MetaTrader 4 Trade Sync
This guide shows how to connect MetaTrader 4 to Journalit so trades flow into your vault without manual data entry and stay consistent with the rest of your journalling workflow.
MetaTrader 5 users must use Trade Import
MetaTrader 5 Build 6060 removed FTP report publishing on 23 July 2026. This FTP-based Trade Sync guide therefore applies to MetaTrader 4 only. For MT5, export an HTML statement and follow the MetaTrader 4 / 5 Trade Import guide.
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
The setup follows a simple cycle.
MetaTrader uploads reports
Your MetaTrader 4 terminal generates HTML reports and uploads them to the Journalit FTP server.
Journalit reads the reports
Journalit checks the uploaded reports on an hourly cycle and brings in new or updated trades without creating a new copy for every repeated upload.
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.
Works with larger histories
You can keep using the same workflow as your trade history grows.
Setup Instructions
Start from Sync settings
Open Settings → Sync. When you are signed out, Sync shows the 14-day Pro trial offer and an Already subscribed? Sign in path. The Account, MetaTrader, and Trade Import sub-navigation appears after you sign in. Use the MetaTrader tab for the FTP and sync controls below.
Step 1: Create FTP credentials
Start in Settings → Sync → MetaTrader 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 4, set the platform up to generate and upload HTML reports.
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.
How synced trades behave
Trade Sync is useful because it does more than just import raw records.
Repeated reports
Repeated uploads are expected
MetaTrader can upload overlapping reports without creating a fresh copy of every previously synced trade.
Report real duplicates
If the same trade appears twice without manual entry being involved, use the support links in Journalit to report it.
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.
Sync now and cancel
If you do not want to wait for the next hourly cycle, use the Sync Now button inside Settings → Sync → MetaTrader. While a sync is active, the same area shows a Cancel action. Journalit stops at a safe point and reports the run as cancelled rather than failed.
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 scope
This FTP workflow covers MT4 only. MT5 statements are supported through Trade Import.
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.
Where synced trades appear
Synced trades appear alongside the rest of your Journalit workflow.
Trade Notes
Synced trades use the same note format as manual entries, so the journal stays structurally consistent.
Risk fields
Synced stop loss and take profit values are stored in trade notes and feed risk calculations where the broker data provides them.
Trade Log
Synced trades appear in the same 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 synced MT4 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.