Trade records and reconciliation
MetaTrader Trading Journal
MT4 account history and MT5 reports need different handling. Use this guide to preserve the original report, identify its record types and reconcile costs before recording a review. It covers desktop documentation, not a universal broker import format.
Prepare the correct MT4 or MT5 report
- 1
Record the platform and account context
Keep the platform version, broker, account currency and review period with the file. Mark live, demo and Strategy Tester results separately. In MT5, also identify whether the account uses netting or hedging.
- 2
For MT4, use Account History
In the Terminal window, open Account History and select All History or a Custom Period from the context menu. Save as Report and Save as Detailed Report produce HTML files. The documented period filter uses closing time.
- 3
For MT5, choose the report for your task
The History context menu provides account statement reports. MT5 also has Report → Overview for visual trading analysis. Read the report sections before treating every displayed row as a completed trade.
- 4
Reconcile a small sample before mapping
Preserve the original file. Compare opening and closing activity, quantities, recorded costs and any remaining positions. Follow the receiving journal’s format instructions; changing a file extension does not make it compatible. Pineify currently requires manual entry.
MT4 saves HTML reports with separate record groups
The MT4 guide describes standard and detailed HTML reports. Their trade sections distinguish closed transactions, open trades and working orders. Keep those groups separate when preparing a closed-trade journal.
An order opened before the selected period can close inside it. Preserve its entry details even though its opening date is outside the review window. Deposits and withdrawals should not become profitable or losing trades.
Do not rename an HTML file to .csv and assume it has become a valid table. A destination may accept a specific MT4 report or require a documented conversion; check its contract before removing headers or rearranging columns.
MT5 separates orders, deals and open positions
The MT5 account-statement documentation identifies separate Orders, Deals, Positions, Working Orders and Summary blocks. Positions includes open exposure; working orders include activity that has not yet executed. These are different views, not rows to concatenate into one trade log.
An order is a request and can lead to multiple deals. Retain the relevant order, deal and position identifiers, then reconcile actual quantities. A cash adjustment or a pending order should not be invented as an execution to make the totals match.
Netting and hedging change the meaning of an opposite trade
MT5 supports netting and hedging accounts, with the accounting system set by the broker. Netting maintains one position per symbol; an opposite deal can reduce, close or reverse it. Hedging can retain multiple positions in the same symbol, including opposite directions.
Fictional quantity-only example: an account holds a 1.00-lot long position. A subsequent 0.40-lot sell can have the two different meanings below. The example assumes an executed trade and no other activity; it supplies no prices or P/L.
Keep the operation’s position relationship and closing intent. On a hedging account, a newly opened opposite position is not the same as closing part of the original position. Net exposure of 0.60 lots does not prove that only one 0.60-lot position exists.
| Account and operation | Long position afterward | Short position afterward | What to record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netting: opposite sell reduces the existing position | 0.60 lots | 0 | 0.40 lots closed; original exposure reduced. |
| Hedging: sell opens a separate position | 1.00 lot | 0.40 lots | Both positions remain open; original long is not partially closed. |
MetaTrader 5: orders, deals, positions and accounting systems
Normalize the sign of swaps before reconciling net P/L
Treat costs according to the report’s field definitions. Financing can be a debit or a credit; do not turn every signed amount into a positive expense. Determine whether a reported net figure already includes commission, fees and swaps before subtracting anything again.
Fictional reconciliation in one account currency: gross price P/L is +80.00, commission is a 6.00 cost and financing is a +2.00 credit. With no other costs or adjustments, net is 76.00. If financing were a 2.00 debit instead, net would be 72.00. These normalized example values do not assert how every broker signs its fields.
Keep deposit/withdrawal flows and unrealized P/L outside this closed-trade calculation. A swap amount saved only as a note does not automatically change a journal’s calculated P/L. This guide does not implement a swap ledger, tax calculation or currency conversion.
| Component | Financing credit case | Financing debit case |
|---|---|---|
| Gross price P/L | +80.00 | +80.00 |
| Commission cost | −6.00 | −6.00 |
| Financing cash effect | +2.00 | −2.00 |
| Net closed-trade P/L | +76.00 | +72.00 |
Use MT5’s own analysis as a reference
MT5’s visual Trading Report already includes profit/loss analysis, balance and growth charts, drawdown information, and breakdowns by manual, algorithmic and copy trading. Its documentation describes saving views as HTML or PDF. A separate journal should add decision notes or another review method, rather than assume these native capabilities are absent.
When a number differs, compare the period, account currency, trade grouping, open positions and cost treatment first. A platform-level summary and a manually entered subset need not match. Keep unresolved differences visible before interpreting a win rate or drawdown.
Frequently asked questions
Can I upload MT4 or MT5 reports directly to Pineify?
Not currently. Pineify Trading Journal supports manual entry and marks Import History as Coming Soon. This page does not provide an HTML/CSV parser, EA connector or automatic terminal synchronization.
Does MT4 Save as Report produce a CSV file?
The official MT4 documentation describes HTML output for Save as Report and Save as Detailed Report. Changing its filename extension does not convert its contents. Use the format required by the destination journal.
Are an MT5 order, deal and position the same thing?
No. An order requests execution, a deal records an execution, and a position represents exposure. Preserve their identifiers and relationships instead of counting all three as separate trades.
Can I assume all swaps reduce profit?
No. Preserve whether financing was charged or credited, and check whether a net field already includes it. The worked example shows the difference between a 2.00 credit and a 2.00 debit.
Do I need to install an EA or DLL for this workflow?
The documented report review and manual-entry workflow does not require installing an EA or DLL. That does not establish an automated integration or guarantee the privacy of files you choose to share. Check report contents before sharing them.
Continue with a reconciled sample
For a manual review, use the Pineify Trading Journal after checking its current fields. For a separate spreadsheet, inspect the Excel journal template and its calculation assumptions. Neither path adds automatic broker import.
Review the cTrader statement and journal workflow
Published by Pineify, which sells trading software. Instructions use the linked official documentation; examples are fictional reconciliation exercises. No live broker account or third-party import was used to validate this guide. A matching sample tests data handling, not future trading performance.