on the Dashboard: which setup makes money, which mistake costs the most R, and whether your RR still beats your win rate.
Open it in Google Sheets
Go to sheets.google.com, choose File → Import → Upload, and select the downloaded file (or upload it to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets). Every formula, dropdown and colour works in Sheets, and it syncs to the Sheets app on your phone.
What to record in a trading journal
A journal is only as useful as what goes into it. These are the fields that turn a list of trades into answers.
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Entry, stop loss, quantity | Defines your risk (1R). Without the stop you can’t measure a trade in R. |
| Exit and fees | Your real result. Fees on small stops can eat a big part of the edge. |
| Target | The planned risk:reward — compare it with what you actually took. |
| Setup / strategy | Shows which setups pay and which to drop. |
| Market and asset class | Many traders do well in one market and give it back in another. |
| Date and time | Reveals your best and worst hours and days. |
| Mood | FOMO, revenge and boredom trades usually have their own (negative) numbers. |
| Followed plan? / mistake | Puts a price on each habit — “moved my stop” becomes “−3.2R this month”. |
| Notes and a screenshot | One lesson per trade, and a chart to look back at. |
The formulas, explained
P&L = (Exit − Entry) × Quantity − Fees (reversed for shorts)
R multiple = P&L ÷ Risk
Win rate = Wins ÷ (Wins + Losses)
RR = Average win (R) ÷ Average loss (R)
Breakeven win rate = 1 ÷ (1 + RR)
Expectancy = Net R ÷ Closed trades
Drawdown = Cumulative R − its highest point so far
Example from the file: a NIFTY 24500 CE bought at ₹152.50 with a stop at ₹128 and 75 units risks ₹24.50 × 75 = ₹1,837.50 (1R). Sold at ₹196 with ₹60 of fees, the P&L is ₹3,202.50 — that is +1.74R. A BTCUSDT long at 84,200 with a stop at 83,600 and 0.05 BTC risks $30; exiting at 85,600 with $4 of fees makes $66, or +2.20R. Because both are in R, they sit on the same chart.
R makes the win rate honest. The ten example trades win only 50% of the time, but the average win (+2.16R) is more than twice the average loss (−0.94R), so the expectancy is +0.61R a trade. With that RR, anything above a 30% win rate is profitable.
One template for crypto, forex, stocks, options and futures
Crypto trading journal
Quantity can be fractional (0.05 BTC). Log perpetual or spot the same way, and put trading fees in the Fees column — on tight stops they matter.
Forex trading journal
Enter quantity in units, not lots: 0.30 lots of EURUSD = 30,000 units. Then P&L comes out in the quote currency and R works as usual.
Options trading journal
Use the premium for entry, stop and exit, and lots × lot size for quantity (1 lot of 75 = 75). Write the strike and expiry in the Market column.
Stocks and futures
Stocks: shares as quantity. Futures: contracts × point value as quantity (2 contracts × $50 a point = 100), so P&L is in money.
Trading journal spreadsheet vs. a journal app
A spreadsheet is a great place to start, and if it keeps you journaling, stick with it. These are the trade-offs once you log more trades:
| This template | Profit Prism Journal | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | 7-day free trial, then from ₹499 a quarter |
| R-multiple, win rate, RR, expectancy | Yes | Yes |
| Partial exits and averaging in | One entry and exit per row | Yes |
| Calendar, equity curve, charts | Build your own | Built in |
| Money leaks (what each habit costs) | By mistake column | Automatic report |
| Daily loss limits and discipline checklist | No | Yes |
| Several currencies at once | One per file | Yes, kept apart |
| Phone | Sheets app | Works in the browser on any phone |
Already have trades in this template? Save the Trade Log as CSV and use Import CSV in Profit Prism — you map the columns once.
Frequently asked questions
Is the trading journal template really free?
Yes. Download the .xlsx file and use it as long as you like. There is no email gate and no sign-up.
Does it work in Google Sheets?
Yes. In Google Sheets choose File → Import → Upload and select the file, or upload it to Google Drive and open it with Sheets. The formulas, dropdowns and colours all work.
Can I use it for crypto, forex and options?
Yes. Every market goes in the same Trade Log. Use units for forex (0.30 lots = 30,000), lots × lot size for options, and fractional quantities for crypto. Keep one currency per file so the money totals add up.
How is the R-multiple calculated?
R-multiple = P&L ÷ risk, where risk = |entry − stop loss| × quantity. A trade that makes twice its risk is +2R; a full stop-out is −1R. It lets you compare trades of any size and in any market.
What is a good win rate?
It depends on your risk:reward. The breakeven win rate is 1 ÷ (1 + RR): about 50% at 1:1, 33% at 1:2 and 25% at 1:3, before fees. The Dashboard shows yours next to your actual win rate.
How many trades does it hold?
500 rows come with the formulas filled in. For more, copy the last row down — or start a new file each year.
Can I move my trades into Profit Prism later?
Yes. Save the Trade Log sheet as CSV and use Import CSV in Profit Prism Journal, then match each column once.
Skip the formulas
Profit Prism Journal does all of this automatically — win rate, RR and R for every setup, a calendar, money-leak reports and loss limits — for crypto, forex, stocks and F&O. Try it free for 7 days, no card.
Start the free trial See the journalFor education only. Not investment advice. Example trades are illustrative. Trading involves substantial risk of loss.