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Journaling System Quick Start Guide

Everything you need to master automated trade journaling with AI powered insights

Updated over a week ago

The Journaling System is a fully automated trading journal designed to help you analyze performance, identify patterns, and improve execution using AI powered insights. Every trade is captured automatically, summarized intelligently, and visualized clearly so you spend less time journaling and more time trading.

Estimated read time is five minutes.


1. What Is the Journaling System?

The Journaling System automatically records every trade you take and transforms raw execution data into actionable insights.

Automatic Trade Capture

All fills from Rithmic are captured in real time.
No manual entries are required.

AI Powered Analysis

Receive daily AI generated summaries that highlight:

  • Strengths in your trading

  • Recurring mistakes

  • Behavioral and timing patterns

  • Clear improvement suggestions

Visual Analytics

Instant access to:

  • Calendar based profit and loss view

  • Equity curves

  • Win and loss distributions

  • Performance metrics at a glance

Interactive AI Chat

Ask questions about your trades and receive contextual coaching based on your actual execution data.

Key Benefit
What normally takes more than thirty minutes of manual journaling is completed automatically in seconds.


2. Getting Unlimited AI Access

By default, the system includes limited AI usage. Uploading your own API key unlocks unlimited summaries and deeper analysis.

Why Upload Your Own API Key?

Without your own key:

  • Five AI requests per day

  • Shared system resources

  • Basic model quality

  • Zero monthly cost

With your own key:

  • Unlimited AI requests

  • Dedicated access

  • Ability to choose your preferred model

  • Approximately five to fifteen dollars per month based on usage


Supported AI Providers

OpenAI Recommended

Best suited for high quality analysis and consistent results.

Steps:

  1. Go to platform.openai.com

  2. Sign in or create an account

  3. Navigate to the API Keys section

  4. Click Create new secret key

  5. Copy the key which starts with sk proj

  6. Paste it into your journaling settings

Important note:
A payment method is required. Typical usage costs range from ten to fifty cents per daily summary.


Grok by xAI

Best suited for alternative perspectives and real time market context.

Steps:

  1. Go to console.x.ai

  2. Sign in using your X account

  3. Navigate to API Keys

  4. Create a new key

  5. Paste the key into your journaling settings


How to Upload Your API Key

  1. Navigate to Settings then AI Configuration

  2. Select your provider

  3. Paste your API key

  4. Optionally click Test Key

  5. Click Save

Security

  • API keys are encrypted using AES 128 encryption

  • Only the last four characters are visible in the interface

  • Keys are never stored or transmitted in plain text

Recommended Models

OpenAI gpt 4o mini
Approximate cost per summary is ten cents

OpenAI gpt 4o
Approximate cost per summary is thirty cents

Grok grok beta
Cost varies based on xAI pricing


3. Daily Summary Workflow

What You Receive

Each daily AI summary includes:

  • Overall assessment of performance

  • What went well

  • Areas for improvement

  • Patterns noticed in behavior or execution

  • One clear focus for the next trading session


How to Generate a Daily Summary

  1. Open the Journaling page

  2. Select a date from the calendar

  3. Review the captured trades

  4. Click the Daily AI Summary button

  5. Wait ten to fifteen seconds

  6. Read your personalized analysis

First time users without an API key will see a reminder about the five summaries per day limit.


What the AI Analyzes

For each trade:

  • Symbol traded

  • Long or short direction

  • Profit or loss in dollars

  • Entry and exit prices

  • Entry and exit timestamps

  • Trade duration

  • Contract quantity

Daily aggregated statistics include:

  • Total number of trades

  • Win and loss count and win rate

  • Total profit or loss

  • Largest winning trade

  • Largest losing trade

  • Average win compared to average loss


Interactive Follow Up Questions

After your summary is generated, you can continue the conversation.

Examples:

  • Why did my afternoon trades perform worse

  • Should I have held that MNQ trade longer

  • What is the most common mistake in my losing trades

  • Do I trade better in the morning or afternoon

The AI retains full context of the conversation and all trades from that day.

Saved Summaries

Once generated, summaries are saved permanently. Visiting a past date loads the summary instantly without using additional AI requests.


4. Navigating Your Data

Calendar View

The calendar provides a monthly performance overview:

  • Green days indicate profitable sessions

  • Red days indicate losing sessions

  • Gray days indicate breakeven days or no trades

  • Daily profit or loss is displayed directly on each date

Click any date to view detailed trade data.


Trade List Table

For each selected date, the table displays:

  • Symbol

  • Side long or short

  • Quantity

  • Entry and exit prices

  • Entry and exit times

  • Duration

  • Profit or loss


Charts and Visualizations

Account Performance Chart

Displays:

  • Daily profit and loss bars

  • Cumulative equity curve

  • Dual axis layout for clarity

Win and Loss Distribution

Displays:

  • Win percentage versus loss percentage

  • Total trade count in the center

  • Clear color coded segments


Trade Details Modal

Clicking a trade opens a detailed view containing:

  • Full execution details

  • Performance metrics including ticks, R multiple, MAE, and MFE

  • Notes editor for personal observations

  • Trade tags such as A plus setup or revenge trade

  • Trade specific AI coaching insights


Historical Data Sync

When you first access the journaling page, the system:

  • Detects your account creation date

  • Identifies missing historical trading days

  • Fetches data directly from Rithmic

  • Displays sync progress in real time

  • Caches data locally for instant future access

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