Free Trading Journal Template (Excel and Google Sheets)
A simple day trading journal you can download and start using in five minutes. Log each trade, and it works out your P&L, R multiple, win rate, profit factor and results by setup and by mistake. No sign-up, no email, no subscription.
What is in the template
Trades sheet
- One row per trade: date, time, symbol, long or short, shares, entry, exit, stop, fees
- Dropdowns for your setup and any mistake you made
- P&L, R multiple and Win/Loss calculate on their own
- Room for 500 trades
Summary sheet
- Total P&L, number of trades, win rate
- Average win, average loss, profit factor, average R
- Largest win and largest loss
- A table by setup and a table by mistake
There is also a Lists sheet where you type your own setup names and mistake tags. Whatever you put there shows up in the dropdowns, and the summary tables follow it automatically.
How to use it
In Excel
Download the file and open it. Go to the Trades sheet and fill in the yellow columns. Row 2 is an example trade so you can see the format; delete it when you start. The grey columns are formulas, so leave them alone.
In Google Sheets
Open Google Sheets, choose File → Import → Upload, pick the downloaded file and select Replace spreadsheet or Insert new sheets. The formulas and dropdowns come across with it.
What to fill in
| Column | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Side | Long or Short |
| Entry / Exit | Your average entry and exit price for the whole position |
| Stop | The price where you planned to get out if you were wrong. This is what turns P&L into R. |
| Fees | Commissions and fees for the trade, if any. They are taken off the P&L. |
| Setup | Which of your setups this was, from the dropdown |
| Mistake | The main mistake, or “None” |
Why R multiple matters
Dollar P&L hides a lot. A $100 win means something different when you risked $20 than when you risked $300. The template divides each trade’s P&L by the dollars you risked (entry to stop, times shares). The example row is a long of 500 shares at $4.10 with a stop at $3.98 and an exit at $4.35: $60 risked, $125 made, so +2.08R.
Once you have a few weeks of trades, the “average R” and “by setup” tables tell you which setups are carrying your results and which ones are costing you. We go deeper on this in measuring trades in R and why win rate is not the score.
How to get something out of a journal
A journal is only useful if you read it. A routine that works for a lot of traders:
- After the close: log every trade the same day, while you still remember why you took it. Our five-minute daily recap covers what to write.
- Tag honestly: if you chased an entry, mark it. The mistake table only helps if the tags are true.
- Once a week: look at the summary. Which setup made money? Which mistake cost the most? Pick one thing to change. See the weekly review.
When a spreadsheet stops being enough
Typing trades in by hand is fine for a few trades a day. It gets slow when you trade more, scale in and out, or want to see results by time of day or share price. That is why we built the Greenwick Journal: it imports your broker’s CSV or Excel export, matches fills into complete trades, and adds a P&L calendar, reports by setup, time and price, a playbook with checklists and a what-if view. It runs offline, your data stays on your computer, and it is a one-time purchase rather than a subscription.
The free spreadsheet is a complete journal on its own, though. Use it as long as it does the job.
Download the free journal See the full Greenwick Journal
FAQ
Is this trading journal really free?
Yes. Download it, use it, share it. No sign-up or email needed.
Does it work in Google Sheets?
Yes. In Google Sheets use File, Import, Upload and choose the file. The formulas and dropdowns import with it.
How many trades can I log?
The Trades sheet is set up for 500 trades. When it is full, start a new copy for the next period.
Does it work for short trades?
Yes. Set Side to Short and the P&L and R multiple are calculated the right way round.
Can it import trades from my broker?
No, the spreadsheet is manual entry. The paid Greenwick Journal imports broker CSV and Excel exports.
This template is for record keeping and education. It does not tell you what to trade and is not financial advice. Trading involves risk, including the loss of the money you trade with.