How to Use a Digital Trading Journal to Track Evaluations

Passing a prop firm evaluation requires precision, discipline, and constant refinement. A digital trading journal can be your most powerful tool during this process. Unlike physical notebooks, digital journals allow you to easily sort, analyze, and reflect on your trades in real time—without flipping pages or hunting for old entries. If you’re serious about getting funded with firms like Prop Shop Traders or The Legends Trading, using a digital journal should be a non-negotiable part of your evaluation routine.

Why Use a Digital Journal for Prop Firm Evaluations?

Here are the biggest advantages of digital journaling during your evaluation:

Searchable entries: Filter by date, setup, instrument, or emotion.
Fast data entry: Pre-built templates reduce time spent writing.
Visual analytics: Charts and dashboards help you spot patterns fast.
Portability: Access your trading journal on mobile, tablet, or desktop.
Backup & security: Never worry about losing your notes.

The clarity a digital system offers can be the difference between randomly reviewing your trades and spotting the exact habits that are costing you funded accounts.

Best Digital Tools for Evaluation Tracking

You don’t need expensive software to start digital journaling. Here are a few trader-tested tools:

Notion: Build a fully customized journal database with tags, filters, and visual boards. Great for long-form trade reviews and mindset tracking.
Google Sheets: Simple, flexible, and cloud-based. Create custom columns for rule compliance, profit/loss, and drawdown metrics.
Edgewonk: Paid journaling software with integrated trade analytics, graphs, and performance tracking.
Trello: Visual board-style journaling that’s useful for organizing setups, mistakes, and lessons into categories.

Pick one platform and commit. The tool only works if you actually use it daily during the evaluation.

What to Include in Your Digital Journal

Here are the essential components of a strong evaluation journal:

Date and time of trade
Account phase (Evaluation, Funded, Reset)
Strategy used (e.g., trend continuation, VWAP fade)
Entry/exit price
Stop-loss/take-profit
Risk-to-reward ratio
Prop firm rule followed or violated
Pre-trade mindset (rated 1–5)
Post-trade reflection
Screenshot (if available)

Every evaluation entry should also include a “Lesson Learned” and “What I’ll Do Differently Tomorrow” section. These drive constant improvement.

Organize with Tags and Filters

Use tags for filtering journal entries later:

Setup type: Breakout, Reversal, News, Momentum
Result: Win, Loss, Break-even
Emotion: FOMO, Revenge, Calm, Tilt
Day of week: Monday-Friday
Evaluation Phase: Day 1, Day 5, Final Day

Later, you can generate insights like “What setups failed on Mondays?” or “What emotion tag shows up most during drawdowns?”

Use Templates for Speed

If you’re using Google Sheets or Notion, pre-build a daily evaluation template. It saves time and ensures consistency. Include dropdowns for emotions, strategies, and rule violations. This helps you stay objective and focused on structure—not feelings.

Track Daily Metrics

During a prop firm evaluation, the following stats matter most:

Daily profit/loss
Drawdown (daily & trailing)
Consistency (same lot size, same time of day?)
Rule compliance score (1–5)
Evaluation phase progress (Day 1 to Final Day)

Turn these metrics into a dashboard. You’ll see instantly whether you’re improving or self-sabotaging.

Combine with Visuals

Attach screenshots of every trade. Use annotation tools (arrows, text, circles) to mark entry/exit, trendlines, and mistakes. Seeing your trades visually cements lessons and improves memory retention.

Weekly Review Process

Set aside time every Sunday to analyze your digital journal:

Which strategies had the best win rate?
Were there rule violations?
Did my emotional tags shift?
What can I improve next week?

This weekly ritual helps you finish evaluations stronger and enter funded accounts with a proven framework.

Backup and Portability

Keep your journal saved in the cloud. Use Google Drive, Dropbox, or Notion’s built-in sync features. That way, if your computer crashes or you’re traveling, you can still access your data from any device.

Evaluate Your Journal During the Evaluation

Yes, your journal itself needs a review. Ask yourself:

Am I logging every trade?
Am I being honest?
Is this helping me pass, or just filling space?

Adjust your journal as your trading evolves. What worked during Phase 1 may not work during a funded account phase.

Pair with Printable Sheets (Optional)

If you prefer hybrid tracking, combine digital logging with printable sheets from the Prop Firm Press Journal Sheets. Use printables for daily checklists and use your digital system for deep analysis. This lets you trade with structure and review with data.

Final Thoughts

A digital journal isn’t just a logbook—it’s a mirror. It reflects your habits, mindset, risk tolerance, and readiness to stay funded. Make it your edge during evaluations. Don’t just trade—track everything. That’s how real traders grow.