Quick Start Guide
Get Journalit running fast, then make sure your first few actions set up a journal you will actually keep using.
Quickest path
Follow installation, complete onboarding, create one trade, then open the dashboard. That is enough to confirm the whole workflow is working.
60-Second Setup
Download Journalit
Install the plugin with the installation guide. Once it is enabled, the onboarding wizard opens automatically.
Complete onboarding
Choose your first account, optional authentication, and optional Trade Sync settings.
Welcome
Quick feature overview and setup path.
Authentication
Optional sign-in for Pro features.
Account setup
Create your first trading account.
FTP credentials
Only needed for MetaTrader 4 Trade Sync. MT5 uses Trade Import.
After onboarding
Use Open Sidebar from the Getting Started checklist or
General settings to add the navigation sidebar for quick access to overview pages,
reviews, tools, and note search. Major views also include their own contextual guides,
which you can replay later with Replay guide for current view.
Create your first trade
Use Create New Trade from the ribbon, enter symbol, entry, exit, and a few notes, then save.
Done
Once that first trade is saved, your journal is live.
Try The Sample Journal
The sample journal is a separate practice workspace with fictional trades, reviews, and prop challenge examples. It is useful for exploring Journalit before trusting it with real data.
Open sample journal
Run Open sample journal from the command palette, or choose Try a sample journal from empty states.
Practice only
Changes inside the sample journal are for practice. Backend sync stays paused while the sample journal is active.
Exit sample
Leave the sample journal and return to the real vault, with the option to remove sample files.
Reset sample
Restore every sample file and sample only setting to the original fictional pack.
Detailed First Steps
Launch the onboarding wizard
When you first open Journalit, the onboarding wizard guides you through the initial setup.
Need to run it again later? Open the command palette and search for
Replay Onboarding.
Trading account details
Name, balance, currency, and account type.
Authentication
Optional at first, but useful if you plan to use Pro features.
MetaTrader 4 integration
Configure FTP Trade Sync during onboarding for MT4. Import MT5 HTML statements through Trade Import.
Set up your first trading account
Account name
Use something obvious like Live Forex, Futures Main, or Demo Account.
Starting balance
Use the real starting value so later performance numbers mean something.
Currency
Pick the base currency you actually report in.
Account type
Separate demo and live accounts from the start.
Risk settings
Maximum drawdown
Set a real limit. Around 10% is a common starting point.
Profit targets
Useful if you review accounts against planned milestones.
Do not overthink the first setup
You can change these values later. The important part is getting the account structure in place.
Create your first trade note
Journalit stores trade notes as markdown files inside your Obsidian vault.
Add the trade
- Click the ribbon icon and choose Add New Trade.
- Or open the command palette with
Ctrl/Cmd + Pand runJournalit: Add New Trade.
Fill the core fields
Symbol: EURUSD
Direction: Long
Entry Price: 1.0850
Exit Price: 1.0900
Quantity: 10,000 unitsAdd context and psychology
- Why did you take the trade?
- What was your emotional state?
- What screenshot, markup, or market context do you want to preserve?
Save and review
The note is saved into your vault and appears in the Trade Log for later analysis.
Explore the dashboard
Switch Home from Overview to Dashboard to see what is actually happening in your trading instead of just storing notes.
P&L chart
See performance over time instead of relying on memory.
Win rate
Track outcomes, but do not confuse it with edge by itself.
Best and worst trades
Useful for pattern review and honest post-trade analysis.
Account overview
Watch balances, drawdowns, and account-level performance.
Make the dashboard yours
Rearrange widgets, remove the ones you do not care about, and keep the views that support your actual review process.
Essential Features to Try
Daily Review Notes
Create a repeatable daily reflection habit instead of journalling only when something goes wrong.
Trade Log Analysis
Filter, sort, and compare trades in one organised place.
Performance Analytics
Use dashboards and charts to find patterns in execution and outcomes.
Daily Review Notes
Open the command palette
Use Ctrl/Cmd + P.
Run the daily review command
Search for Journalit: Daily Review.
Fill out the reflection
Record what you planned, what you did, and what broke down.
Reality check
Do not skip reviews. Logging trades without reviewing them just creates a prettier archive of the same mistakes.
Trade Log Analysis
- Open Trade Log from the ribbon.
- Filter by date, symbol, setup, or outcome.
- Sort by profit, date, or any other column that helps you compare execution.
Performance Analytics
- Open the Dashboard.
- Explore different chart views.
- Look for behavioural and setup patterns, not just headline P&L.
Essential Settings to Configure
General
Home startup behaviour, navigation sidebar and tab behaviour, and Privacy Mode.
Trade Defaults
Analytics date basis, break-even rules, risk defaults, and your day-to-day trade-entry defaults.
Journal
Templates, recurring goals, checklists, custom fields, trade form layout, and review auto-creation.
Account & Sync
Account sign-in, Trade Sync connections, Trade Import recovery, and the Economic Calendar.
Currency and display name sit above those sections rather than inside one of them, because they apply everywhere.
General
Settings → Journalit → General
- Decide whether Home opens on startup, and what sits behind it
- Choose how the navigation sidebar opens views
- Turn on Privacy Mode if you share your screen
Trade Defaults
Settings → Journalit → Trade Defaults
- Choose whether analytics use entry date or final exit date
- Set fixed or percentage-based break-even thresholds
- Configure risk defaults and trade calculation behaviour
Journal
Settings → Journalit → Journal
- Set recurring goals and checklists
- Control auto-created DRC, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly reviews
- Adjust trade form layout and custom fields
Account & Sync
Settings → Journalit → Account & Sync
- Sign in if required
- Configure Trade Sync for your broker, or import a broker file through Trade Import
- Review sync status and account linking
What's Next?
Authentication Setup
Enable cloud sync and other Pro features when you are ready.
Dashboard Overview
Learn how to use analytics without turning them into noise.
Trade Notes
Build a better note structure for execution context and review.
Account Management
Add more accounts and keep portfolio structure clean.
Common First-Time Issues
You're Ready to Trade
Your journal is configured. The goal is consistency, not perfection.
Log every trade
Especially the ugly ones. Those are the trades that make reviews useful.
Be honest in psychology notes
The note only helps if it reflects what actually happened in your head.
Review regularly
Weekly is the minimum if you want behaviour change instead of data accumulation.
Ask for help when stuck
Use the community if a workflow or import path is slowing you down.
Need help?
Join the Discord community if you want help with setup, workflow questions, or troubleshooting.