XAUUSD pre-trade checklist (free printable PDF)
One printable page with the ten checks to run before every gold trade, a trade ticket for your numbers, a go or no-go box and your walk-away rules.
Download the pre-trade checklist
One printable page with the ten checks to run before every gold trade, a trade ticket for your numbers, a go or no-go box and your walk-away rules.
No email or account needed. Education only, not financial advice.
This free XAUUSD pre-trade checklist is a single printable page you can download now, with no sign-up. It lists the ten checks to run before every gold trade, in order: session, news, volatility, macro backdrop, setup, stop, size, margin, costs and mindset, each with the question to answer and a space to write the number down. Below the checks are a trade ticket for entry, stop, target, risk and lot size, a go or no-go box and your walk-away rules for the day. If any box stays empty, there is no trade.
What's inside
- Ten checks with tick boxes. Session, news, volatility, macro backdrop, setup, stop, size, margin, costs and mindset, each with the question to answer and a space for your note.
- Trade ticket. Long or short, entry, stop, target, stop distance, risk in dollars and percent, lot size and reward-to-risk.
- Go or no-go. Place the order with the stop attached only when all ten are ticked; otherwise log the skipped trade.
- Walk-away rules. Your daily stop in losses and in percent, and the news rule, written where you can see them.
- Sizing formula and tools. The lot-size formula and the free tool that answers each check.
How to use it
- Print a stack (or laminate one copy and use a dry-wipe pen) and keep it beside the keyboard.
- Before every trade, work down the ten checks in order. Use the linked tools for news, volatility, size and margin.
- Fill in the trade ticket. If the risk is above your plan's limit, reduce the size or skip the trade.
- Only when all ten are ticked, place the order with the stop already attached.
- Keep the sheet with your journal entry. Skipped trades and the reasons for them are data too.
Related lessons, tools and courses
The pre-trade checklist summarises free material on this site. These pages go deeper:
- XAUUSD pre-trade checklist: the 10 checks explained
- Gold economic calendar
- Gold volatility (ATR) today
- Position size calculator
- Gold margin calculator
- Free 30-day beginner course
More free files: candlestick patterns cheat sheet, chart patterns cheat sheet, trading plan template, trading journal spreadsheet, and the gold trading starter kit. See them all on the free downloads page.
Frequently asked questions
Is the pre-trade checklist free?
Yes. It is a free one-page PDF with no sign-up, email or payment.
What are the ten checks?
Session, news, volatility, macro backdrop (the dollar and real yields), setup, stop, size, margin, costs and mindset. Our pre-trade checklist guide explains why each one matters and which free tool answers it.
Can I print the checklist on US Letter paper?
Yes. It is laid out on A4; choose ‘fit to page’ in the print dialog and it prints cleanly on Letter. The page is white with dark text, so it is light on ink.
How long does the checklist take?
About a minute once it is a habit. The longest steps are checking the news calendar and sizing the trade, and both take seconds with the linked tools.
What if one check fails?
Then there is no trade. Write the reason in your journal. Over a few weeks the skipped trades show which rule protects you most.
Is this the same checklist as in the starter kit?
It is related but more complete. The starter kit has a shorter checklist alongside other cheat sheets; this page follows the ten checks from our pre-trade checklist guide and adds a trade ticket and walk-away rules.
Educational content only, not financial advice. Trading gold with leverage carries a high risk of loss.