XAUUSD Pre-Trade Checklist: 10 Checks Before Every Gold Trade (With Free Tools)
Ten quick checks before you click buy or sell on gold, each linked to a free XAUUSD Global tool, with a worked example.
Blog topic
Trading process: gold trading guides
The habits that separate consistent XAUUSD traders from the rest: a written plan, a checklist before every trade, a journal after it, and a routine for the days that move gold.
About this topic
Trading process articles are about how you trade rather than what you trade. A strategy tells you where an entry might be; a process decides whether you are allowed to take it today, how big it is, what you write down afterwards and how you review it. This topic covers writing a trading plan for XAUUSD, the ten checks to run before every gold trade, how to keep a trading journal that you will actually learn from, and a 30-day plan for practising on a demo account before risking money. It also includes step-by-step routines for the days that move gold most, such as US CPI, the Fed's FOMC decision and the monthly jobs report, and a guide to trading gold part-time around a full-time job.
These guides are for traders who have had some wins and some losses and suspect that inconsistency, not the strategy, is the problem. Two articles tackle that directly: the common mistakes intermediate gold traders make, and the red flags to check before joining any signal or Telegram group. Everything is written to be used, so most articles end with a checklist or template you can copy into your own notes. Examples use hypothetical numbers unless a dated public source is named, and none of it is a promise of results. The goal is that every trade you take is one you can explain, measure and improve on.
Start here
The Best Gold Trading Strategy for Beginners (A Simple, Rules-Based Starting Plan)
One simple rules-based XAUUSD framework for beginners, a worked example with lot size math, and a 30-day demo practice plan.
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All 11 trading process articles
Newest first. Every article shows its publication date and, where relevant, an update date.
How to Practise Gold Trading on a Demo Account: A 30-Day XAUUSD Plan
A week-by-week plan for practising XAUUSD on a demo account, what to record, and how to tell when you're ready, or not.
How to Trade Gold With a Full-Time Job: A Part-Time XAUUSD Routine That Fits Your Day
Three realistic part-time XAUUSD routines (before work, evening, swing), sessions by time zone, orders that work while you're busy, and the rules that keep it sustainable.
Gold on US CPI Day: How Inflation Data Moves XAUUSD, Plus a Release-Day Routine
Why the CPI surprise, not the number, moves gold, how core vs headline matters, a real example from October 14, 2026, and a before, during and after routine.
How to Trade Gold on Fed (FOMC) Day: A Step-by-Step Routine
A simple routine for Fed decision day: prep, the dangerous first minutes, three scenarios and risk rules.
How to Trade Gold on NFP Day: The US Jobs Report and XAUUSD
What the jobs report means for gold, release times in your city, three scenarios and a simple risk routine.
Gold Signals and Telegram Groups: 10 Red Flags Before You Join
Ten warning signs in gold signal and XAUUSD Telegram groups, plus a step-by-step checklist to verify any provider yourself.
The Best Gold Trading Strategy for Beginners (A Simple, Rules-Based Starting Plan)
One simple rules-based XAUUSD framework for beginners, a worked example with lot size math, and a 30-day demo practice plan.
How to Build a Trading Plan for XAUUSD
A section-by-section guide to writing your gold trading plan, with a template you can adapt.
Common Mistakes Intermediate Gold Traders Make
Thirteen patterns that keep intermediate gold traders stuck — and a practical fix for each one.
How to Keep a Trading Journal and Review Your Setups
What to record, how to grade decisions separately from outcomes, and a weekly review that leads to change.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a trading strategy and a trading process?
A strategy defines the setup: where you enter, where the stop goes and where you take profit. A process wraps around it: whether today is a trading day, how much you risk, the checks you run before clicking, how you record the trade and how you review it. Most intermediate traders have a strategy; fewer have a process.
How long should I practise on a demo account before trading real money?
There is no magic number, but our 30-day demo plan suggests a month of logged trades with a fixed risk per trade, so you can see your own statistics before committing capital. Move on only when you can follow your plan without exceptions.
Do you recommend any signal groups or Telegram channels?
No. We do not sell signals or recommend anyone who does. Our red-flags guide explains how to assess any group before paying, and why learning the reasoning behind a trade matters more than the entry itself.
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