Guide · Bowel diary
Free printable bowel diary (PDF)
Download a free one-page printable bowel diary with date, time and Bristol stool type columns. Print it, fill it in as you go and bring it to appointments.
In short: download the free one-page bowel diary below, print it, and write down the date, time and Bristol stool type each time you have a bowel movement. It has room for 26 entries, which is usually one to two weeks.
Download the bowel diary (PDF, 1 page, A4)
What’s on the sheet
- Space for your name and the dates the diary covers
- 26 rows, each with date, time, the stool type (circle 1 to 7) and optional notes
- A key to the seven Bristol stool types, described in our own words
- A reminder that a blank day is a gap in the record, not proof that nothing happened
How to fill it in
- Write each entry when it happens, while you remember it clearly.
- If you write one in later, put your best guess at the time and note that it is approximate.
- Circle the type that best matches what you saw. If it was between two types, circle the closer one and add a note.
- Use the notes column for anything your doctor asked you to record.
A diary describes what you observed. It does not diagnose anything, and it does not tell you what a pattern means.
If your doctor gave you a form
Use theirs. Clinical forms can ask for more than this sheet does. Gateshead Health’s bowel record chart, for example, includes extra observations alongside date, time and stool type. This sheet is for people who want a simple personal record.
Bringing it to an appointment
Write a short summary on top: the dates covered, how many entries, your most common types and any gaps. The NHS suggests noting what you want to discuss before an appointment and taking those notes with you. Source: NHS, checked October 18, 2026. For more, read how to share your bowel diary with a doctor.
Prefer your phone?
Gut Elements is a free Android app that records the same things: pick the stool type, and the date and time fill in automatically. It shows your history in a calendar or a list, with simple weekly and monthly summaries, and your logs stay on your phone with no account.
The app has no export or printing yet. If you need paper for an appointment, you can copy entries from the app’s History onto this sheet.
For the basics of record keeping, read how to keep a bowel movement diary.
Piyush Sachdeva is the founder of Gut Elements and the accountable editor of this guide. Diagnosed with celiac disease at 13, he has spent most of his life learning how much his days depend on his gut, and built Gut Elements as the simple, private bowel tracker he wanted. He is not a doctor or dietitian; he shares his own experience, not medical advice.