Trade Sync
This MetaTrader trade sync setup guide shows how to connect MetaTrader 4 and 5 to Journalit so trades flow into your vault without manual data entry and stay consistent with the rest of your journalling workflow.
Want a shorter overview page? See MetaTrader trading journal in Obsidian.
What Trade Sync is really for
The value is not just speed. The real value is that your trade history gets captured consistently, updated automatically, and fed into the rest of Journalit without manual admin work.
How Trade Sync Works
Trade Sync handles the moving parts behind the scenes. The full pipeline is straightforward once you break it down.
MetaTrader uploads reports
Your MetaTrader 4 or 5 setup generates HTML reports and uploads them to the Journalit FTP server.
The backend parses the reports
Journalit's backend processes the uploaded reports on an hourly cycle and extracts trade data.
Duplicate detection runs
An internal cache prevents the same trade from being created over and over.
Accounts get linked
Trades are associated with the correct Journalit account, with confirmation when new account IDs appear.
Trade notes are created or updated
Journalit writes the markdown files into your vault using the same broader structure as the rest of the system.
Why Automated Logging Matters
The point of automation is not laziness. It is data quality and consistency.
No missed trades
Trade Sync runs automatically, so forgotten trades do not quietly disappear from your journal.
No manual retyping
Entry price, exit price, lot size, timestamps, and result data come directly from MetaTrader.
Consistent organisation
Files land in the correct vault structure automatically instead of becoming scattered or inconsistently named.
Smart updates for open trades
When a trade closes later, Journalit updates the existing note instead of creating a second file.
Scales to larger histories
Batch processing makes it practical to sync larger trade histories without turning the system brittle.
Setup Instructions
Step 1: Create FTP credentials
Start in Settings → Backend Integration inside the Obsidian plugin, or complete this during onboarding if you are setting Trade Sync up for the first time.
FTP server
Use <code>sync.journalit.co:2121</code> as the upload destination.
Username
Journalit generates a unique FTP username for your account.
Password
Journalit also generates the FTP password used by MetaTrader to upload reports.
Step 2: Configure MetaTrader
In MetaTrader, set the platform up to generate and upload HTML reports. MT4 and MT5 use the same report format for this workflow.
Enable HTML report generation
Journalit expects HTML reports rather than manual copy-pasted trade summaries.
Set language to ENGLISH
English is currently the only supported report language for parsing.
Enter the FTP credentials
Use the server, username, and password from the plugin setup flow.
Enable passive mode
This is the safer default for FTP connectivity and avoids common network issues.
Use a sensible upload schedule
Hourly uploads are usually the right balance between freshness and unnecessary churn.
Step 3: Link your account
The first time a new MetaTrader account appears, Journalit prompts you inside Obsidian to link it to your account management setup.
Related page
See the Account Management documentation for the deeper account-linking workflow.
Intelligent Processing
Trade Sync is useful because it does more than just import raw records.
Duplicate Detection
Unique trade identity
Each trade is identified using entry timing and ticket-level information.
Recent-cache tracking
Recently processed trades are remembered so repeat submissions can be ignored.
No silent duplication
Resubmitted reports should not create duplicate trade notes when the cache has enough signal to identify them.
Open-trade updates
Trades that later close are updated instead of being recreated from scratch.
Open Position Handling
Initial note on open
An open position can create the first version of the trade note immediately.
Same note on close
When the trade closes, Journalit updates that same note with exit data and final P&L.
One lifecycle, one file
The trade stays together as one markdown record instead of splitting open and closed states into separate notes.
Batch Processing
Up to 500 trades per cycle
Large sync runs are processed in manageable batches rather than one fragile monolithic job.
Hourly sync rhythm
Automatic synchronization runs on an hourly cycle by default.
Built for larger histories
The processing flow is designed to handle substantial report backfills more realistically.
Force Sync
If you do not want to wait for the next hourly cycle, use the Force Sync Now button inside Settings → Backend Integration.
Typical sync time
Most force-sync runs finish in about 2 to 3 minutes.
Upper bound
Longer runs can take up to roughly 5 minutes.
Best use case
Useful when you just closed a trade and want the synced record available before your review flow starts.
File Structure
Synced trades are written into the vault using a predictable structure.
Path
Trades are organised under <code>year/month/week/trades/</code>.
Naming
Files follow the pattern <code>TICKER-DIRECTION-TIMESTAMP.md</code>.
Frontmatter
Entry data, exit data, P&L, and account context are included in structured metadata.
Shared note format
Synced trades follow the same broader note structure as manually created trades.
Practical Tips
Troubleshooting
Current Limitations
Trade Sync is useful, but the boundaries matter.
MetaTrader only
This workflow supports MT4 and MT5, not every trading platform on the market.
English reports only
If your reports are exported in another language, parsing is not reliable yet.
Hourly rather than real-time
Trade Sync is not meant to be a tick-by-tick live journalling feed.
If you need immediate logging
Use Manual Entry when you want a trade note right away during the session instead of waiting for the next sync cycle.
How It Connects To The Rest Of Journalit
Trade Sync is not a separate subsystem. It feeds directly into the rest of the product.
Trade Notes
Synced trades use the same note format as manual entries, so the journal stays structurally consistent.
Trade Log
Synced trades appear in the same database and analysis views as manual and imported trades.
Review System
Daily and higher-level reviews automatically include synced trade activity without extra admin work.
Account Management
Each MT4 or MT5 account can be linked once and then tracked independently inside multi-account workflows.
Bottom line
Set up Trade Sync once and let it handle the repetitive data entry layer. That leaves you free to spend time on analysis, review, and decision-making instead of clerical work.