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Trading Plan Template (Excel & Google Sheets)

A free trading plan template that puts your goals, markets, setups and risk rules in one workbook. It has a built-in position size calculator, a pre-trade checklist that says GO or NO TRADE, a review schedule and a log for every rule change.

Download Excel template (.xlsx)

18 KB · .xlsx
No sign-up
Blank + filled example
Size calculator

Use it in Google Sheets: open a blank sheet and choose File → Import → Upload, pick the .xlsx and select Create new spreadsheet. Or upload the file to Google Drive, open it, and choose File → Save as Google Sheets (Google's steps). The formulas work in Excel 2016+, Google Sheets and LibreOffice.

Preview of the Example plan tab (a fictional part-time swing trader). Shaded cells are formulas. The numbers are illustrations, not recommendations.

4. Risk rules
Account equity	$20,000.00
Risk per trade	1.00%
Risk per trade $	$200.00
Daily loss limit (2%)	$400.00
Weekly loss limit (5%)	$1,000.00
Max open risk (3%)	$600.00
Max positions / pause after losses	3 / 3 in a row

5. Position size calculator
Entry / stop	50.00 / 48.75
Direction	Long
Risk per unit	1.25
Position size	160 shares
Position value (% of equity)	$8,000.00 (40.00%)
Open risk after trade ($150 already open)	$350.00 OK
Today's P/L −$120	OK, $280.00 left

Setup	Market / TF	Context filter	Entry trigger	Stop rule	Target / exit	Min R:R	Skip if
Pullback	Stocks / daily + 1h	Price above rising 50-day average	1h close back above prior-day high after 3+ down days	Below the pullback low	2R; trail under 1h swing lows after 1R	2.0	Earnings within 5 days
Breakout	Stocks / daily	Base of 4+ weeks; index above 50-day avg	Daily close above base high on above-average volume	Below base midpoint	3R or close below 10-day avg	2.5	Gap >3% above trigger

What's inside the template

Tab / section	What you fill in	What calculates
Start here	Nothing	Instructions, formulas, limits, version 1.0 (23 Oct 2026)
1. Goals	Why you trade, a process goal, a learning goal, a drawdown that pauses trading, next review date	None
2. Markets & sessions	Instruments, style and timeframes, account type and broker rules, trading window, no-trade times, max trades per day	None
3. Setups	Up to 4 setups: context filter, entry trigger, stop rule, target/exit, minimum R:R, skip conditions	None
4. Risk rules	Equity, risk % per trade, daily and weekly loss %, max open risk %, max positions, losing-streak pause	Each limit in $
5. Position size calculator	Entry, stop, size decimals, open risk on other trades, today's P/L	Direction, size, actual risk, position value, open-risk check, daily-limit check
6. Pre-trade checklist	8 Y/N checks (edit the wording)	"x of 8" and GO / NO TRADE
7. Review cadence	Daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly: when, what, output	None
Rule log	Date, section, old rule, new rule, reason, evidence, re-check date, status	Dropdowns only
Example plan	All of the above, filled in for a fictional trader, plus two example rule-log entries	Same formulas

How to fill in your trading plan

Read the Example plan tab first. It shows the level of detail that works: one line per rule, specific enough that someone else could check it.
Write goals you control. "Follow every rule on 90% of trades" is something you can track in a trading journal. A monthly profit target is not in your control.
Limit markets and sessions. Name the instruments, the time window (with time zone) and the times you will not trade.
Write each setup as if/then rules. Context filter → entry trigger → stop → target or exit → minimum R:R → when to skip. If you can't write the stop rule, the setup isn't ready.
Set risk limits in %. Enter equity and your percentages. The $ limits calculate. Choose numbers you could live with through a long losing streak.
Size every trade in section 5. Type entry and stop. Read the size, and check that both checks say OK.
Run the checklist. Trade only when it says GO.
Review and log changes. Follow your section 7 cadence. When a rule changes, add a row on the Rule log tab with the evidence from your journal.

The formulas, explained

The core rule: position size = account equity × risk % ÷ |entry − stop|. These are the formulas in the My plan tab:

Risk per trade $      =IF(OR(B27="",B28=""),"",B27*B28)
Daily loss limit $    =IF(OR(B27="",B30=""),"",B27*B30)
Max open risk $       =IF(OR(B27="",B34=""),"",B27*B34)
Direction             =IF(OR(B40="",B41=""),"",IF(B41<B40,"Long",IF(B41>B40,"Short","Stop = entry")))
Risk per unit         =IF(OR(B40="",B41=""),"",ABS(B40-B41))
Position size         =IF(OR(B44="",B27="",B28=""),"",IF(B44=0,"",ROUNDDOWN(B27*B28/B44,N(B42))))
Actual risk $         =IF(B45="","",B45*B44)
Open-risk check       =IF(B50<=B35,"OK - within max open risk","OVER max open risk - reduce size or skip")
Daily-limit check     =IF(-B52>=B31,"STOP - daily loss limit reached","OK - ... left before the daily limit")

Size is rounded down, so actual risk never goes over your limit. Set decimals to 0 for whole shares, or higher for assets you can buy in fractions. The open-risk and daily-limit checks are shortened above; the file also handles blank cells. For a browser version, use the position size calculator.

Worked example

From the Example plan tab (fictional numbers):

Risk per trade = $20,000 × 1% = $200.
Risk per unit = |50.00 − 48.75| = 1.25. The stop is below entry, so the direction is Long.
Size = 200 ÷ 1.25 = 160 shares. Actual risk = 160 × 1.25 = $200.00.
Position value = 160 × 50.00 = $8,000, or 40% of equity. That is a cash amount to check against buying power. It is not the risk.
Open risk: $150 already open + $200 = $350. That is under the $600 max (3%), so the check says OK.
Daily limit: today's P/L is −$120 and the limit is $400, so $280 is left before the day stops.

A short works the same way. With entry 0.5321, stop 0.5450, $10,000 equity, 0.5% risk and 2 decimals, the sheet returns Short, 0.0129 per unit and 3,875.96 units (about $50 of risk). These results were checked in LibreOffice and in Python.

Limits: the size assumes your stop fills at the stop price. Gaps and slippage can make the real loss bigger. Fees are not included. For futures, options or forex lots, convert risk per unit into $ per contract (price distance × multiplier) before you trust the size.

US day-trading rules changed in 2026

Many trading plan templates still mention the "pattern day trader" rule and its $25,000 minimum. FINRA has replaced those rules. FINRA Regulatory Notice 26-10 lists the effective date as June 4, 2026, with a phase-in period that ends October 20, 2027. The new intraday margin standards "replace in their entirety" the old day trading margin requirements. That includes "the day trade count requirements for designating a customer as a 'pattern day trader'" and "the $25,000 pattern day trader minimum equity requirement."

FINRA's investor guide to the new requirements says "There's no $25,000 minimum equity requirement for day trading". It also says $2,000 is still the minimum equity for trading on margin. Under the new system, your firm checks during the day whether your account has enough equity for your positions, and firms may set higher requirements. Because firms can phase in the change, ask your broker which rules apply to your account. Then write the answer in section 2 ("Account type and broker rules").

Common mistakes

Rules you can't measure. "Trade with discipline" can't be checked. "Stop goes below the pullback low before entry" can.
Sizing by feel. A fixed number of shares means a wide stop risks far more than a tight one. Size from the stop distance.
No daily or open-risk cap. Each trade can be within the per-trade limit while three correlated positions together risk far more.
Too many setups. Start with one to three. Add a setup only after your journal shows enough trades.
Changing rules mid-week after a loss. Change rules during reviews, and log each change with the evidence.
Copying the example numbers. The example risk percentages show how the sheet works. They are not a recommendation.

FAQ

What should a trading plan include?

Goals, the markets and hours you trade, each setup's entry, stop and exit rules, risk rules (risk per trade, daily loss limit, max open risk), a position sizing method, a pre-trade checklist, a review schedule and a record of rule changes. This template has a section for each.

How do I write a trading plan?

Start with the Example plan tab, then fill in My plan section by section. Write every rule so it can be checked with a yes or no. Keep it short enough to read before each session, and change rules only during scheduled reviews.

How do you calculate position size?

Position size = account equity × risk % ÷ |entry − stop|. With $20,000, 1% risk, entry 50.00 and stop 48.75: 200 ÷ 1.25 = 160 shares. The template rounds down so the actual risk stays at or under your limit.

How much should I risk per trade?

The template does not set a number for you. The right percentage depends on your account, goals and how long a losing streak you can tolerate. The example's 1% is only an illustration. Whatever you choose, enter it once and let the calculator apply it to every trade.

Is the pattern day trader rule still in effect?

FINRA Regulatory Notice 26-10 replaces the pattern day trader designation and its $25,000 minimum equity requirement with intraday margin standards, effective June 4, 2026. Firms may phase in the change until October 20, 2027, so ask your broker which rules apply to your account.

How often should I review my trading plan?

A common structure is a quick check after each session, a weekly review of journal stats, and a deeper monthly or quarterly review before changing rules. The template's Review cadence section and Rule log tab are set up for this.

Related tools and templates

Sources

FINRA. "Regulatory Notice 26-10" (intraday margin standards replacing the day trading margin requirements). finra.org. Retrieved 23 Oct 2026.
FINRA. "Understanding the New Intraday Margin Requirements." finra.org. Retrieved 23 Oct 2026.
Google. "Use both Excel & Sheets: Best practices." Google Docs Editors Help. Retrieved 23 Oct 2026.

Disclaimer: This template is an educational planning tool, not financial, legal or tax advice. The example plan and its numbers are fictional illustrations, not recommendations. Regulatory details can change and differ by country and broker; confirm the rules that apply to your account with your firm. Trading involves risk of loss.