How to Build an ICT Trading Plan

Choose your market and session

Limit the initial test to a defined instrument, session and timeframe. Narrow rules make performance easier to measure.

Define the setup

Write the required context, liquidity condition, confirmation, entry trigger, invalidation and target. Avoid discretionary phrases that cannot be measured.

Set risk rules

Define maximum risk per trade, daily loss limits, maximum simultaneous exposure and conditions that require stopping for the day.

Review and improve

Journal every eligible setup, including skipped trades. Change one rule at a time and validate the change on a new sample before adopting it.

Worked example (hypothetical)

A one-page plan can specify the instruments traded, session and timezone, higher-timeframe context, exact setup criteria, entry trigger, stop placement, target, position-sizing formula, daily loss limit and reasons to stand aside. Add one sentence describing what would invalidate the directional idea. Before each session, fill in the relevant levels and scenarios; afterward, compare the trade with the plan rather than judging only profit or loss. Review changes on a fresh sample instead of revising several rules after a single losing trade.

FAQ: What should a written trading plan specify?

At minimum: instruments, session and timezone, setup criteria, entry trigger, invalidation, target, position sizing, maximum loss limits and review process. Include conditions for standing aside as well as conditions for entering.

FAQ: When should I revise my trading plan?

Use a scheduled review and evidence from a defined sample. Change a limited number of rules at a time, document why, and evaluate the revision on fresh observations before assuming it improved performance.

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