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Beginner 3 min read

Pre-trade checklist

A seven-question gate that stops most bad trades.

Before every tradeIs the higher timeframe trend with me?Is price at a level / zone (not in the middle of nowhere)?Did flow, volume or structure confirm?Where exactly is my stop – and is it outside normal noise?Is the reward at least 2× the risk after fees?Is my size set by the stop distance (≤ 1% risk)?Have I hit my daily loss limit already?
Illustration for education. Prices are schematic, not real market data.

What it is

Checklists are how pilots and surgeons avoid mistakes. A short one before every trade stops impulsive entries. If any answer is “no”, the default is to skip.

Customise it to your strategy, print it and keep it next to your screen.

How to use it

  1. Run the list before pressing the button.
  2. Skip when any answer is unclear.
  3. Record any exceptions in your journal.
  4. Review the list monthly.
No yes, no trade.

Common mistakes

  • Treating the checklist as a formality.
  • Having a list so long you ignore it.
  • Adding “feeling good” as a criterion.

Practise it in TradeDesk X

The Scanner’s 20 confluences are an automatic checklist; each setup shows how many are passing and why.

Open TradeDesk X Open Micro

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Paper trading: how to practise properly

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Educational content only. Nothing here is financial advice or a recommendation to buy or sell anything. Trading leveraged products can lose more than you deposit. Practise with paper trading first and never risk money you cannot afford to lose.