Futures Trading Journal Template: What to Record and How to Review
By Kamal Chelliah · Published October 29, 2026 · Last reviewed October 29, 2026
Educational only, not financial advice. Futures trading involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for everyone. Past results do not guarantee future results.
A trading journal is how a trade becomes information. Without one, you remember the wins, forget the details of the losses, and repeat the same mistakes. This template is deliberately simple so you'll actually use it.
What to record for every trade
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Date and time | Shows which parts of the session suit you |
| Contract and direction | Ticker (for example MNQ) and long or short |
| Thesis (one sentence) | Forces you to know why you're in the trade |
| Entry price and size | The basis for every other calculation |
| Stop (invalidation) level | Defines risk before you enter |
| Planned risk in dollars | Check it against your per-trade limit |
| Target or exit plan | What you intended to do |
| Exit price and result | Include commissions and fees |
| Followed the plan? (yes/no) | Separates bad outcomes from bad execution |
| Emotion before / during | Reveals patterns like revenge trading |
| One lesson | The entire point of the entry |
A sample entry (hypothetical)
MNQ, long, 3 contracts. Thesis: price reclaimed the prior-day high and held on the retest. Entry at the retest, stop 14 points below (risk 14 × $2 × 3 = $84, within the $100 limit). Exit at the planned target. Followed plan: yes. Emotion: calm. Lesson: waited for the retest instead of chasing the first break.
Review weekly, not just daily
- Count your trades and how many followed the plan
- Find your biggest loss and ask whether it respected your stop and size rules
- Look for time-of-day or setup patterns in the trades you didn't follow your plan on
- Pick one behavior to improve next week, and only one
Metrics worth tracking
- Win rate: the share of trades that closed positive
- Average win and average loss: a low win rate can still work if wins are larger than losses, and a high win rate can still lose money if losses are larger
- Plan adherence: the share of trades where you followed your rules
- Largest loss versus your per-trade limit: a direct check on risk discipline
- Expectancy: (win rate × average win) minus (loss rate × average loss), a description of past trades, not a prediction of future results
Metrics describe what has happened. They do not predict what will happen, and a small sample says little. Keep logging before drawing conclusions.
Journal the losses honestly
The entries that matter most are the ones you'd rather skip. Record losing trades with the same detail as winners. If you're reviewing someone else's trade ideas, look for the same honesty: a journal showing only winners is a red flag. See how to read a futures trade idea.
Tools
A spreadsheet is enough. Many platforms also export trade history you can paste in. TradeSharing's feed, charts and trading journal are included in the free 14-day trial if you'd like to see one in use. Pair your journal with clear risk rules.
Frequently asked questions
What should a trading journal include?
Date, contract, direction, thesis, entry, stop, risk in dollars, exit, result, whether you followed your plan, and one lesson.
How often should I review my journal?
Write entries right after each trade and do a fuller review weekly.
Is a spreadsheet enough?
Yes. Consistency matters more than the tool.
About the author
Kamal Chelliah has traded markets since 2009, starting with penny stocks and moving through major stocks (2012), options (2015), commodities (2017) and futures (2019). With a software engineering background, Kamal builds automated tools and chart indicators for trading analysis, and shares futures trade ideas with their reasoning through TradeSharing. Content is educational and not personalized advice.
More about Kamal ChelliahSee the format first
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This article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not financial, investment or trading advice. Futures trading involves substantial risk of loss. Hypothetical examples are illustrative and do not represent actual trades or results. Full disclaimer.