Interactive Brokers (IBKR) Export Guide
Export Interactive Brokers trade history for Journalit with an IBKR Flex Query CSV. This guide shows the exact Flex Query type, section choices, and file format to use so the export matches the importer.
Bottom line
Use an IBKR Flex Query for trade history with the Trade Confirmation
section, select Orders, keep Executions off, and export
as CSV with the required date and time formats.
Overview
One-time setup
Create a Flex Query once, save it, and reuse it whenever you need another export.
Recurring downloads
Run the saved query with a date range whenever you want a fresh CSV for Journalit.
Orders only
IBKR's Orders output matches the importer. Executions and other report shapes do not.
Format matters
Date, time, and separator choices are not cosmetic here. They decide whether the CSV parses cleanly.
What Journalit expects
Most common mistake
If you export the wrong section, especially Executions, the file may
still look valid in a spreadsheet but it will not match the structure Journalit
expects.
One-time Flex Query setup
Open Flex Queries
Sign in to the IBKR Client Portal, then go to Performance & Reports → Reports → Flex Queries.
Create a new query
Click the blue plus icon next to Trade Confirmation Flex Query, then give the query a clear name such as Journalit Export.
Configure the report section
Under Sections:
- Select
Trade Confirmation - Enable
Orders - Disable
Executions
This is the critical compatibility step. If Executions is selected instead of Orders, start over and fix the query before exporting.
Set the export format
Use these exact options:
-
Format:
CSV - Include Column Headers: enabled
-
Date Format:
yyyyMMdd -
Time Format:
HHmmss -
Date/Time Separator:
semi-colon
These values ensure timestamps land in a format Journalit can parse consistently.
Save the query
Review the settings, click Create, and confirm the query now appears in your Flex Query list.
Download trades later
Once the query exists, exports are straightforward.
Re-open the saved query
Go back to Performance & Reports → Flex Queries and find the saved query you created earlier.
Run the export
Click the blue arrow button next to the query, choose CSV, set the date range you want, and run the report.
Keep the raw file unchanged
Download the file and import that original export into Journalit. Do not rename columns, resave it through a spreadsheet, or change delimiters unless you are deliberately troubleshooting.
Quick validation before import
If you want to sanity-check the file before importing, these are the strongest signs that the export is correct.
Timestamp shape
Look for a DateTime-style value such as 20240315;143025, with the date and time separated by a semi-colon.
Expected fields
Common columns include DateTime, TradePrice, IBCommission, Buy/Sell, Quantity, and Symbol.
Column headers included
The first row should contain field names, not trade data. Missing headers usually means the export settings were wrong.
No spreadsheet cleanup
If the file has already been opened and resaved in Excel or Numbers, validate that timestamps, separators, and leading zeros were preserved.