Knowing what data to track in your trading journal can be the difference between random improvement and systematic growth. Many traders either track too little and miss important patterns, or track too much and get overwhelmed. This guide will show you exactly what to record for maximum insight with minimum effort.
The Core Data Every Trader Must Track
These are the non-negotiable data points that form the foundation of any trading journal. Without these, you cannot perform meaningful analysis:
The absolute minimum: Entry date/time, exit date/time, ticker symbol, position size, entry price, exit price, and profit/loss. If you track nothing else, track these.
Entry Information
- Date and time: When exactly you entered the trade. Time matters for day traders.
- Ticker symbol: Which stock, ETF, or option you traded
- Direction: Long (bought) or short (sold)
- Entry price: The exact price you paid
- Position size: Number of shares or contracts
- Total investment: The dollar amount you put at risk
Exit Information
- Exit date and time: When you closed the position
- Exit price: The price you sold at
- Exit reason: Hit target, stopped out, or manual close
- Profit or loss: Both dollar amount and percentage
- Fees and commissions: Often overlooked but impacts real returns
Risk Management Data
Understanding your risk on each trade is essential for long-term survival. Track these risk-related metrics:
- Stop loss price: Where you planned to exit if wrong
- Risk amount: How much you would lose if stopped out
- Profit target: Your planned exit price for winners
- Risk-reward ratio: Potential profit divided by potential loss
- Position size percentage: What percent of your account this trade represented
Risk Data Example
Entry: $50.00
Stop Loss: $48.50 (risking $1.50 per share)
Target: $53.00 (potential $3.00 gain)
Risk-Reward: 1:2 (risking $1.50 to make $3.00)
Position Size: 200 shares ($300 total risk = 1.5% of $20,000 account)
Trade Setup and Context
Numbers alone do not tell the whole story. Recording the context helps you understand why trades worked or failed:
Setup Information
- Strategy name: What setup or pattern triggered the trade
- Timeframe: Which chart timeframe you used for the decision
- Key levels: Support, resistance, or other important price levels
- Indicators used: Which technical indicators confirmed your entry
- Catalyst: Any news or event driving the trade
Market Context
- Overall market direction: Was SPY up, down, or sideways?
- Market volatility: Was VIX high or low?
- Sector performance: How was the stock's sector doing?
- Time of day: Market open, midday, or close?
- Day of week: Some patterns work better on certain days
Psychological and Emotional Data
Your mental state directly impacts your trading decisions. Tracking emotions reveals patterns you might not notice otherwise:
- Confidence level: How confident were you before entering (1-10 scale)
- Emotional state: Calm, anxious, excited, fearful, or bored
- Sleep quality: Were you well-rested or tired?
- External stressors: Any life events affecting your focus
- FOMO or revenge: Did you chase this trade or take it to recover losses?
Pattern to watch: Many traders discover they lose money when trading while tired, stressed, or after a loss. Your journal will reveal these connections.
Options-Specific Data
If you trade options, you need to track additional information that affects your profits:
- Option type: Call or put
- Strike price: The strike you chose
- Expiration date: Days until expiration at entry and exit
- Premium paid or received: The option price
- Implied volatility: IV at entry and exit
- Delta: How much the option moves with the stock
- Strategy type: Single leg, spread, iron condor, etc.
Post-Trade Analysis Fields
After each trade closes, add these reflection points to learn from the experience:
- Did you follow your plan? Yes or no, and why
- What went right: Even losing trades have positives to note
- What went wrong: Identify specific mistakes
- Lessons learned: What will you do differently next time?
- Grade the trade: Rate execution quality separate from outcome (A-F)
- Screenshot: Chart image showing entry and exit
Advanced Tracking for Serious Traders
Once you have the basics down, consider adding these advanced data points:
- Hold time: How long you were in the trade
- Maximum adverse excursion (MAE): How far the trade went against you
- Maximum favorable excursion (MFE): How far it went in your favor
- Slippage: Difference between expected and actual fill prices
- Trade management actions: Did you scale in, scale out, or move stops?
- Correlation: Were you in similar trades at the same time?
How to Organize Your Data
Organization is key for finding patterns later. Here are some best practices:
- Use consistent naming: Always write ticker symbols the same way (AAPL not Apple)
- Standardize categories: Create a fixed list of setup types and stick to it
- Add tags: Use tags like "earnings play" or "breakout" for easy filtering
- Include links: Link to your trade thesis or analysis if you wrote one
- Keep screenshots organized: Name them consistently (AAPL_2026-01-15_entry.png)
Track Everything Automatically
Pro Trader Dashboard imports all your trade data automatically and calculates key metrics for you. Stop manual data entry and focus on analysis.
Summary
Start with the core data points and gradually add more as you get comfortable. The goal is consistent tracking, not perfect tracking. Even basic data, recorded consistently over time, will reveal patterns that transform your trading.
Now that you know what to track, learn how to review your trades effectively or explore the key statistics to monitor for trading success.