TradingView Pre-Trade Checklist: Data, Signals and Risk
Check what is observable before this trade: the data session, signal bar, scheduled events, risk budget and order units. Attach a chart reference and strategy version, then save the review for your journal. A completed checklist is a record of checks, not a trade recommendation.
Record this setup
Fill these fields from your chart and broker ticket. Unsaved fields and checkmarks reset on reload. Saving captures a separate text snapshot; later edits do not change that snapshot. Changing setup fields clears current checkmarks.
Check the same market that your rule describes
A symbol alone is not a reproducible setup. Record its exchange or feed, timeframe, chart type, session and time zone. Regular and extended sessions can contain different bars, which can change indicator inputs. Check the feed timestamp and any delayed-data label rather than assuming the displayed price is current. See TradingView session documentation.
If the rule uses a candle close, wait for that candle to close before checking confirmation. Prices and indicator values on an open bar can change. A closed chart bar also does not prove that a higher timeframe input is closed or that a script avoids all repainting. TradingView documents bar confirmation separately from the wider repainting problem.
Record the relevant announcement or earnings time and the exclusion window from your own rules. The TradingView Economic Calendar has a time-zone filter; match it to your recorded chart time. A calendar check cannot rule out unscheduled news.
A worked check: shares, dollars and a late signal
Assume a hypothetical $10,000 cash account, a chosen 1% risk budget, a planned long stock entry at $50 and a stop at $48.75. These are calculation inputs, not suggested risk settings. Ignore fees and slippage for this first calculation.
| Check | Calculation | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Risk budget | $10,000 × 0.01 | $100 |
| Risk per share | $50 − $48.75 | $1.25 |
| Whole shares | floor($100 ÷ $1.25) | 80 shares |
| Entry value | 80 × $50 | $4,000, not $100 |
The ticket quantity is 80 shares. The $100 figure is planned stop-distance risk, not the order value or a maximum possible loss. If the entry fills at $50.25 with the same stop, 80 × ($50.25 − $48.75) = $120 before costs. Recalculate the setup rather than reusing its old checkmarks. A stop can execute away from its trigger price, while a stop-limit can remain unfilled; the SEC order-type bulletin explains these limits.
Suppose the 10:00 to 10:15 candle briefly meets the entry rule at 10:12, but closes below the trigger at 10:15. For a rule requiring close confirmation, leave the signal item unchecked and record "Skip this setup." Use the position size calculator for the separate sizing calculation, then verify available buying power and instrument units with your broker.
Keep the review tied to the rule version
- Enter a chart or screenshot reference, the signal bar and a version such as "Breakout v3, lookback 20, close confirmation." A chart link may change later; retain a screenshot if you need the original state.
- Select and edit a template for your setup. The six common checks remain alongside your editable strategy items. Check an item only after checking the corresponding evidence.
- Save a snapshot even when the decision is to wait or skip. Blank fields appear as "[not recorded]"; unchecked items remain visible. Copy or download it before replacing the saved review.
- Paste the snapshot into Trading Journal Plan Notes. After execution, add actual fills, costs and rule deviations to Review Notes, and use a consistent strategy or version tag when comparing records.
A version tag makes records easier to group; it does not establish that the checklist caused a better return. Different instruments, market conditions and sample sizes can explain differences. This tool supplies no market data or investment advice, and it does not place orders.
Trading checklist questions
Can I save this trading checklist to my journal?
Save Review Snapshot captures the fields and checked or unchecked items with a UTC timestamp. Copy the text into Trading Journal Plan Notes or download a text file. This is a manual transfer, not automatic account sync. The browser retains only the last saved review; download each record you want to keep.
Does checking every item mean I should place the trade?
No. Checkmarks record your observations. The tool cannot inspect your chart, confirm a signal, calculate your broker margin requirement or submit an order. Missing data, a prohibited event window or a risk mismatch can still mean skipping the setup.
What survives a page reload?
Templates and the last saved text review are stored in this browser when local storage is available. Unsaved fields and current checkmarks reset on reload. Private browsing, cleared site data or storage limits can remove or prevent saved data. Keep exported copies for records you need.
Can I use the checklist for futures, forex or options?
Yes, but adapt the units and order checks. Futures need contract point value and tick size; forex needs lot size, pip value and currency conversion; options need contract multiplier, legs and exercise or assignment exposure. The stock example below does not size those instruments.
The linked references explain sessions, bar confirmation and order limits. Examples are hypothetical.
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Keep the planned setup beside the actual trade
Trading Journal has Plan Notes, Review Notes and tags. Copy your checklist record into the trade, then document what happened without changing the original plan.
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