Connect to a Trading API with Python

Learn how to connect to broker APIs (Alpaca, IBKR, Trading212) to fetch market data and place orders programmatically.

Install Alpaca SDK

pip install alpaca-trade-api pandas

Connect & Fetch Data

import alpaca_trade_api as tradeapi

# Connect to Alpaca paper trading
api = tradeapi.REST(
    key_id="YOUR_KEY",
    secret_key="YOUR_SECRET",
    base_url="https://paper-api.alpaca.markets"
)

# Get account info
account = api.get_account()
print(f"Portfolio Value: ${float(account.portfolio_value):,.2f}")
print(f"Buying Power: ${float(account.buying_power):,.2f}")
print(f"Cash: ${float(account.cash):,.2f}")

Get Market Data

# Fetch historical bars
bars = api.get_bars("AAPL", "1Day", limit=30).df
print(bars[["close", "volume"]].tail(10))

# Get current price
quote = api.get_latest_quote("AAPL")
print(f"AAPL: ${quote.ap:.2f}")

Place an Order

# Place a market buy order (paper trading)
order = api.submit_order(
    symbol="AAPL",
    qty=1,
    side="buy",
    type="market",
    time_in_force="day"
)
print(f"Order placed: {order.id}")
print(f"Status: {order.status}")