Setups
Setups turns a trade label into something you can use. Define the pattern, keep the rules and playbook nearby, then see how it performs across live, missed, and backtest opportunities.
The setup name is the link
Journalit uses the existing setup field on a trade. When a trade
has a setup label, that label connects it to the matching Setup record.
Setup overview
The overview is the starting point for deciding which setups deserve more attention.
Performance ranking
Rank setups by the results that matter to you, with cumulative P&L or R-multiple views.
Cumulative performance
Use cumulative charts to see whether a setup's results are steady, lumpy, or deteriorating.
Needs-attention signals
Spot setup records that are missing a playbook, rules, trade evidence, or other useful context.
Privacy-aware display
Setup metrics and charts follow Journalit's privacy display rules.
What a setup contains
Setup identity
Give the setup a name, status, direction, and optional colour. Status can be Testing, Active, or Archived.
Playbook
Write the playbook inside the Setup file or link a vault note with examples and reference material.
Rules
Record grouped rules and structured checks for the conditions that make the setup valid.
Trade history
See the live, missed, and backtest trades that use the setup label.
Setup definitions live in your Journalit Setups folder as markdown
files. Existing trade setup labels and custom setup options can become Setup
records, so you do not need to rebuild a working taxonomy by hand.
Open Setups
Open Setups from the navigation sidebar, Home View quick links, or the command palette. Setup markdown files also open in the Setup view by default. Open the file as normal markdown when you want to edit the underlying note directly.
Create a setup
Give it a precise name
Use the name you want to select on trades. Keep it specific enough that you can tell it apart from a related variation later.
Add the rules and playbook
Open the setup after creating it, then write the conditions that make it valid. Use the Playbook section for the longer explanation, or link a vault note when it already contains your charts and examples.
Use the setup on trades
Select the setup in the existing trade setup field. Journalit uses that label to associate the trade with the Setup record across manual entry, imports, and sync.
Use the colour control in the Setup create or edit modal when a setup needs to stand out. Journalit applies the selected colour to the setup label in expanded Trade Log rows and trade-note metadata. Reset the control to return to the default label styling.
Rename with care
Renaming a setup updates affected trade notes and the setup autocomplete options. Choose the name you want traders to use before building a large history around it.
Setup pairs
Pairs ranks combinations of two setup labels. It compares the results recorded when both labels appear together with the results for each label on its own.
Pair ranking
Rank setup combinations by a selected metric such as total P&L, then open the evidence for the pair you want to inspect.
Together versus solo
See the combination result alongside each setup's individual result and the calculated combined edge.
Trade evidence
Use the cumulative line and trade count as context before deciding a combination is worth pursuing.
Setup detail
Open a setup to review the evidence behind its results rather than treating the label as a number in a table.
Execution gap
The Execution Gap tab separates the setup's potential from what happened in live execution. Compare live P&L with the backtest benchmark to see whether the setup holds up in real trading or whether execution is giving away the edge. A large gap is a reason to inspect entries, exits, sizing, timing, and rule adherence before writing off the setup.
It also makes missed trades visible. Missed Edge and Live + Missed show how much recorded missed opportunities could have changed the result. Use that context to decide whether missed setups are occasional noise or a process problem worth working on.
Performance and drawdown
Review results and drawdown for the setup itself.
Execution gap
Compare live execution with backtest results and missed opportunities to see where the setup's potential is being lost.
Linked notes and screenshots
Keep supporting vault notes and compact screenshot evidence beside the setup.
Playbook and rules
Open the playbook from the setup, then keep the rules that define the setup visible beside it.
Setup health
See whether the setup has the playbook, rules, screenshots, and trade history needed for a useful review.
Linked notes
The Linked Notes panel can hold supporting markdown notes from anywhere in your vault. Use it for market research, examples, trade recaps, or anything else that helps explain the setup. The Setup page shows the linked-note count and lets you open the list when you need the source material.
Playbook
The Playbook panel can display content written inside the Setup file or a linked markdown note from anywhere in the vault. That linked note renders directly in as a markdown note works here too, which makes it practical for drawing out a setup visually. Use the open action in the panel to jump to the original note when you want to edit it.
Rules
The Rules panel is the checklist for this specific setup. Use the edit action to add rules, organise them into groups, write descriptions, choose a category, and put them in the order you want to review. The panel keeps those rules visible in performance data.
Compare setups
Setup comparison reports put two setups beside each other. Use them when two patterns look similar in the trade log but behave differently in practice.
Configurable metrics
Choose the measures you want to compare rather than relying on one headline result.
Cumulative charts
Compare the shape of each setup's performance over time.
Context breakdowns
Break the comparison down by instrument, weekday, and direction.
Confidence and edge
Use the available sample and results as context before deciding one setup is genuinely stronger.
Setups in the rest of Journalit
Trade form
Choose an existing setup while logging a trade, or create one as part of the trade workflow.
Trade notes
Setup metadata stays with the trade note, so the reason for the trade is visible beside the outcome.
Trade Log and Dashboard
Filter and analyse trade performance by setup when you need to inspect a pattern outside the Setups workspace.
Reviews
Use setup performance in review layouts when it helps answer what actually worked during a period.
Practical advice
Related pages
Use Manual Entry to apply setups to trades, Trade Notes to review setup context beside a trade, and Layout Builder to add setup performance to review workflows.