How to Export and Import Your MT4/MT5 Trading History

Before you can analyse your trading, you need your real history in one place. The fastest way to start is to export your MT4 or MT5 account history as a file and upload it. This guide walks through it step by step — export, upload, and what happens once your trades are in.

What you will need

• Your MetaTrader 4 or MetaTrader 5 terminal (desktop version is easiest for exporting).
• A few minutes — exporting and uploading years of history takes one pass.
• A free TradingJournal account.

File import is available on the free plan, so you can bring in your full history without paying.

Step 1: Export your history from MT4

• Open the Terminal window (Ctrl+T) and click the Account History tab.
• Right-click anywhere in the history area and choose All History (or set a custom period) so the full record is shown.
• Right-click again and choose Save as Detailed Report. A "Detailed" report contains the extra fields that make for the cleanest import.
• Save the HTML file somewhere you can find it.

Step 2: Export your history from MT5

• Open the Toolbox (Ctrl+T) and go to the History tab.
• Right-click, set the period to cover everything you want (for example, the whole account), and make sure deals are shown.
• Right-click and choose Report › HTML (an XLSX export also exists, but the HTML report imports most reliably).
• Save the file.

MT5 records your activity as individual deals rather than finished trades. You do not need to convert anything by hand — TradingJournal pairs those deals back into complete trades for you on import.

Step 3: Upload to TradingJournal

• Go to the Import page and select the file you just saved.
• TradingJournal automatically detects whether it is an MT4 or MT5 report and which broker produced it.
• Your trades are read in, MT5 deals are converted into standard trades, and your profit and loss is reconciled so the totals match your statement.

What happens after you upload

• Automatic detection — the platform and broker are recognised for you, with specialised handling for common brokers including XM, AvaTrade, FXPro and Pepperstone, plus standard MT4/MT5 brokers.
• Accurate P&L — profit and loss is reconciled against your statement so your win rate, profit factor and drawdown are trustworthy.
• No duplicates — if you upload a fresh file later to catch up, trades that already exist are detected and skipped, so your history stays clean.
• Ready to analyse — once imported, your trades flow into the analytics, calendar, playbooks and review tools.

Tips for a clean import

• Use the Detailed report on MT4 and the HTML report on MT5 for the best results.
• Export all history (not just the visible page) so nothing is missing.
• Keep the file as exported — you do not need to edit it in Excel first.
• Re-upload a new export whenever you want to bring your journal up to date.

Want it to stay current on its own?

File import is a snapshot: new trades appear only when you upload a fresh file. If you trade regularly and would rather not repeat the export step, automatic broker sync keeps your journal updated for you. It is read-only and cannot touch your account — we explain exactly how in Is MT4/MT5 Broker Sync Safe?, and compare the two methods in File Import vs Broker Sync.

Related: File Import vs Broker Sync · FAQ