HESTOL Trading Journal
Your P&L tells you what happened. Your journal should tell you why.
Go beyond wins and losses. Reconstruct your trades, review your decisions, examine your risk adjustments, and uncover patterns across your trading sessions—all in one connected workspace.
Your trades. Your decisions. Your edge to understand.
The sample journal runs on fictional data with no sign-up. Accounts, imports and AI-assisted review are planned and not available yet.
J-108 · MNQ Long · 2 contracts
Sep 9, 2026 · Opening range reclaim
Entry
20,151.00
Exit
20,090.00
Planned risk
$116.00
Net result
−$248.96
Decision timeline
- 09:35 Plan recordedLong the reclaim, invalid below 20,122
- 09:52 Entry filled2 @ 20,151.00
- 10:04 Note addedBreadth turned negative while the position was open
- 10:09 Stop adjusted20,122.00 → 20,090.00
- 10:26 Position closedStop filled 2 @ 20,090.00
Stop adjustment
20,122.00 → 20,090.00
Risk $116.00 → $244.00
Market context
Breadth turned negative while open
Session note
Breadth turned negative while the trade was open. In review I read that as a reason to exit, but I widened the stop past the written 20,122 invalidation instead, and the trade closed at the wider level.
The gap in most trade logs
You remember the trade. But do you remember every decision?
The session ends and you know the result. What fades is why you entered, why you moved the stop, why you added size, why you exited. A basic log records what happened; HESTOL is designed to keep the decisions next to it.
Basic trade log
- Entry
- 20,151.00
- Exit
- 20,090.00
- P&L
- −$248.96
What happened. Nothing about why.
HESTOL Journal
- Trade timeline
- Decisions and the plan behind them
- Risk changes, before and after
- Session notes
- Market context
- Post-trade review
Same fictional trade, J-108. Notes are written by the trader; no automatic broker capture is implied.
Interactive trade review
See the trade. Understand the decisions.
Step through one complete fictional futures trade. Select an event to see what the trader knew, what changed, and what it did to planned risk.
J-108 · Sep 9, 2026
MNQ Long · sampleArrow keys move between events
Entry
09:522 MNQ long @ 20,151.00
The plan was written at 09:35: “Long the reclaim, invalid below 20,122.” The entry filled 2 contracts at 20,151.00 — inside the plan.
Active stop
20,122.00
Planned stop risk
$116.00
Original risk
$116.00
Result
Open
Trade timeline
Event schematic · shows only what was known at this stepPlanned stop risk assumes a fill exactly at the stop; actual fills can differ. Fictional sample trade.
CORE review
Simulated · sample records onlyWhat changed when I moved my stop?
On J-108 (MNQ long, 2 contracts @ 20,151.00) you moved the stop from 20,122.00 to 20,090.00. That moved the stop further from entry, so planned stop risk increased by $128.00: $116.00 → $244.00. The original value stays on the record.
Written example over fictional records · No AI service connected · No access to real accounts
Journal demo
Your trading month. Every session in view.
See your daily results, open the trades behind them, and revisit the reasoning you recorded along the way. Select a day to review its trades.
Trading journal
September net
+$276.15
Closed trades
10
Trading days
8
Plan aligned
8 / 10
September 2026
Selected day · Sep 9
−$248.96
1 closed trade · 1 note
Session note
Breadth turned negative at 10:04 while the position was open. The written plan only named a price invalidation (below 20,122).
Full sample · Aug 3 – Sep 11, 2026
Showing All accounts · Full sample · Aug 3 – Sep 11, 2026
Net P&L after fees
+$973.25
Fees $124.00
Win rate
56%
14W / 11L of 25
Avg win / avg loss
+$158 / −$113
Max drawdown
−$341.42
Trade-by-trade, this filter
September 2026
Net P&L
+$276.15
Trades
10
Win rate
50%
Trading days
8
Weekly summary
- Week 1 · 6 trades+$504
- Week 2 · 4 trades−$228
- Week 3 · 0 trades—
- Week 4 · 0 trades—
- Week 5 · 0 trades—
Day review
Select a day on the calendar to see its results, the trades behind them, and the notes recorded during that session.
Cumulative P&L
All accounts · Full sample · Aug 3 – Sep 11, 2026Trade history
25 records · All accounts · Full sample · Aug 3 – Sep 11, 2026| Trade | Date | Entry | Close | Account | Setup | Side | Net | Plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 3 | 09:44 | 10:22 | Funded-A | Opening range reclaim | MNQ Long · 2 | +$179.04 | Followed | |
| Aug 4 | 10:22 | 10:48 | Personal | Failed retest fade | MES Short · 2 | −$59.96 | Followed | |
| Aug 6 | 09:12 | 09:58 | Eval-1 | Trend pullback | MNQ Long · 2 | +$239.04 | Followed | |
| Aug 7 | 10:36 | 11:05 | Funded-A | Failed retest fade | MNQ Short · 2 | −$116.96 | Followed | |
| Aug 11 | 09:38 | 09:52 | Funded-A | Trend pullback | MES Long · 1 | +$0.02 | Followed | |
| Aug 12 | 09:47 | 10:29 | Funded-A | Opening range reclaim | MNQ Long · 3 | +$208.56 | Followed | |
| Aug 12 | 13:05 | 13:24 | Eval-1 | Failed retest fade | MES Short · 2 | −$52.46 | Off plan | |
| Aug 13 | 09:55 | 10:26 | Eval-1 | Trend pullback | MNQ Long · 2 | −$152.96 | Followed |
Records
25 in scopeExecution
J-108 · Sep 9, 2026 · Funded-AInstrument
MNQ Long
Contracts
2
Entry
20,151.00 · 09:52
Exit
20,090.00 · 10:26
Gross
−$244.00
Commissions
$4.96
Net
−$248.96
Points
-61
MNQ point value $2 · commissions assumed at $2.48 per contract round turn · dated by close, US/Central.
Price path
J-108 · illustrativePlan and risk
Original values preservedPlanned stop
20,122.00
Planned target
20,214.00
Planned risk
$116.00
Risk after adjustment
$244.00Increased by $128.00
Event history
5 recorded- 09:35Plan recordedLong the reclaim, invalid below 20,122
- 09:52Entry filled2 @ 20,151.00
- 10:04Note addedBreadth turned negative while the position was open
- 10:09Stop adjusted20,122.00 → 20,090.00
- 10:26Position closedStop filled 2 @ 20,090.00
Trade note
Widened stop · Off plan · Thin breadthBreadth turned negative while the trade was open. In review I read that as a reason to exit, but I widened the stop past the written 20,122 invalidation instead, and the trade closed at the wider level.
Side by side
All accounts · Full sample · Aug 3 – Sep 11, 2026| Metric | Setup A · Opening range reclaim | Setup B · Trend pullback |
|---|---|---|
| Trades | 9 | 8 |
| Net after fees | +$254 | +$755 |
| Win rate | 55.56% | 75% |
| Average win | +$180 | +$167 |
| Average loss | −$162 | −$123 |
| Expectancy per trade | +$28.27 | +$94.35 |
| Followed the plan | 7 of 9 | 8 of 8 |
Sample sizes here are small (9 and 8 trades over All accounts · Full sample · Aug 3 – Sep 11, 2026). A difference this size is a question to investigate, not a conclusion.
Sample journal · Illustrative data · Not a live account or verified performance record
Analytics
One trade is a moment. Your history reveals the patterns.
Compare your trades by setup, instrument, session, and execution habits. Explore where your results differ and which questions deserve a closer look.
By setup
25 trades · Aug 3 – Sep 11, 2026- Opening range reclaim+$254 · 9 trades
- Trend pullback+$755 · 8 trades
- Failed retest fade−$36 · 8 trades
By time of day
US/Central, sample sessions- 08:00 – 09:29+$920 · 4 trades
- 09:30 – 10:00+$222 · 12 trades
- 10:00 and later−$169 · 9 trades
Net figures are after the assumed commissions. Gross across the sample is +$1,097.25, fees $124.00.
Excursion and drawdown
Plain-language definitions- Maximum favorable excursion
- The best the trade ever looked before you closed it. Spotlight trade J-108: $32.00.
- Maximum adverse excursion
- The worst it looked while you held it. Spotlight trade J-108: $244.00.
- Drawdown
- The deepest fall from the best running total in the sample: −$341.42.
By instrument
Net after fees- MNQ+$1,092 · 16 trades · 62.5% wins
- MES−$118 · 9 trades · 44.44% wins
Result vs planned risk
Net ÷ planned stop risk- Below −1R10
- −1R to 01
- 0 to +1R2
- +1R or more12
Time in trade
Entry fill to close- Under 20 min−$74 · 3 trades
- 20–40 min−$269 · 16 trades
- 40 min or more+$1,316 · 6 trades
Recurring execution behaviors
Tag counts across the sample25 trades over Aug 3 – Sep 11, 2026 is a small sample. A pattern that looks profitable here says nothing about future results.
Session preparation
Turn your review into your next session’s plan.
One lesson from a recorded trade, carried through to the checklist you open tomorrow.
01
Review a session
Sep 9 · J-108 closed −$249
02
Record a lesson
“Breadth turned negative while the trade was open. I widened the stop past my written 20,122 invalidation instead of exiting.”
03
Update the checklist
Add: exit when breadth turns negative while the position is open. Add: the written stop does not move wider.
04
Prepare the next session
Checklist opens with the two new conditions in place.
Next session preparation
Sample checklist- Setup or thesis
- Opening range reclaim on MNQ, long only.
- Confirmation conditions
- Second five-minute close above the reclaim, breadth not already negative.
- Invalidation
- Any close back below the reclaim level.
- Risk rules
- Two contracts. Written stop does not move wider. One reclaim attempt.
- What to watch
- Breadth while the position is open. The 09:30–10:00 window.
- Review notes carried forward
- From J-108: breadth was recorded as negative at 10:04, five minutes before the stop was moved past the written invalidation.
CORE as a review partner · optional
Ask better questions about your trading.
Explore your journal yourself, or work through it with CORE. AI-assisted review is designed to read your recorded trades and answer questions about them — how setups compare, which records support an observation, where a plan and an execution diverged. The examples below are written over the sample dataset; assisted review is planned paid functionality, not an open feature.
Manual review
Filters, day selection, trade detail, and setup comparison all work without assistance.
Optional panel
The assistant sits beside your records. Closing it changes nothing about your journal.
Growing context
As your recorded history grows, HESTOL has more context about your setups, decisions, and habits to support your reviews.
Ask HESTOL
Example responses · sample dataset onlyIllustrative response written over the sample dataset. No AI service is connected in this preview, and nothing here reflects live market or account data.
Plan → Trade → Record → Review → Prepare
Your session context belongs in your journal.
The plan lives on the Command Center and Trading Desk, the trade happens in your session, and the Journal keeps the record and the review that shapes tomorrow’s plan. The Journal is designed to stand on its own — CORE assistance is optional, never required for journaling.
- Pre-trade reasoning
- Market observations and relevant news
- Execution records
- Stop and risk changes
- Post-session review
Risk controls, prop-challenge tracking, and copy trading are covered on the product page.
During the session · Trading Desk
10:04 note“Breadth turned negative while the position was open.”
After the session · J-108 review
Linked note10:04 · Breadth turned negative while the position was open
Recorded five minutes before the stop was widened to 20,090.00. The written plan named only a price invalidation; treating breadth as an exit signal is the review’s interpretation.
Sample preview · Illustrative data
Trading platform connectivity
Your trading accounts. One connected workspace.
HESTOL is being developed to bring your trading accounts, executions, journal, risk information, and research into one workspace. Platform connectivity is being introduced in stages, with capabilities varying by integration.
Futures trading platforms
NinjaTrader
Limited integration availableRead-only desktop connectivity has been implemented for supported NinjaTrader workflows. Broader account synchronization and production availability are being verified.
Tradovate
Integration in developmentDirect Tradovate account connectivity is planned. Authentication, account synchronization, and supported data capabilities have not yet been verified as operational.
Rithmic
Coming SoonRithmic connectivity is planned for a future development phase.
ProjectX
Coming SoonProjectX connectivity is planned but has not yet been implemented.
Perpetual Markets — Planned
We're exploring future connectivity for perpetual futures trading accounts and exchanges. No perpetual-market account integrations are currently available in HESTOL.
HESTOL does not place, modify or cancel orders through any platform, and no release dates are announced. Platform names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. Displayed integrations do not imply partnership or endorsement.
Practical answers
Futures trading journal questions.
- What is a futures trading journal?
- A futures trading journal is a record of the trades you take in futures contracts and the reasoning behind them: the instrument and contract count, entry and exit fills, the stop and target you planned, any change you made while the position was open, commissions, and the notes you wrote before and after. Because futures are leveraged and sized in contracts, the record is usually kept in contracts and point value rather than share counts, so risk in dollars can be read back from the entry, the stop, and the contract specification.
- What should I record beyond profit and loss?
- The result tells you what happened; it does not tell you what you decided. The sample journal on this page records the plan written before the trade, the entry, an observation made during the session, any stop adjustment with the estimated risk before and after, the close, and a linked note. In the spotlight record, that is the difference between a losing trade and a readable one: the planned risk was $116, breadth turned negative mid-trade, the stop was then widened past the written price invalidation, and the estimated risk became $244.
- How does AI-assisted trade review work?
- AI-assisted review is designed to read the records you already keep and answer questions about them — how your setups compare across a date range, which trades support an observation, where a plan and an execution diverged. The Ask HESTOL panel on this page shows written examples of that over the sample dataset; no AI service is connected in this preview, and the answers shown are illustrative rather than generated. Assisted review is part of the planned paid product, not an open feature today.
- Can I use the journal without AI assistance?
- Yes. Reviewing trades, filtering records, selecting a day on the calendar, comparing setups, and writing your next session's plan are designed to work on their own. Assistance sits beside your records as an optional second perspective; closing it changes nothing about what you have written.
- How does journaling connect to the HESTOL Trading Desk?
- The Trading Desk is where the active session happens: market updates, session notes, the HESTOL market report and conversation, and your execution plan. Those records are designed to carry into the matching Journal review afterwards, so the note you wrote at 10:04 sits next to the trade it belongs to instead of being reconstructed from memory. You can try the session side in the interactive demo, which runs on simulated data.
- Is HESTOL focused on futures traders?
- Yes. The initial focus is futures traders, and the sample data on this page uses futures contract specifications.
- Can I review multiple accounts?
- Multi-account review is part of the product direction, and the sample journal shows what that filtering looks like. Account limits are not confirmed yet.
- Which import methods and integrations are available?
- Connectivity is being introduced in stages. A limited, read-only NinjaTrader desktop connection exists for supported workflows; Tradovate is in development; Rithmic and ProjectX are coming soon. None are generally available to customers today, and everything shown on this page is deterministic sample data.
Every trade tells a story. Understand yours.
Open the sample journal now — fictional data, no sign-up. Join the waitlist for product updates and opportunities to test journaling and review built around your own trades. Public registration is not open; pilot access is invitation-only.