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Futures Trading Plan Template

A one-page trading plan for futures day traders. Fill it in here, then download it as a text file or print it to PDF. Each field has a short example from an MNQ day trader, so you can see the level of detail that makes a plan usable at 9:29 in the morning.

Your answers are saved only in this browser. Nothing is uploaded.

1. Markets and hours

Fewer markets and a fixed window stop you from trading whatever happens to be moving.

Contracts I trade

Example: MNQ only. NQ only when the account is above $25,000 and the last 20 sessions are positive.

Session window (with time zone)

Example: 9:30 to 11:30 New York time. No new trades after 11:30.

Reports and events I stay out for

Example: Flat 2 minutes before CPI, NFP and FOMC. No trades in the first 5 minutes after the release.

2. Risk limits

Fix these numbers before the session, while you are calm.

Maximum risk per trade

Example: $200 including fees. Size = $200 divided by (stop in ticks x $0.50) on MNQ, rounded down.

Daily loss limit and what I do when I hit it

Example: $500 or 3 losing trades in a row, whichever comes first. Close the platform and write the review.

Prop firm rules that apply (copied from the firm's rule page)

Example: $50,000 evaluation, $2,000 trailing drawdown on the end-of-day balance, $1,000 daily loss limit. Re-checked on the firm's help center on the first of each month.

When I am allowed to increase size

Example: After 20 sessions without breaking the daily limit and with a positive total. One contract at a time.

3. Setups

Write each setup so another trader could take the same trade from your description.

Setup A: context, entry, stop, target, management

Example: Opening range breakout. Context: price above the prior day high. Entry: 5-minute close above the 9:30-9:45 range high. Stop: below the range midpoint. Target: 2R. Stop to break-even at 1R.

Setup B (optional)

Example: VWAP reclaim. Context: trend day up, first pullback to VWAP after 10:00. Entry: 1-minute close back above VWAP. Stop: 4 points below the pullback low. Target: the session high.

Conditions where I do not trade

Example: First 15-minute range wider than 80 points. A second try on a setup that already lost today. Less than 6 hours of sleep.

4. Routine

A checklist you can finish in ten minutes is one you will actually use.

Pre-market checklist

Example: Economic calendar checked. Prior day high, low and close marked. Overnight high and low marked. Bias written in one sentence. Risk limits re-read.

Rules during the session

Example: Every order has a stop attached. The stop never moves further away. Stand up after any loss over $150.

End-of-day review

Example: Import the trades into the journal. Tag each trade A, B or off-plan. One sentence on what to repeat, one on what to stop.

5. Weekly review and goals

Process goals you control work better than profit targets you do not.

Numbers I check every week

Example: Trades per setup, win rate and average R per setup, number of off-plan trades, days the loss limit was hit.

Process goal for this month

Example: Zero off-plan trades for 4 weeks in a row.

How to use the template

Write the numbers first. Risk per trade, the daily loss limit and the prop firm floor are the parts you will be tempted to bend. Work out contract size with the futures position size calculator and your room to the floor with the prop firm drawdown calculator.
Describe each setup so someone else could trade it. If a setup needs the words "it looked strong", it is not written down yet.
Read it before the session, not after. Keep the pre-market checklist short enough to finish in ten minutes.
Review it against your trades. Once a week, compare what you did with what the plan says. A trading journal that imports your fills turns this into a five-minute job.

What a futures plan needs that a stock plan does not

Contract math in dollars. One MNQ tick is $0.50 and one NQ tick is $5.00 (CME Group, checked Oct 22, 2026). Write your stop in ticks and in dollars, so the size is never a guess.
Session times. Index futures trade nearly around the clock. The plan should say which hours you trade, when you stop, and which reports you stay out for.
Prop firm rules. On an evaluation or funded account, the firm's daily loss limit and trailing drawdown come before your own limits. Copy them from the firm's current rule page, because firms change them.

Questions

What should a futures trading plan include?

The markets and hours you trade, your risk per trade and daily loss limit in dollars, any prop firm rules that apply, each setup written as context, entry, stop, target and management, the conditions where you do not trade, and a routine for before, during and after the session.

How long should a trading plan be?

Short enough to read before every session. One page is a good target. If a section keeps growing, it usually means a setup is not defined clearly yet.

Is the template free?

Yes. There is no sign-up. Your answers stay in your browser, and you can download them as a text file or print the page to PDF.

How often should I update my plan?

Review it once a week against your trades and change it at most once a month, so each version gets enough trades to judge. Re-check prop firm rules whenever the firm announces a change.

Check the plan against what you actually trade. MyTradeEdge imports your futures fills, so the weekly review takes minutes instead of an evening. Free plan, no credit card.

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