Manual Trade Journal Guide

Choose a workflow

You will pick one of these after your manual account is created and you open Import Trades from the accounts table — they are two ways to add trade rows, not alternatives to creating the account.

Before you start

• Account name

  Required when you create the manual account — pick a name so you can spot the broker, exchange, strategy, or prop firm later.

• Account currency

  Required — choose the currency (such as USD) so balances and trade results stay consistent on that account.

• Initial balance

  Optional starting balance so deposits, withdrawals, and performance are easier to follow from day one.

• A plan for trade history

  After the manual account exists, you will use Import Trades to add rows via manual entry, CSV import, or deposit / withdrawal — you do not enter trades until that account is created.

Overview

Manual tracking always starts by creating a manual account. Once that account exists in TraderWaves, open Import Trades from the accounts table and choose how you want to add history: manual entry (one trade at a time), CSV import (bulk from a file), or Deposit / Withdraw (cash movements that are not trades).

CSV import works with spreadsheet exports and trade history files from platforms such as Excel, Notion tables, Google Sheets, broker exports, and other trading journals that support CSV format.

Manual entry and CSV import are alternatives for trade rows — use whichever fits; neither is available until after the manual account is created.

This path does not use automatic broker syncing. Your manual account still feeds journal views, analytics, and performance review next to connected accounts whenever you use both.

Walkthrough

1. Select manual tracking

   When you add an account, choose Manual tracking / Add Account Manually (or the same manual path in your workspace) so TraderWaves opens the manual flow instead of a broker or exchange integration.

   

2. Create a manual account

   Use Add Account Manually / Manual Import and create a manual account inside TraderWaves. Add an account name, choose the currency, and optionally enter an initial balance.

   • Account Name is required.
   • Currency is required.
   • Initial Balance is optional.

   

3. Open Import Trades

   After the manual account appears in your accounts table, find it in the list and use the Actions column to open Import Trades. You need a saved manual account before this option is meaningful — there is no trade history path until that row exists.

   From Import Trades, pick the method that fits your situation (you can return later and choose a different one):

   • Manual entry — add trades one by one.
   • CSV Import — upload trade history from a spreadsheet, broker export, or another journal.
   • Deposit / Withdraw — record balance changes that are not trades.

   

4. Add trades manually

   Open the Manual entry tab when you want to type a trade yourself. Enter symbol, order type, open time, close time, open price, close price, lots, and profit. Expand optional fields when you want commission, fees, swap, stop loss, take profit, comments, ticket, or balance after (when the form supports them).

   

5. Import trades from CSV

   Choose CSV Import when you already have multiple trades in a spreadsheet or export. Upload your file, review required columns, validate, then import.

   Required CSV fields

   • symbol
   • order_type
   • open_time
   • close_time
   • open_price
   • close_price
   • lots
   • profit

   Optional CSV fields

   • ticket
   • swap
   • commission
   • fee
   • stop_loss
   • take_profit
   • comment
   • balance_after

   Column names are flexible — common aliases are recognised automatically where the importer supports them.

   

6. Record deposits and withdrawals

   Use Deposit / Withdraw inside Import Trades to log balance changes that are not trades. That keeps your manual account balance and performance history aligned with funding in and out.

   

Markets & setups

These all work once your manual account exists and you use Import Trades. Manual tracking is not only a fallback — it is ideal when you want control, privacy, flexibility, or a custom history outside standard integrations.

• Forex trades
• Crypto trades
• Futures trades
• Stocks
• Prop firm accounts
• Demo accounts
• Unsupported brokers
• Spreadsheet trade history

No broker login required

Manual journaling does not require broker credentials, API keys, or OAuth authorization. You choose what trade data enters TraderWaves — but you still create the manual account first, then add rows by typing them in or importing a CSV you already hold.

Journal & analytics

Once trades are saved, they show up in your TraderWaves journal so you can review performance, attach notes, spot patterns, and compare manual accounts next to connected accounts. Depending on your plan and features, you can also use analytics, charts, and your performance dashboard for trade review — the same tooling you use after an automatic sync, now fed by data you control.

Quick answers