How to Journal Automated Trading Systems in Sierra Chart
Short answer: journal automated trades the same way as manual ones, in the same journal, and label each trade with the system that placed it. Parallax Trading Journal imports trades from a Sierra Chart chart as each position closes, whether you or your system placed the order, so automated trades land next to your manual ones without any exporting.
Why journal automated trades at all?
An automated system takes the decisions out of your hands, but it doesn’t remove the need to review them. A journal shows you:
- how the system does live compared with your backtest: fills, commissions and slippage are real;
- which conditions it does well or badly in: time of day, session, market context;
- how it and your manual trading compare, when both trade the same account.
What to record for each automated trade
| Record | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Which system placed it | To review each system on its own |
| Entry, exit, quantity, commission | The real result, after costs |
| Stop and target | For R, and for how far price went for and against the trade (MAE and MFE) |
| The version of the system | So results before and after a rule change don’t mix |
| Market context | Trend day, range day, session |
| Anything unusual | Missed fills, a restart, a manual override |
Live results compared with the backtest
| Compare | What a gap usually means |
|---|---|
| Win rate | Fills or conditions differ from the backtest |
| Average win and loss | Slippage, or exits that behave differently live |
| Commission per trade | Costs the backtest left out |
| Results by session | The system suits some hours better than others |
| Drawdown | Live losses run differently from the test |
Manual and automated trades in one journal
Keeping both in one place lets you compare them on the same dashboard, calendar and reports. Label automated trades the same way every time, then filter by it: each system alone, manual trades alone, or everything together.
Tips
- Name each system, and rename it when you change its rules, so old and new versions don’t mix.
- Make sure every order has a stop, so every trade has an R.
- Keep automated and manual trades apart when you review, then together for the whole picture.
- Review weekly: results by system, by session and by market context.
Parallax Trading Journal runs on Windows 10 and 11, keeps your data on your own PC and has a 7-day free trial. Customers can ask support how to set it up for their own systems. See the journal. Want the basics first? Read How to Export Trades from Sierra Chart.
Frequently asked
Does Parallax import trades placed by an automated system?
Yes. The Parallax Trade Sync study imports the trades for its chart’s symbol and trade account, whether the order came from you or from your system. Add it to each chart you or your systems trade from.
Can I keep manual and automated trades separate?
Yes. Label automated trades and filter by the label, or run them in a separate account.
Why does my system do worse live than in the backtest?
Common reasons are slippage, commissions, fills the backtest assumed but didn’t get, and conditions that changed since the test. A journal of live trades shows which of these applies.