CMC Markets is one of the most widely used CFD brokers among retail forex traders, but its proprietary Next Generation platform does not use MT4 or MT5 — which means the standard MT4 history export process does not apply. This guide walks you through the exact steps to export your closed trade history from CMC Markets and import it cleanly into PipJournal, so you can start analysing your performance without data entry errors.
This guide is written for beginner-to-intermediate traders who are new to the import process. After completing it, your CMC Markets trade history will be live in PipJournal and ready for tagging, filtering, and analysis.
Step 1: Export Your Trade History from CMC Markets
Log into your CMC Markets account via the Next Generation web platform (not the mobile app — mobile does not support CSV export).
Navigate to Account > History > Closed Positions. Set your preferred date range — up to 12 months per export. For most traders, starting with the most recent 3 months is a practical first import to keep the file size manageable.
Click Export and select CSV format. The file will download immediately with a name like Closed_Positions_YYYYMMDD.csv. Save it to a known folder before proceeding.
If you hold a spread bet account alongside a CFD account, export each account separately — they produce separate CSV files with different P&L structures.
Step 2: Review and Clean the CSV File
Open the CSV in Excel or Google Sheets. CMC Markets exports typically include a header block at the top with account details, followed by column headers and trade rows. The structure looks like this:
| Column | Example Value |
|---|---|
| Opening Date | 14/07/2026 09:32 |
| Closing Date | 14/07/2026 14:47 |
| Product | EUR/USD |
| Direction | Buy |
| Size | 10000 |
| Opening Price | 1.08421 |
| Closing Price | 1.08615 |
| Profit/Loss | 19.40 |
Delete any rows above the column header row, and any summary or total rows at the bottom of the file. These non-trade rows will cause import errors. Save the cleaned file as CSV (not XLSX).
CMC Markets uses a Size column measured in units (e.g., 10,000 for 0.1 standard lots on EUR/USD). Make a note of this — you will confirm the mapping in Step 3.
Step 3: Map CMC Markets Fields to PipJournal Format
Before uploading, confirm that the following columns are present in your cleaned CSV:
- Symbol / Product — the currency pair or instrument name
- Direction — Buy or Sell
- Opening Date and Closing Date — with timestamps
- Opening Price and Closing Price
- Size — units traded (divide by 100,000 for standard lots on major pairs)
- Profit/Loss — net P&L in your account currency
If any column is missing, CMC Markets may have changed their export format. In that case, manually add the missing column with the appropriate values from your on-screen trade history before proceeding.
Do not include overnight financing rows — these are account charges, not trades, and will inflate your trade count if imported.
Step 4: Import the File into PipJournal
In PipJournal, go to Import Trades and select CMC Markets from the broker template dropdown. This pre-configures the field mapping to match the CMC Markets CSV structure.
Upload your cleaned CSV file. PipJournal will display a field mapping preview showing how each CSV column maps to a trade field (open time, close time, lots, entry, exit, P&L). Confirm the mapping looks correct — pay particular attention to the Size column, which PipJournal will automatically convert from units to lots.
Click Import to process the file. A typical 3-month export of 100-300 trades completes in under 10 seconds.
Step 5: Verify Imported Trades and Tag Your Setups
Once import completes, cross-reference 5-10 trades against your CMC Markets statement. Check that pip counts and P&L figures match. On EUR/USD, a 19-pip move on 0.1 lots should show approximately $19 P&L — if the figure is 10x higher or lower, the lot size conversion needs adjustment.
After confirming accuracy, begin tagging your trades. Use PipJournal’s tag system to categorise by setup type, session (London, New York, Asian), or trade condition. This is where the analytical value starts — raw data becomes a structured dataset you can filter and query.
Use PipJournal’s equity curve view to get an immediate visual read on your performance across the imported period.
Pro Tips
- Export in smaller date ranges (1-3 months) rather than a full year at once — smaller files are easier to audit for errors before import.
- CMC Markets timestamps use your platform’s local timezone setting. If you trade across sessions, check that the timezone matches what you want for session analysis in PipJournal.
- If you trade indices (UK 100, Germany 40) alongside forex, verify that PipJournal’s pip value for each instrument matches CMC’s contract spec — index CFD pip values differ significantly from forex majors.
- Keep your raw exported CSV files archived. If you ever need to re-import or audit a specific period, having the original files saves time.
- After import, use PipJournal’s profit factor calculator on your imported dataset as a quick baseline health check before you start tagging.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
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Including financing charges in the import — Overnight holding costs appear in the CMC export as separate rows with no opening/closing price. Importing them creates phantom “trades” that corrupt your win rate. Delete all rows without a valid entry and exit price before upload.
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Importing duplicate date ranges — If you import January-March and then import January-June, trades from January-March are duplicated. Always check your existing trade range in PipJournal before importing and start your new file from the day after your last imported trade.
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Ignoring the unit-to-lot conversion — CMC Markets reports position size in units, not lots. On a standard EUR/USD position, 100,000 units equals 1.0 lot. If you skip verification, your position sizing metrics in PipJournal will be wrong by a factor of 100,000.
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Mixing spread bet and CFD account data — Spread bet P&L is expressed per-point, not in currency units. Mixing these with CFD trades produces meaningless aggregate statistics. Import each account type separately and keep them in separate PipJournal accounts if you run both.
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Not tagging immediately after import — Raw imported data has no tags, setups, or notes. Without tags, PipJournal’s filtering and setup performance analysis tools cannot segment your results. Schedule 20-30 minutes to tag the imported trades before moving on.
How PipJournal Helps
PipJournal’s CMC Markets import template handles the unit-to-lot conversion and field mapping automatically, so you are not manually reformatting spreadsheets. Once your trades are in, the analytics dashboard segments your P&L by session, pair, and tag — giving you a clearer picture of where your edge actually exists across your CMC Markets history. The trade review workflow in PipJournal is built for traders who import broker data regularly, with tools to flag outliers, review drawdown periods, and track consistency metrics like expectancy over rolling windows. At $179 one-time with no recurring fees, it is a practical long-term home for your CMC Markets trade data.
People Also Ask
Does CMC Markets export in MT4 or MT5 format?
No. CMC Markets uses its own proprietary Next Generation platform, which exports trade history as a CSV file — not an MT4 or MT5 statement. Use PipJournal's CMC Markets CSV template for import.
What date range can I export from CMC Markets?
CMC Markets allows you to export up to 12 months of closed trade history at a time through the platform. For older data, contact CMC support to request a longer-range statement.
Will spread costs and overnight financing charges be included in the import?
The closed positions CSV from CMC Markets includes net P&L per trade, which accounts for the spread. Overnight financing (holding costs) appears as a separate line and should be excluded from the trade import to avoid duplicate entries.
What if my pip values look wrong after import?
CMC Markets quotes some instruments in non-standard lot sizes. If pip values appear incorrect, manually verify the contract size for the affected instrument in the CMC Markets product library and adjust the lot size field in PipJournal accordingly.
