IC Markets Trading Journal - Auto Import

IC Markets traders can import their complete trade history into JournalPlus using CSV exports from MetaTrader 4, MT5, or cTrader, with full support for IC Markets’ ECN commission structure on Raw accounts. This integration is especially valuable for scalpers and algo traders, where the difference between gross and net P&L can misrepresent performance by 20–30% if commissions aren’t tracked at the trade level.

Key Features

MetaTrader & cTrader Native Import

JournalPlus parses exports from all three IC Markets platforms — MT4, MT5, and cTrader. The import reads every field from the history file, including open and close time, instrument, lot size, entry and exit price, swap, and commission. Whether you use the MetaTrader 4 integration, the MetaTrader 5 integration, or the cTrader integration, the upload process is the same: export, upload, done.

Automatic Commission Reconciliation

IC Markets Raw account traders on MT4/MT5 pay $3.50 per lot per side — $7.00 round-turn. On a 10-lot EUR/USD trade, that’s $70 in commission before a single pip of market movement is considered. cTrader Raw accounts are slightly cheaper at $3.00/lot/side. JournalPlus automatically applies these commission fields to each trade’s net P&L, so your analytics reflect actual take-home profit rather than the gross figure shown in the terminal.

Multi-Instrument CFD Analysis

IC Markets offers 60+ forex pairs alongside commodity CFDs (XAU/USD, WTI, Brent) and major indices. JournalPlus imports all instrument types from a single export and groups them by asset class. Traders can compare win rate, average R, and net P&L across EUR/USD, gold, and oil in the same dashboard — useful for identifying which instruments carry their weight after accounting for commission and spread costs.

Session Performance Tracking

IC Markets’ True ECN model makes it a preferred broker for London and New York session scalpers. JournalPlus tags each imported trade with its execution session based on timestamp and generates session-level performance breakdowns. Traders frequently discover that their edge is concentrated in a specific 2-hour window — and that trading outside it erodes the gains made during peak hours.

EA & High-Frequency Trade Journaling

Expert advisor traders running automated strategies on IC Markets can generate hundreds of trades in a single day. JournalPlus handles bulk imports without limits and surfaces metrics that matter most for algo review: average hold time, trade frequency per session, slippage by instrument, and cumulative commission as a percentage of gross profit. This makes post-optimization analysis significantly faster than reviewing raw terminal logs.

How to Connect IC Markets

Step 1: Log In to Your IC Markets Client Portal

Access your IC Markets account and open the trading platform you actively use — MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, or cTrader. All three platforms support trade history export from within the application itself, so no additional software is needed.

Step 2: Export Trade History from MT4 or MT5

In the MetaTrader terminal, click on the Account History tab at the bottom panel. Right-click anywhere in the history list and select “Save as Detailed Report.” Choose a date range covering the period you want to journal, then save the file. MT4 exports as HTML by default; MT5 supports both HTML and CSV. JournalPlus accepts either format.

Step 3: Export Trade History from cTrader

In the cTrader desktop or web application, open the History panel at the bottom of the screen. Use the date filter to select your target period. Click the export icon (top-right of the History panel) and download as CSV. The cTrader export includes all closed position data with commission applied per trade.

Step 4: Upload the File to JournalPlus

In your JournalPlus account, navigate to Import Trades and select your platform. Upload the exported file — JournalPlus will auto-detect the format and map all fields. Commission, swap, and net P&L are calculated immediately on upload. Most uploads complete in under 10 seconds regardless of file size.

Step 5: Review Net P&L and Identify Commission Drag

After import, open the Analytics view and compare gross vs. net P&L for the import period. For active IC Markets Raw account traders, commission totals are often the single largest cost line — sometimes exceeding spread costs entirely. JournalPlus displays commission as both an absolute dollar figure and as a percentage of gross profit, making it easy to benchmark whether your edge justifies your trade frequency.

What Gets Imported

Data Field	Description
Trade Date & Time	Open and close timestamps to the second
Symbol	Forex pair, CFD instrument, or commodity ticker
Side	Buy or Sell
Lot Size	Volume in standard lots
Entry & Exit Price	Exact execution prices
Swap	Overnight financing charge per trade
Commission	Per-lot ECN fee from Raw account
Gross & Net P&L	Profit before and after fees
Trade Duration	Calculated from open/close timestamps

Fields that require manual entry after import include trade rationale, setup tags, emotional state ratings, and pre-trade planning notes. These are added directly in JournalPlus alongside the imported trade data.

Analytics & Insights

Once IC Markets trade history is imported, JournalPlus calculates a full performance profile at both the trade and session level. The most immediately useful view for IC Markets traders is the net P&L breakdown by instrument — which shows whether EUR/USD, XAU/USD, or index CFDs are contributing positively after commissions are deducted. Given that a scalper paying $7.00 round-turn on a 1-lot trade needs at least 7 pips of movement just to cover costs, the instrument-level data often reveals that certain pairs are unprofitable due to commission drag alone.

Consider the example of a scalper trading EUR/USD on an IC Markets Raw MT4 account during a London session: 8 trades total, 5 winners averaging 12 pips and 3 losers averaging 8 pips. The gross P&L looks positive. But trading 2 lots per trade at $7.00 round-turn means $112 in total commission across those 8 trades. Without net P&L tracking, profitability is overstated by roughly 30%. JournalPlus imports the MT4 history file, applies the commission field automatically, and flags that the break-even threshold on a 2-lot position is 8.75 pips per trade — meaning 3 of the 5 winning trades were barely covering costs.

For forex traders and scalpers using IC Markets, the session overlap analytics are particularly valuable. JournalPlus segments trades by London (08:00–12:00 GMT), New York (13:00–17:00 GMT), and Asian (00:00–07:00 GMT) sessions and calculates win rate, average net P&L, and commission-to-profit ratio for each. Traders who discover their win rate is 55% during London overlap but drops to 38% in the New York afternoon session have a clear, data-backed reason to reduce size or stop trading after the overlap closes. Typical retail forex win rates fall between 40–55% across brokers, so session-level filtering often reveals which hours are actually driving edge rather than eroding it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does JournalPlus work with IC Markets?

Yes. JournalPlus supports IC Markets trade imports from MT4, MT5, and cTrader via CSV file upload. Commission data from Raw accounts is automatically parsed and applied to net P&L calculations.

How do I import IC Markets trades into JournalPlus?

Open your MetaTrader terminal or cTrader platform, navigate to Account History, export your trade history as a CSV or HTML file, then upload it in JournalPlus under Import Trades. The process takes under 2 minutes.

Does JournalPlus account for IC Markets ECN commissions?

Yes. JournalPlus reads the commission field from MT4, MT5, and cTrader exports and applies it to each trade’s net P&L. The $3.50/lot/side charge on MT4/MT5 Raw accounts and $3.00/lot/side on cTrader are tracked separately from gross profit so you always see true profitability.

Can I journal forex CFDs and gold from IC Markets in JournalPlus?

Yes. All IC Markets instruments — forex pairs, XAU/USD, WTI, Brent crude, and indices — are supported. JournalPlus categorizes them by asset class and lets you filter analytics by instrument, session, or trade setup.

Is IC Markets regulated and is my trading data secure in JournalPlus?

IC Markets is regulated by ASIC (AFSL 335692), CySEC, and FSA Seychelles, with client funds in segregated accounts. JournalPlus only reads exported trade history files — it never connects directly to your broker account or has access to your funds.