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Trading Journals for Bots — Why You Still Need One and What to Track

10 July, 2025

Some traders assume that if trades are automated, a journal isn’t needed. That’s a mistake. A trading journal is an essential tool for evaluating your bot’s performance, spotting weak points, and maintaining strategy discipline — especially if you’re running multiple algorithms.

Why Keep a Trading Journal When Using a Bot?

Even when execution is automated, you still need to:

  1. Monitor whether trades align with the intended strategy
  2. Log slippage, API errors, missed entries
  3. Analyze drawdowns and periods of instability
  4. Compare different bots under changing market conditions

For deeper insight into strategy performance, see What Affects Trading Bot Profitability

What to Include in a Trading Bot Journal

A simple spreadsheet (Excel or Google Sheets) works well. It should contain:

FieldPurpose
Date & TimeHelps identify market session impact or event correlation
Asset/PairLets you track which assets perform better
Strategy TypeCompares different algorithms across time
Profit/LossTracks real performance vs. backtest results
SlippageQuantifies execution issues
NotesFor manual insights (e.g., “API delay on entry”)

How to Use the Journal for Optimization

A well-kept log allows you to:

  1. Identify high-drawdown zones (e.g., during the Asian session)
  2. Detect late entries or signal mismatches
  3. Adjust stop-loss parameters, volatility filters, or timing windows

Journaling complements historical backtesting — see How to Backtest a Trading Bot Step-by-Step

Image of the trading robot

FAQ

Why log trades if everything is automated?

To audit performance, verify system reliability, and catch execution errors that affect outcomes.

Which format is best — spreadsheet or platform-based report?

Use both: automated logs from the platform and manual notes in a spreadsheet give the full picture.

Can I automate journaling?

Yes. Many platforms offer trade export scripts or integrations with Google Sheets and MySQL databases.

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