Printable Headache Diary: Custom Migraine Tracker PDF
Make a printable headache diary in under a minute: choose a 1-month, 3-month or 7-day layout, tick the columns you want (pain, medication, aura, sleep, triggers, period), then print it or save it as a PDF. It is free, needs no sign-up, and nothing you type leaves your browser.
How to use your printable headache diary
1. Pick a layout
One month, three months or a 7-day detailed log, on A4 or US Letter paper.
2. Choose columns
Keep it short. Four or five columns you will actually fill in beat eleven you will skip.
3. Print or save
Use Print / Save as PDF. Only the diary sheets are printed, not this page.
4. Fill it in daily
Tick even the headache-free days, so your doctor sees the full month.
Customize and print your headache diary
Prefer a fixed layout? The static PDF diary templates are ready to print. This generator is for when you want your own columns, dates and paper size.
Customize your diary
Printed on the sheet only. Not saved and never uploaded.
In the print dialog choose your printer or "Save as PDF". Turn off headers and footers for the cleanest result.
Runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter is uploaded; only your layout choices are remembered on this device.
Preview
Sheets are shown scaled down. The printout uses the full paper size.
What to track in a headache diary, and why
- Headache days and pain (0-10). Frequency is central to classification. ICHD-3 defines chronic migraine as headache on 15 or more days a month for more than three months, with migraine features on at least eight of them.
- Medication and dose. Medication-overuse headache is defined by days per month of acute medicine over more than three months, so the diary should show which days you took something. The NHS advises trying not to take painkillers on more than two days a week.
- Aura, nausea, light sensitivity. These help your clinician tell migraine from other headaches, and the NHS lists them among the main migraine symptoms.
- Sleep, period, possible triggers. The NHS names periods, stress, tiredness, skipped meals and caffeine as common triggers, and says a migraine diary can help you work out yours.
That is why the 3-month layout exists: it matches the time frames in those criteria. Your clinician decides what they need, so ask before you start. For a quick disability summary to go with it, try the MIDAS score calculator, and see our headache diary guide for how to fill it in and trigger diary tips.
Skip the pen: log a migraine by speaking
Paper works, and this diary is yours to keep. If writing mid-attack is the hard part, Claru's AI voice logging lets you log by speaking in seconds, and Claru can turn your entries into a doctor-report PDF (Pro) to bring to your appointment.
Download Claru freeAvailable for iOS and Android. Current availability and plans are listed in the app store.
People Also Ask
How long should I keep a headache diary?
Ask your clinician what they want to see. The 3-month layout covers the time frame used in ICHD-3 criteria for chronic migraine and medication-overuse headache, and a single month already shows how many headache and medication days you have.
Is this headache diary free, and is my data uploaded?
It is free. The diary is generated in your browser. Your name and notes are only printed, never uploaded, and only your layout choices (period, columns, paper size) are remembered on your device.
Can I use it as a migraine tracker or migraine diary template?
Yes. Add the aura, nausea, light sensitivity and menstrual period columns to turn it into a migraine diary. For a month-by-month overview, the 1-month layout includes a summary box for headache and medication days to bring to appointments.
Do I have to write on the headache-free days?
Tick the headache column with N on those days. A blank day is ambiguous, while a No shows your doctor how many days were headache-free.
Paper or app: which is better?
Whichever you will keep up. Paper is simple and private. An app can be faster during an attack, for example by logging with your voice. Claru also creates a doctor-report PDF from your entries.
Related Resources
- Headache diary: what to track and how to use it
- Printable headache and migraine diary templates (static PDFs)
- Migraine trigger diary
- MIDAS Score Calculator: Free Disability Assessment
- Free migraine appointment resources
Sources: ICHD-3: 1.3 Chronic migraine; ICHD-3: 8.2 Medication-overuse headache; NHS: Migraine; Editorial standards. Last reviewed October 9, 2026. This tool is for educational purposes and does not replace professional medical advice. Seek urgent care for a sudden severe headache or new neurological symptoms.