Pre-Trade and Post-Trade Checklists
A pre-trade checklist lists the conditions a trade must meet before you enter — setup, trend, risk, news. A post-trade checklist reviews what happened afterwards: whether you followed the plan, what went well and what to change.
Pilots use checklists not because they forget how to fly, but because under pressure anyone can skip a step. Trading is the same. A short pre-trade checklist stops impulsive entries and forgotten stops; a post-trade checklist turns every trade into a lesson. This entry explains what to put on each list, how to keep them short enough to use, and how they connect to your plan and journal.
- Reading time
- 4 min
- Also called
- Pre-trade checklist, Post-trade checklist, Trading checklist
- Updated
Checklists in plain words
Before entering, run through a few yes/no questions. A useful first one: what is my reason for entering, and does it fit my trading plan?1 If any answer is no, there is no trade. See Trading Plan.
Clear rules make discipline easier to keep, because there is less room for in-the-moment discretion.2 After the trade, a short review checks whether you followed them. See Trading Discipline.
How to build your checklists, step by step
Start from your plan
Each checklist item should come from a rule in your plan.
Pre-trade: setup
Is this one of my setups, in the right market condition? See Trade Setup and Entry Trigger.
Pre-trade: risk
Stop placed, size calculated, total risk within limits? See Position Sizing.
Pre-trade: events
Any earnings or major data releases due? See Economic Calendar.
Post-trade: adherence
Did I follow every rule? Record it in your journal.3
Keep it short
Five to eight items you will actually use beat a list of thirty.
Worked examples
Example 1 — A pre-trade checklist
FilteredA swing trader’s list: trend up on the daily chart? Pullback to support? Stop below the swing low? Risk ≤ 1%? No earnings this week?
| Answers | Yes, yes, yes, yes, no — earnings in 2 days |
| Decision | Skip or wait |
One “no” is enough to stop a trade that would have carried event risk. See Earnings.
Example 2 — A post-trade review
ReviewAfter a losing trade: setup valid? yes. Size correct? yes. Exit as planned? no — stop moved once.
| Rule broken | Stop moved |
| Action | Add “never widen stops” to the pre-trade list |
Post-trade checks turn mistakes into rule improvements.
Example 3 — Checklist vs. impulse
MeasuredOver a month, a trader takes 20 trades with the checklist and 6 without.
| With checklist | +0.3R average |
| Without | −0.8R average |
Comparing the two groups shows what the checklist is worth.
Pre-trade vs. post-trade checklists
| Aspect | Pre-trade | Post-trade |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Filter entries | Learn from results |
| Timing | Before the order | After the exit |
| Typical items | Setup, stop, size, events | Adherence, execution, emotions |
| Feeds into | The trade decision | The journal and plan updates |
Why checklists work
Fewer impulsive trades
A pause before every entry. See Fear and Greed.
Consistent risk
Stops and size checked every time. See Risk per Trade.
Better reviews
Structured questions after each trade. See Trading Journal.
Less tilt
A routine that interrupts emotional spirals. See Tilt.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages
- Simple and immediately useful.
- Prevents forgotten stops and oversized positions.
- Turns the trading plan into a habit.
Disadvantages
- Long lists get skipped.
- Can become a box-ticking routine without real thought.
- Needs updating as the strategy changes.
Going deeper
Read as far as you need. Each level builds on the one before it.
Write it down
Beginner
A checklist in your head is just a habit you can skip. Keep it on paper or in your platform.
Include emotional state
Intermediate
Add a simple question such as “Am I trading to win back a loss?” A yes means stop. See Daily and Weekly Loss Limits.
Checklists as data
Advanced
Recording checklist answers with each trade lets you test which items actually predict better results — and remove the ones that do not.
Common mistakes
Too many items
Keep it short enough to use every time.
Skipping it when excited
That is when it matters most.
No post-trade review
Half the value is in learning afterwards.
Never updating it
Add items when reviews reveal repeated mistakes.
Check your understanding
Test yourself before moving on. Each answer comes with an explanation.
Key points to remember
- Pre-trade checklists filter entries; post-trade checklists drive learning.
- Every item should come from a rule in your plan.
- Keep lists short enough to use every time.
- Any “no” on the pre-trade list means no trade.
- Record answers to see what actually works.
Frequently asked questions
What should a trading checklist include?
How long should it be?
Do professional traders use checklists?
Further learning
- Trading Plan
Where checklist items come from.
- Trading Discipline
What checklists help you keep.
- Trading Journal
Where post-trade answers are recorded.
- Trade Setup and Entry Trigger
Defining the conditions to check.
Sources
This article is written in our own words. The sources below support the specific facts, rules and figures marked with a number in the text. Links open the original publisher’s page.
- IG. Building consistent trading habits (opens in a new tab) Checked .
- CME Group. System-Based vs. Discretionary Trading (opens in a new tab) Checked .
- CME Group. Step 5. Keep a Trade Log (opens in a new tab) Checked .
Educational content, not financial advice. Examples use hypothetical prices and simplified costs; actual fees, margin rules and regulations vary by broker, market and country. We are not affiliated with any publisher linked above. Last reviewed . Report an error or request a source credit.