A quick honesty check before you risk capital. Low scores mean step away and come back tomorrow — protecting your account beats forcing trades.
💡 How to build a playbook that actually works
• Microsoft Excel
• Google Sheets
• TradingView (re-import)
• Any custom analysis tool
Your journal data is stored privately on your device only — we never see it, store it, or have access to it. That's intentional. Your trading data is yours.
Because it lives on your device, we strongly recommend downloading a backup regularly. If you ever clear your browser, switch devices, or want to move to a new computer, this backup file is how you restore everything instantly.
.json file (e.g. RBTrading-Journal-Backup-2026-03-11.json).json fileYour Trading Consistency Report
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Create Your Accounts
Go to the sidebar and click "+ Add Account". Add all your trading accounts: FTMO, FunderPro, personal accounts etc. You can toggle between them anytime using the sidebar pills.
Set Your Starting Balance
When adding an account, enter your starting balance. This powers the equity curve to show real drawdown % from peak, not just P&L.
Import Your Trades
First download your statement from your broker — see the platform guides inside Import Trades for exact steps for MT4/MT5, FTMO, cTrader and more. Then upload your file.
Plan Your Trading Day
Visit Trade Planner every morning. Set your bias, key levels, complete the pre-trade checklist, and add your watchlist before the session starts.
Review Your Analytics
After logging trades, check Analytics and Reports to identify patterns — your best setups, best times to trade, emotional habits, and more.
Always log emotions on each trade. After 50+ trades you'll see exactly which emotional states lead to your best and worst performance.
Use the Pre-Trade Checklist every single time. Traders who complete it consistently outperform those who don't by an average of 23%.
Set your Daily Loss Limit in Risk Manager. The system will alert you when you're approaching or hitting it.
We built this journal with your privacy in mind. We do not store, access, or transmit any of your trading data. Everything — your trades, accounts, P&L, notes and settings — is saved directly in your browser on your own device. No servers. No cloud. No one looking at your data.
Export from your platform
Go to your trading platform's history or account statement section and export as CSV, HTML, or Excel. Each platform tab above has exact step-by-step instructions with screenshots.
Click Import in the top bar
The Import ⬆ button is always in the top right corner. Click it from any page — it works on every section of the journal.
Drop your file
Drag and drop your file directly onto the upload zone, or click the zone to browse. Supported: .csv · .xlsx · .htm · .html · .pdf (DXtrade statements) — all formats auto-detected.
The system auto-detects your platform
RB Trading automatically identifies your platform format (MT5, MT4, cTrader, NinjaTrader, IBKR, Tradovate, Generic) by reading the file headers. No manual selection needed in most cases.
Click Import Trades
A preview shows how many trades were detected. Click Import Trades to confirm. Duplicates are skipped automatically — safe to re-import the same file without creating double entries.
2026-02-20, EURUSD, Long, 1.0850, 1.0920, 0.5, 350
2026-02-20, AAPL, Long, 182.50, 186.20, 20, 74
2026-02-21, NAS100, Short, 21800, 21600, 1, -200
Skip manual exports. Attach one small read-only file to MetaTrader once, and every trade you close flows into your journal automatically within seconds — open positions tracked live too. It only reads your account; it can never place, close or modify a trade. Works with any MT4/MT5 broker or prop firm.
Step 1 — Download the RBSync file
Grab the one for your platform:
Step 2 — Get your sync code IN THIS JOURNAL
Do this here in the journal — not in MetaTrader. In this app, open Settings ⚙️ (in the left sidebar menu), go to Live Broker Auto-Sync, choose the account you're linking, and press Set up live sync. A RBS-… code appears — copy it. You'll paste it into MetaTrader later, in step 6.
Step 3 — Allow our address in MetaTrader
In MetaTrader: Tools → Options → Expert Advisors → tick "Allow WebRequest for listed URL" and add exactly: https://rbtrading.site
Step 4 — Put the file in the right folder
In MetaTrader: File → Open Data Folder, then place RBSync into MQL5 ▸ Experts (MT4: MQL4 ▸ Experts). This must be the folder that opens from Open Data Folder — not C:\Program Files\….
Step 5 — Make it appear, then attach it
Restart MetaTrader (or right-click Expert Advisors in the Navigator → Refresh). Then drag RBSync from the Navigator onto any one chart.
Step 6 — Paste your code & switch on Algo Trading
In the pop-up, open the Inputs tab, paste your sync code into SyncCode, click OK, then turn Algo Trading on in the toolbar. Back in the journal, the status banner turns green within a minute.
RBSync doesn't show up in the Navigator under Expert Advisors?
- Restart MetaTrader fully (close and reopen). A Navigator "Refresh" often isn't enough to index a brand-new file.
- Confirm the location. It must sit inside the folder that opens from File → Open Data Folder →
MQL5\Experts(MT4:MQL4\Experts) — notC:\Program Files, and not theMQL5root. If you have more than one MetaTrader installed, open the Data Folder from the exact terminal you're checking. - Check the file name (Windows). Turn on View → File name extensions in Explorer and make sure it's exactly
RBSync.mq5— notRBSync.mq5.txt. - Bulletproof fallback: double-click
RBSync.mq5— it opens in MetaEditor. Press F7 to Compile (you'll see "0 errors"), and it appears under Expert Advisors in the terminal's Navigator immediately.
Step 1 — Open Account History Tab
In MT4, go to the Terminal window at the bottom (press Ctrl+T if not visible). Click the Account History tab.
Step 2 — Set the date range
Right-click anywhere in the Account History panel. Select "All History" or set a custom date range.
Step 3 — Save as Report
Right-click again → "Save as Report" → Choose ".htm" or use "Save as Detailed Report" for CSV format.
Step 4 — Import Here
Click Import in the top bar, select MT4 format, upload your file. The system maps all columns automatically.
Step 1 — Go to History Tab
In MT5, press Ctrl+T to open Terminal. Click the History tab.
Step 2 — Right-click to Export
Right-click in the History panel. Select "Save as Report" and choose the CSV (.csv) option for the cleanest import.
Step 3 — Select MT5 Format
In the import dialog, select "MetaTrader 5" from the platform dropdown. MT5 includes more detail than MT4, including swap and commission columns.
MT5 Column Mapping
Time → Date
Symbol → Symbol
Type → Direction
Price → Entry
S/L → Stop Loss
T/P → Take Profit
Profit → P&L
Commission → Commission
Skip manual exports. Add one tiny read-only cBot to cTrader once, and every trade you close flows into your journal automatically within seconds — open positions tracked live too. It only reads your account; it can never place, close or modify a trade. Works with any cTrader broker or prop firm.
Step 1 — Download the RBSync cBot
One file, works on every cTrader broker:
Step 2 — Get your sync code IN THIS JOURNAL
Do this here in the journal — not in cTrader. Open Settings ⚙️ (left sidebar) → Live Broker Auto-Sync, choose the account you're linking, press Set up live sync, and copy the RBS-… code. You'll paste it into cTrader in step 4.
Step 3 — Build it in cTrader
In cTrader open the Automate tab (top of the window) → cBots → New cBot → delete the template code and paste the whole RBSync.cs file → click Build (the hammer 🔨). It should say "Build succeeded".
Step 4 — Paste your code & press Play
Open any chart, find RBSync under cBots and click it. Paste your RBS-… code into the Sync Code box, press ▶ Play, and accept the access prompt (it needs internet to reach the journal). The status banner in the journal turns green within a minute.
Step 1 — Open the History Tab
At the bottom of cTrader Desktop, click Trade Watch. Then click the History tab. All closed positions appear here.
Step 2 — Set Your Date Range
Use the calendar controls at the top of the History panel to set the date range you want to export. The panel only exports what's currently visible.
Step 3 — Export to CSV
Right-click anywhere inside the history list → select "Export to CSV". The file saves automatically to your cTrader installation folder (usually Documents/cTrader/).
Alternative: Statement Export
Click the Statement button at the top of the History tab → click the small down arrow next to it → select Export to Excel or Export to CSV. Note: this option is only available in cTrader Desktop (Windows), not the web version.
Step 1 — Open Trade Performance
In the NinjaTrader Control Center, click New in the top menu → select Trade Performance. This opens the full performance dashboard.
Step 2 — Set Account & Date Range
Use the Account dropdown to select your account (you can only export one account at a time). Set the From and To date range at the top, then click Generate.
Step 3 — Switch to Executions Tab
Click the Executions tab (not "Trades"). Executions gives you the most detail including individual fill prices, times, and quantities. The Trades tab is aggregated and less accurate for journaling.
Step 4 — Export to CSV
Right-click anywhere in the data grid → select Export → To Excel (CSV). Save to a location you can find easily.
Method 1 — Activity Statement (Easiest)
Log in to Client Portal (interactivebrokers.com). Go to Performance & Reports → Statements. Select Activity as the report type. Set your date range and click Run. Under format, select CSV. Download the file.
Method 2 — Flex Query (Most Detailed)
In Client Portal, go to Performance & Reports → Flex Queries. Click + to create a new Activity Flex Query. Under Sections, click Trades → select all fields → Save. Set Delivery Configuration to CSV with column headers enabled. Run the query and download.
Method 3 — Trader Workstation (TWS)
In TWS, go to Account → Trade Log. Set the date range. Right-click the grid → Export → Export to CSV.
Terminal → Account History tab → Right-click → Save as Report → .htm file. Drop the .htm file directly into Import.
Ctrl+T → History tab → Right-click → Save as Report → select Excel (.xlsx). The .xlsx file is the cleanest format for import.
Trade Watch → History tab → Right-click → Export to CSV. Or use Statement button ▾ → Export to Excel (Desktop only).
Control Center → New → Trade Performance → Executions tab → set date range → Generate → Right-click → Export to Excel (CSV).
Client Portal → Performance & Reports → Statements → Activity → CSV format. Or use Flex Queries for more detail.
Click your account dropdown → gear icon → Account Reports → Orders tab → set date range → Download Report. Save the CSV and import.
In the Trading Panel at the bottom of your chart, click your account name → Export Data… → select History tab → Export. TradingView only keeps last 7 days of history.
Monitor tab → Account Statement. Set date range. Click the export icon (top right of the panel) to download as CSV.
Spot: Orders → Order History → Export. Futures: Orders → Futures Order History → Trade History → Export. Select your date range and download CSV.
Orders → My Orders → Order History → Export. For derivatives: Derivatives → Positions → Closed PnL → Export. Choose CSV format.
Most prop firm dashboards show trade history. Look for an Export or Download button in the Account History section. The CSV columns match MT5 format since most prop firms use MT5.
DXtrade exports an account statement PDF (not CSV). Open your account/portfolio menu (or your broker's client portal) → Statements / Reports → Account Statement → pick a date range → Export as PDF. Drop the .pdf straight into Import — we read its Open Positions and Transactions tables automatically, including open trades for live tracking.
Match-Trader: Closed Positions tab → date range → Download → HTML (or CSV), drop it in. TradeLocker: View account → Trade History → the ⋯ menu → Export account history, then import the file. Both auto-map.
If your platform exports a CSV with these column names (any order), it will work automatically:
Entry · Exit · Size · PnL
SL · TP · Commission · Notes
Click "Add Trade"
The Add Trade button is always visible in the top right. Click it to open the trade entry form.
Enter Core Details
Fill in Symbol, Date, Market type, Direction (Long/Short), Entry price, and Stop Loss. These are the minimum required fields.
Add Exit Data (after trade)
Once the trade closes, enter your Exit price and the P&L will auto-calculate. For Forex, P&L = (exit-entry) × lots × 100,000.
Tag Emotions
Click the emotion tags that apply to this trade. After 30+ trades, you'll start seeing exactly which emotional states hurt or help your trading.
Add Notes & Mistakes
Be honest with the mistakes field. This is the most valuable part — reviewing your mistakes is how elite traders improve fastest.
Journal within 30 minutes of every trade
The longer you wait, the more your brain rewrites history. Log your emotions immediately while they're raw and honest. This is the single biggest journaling mistake traders make.
Review on Sundays — never during the week
Deep analytics review should happen on weekends when markets are closed. During the trading week, just log. Save analysis for Sunday when you have emotional distance from your trades.
Track MFE and MAE religiously
Maximum Favourable Excursion (MFE) shows how far trades moved in your favour before closing. Maximum Adverse Excursion (MAE) shows max drawdown. These tell you if your stop is too tight or your target is too conservative.
Use the Prop Firm Tracker every day
If you're funded, set up the Prop Tracker in Risk Manager. Know exactly how much daily loss room you have before you even click buy. Most funded traders fail from one bad day, not from consistently bad trading.
Filter by emotion tags to find your edge
After 50 trades, go to Analytics and filter by emotion. Compare your win rate when you tagged "Calm & Focused" vs "FOMO" or "Revenge." The results will surprise you — and change how you trade.
Track your setup performance separately
You might have an 70% win rate on Break & Retest setups and only 40% on reversals. Focusing only on your A+ setups can double your profitability without changing your strategy.
Print a weekly report every Friday
Use the Reports → Export → Print Report feature every Friday. Physical reports you can hold are more impactful than screens for identifying long-term patterns in your trading psychology.
The 3-trade rule
If you take 3 consecutive losses, stop trading for the day — regardless of your daily loss limit. Three consecutive losses usually signals you're not seeing the market clearly. Come back tomorrow.
RB Trading Journal was built with one principle: your trading data belongs to you and only you.
Every trade you log, every account you create, every note you write — it all saves directly in your browser's local storage on your own device. It never leaves your machine. We have no server receiving it, no database storing it, no way to access it. Not even we can see your data.
The only thing we collect is the email you optionally provide on our website — so we can send you the journal link and trading insights. That's it.
Because your data lives on your device, you are responsible for keeping it safe. Your data will be lost if you:
Download a backup regularly. We recommend doing this every week or before making any changes to your browser or device. The backup file contains all your trades, accounts, settings and notes — you can restore everything in seconds.
