Tradovate Import

Tradovate is a popular futures trading platform. CandleLog fully supports importing trades from Tradovate's CSV export format, automatically detecting the format and mapping all relevant fields.

Exporting from Tradovate

Step 1: Access Trade History

1. Log into your Tradovate account
2. Navigate to the Account section
3. Find the Trade History or Order History

Step 2: Select Date Range

1. Choose the date range for trades you want to export
2. Ensure it includes all trades you want to import

Step 3: Export CSV

1. Click the Export or Download button
2. Select CSV format
3. Save the file to your computer

Importing to CandleLog

Step 1: Navigate to Import

1. Go to the Trades page in CandleLog
2. Click "Import from CSV"
3. You'll see the CSV upload card

Step 2: Upload File

1. Click the upload area or drag your CSV file
2. CandleLog automatically detects the Tradovate format
3. You'll see "Format detected: Tradovate" confirmation

Step 3: Review Settings

Timezone

Tradovate uses Central Time (America/Chicago). This is pre-selected by default. If your export uses a different timezone, adjust accordingly.

Account Number

If your export includes the account number, it's detected automatically. You can override it if needed for account matching.

Step 4: Preview Trades

Review the parsed trades:

Step 5: Verify Summary

Check the summary stats:

• Total trades count
• Closed trades count
• Total P&L
• Winning trade count

Step 6: Import

Click to import the trades to your selected trading account.

Field Mapping

Tradovate exports include these fields that CandleLog uses:

P&L Calculation

CandleLog calculates P&L using Tradovate's filled prices and quantities:

P&L = (Exit Price - Entry Price) x Contracts x Point Value

For ES (E-mini S&P 500):

• Point Value: $50
• Tick Size: 0.25
• Tick Value: $12.50

Common Issues

"No valid trades found"

Cause: Export might only contain cancelled or unfilled orders.

Solution: Ensure you're exporting filled trades only. Check the export settings in Tradovate.

Times Appear Wrong

Cause: Incorrect timezone selection.

Solution: Tradovate uses Central Time. Verify this is selected in the import preview. Times display in Eastern Time after import.

Missing P&L

Cause: Trade might still be open or missing exit information.

Solution: Only closed trades with both entry and exit prices have P&L calculated. Open positions show without P&L.

Account Mismatch

Cause: Broker account ID in export doesn't match your CandleLog trading account.

Solution: Either:

1. Create a trading account with the matching broker account ID
2. Use the account number override field

Duplicate Warning

Cause: You've previously imported this file or these trades.

Solution: CandleLog tracks imported files by hash. If you've already imported these trades, skip the import or verify the trades aren't already in your journal.

Best Practices

Daily Import Routine

1. Export previous day's trades from Tradovate
2. Import to CandleLog in the morning
3. Review and add notes while trades are fresh
4. Assign to strategies

End of Week Import

1. Export the full week's trades
2. Import all at once
3. Batch process strategy assignments
4. Review weekly performance

Account Organization

If you have multiple Tradovate accounts:

1. Create separate trading accounts in CandleLog
2. Import each account's CSV separately
3. Use account filtering for analysis

Tradovate-Specific Features

Futures Contract Recognition

CandleLog recognizes Tradovate's futures symbology:

• ES, NQ, CL, GC (front month)
• ESH4, NQM5 (specific contracts)

Tick Size/Value Auto-Detection

For known futures contracts, CandleLog automatically applies correct tick size and tick value for accurate P&L calculation.

Order Type Preservation

Tradovate order types (Market, Limit, Stop) are preserved in the import for reference.

Sample Tradovate CSV

Here's what a Tradovate export typically looks like:

Account,Order ID,Symbol,B/S,Qty,Filled Qty,Fill Price,Order Type,Status,Fill Time
12345,100001,ES,Buy,2,2,4525.00,Market,Filled,2024-01-15 09:30:15
12345,100002,ES,Sell,2,2,4532.50,Limit,Filled,2024-01-15 10:15:30

CandleLog parses this and creates a trade:

• Symbol: ES
• Direction: LONG
• Entry: 4525.00
• Exit: 4532.50
• Quantity: 2
• P&L: $750 (7.5 points x $50 x 2 contracts)