CSV Import Guide: Getting Your Trading Data Into Happy Dog Trading

Published: October 2025 | Category: Product Updates | Status: Beta

Introduction

We're excited to share an update on CSV import functionality in Happy Dog Trading! While we're still in beta and actively expanding platform support, we want to be transparent about what works today, what's coming soon, and how you can help us support your trading platform.

Current Status: What Works Today

NinjaTrader Platform (Fully Supported ✅)

If you're using NinjaTrader, you're in luck! We have comprehensive support for NinjaTrader execution exports with full field mapping and validation. Simply export your executions from NinjaTrader and upload the CSV file directly to Happy Dog Trading.

NinjaTrader Export Format:

Instrument,Action,Quantity,Price,Time,ID,E/X,Position,Order ID,Name,Commission,Rate,Account,Connection

Generic CSV Format (Beta Support 🔧)

We also support a generic CSV format that works with most trading platforms. As long as your CSV file contains the required fields (detailed below), our system can introspect the file structure and import your data correctly.

Required Fields for Import

To successfully import your execution data, your CSV file must include the following columns:

Essential Fields (Required)

Field Name Description Format Example Notes
Instrument (or Symbol) Contract symbol ES 12-25, MES 03-26 Full contract identifier including month/year
Action (or Side) Buy or Sell BUY, SELL, B, LONG Case-insensitive, multiple formats accepted
Quantity (or Qty) Number of contracts 1, 5, 10 Integer value
Price Execution price 4500.25, 18250.00 Decimal format
Time (or DateTime) Execution timestamp 8/15/2025 9:30:00 AM Various formats supported
ID Unique execution ID abc123, 12345 Critical for duplicate detection
E/X (or Entry/Exit) Position effect ENTRY, EXIT, E, OPEN Helps track position cycles, multiple formats accepted
Commission Execution fees $2.50, €2.50, £2.50, 2.50 Currency symbols ($, €, £) are optional and automatically removed

How CSV Introspection Works

Our import system is designed to be flexible:

  1. Header Detection: We read your CSV headers (first row) to identify columns
  2. Column Mapping: Field names are matched case-insensitively with space/slash tolerance
    - Example: "Instrument" = "instrument" = "INSTRUMENT"
  3. Extra Columns: Any additional columns are safely ignored
  4. Column Order: Fields can be in any order as long as headers match
  5. Duplicate Prevention: Uses ID field to prevent reimporting the same executions

Example Generic CSV

Time,Symbol,Side,Quantity,Price,Commission,ID
2025-08-15 09:30:00,ES 12-25,BUY,1,4500.00,2.50,exec_001
2025-08-15 09:35:00,ES 12-25,SELL,1,4505.00,2.50,exec_002
2025-08-15 10:15:00,MES 12-25,BUY,5,4502.25,1.25,exec_003

This simple format contains all essential fields and will import successfully!

Converting Your Platform's CSV

If your trading platform isn't directly supported yet, here's how you can prepare your data:

Step 1: Export Your Executions

Export your execution history from your trading platform as a CSV file. Most platforms offer this in their reports or account history section.

Step 2: Review the Export

Open the CSV in a spreadsheet program (Excel, Google Sheets, etc.) and identify:
- Which columns contain the required data
- What the column headers are named
- Whether any data needs formatting adjustments

Step 3: Adjust Headers (if needed)

Rename your column headers to match our expected field names:

From Platform Headers → To Happy Dog Headers
- "Trade Time" → "Time"
- "Contract" → "Instrument"
- "Buy/Sell" → "Action"
- "Contracts" → "Quantity"
- "Fill Price" → "Price"
- "Fee" → "Commission"
- "Trade ID" → "ID"

Step 4: Format Adjustments

  • Time: Supported date/time formats:
    • MM/DD/YYYY HH:MM:SS AM/PM (e.g., 8/15/2025 9:30:00 AM)
    • YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS (e.g., 2025-08-15 09:30:00)
    • MM/DD/YYYY HH:MM:SS (e.g., 8/15/2025 09:30:00)
    • DD/MM/YYYY HH:MM:SS (e.g., 15/8/2025 09:30:00)
    • YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS AM/PM (e.g., 2025-08-15 9:30:00 AM)
  • Commission: Can include currency symbols ($, €, £) or be plain decimal
  • Action: BUY, SELL, B, or LONG (case-insensitive)
  • Entry/Exit: ENTRY, EXIT, E, or OPEN (case-insensitive)
  • File Size: Maximum 10MB per CSV file

Step 5: Upload

Save your adjusted CSV and upload it through the Happy Dog Trading import interface at /trading/imports/

What We're Working On

We're committed to expanding platform support and making imports even easier:

🚀 Coming Soon

  1. Additional Platform Support
    - TradingView
    - TradeStation
    - Thinkorswim
    - Interactive Brokers
    - Rithmic
    - TopstepX

  2. Automated Broker Integrations
    - Direct API connections to major brokers
    - Real-time execution sync
    - Automatic daily imports

  3. Import Enhancements
    - More flexible date/time parsing
    - Auto-detection of common platform formats
    - Improved error messages and validation
    - Batch import processing for large files

Help Us Support Your Platform!

Are you using a trading platform that's not yet supported?

We'd love to add support for your platform! If you:

  1. Have execution data exported from your platform
  2. Are willing to share a sample CSV file
  3. Want to see your platform officially supported

Please contact us! Send your sample export file to us through our contact page and let us know:
- Which trading platform you use
- What data your platform exports
- Any specific features or requirements

Your contribution helps us prioritize platform development and ensures better support for the trading community!

Getting Started

Ready to import your trading data?

  1. Create a trading account first (Trading > Accounts > Create Account) if you haven't already
  2. Navigate to Trading > Import Data (/trading/imports/)
  3. Select your trading account from the dropdown
  4. Upload your CSV file (max 10MB)
  5. Click "Upload & Import" - the system will process your data immediately

Our system will:
- ✅ Validate your CSV structure
- ✅ Automatically skip duplicate executions (based on execution ID)
- ✅ Calculate P&L using FIFO accounting
- ✅ Generate trades from executions
- ✅ Update your analytics and calendar
- ✅ Show detailed import statistics

Need Help?

If you encounter issues importing your data:

  1. Check the Required Fields: Ensure all essential columns are present
  2. Review Error Messages: Our import log provides detailed error information
  3. Contact Support: We're here to help! Visit our contact page
  4. Join the Community: Share tips and get help from other traders

Beta Feedback Welcome

As we continue improving our import system, we value your feedback:

  • What platforms do you need supported?
  • What import features would help you most?
  • What pain points do you encounter?

Share your thoughts through our feedback page or contact us directly.

Summary

What Works Now:
- ✅ NinjaTrader (full support)
- ✅ Generic CSV format (with required fields)
- ✅ Flexible header matching
- ✅ Automatic duplicate skipping (execution ID-based)
- ✅ Five supported date/time formats
- ✅ Multiple currency symbols ($, €, £)

Coming Soon:
- 🚀 More platform integrations
- 🚀 Automated broker connections
- 🚀 Enhanced import features

How You Can Help:
- 📧 Share your platform's CSV export format
- 💬 Provide feedback on import experience
- 🤝 Help us prioritize platform support

Thank you for being part of Happy Dog Trading beta! Your patience and feedback help us build better tools for the trading community.

Happy Dog Trading is in active beta development. Features and platform support are continuously expanding. Check our blog for updates!