Checklists
Trading Checklists
Step-by-Step Guides for Every Phase of Your Trading
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🌅 Pre-Session Preparation Checklist
Mental Preparation
- Well-rested (7+ hours sleep)
- Clear and focused mindset
- No emotional baggage from previous day
- Trading journal reviewed
- Goals for the session defined
Calendar Check
- High-impact news events marked
- Central bank announcements noted
- Earnings releases checked
- Holiday schedules reviewed
- Trading hours confirmed
Technical Setup
- Platform connected and stable
- Charts configured correctly
- Order flow tools loaded
- Internet connection stable
- Backup device ready
Trading Plan Review
- Daily risk limit set
- Maximum trades defined
- Target instruments selected
- Killzones for the day marked
- Strategy rules fresh in mind
💡 Pro Tip
Complete this checklist 30-60 minutes before your trading session begins. This allows time to identify key levels and prepare for potential setups without rushing.
📊 Market Analysis Checklist
Higher Timeframe (D1/H4)
- Overall trend direction identified
- Major swing points marked
- Key support/resistance drawn
- Premium/Discount zones identified
- Unmitigated order blocks marked
- Open FVGs identified
- Liquidity pools noted
Lower Timeframe (H1/M15)
- Internal structure analyzed
- Recent BOS/CHoCH identified
- Refined POIs marked
- Entry timeframe OBs identified
- Session highs/lows marked
- Asian range boundaries set
- Previous day high/low marked
Liquidity Mapping
- Buy-side liquidity pools marked
- Sell-side liquidity pools marked
- Equal highs/lows identified
- Trendline liquidity noted
- Expected draw on liquidity determined
Order Flow Analysis
- Cumulative delta trend checked
- Volume profile POC identified
- Value area mapped
- High volume nodes marked
- VWAP levels set
📋 Market Bias Decision
After completing analysis, determine your bias:
Bullish if: HTF uptrend + Price in discount + SSL swept + Looking for longs
Bearish if: HTF downtrend + Price in premium + BSL swept + Looking for shorts
Neutral if: Conflicting signals + Wait for clarity
🎯 Trade Setup Validation Checklist
Structure Alignment
- Trade aligns with HTF trend
- LTF structure confirms direction
- CHoCH or BOS present
- Clear invalidation level exists
Point of Interest Quality
- POI is unmitigated (fresh)
- Strong displacement from POI
- FVG present at/near POI
- POI in premium/discount zone
Liquidity Conditions
- Liquidity was swept before POI
- Clear target liquidity exists
- Inducement has been taken
- No major liquidity blocking TP
Risk:Reward Analysis
- Minimum 1:2 R:R available
- Stop loss at logical level
- Target at realistic level
- Risk within daily limit
⚠️ Setup Scoring
Count checked boxes above. Minimum 12/16 checks required for A+ setup.
10-11 checks: B setup – reduce position size
Below 10: Skip the trade
⚡ Entry Execution Checklist
1
Confirm Entry Signal
- Price reached POI
- LTF confirmation present (CHoCH, engulfing, etc.)
- Order flow confirms direction
2
Calculate Position Size
- Risk amount determined (1-2% of account)
- Stop loss distance measured
- Position size calculated
- Lot size verified correct
3
Set Orders
- Entry order placed (limit or market)
- Stop loss set at invalidation
- Take profit 1 set (partials)
- Take profit 2 set (runners)
4
Final Verification
- All order details correct
- No high-impact news imminent
- Within trading session/killzone
- Screenshot taken for journal
💡 Entry Types
Aggressive: Enter at POI without LTF confirmation
Standard: Wait for LTF CHoCH at POI
Conservative: Wait for LTF BOS after CHoCH
🔧 Trade Management Checklist
Active Monitoring
- Monitor price action at key levels
- Watch for opposing signals
- Track order flow conditions
- Note any news releases
- Check correlation assets
Partial Profit Taking
- TP1 at 1:1 – Take 50%
- Move SL to break-even
- TP2 at 1:2 – Take 25%
- Trail remaining 25% to target
Stop Loss Management
- Never widen stop loss
- Move to BE after TP1
- Trail behind structure
- Respect original invalidation
Early Exit Triggers
- Opposing CHoCH on LTF
- Strong opposing delta
- Unexpected news event
- Loss of trade thesis
- Session end approaching
🚪 Exit Strategy Checklist
✅ Take Profit Targets
- Opposing liquidity pool
- Unmitigated order block
- Unfilled FVG
- Session high/low
- Previous day high/low
- Major psychological level
❌ Stop Loss Triggers
- Break of entry structure
- Order block mitigation
- Invalidation of trade thesis
- Strong opposing momentum
- Time-based stop (no movement)
📋 Exit Execution Steps
- Close position (full or partial)
- Cancel any pending orders
- Record exit price and time
- Calculate profit/loss in R
- Screenshot final chart
- Move to post-trade review
📝 Post-Trade Review Checklist
Documentation
- Entry screenshot saved
- Exit screenshot saved
- Trade logged in journal
- P&L recorded
- R-multiple calculated
Trade Analysis
- Was the setup valid?
- Was entry timing good?
- Was stop loss appropriate?
- Was target realistic?
- Did management follow plan?
Psychological Review
- Emotional state during trade
- Any rule violations?
- FOMO or revenge trading?
- Patience level maintained?
- Confidence level appropriate?
Lessons Learned
- What went well?
- What could improve?
- Pattern to add to playbook?
- Mistake to avoid?
- Action items noted
🛡️ Risk Management Checklist
Position Sizing
- Risk per trade ≤ 1-2%
- Position size calculated correctly
- Account equity verified
- Margin requirements met
- No overleveraging
Daily Limits
- Daily loss limit not exceeded
- Maximum trades not exceeded
- Correlation exposure checked
- Total open risk acceptable
Stop Loss Rules
- Every trade has stop loss
- Stop at logical invalidation
- Never move stop further
- Stop survives spread widening
Weekly/Monthly Limits
- Weekly drawdown within limit
- Monthly drawdown within limit
- Scaling rules followed
- Recovery protocol in place
⚠️ Circuit Breakers
STOP trading if:
• 3 consecutive losses
• Daily loss limit reached (3%)
• Emotional state compromised
• Weekly loss limit reached (5%)
Take a break, review, and return fresh.
💡 SMC Setup Validation Checklist
1
Identify HTF Trend
- D1/H4 structure is bullish OR bearish (clear)
- Price is in discount zone (for longs) or premium zone (for shorts)
2
Locate POI
- Unmitigated order block identified
- FVG present near OB
- POI caused displacement
3
Confirm Liquidity Sweep
- Recent liquidity was taken
- Equal highs/lows swept
- Inducement was cleared
4
Wait for LTF Confirmation
- Price reached POI
- CHoCH or MSS on M15/M5
- Entry OB/FVG formed
5
Define Targets
- TP1 at opposing liquidity
- TP2 at HTF target (OB/FVG)
- Minimum 1:2 R:R available
💡 SMC Trade Thesis Template
“Price is in a [bullish/bearish] HTF structure, currently in [discount/premium] zone. [SSL/BSL] was swept at [level]. I’m looking for [longs/shorts] from [POI level] targeting [liquidity target] with invalidation at [stop level].”
📈 Order Flow Setup Validation Checklist
Volume Profile Check
- POC level identified
- Value area mapped
- Price position vs VA (above/below)
- HVN/LVN zones marked
- Previous day POC noted
Delta Analysis
- CVD trend identified
- Delta confirms price direction
- No divergence warning
- Aggressive buyers/sellers identified
Footprint Signals
- Stacked imbalances present
- Absorption at key level
- Exhaustion patterns visible
- Initiative activity identified
Entry Confirmation
- At POC or VA edge
- Delta shift in your direction
- Absorption followed by initiative
- Order flow confirms SMC setup
📅 Weekly Review Checklist
Performance Metrics
- Total trades taken
- Win rate calculated
- Average R per trade
- Total R gained/lost
- Largest winner/loser
- P&L in currency
Trade Quality Review
- How many A+ setups taken?
- How many B/C setups taken?
- Missed opportunities noted
- Overtrading instances?
- Best trade of the week
- Worst trade of the week
Psychology Assessment
- Emotional control rating (1-10)
- Discipline rating (1-10)
- Patience rating (1-10)
- Rule violations count
- Stress level assessment
Next Week Preparation
- Key economic events noted
- Major levels marked on HTF
- Goals for next week set
- Areas for improvement identified
- Trading schedule planned
🧠 Psychology Self-Check
✅ Green Flags – Trade!
- Calm and focused
- Well-rested
- No external stress
- Following the plan
- Accepting of any outcome
- No need to trade
- Confident in analysis
❌ Red Flags – Don’t Trade!
- Feeling FOMO
- Want to revenge trade
- Overconfident from wins
- Desperate to make money
- Tired or distracted
- Stressed or emotional
- Breaking rules
📋 Pre-Trade Mental Checklist
- “Am I trading my plan or my emotions?”
- “Would I take this trade if I just had 3 winners?”
- “Would I take this trade if I just had 3 losers?”
- “Can I accept losing this money?”
- “Is this a NEED to trade or a VALID setup?”
💡 Recovery Protocol
After hitting daily loss limit or 3 consecutive losses:
1. Step away from screens
2. Physical activity (walk, exercise)
3. Review what went wrong (journal)
4. No trading for rest of session
5. Return tomorrow with fresh mindset