Overview
Welcome to ActiveTick API!
ActiveTick API enables you to connect your application to our market data server farm and receive market data. You can securely request numerous static and streaming datasets using easy-to-use RESTful API calls.
ActiveTick API is organized around REST and uses HTTP GET and POST verbs and response codes most clients are familiar with.
First, a couple of things:
- All datetime values are expressed in UTC format
- All POST requests require Content-Length header
- All responses are formatted JSON, encoded in the UTF-8 character encoding (Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8)
Endpoints
Our endpoints require SSL encryption (TLS 1.2) and SNI support. Each endpoint corresponds with a particular service. All requests should be made using HTTPS.
API endpoint:
https://api.activetick.com
Rate Limiting
We implement rate limiting to make sure the API is responsive for all customers. The rate limits are set in a way to provide full functionality while trying to prevent abuse. Most times, a rate limit can be subverted by implementing a different API call or leveraging other API features, such as using streaming API instead of polling for data.
How Our Rate Limits Work
The API permits up to 200 requests per minute, starting with the first request, and resets the counter at the start of next minute. If limits are exceeded, the API returns a 429 HTTP “Too Many Requests” error.
Security
ActiveTick API uses OAuth 2.0 for authentication and allows applications to submit authenticated requests. Prior to using any ActiveTick API functions, client must authenticate and receive a sessionid token. A valid sessionid token must be included in every ActiveTick API request.
Sessionid tokens expire every 24 hours. Once a token expires you’ll need to perform another authorization to receive another sessionid token.
Creation of new sessionid token is tied to IP address originating the request, and each following request will be checked against the IP address associated with a sessionid.
Support
For any API issues or support questions, please reach out to our technical support via:
support@activetick.com
Authentication
HTTP Example:
curl -X GET 'https://api.activetick.com/authorize.json?username=john&password=123&apikey=abc123abc123'
-H "Connection: Keep-Alive"
-H "Accept: application/json"
All calls to ActiveTick API require a valid, unexpired sessionid access token. The token can be created for a 24-hour period, after which it will expire and any subsequent ActiveTick API calls using expired token will fail.
Any subsequent calls to create a sessionid token will return the same token information until it expires.
The above command returns JSON structured like this:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json
Connection: Keep-Alive
Content-Length: 128
{
"type":"authorize",
"status":"ok",
"sessionid":"8e63353316d343bf9d4ce816ec67c1e7",
"created_at":"2022-01-20T12:18:04"
}
This endpoint returns authenticated session information, including sessionid access token.
HTTP Request
GET /authorize.json?username={username}&password={password}&apikey={apikey}
Query Parameters
| Parameter | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| username | yes | ActiveTick client username |
| password | yes | ActiveTick client password |
| apikey | yes | Alpha-numeric API key |
JSON Response
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| type | authorize |
| status | Indicates if authorization completed successfully. Possible values are "ok" and "fail". |
| sessionid | 24-hour session access token. |
| created_at | Time when initial authorization was created. |
Market Data Requests
Contract Chains
HTTP Example:
curl -X GET 'https://api.activetick.com/chain.json?sessionid=768ec82c7c064f5fbc34300ce538b3f8&key=JNJ_S-U&chaintype=equity_options&columns=pc,l,b,a,bsz,asz,vol,ltm&begin_maturity_time=2022-01-01T00:00:00&end_maturity_time=2022-01-10T00:00:00&ignore_empty=true'
-H "Connection: Keep-Alive"
-H "Accept: application/json"
The above command returns JSON structured like this:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json
Connection: Keep-Alive
Content-Length: 30375
{
"type":"chain",
"status":"ok",
"key":"JNJ_S U",
"rows":[
{"s":"JNJ_220107C12000C_O U","st":"ok","data":[
{"c":"pc","s":"ok","v":"0"},
{"c":"l","s":"ok","v":"0"},
{"c":"b","s":"ok","v":"52.80"},
{"c":"a","s":"ok","v":"54.85"},
{"c":"bsz","s":"ok","v":"27"},
{"c":"asz","s":"ok","v":"28"},
{"c":"ltm","s":"ok","v":"0000-00-00T00:00:00.000000000"}
]
},
{"s":"JNJ_220107C12500C_O U","st":"ok","data":[
{"c":"pc","s":"ok","v":"48.93"},
{"c":"l","s":"ok","v":"48.93"},
{"c":"b","s":"ok","v":"47.80"},
{"c":"a","s":"ok","v":"50.50"},
{"c":"bsz","s":"ok","v":"30"},
{"c":"asz","s":"ok","v":"30"},
{"c":"ltm","s":"ok","v":"2022-01-07T18:34:37.990390784"}
]
},
{"s":"JNJ_220107C13000C_O U","st":"ok","data":[
{"c":"pc","s":"ok","v":"0"},
{"c":"l","s":"ok","v":"0"},
{"c":"b","s":"ok","v":"42.15"},
{"c":"a","s":"ok","v":"45.50"},
{"c":"bsz","s":"ok","v":"30"},
{"c":"asz","s":"ok","v":"30"},
{"c":"ltm","s":"ok","v":"0000-00-00T00:00:00.000000000"}
]
},
{"s":"JNJ_220107C13500C_O U","st":"ok","data":[
{"c":"pc","s":"ok","v":"32.10"},
{"c":"l","s":"ok","v":"32.10"},
{"c":"b","s":"ok","v":"36.55"},
{"c":"a","s":"ok","v":"39.70"},
{"c":"bsz","s":"ok","v":"31"},
{"c":"asz","s":"ok","v":"30"},
{"c":"ltm","s":"ok","v":"2021-12-20T14:52:18.772381696"}
]
},
...
...
]
}
This endpoint returns chains for various types of instruments, including options, future spreads, etc.
HTTP Request
GET /chain.json?sessionid={sessionId}&key={key}&chaintype={chainType}&columns={col1,col2,...}&begin_maturity_time={beginMaturityTime}&end_maturity_time={endMaturityTime}&ignore_empty={boolean}
Query Parameters
| Parameter | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| sessionid | yes | Valid sessionid value returned from prior authorization. |
| key | yes | String key specific to chainType. For option chains, key is underlying symbol. |
| chainType | yes | Type of chain to return. |
| columns | yes | List of data columns separated by commas. |
| begin_maturity_time | yes | Begin time filter to include maturity dates of contracts. |
| end_maturity_time | yes | End time filter to include maturity dates of contracts. |
| ignore_empty | no | Ignore empty contracts without any data. |
Chain Types
| Chain Type | Description |
|---|---|
| equity_options | Equity options |
| futures | Futures |
| future_options | Future options |
| future_spreads | Future spreads |
| future_option_spreads | Future option spreads |
| future_mixed_spreads | Future mixed spreads |
| future_spread_legs | Future spread legs |
Chain Key Formatting
All keys use identifier characters for exchange and country codes. The following are the mappings of identifier codes:
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 'I' | Instrument code |
| 'E' | Exchange code |
| 'C' | Country code |
| Key | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| equity_options | 'AAAAA_IEC', AAAAA is the underlying symbol | 'AAPL_S U' - Apple stock chain |
| futures | 'AAA_EC', AAA is the future group | 'ES_CU' - CME ES e-Mini 500; 'GC_XU' - COMEX Gold |
| future_options | 'AAA_FUT_EC', AAA is the future group | 'ES_FUT_CU' - CME ES e-Mini 500; 'GC_FUT_XU' - COMEX Gold |
| future_spreads | 'AAA_OOF_EC', AAA is the future group | 'ES_OOF_CU' - CME ES e-Mini 500; 'GC_OOF_XU' - COMEX Gold |
| future_option_spreads | 'AAA_OOF_EC', AAA is the future group | 'ES_OOF_CU' - CME ES e-Mini 500; 'GC_OOF_XU' - COMEX Gold |
| future_mixed_legs | 'AAA_MLEG_EC', AAA is the future group | 'ES_MLEG_CU' - CME ES e-Mini 500; 'GC_MLEG_XU' - COMEX Gold |
JSON Response
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| type | chain |
| status | Indicates if request completed successfully. Possible values are "ok" and "fail". |
| key | Original key. |
| rows | Array of data rows consisting of chain contracts. |
Each row contains information about the symbol, as well as array of data values.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| symbol | Instrument symbol. |
| status | Status indicating if symbol information was successfully returned. Possible values are "ok" and "fail". |
| data | Array of data values for each requested column. |
Each row response contains array of data for requested columns.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| c | Data column code. |
| s | Column status. Possible values are "ok" and "fail". |
| v | Data value. |
Historical Bar Data
HTTP Example:
curl -X GET 'https://api.activetick.com/bars.json?sessionid=768ec82c7c064f5fbc34300ce538b3f8&symbol=AAPL_S-U&bartype=intraday&minute=1&begintime=2022-01-10T00:00:00&endtime=2022-01-21T00:00:00&sessiontype=both&include_empty_bars=false'
-H "Connection: Keep-Alive"
-H "Accept: application/json"
The above command returns JSON structured like this:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json
Connection: Keep-Alive
Content-Length: 38211
{
"type": "bars",
"status": "ok",
"symbol": "AAPL_S U",
"bars": [
{"tm": "2022-01-10T09:00:00","o": "172.17","h": "172.77","l": "172.16","c": "172.34","v": "1295","t": "109"},
{"tm": "2022-01-10T09:01:00","o": "172.35","h": "172.42","l": "172.26","c": "172.28","v": "932","t": "82"},
{"tm": "2022-01-10T09:02:00","o": "172.28","h": "172.31","l": "172.15","c": "172.16","v": "1028","t": "57"},
{"tm": "2022-01-10T09:03:00","o": "172.19","h": "172.24","l": "172.16","c": "172.24","v": "2051","t": "70"},
{"tm": "2022-01-10T09:04:00","o": "172.24","h": "172.28","l": "172.15","c": "172.17","v": "1615","t": "110"},
{"tm": "2022-01-10T09:05:00","o": "172.16","h": "172.26","l": "172.16","c": "172.25","v": "334","t": "18"},
{"tm": "2022-01-10T09:06:00","o": "172.26","h": "172.31","l": "172.25","c": "172.30","v": "1475","t": "53"},
{"tm": "2022-01-10T09:07:00","o": "172.28","h": "172.36","l": "172.27","c": "172.31","v": "615","t": "28"},
{"tm": "2022-01-10T09:08:00","o": "172.30","h": "172.35","l": "172.30","c": "172.31","v": "590","t": "26"},
{"tm": "2022-01-10T09:09:00","o": "172.35","h": "172.38","l": "172.32","c": "172.38","v": "246","t": "13"},
{"tm": "2022-01-10T09:10:00","o": "172.36","h": "172.40","l": "172.35","c": "172.40","v": "462","t": "21"},
{"tm": "2022-01-10T09:11:00","o": "172.39","h": "172.40","l": "172.36","c": "172.36","v": "1132","t": "53"},
...
...
]
}
This endpoint returns historical bar data.
HTTP Request
GET /bars.json?sessionid={sessionId}&symbol={symbol}&bartype={barType}&minute={minute}&begintime={beginTime}&endtime={endTime}&sessiontype={sessionType}&include_empty_bars={boolean}
Query Parameters
| Parameter | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| sessionid | yes | Valid sessionid value returned from prior authorization. |
| symbol | yes | Instrument symbol. |
| bartype | yes | Bar type. |
| minute | no | Intraday minute compression. Required parameter for intraday bartype. |
| begintime | yes | Begin time for requesting range. |
| endtime | yes | End time for requesting range. |
| sessiontype | no | Optional parameter specifying type of session. Defaults to both if parameter is not set. |
| include_empty_bars | no | Optional boolean parameter to include empty bars in response even if trades didn't happen for those bars. Defaults to false if paramter is not set. |
Bar types
| Bar Type | Description |
|---|---|
| intraday | Intraday 1-60 minute bars. |
| daily | Daily bars. |
| weekly | Weekly Bars. |
Session types
| Session Type | Description |
|---|---|
| regular | Regular session only. |
| extended | Extended session only. |
| both | Both regular and extended session. |
JSON Response
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| type | bars |
| status | Indicates if request completed successfully. Possible values are "ok" and "fail". |
| symbol | Original symbol. |
| bars | Array of data bars consisting of bar data. |
Each bar data contains information about the bar.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| tm | Bar time. |
| o | Open price. |
| h | High price. |
| l | Low price. |
| c | Close price. |
| v | Volume. |
| t | Trade counts. |
Historical Tick Data
HTTP Example:
curl -X GET 'https://api.activetick.com/ticks.json?sessionid=768ec82c7c064f5fbc34300ce538b3f8&symbol=AAPL_S-U&ticktype=both&maxrecords=1000&begintime=2022-01-21T10:00:00&endtime=2022-01-21T12:00:00'
-H "Connection: Keep-Alive"
-H "Accept: application/json"
The above command returns JSON structured like this:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json
Connection: Keep-Alive
Content-Length: 151584
{
"type":"ticks",
"status":"ok",
"symbol":"AAPL_S U",
"ticks":[
{"t":"q","i":"2835","tm":"2022-01-21T10:00:01.265742794","b":"163.82","a":"163.93","bx":"P","ax":"Q","bz":"2","az":"1","c":"0"},
{"t":"t","i":"6626","tm":"2022-01-21T10:00:02.986469412","l":"163.90","x":"P","z":"1","f":"194","c":["37","12","0","0"]},
{"t":"t","i":"6627","tm":"2022-01-21T10:00:03.998868509","l":"163.90","x":"Q","z":"20","f":"194","c":["37","12","0","0"]},
{"t":"t","i":"6628","tm":"2022-01-21T10:00:03.998873260","l":"163.90","x":"Q","z":"7","f":"194","c":["37","12","0","0"]},
{"t":"t","i":"6629","tm":"2022-01-21T10:00:03.999450924","l":"163.90","x":"P","z":"29","f":"194","c":["37","12","0","0"]},
{"t":"q","i":"2836","tm":"2022-01-21T10:00:05.082729164","b":"163.82","a":"163.94","bx":"P","ax":"P","bz":"2","az":"1","c":"0"},
{"t":"t","i":"6630","tm":"2022-01-21T10:00:05.082732879","l":"163.93","x":"Q","z":"30","f":"194","c":["37","12","0","0"]},
{"t":"t","i":"6631","tm":"2022-01-21T10:00:07.042183294","l":"163.90","x":"P","z":"21","f":"194","c":["37","12","0","0"]},
{"t":"t","i":"6632","tm":"2022-01-21T10:00:07.042183412","l":"163.89","x":"P","z":"1","f":"194","c":["37","12","0","0"]},
{"t":"q","i":"2837","tm":"2022-01-21T10:00:11.993624918","b":"163.82","a":"163.93","bx":"P","ax":"P","bz":"2","az":"1","c":"0"},
{"t":"t","i":"6633","tm":"2022-01-21T10:00:12.314534157","l":"163.89","x":"P","z":"9","f":"194","c":["37","12","0","0"]},
{"t":"t","i":"6634","tm":"2022-01-21T10:00:12.314593373","l":"163.89","x":"P","z":"125","f":"194","c":["0","12","14","0"]},
{"t":"t","i":"6635","tm":"2022-01-21T10:00:13.337067632","l":"163.90","x":"Q","z":"73","f":"194","c":["37","12","14","0"]},
{"t":"t","i":"6636","tm":"2022-01-21T10:00:13.337070429","l":"163.87","x":"Q","z":"27","f":"194","c":["37","12","14","0"]},
...
...
]
}
This endpoint returns historical tick data.
HTTP Request
GET /ticks.json?sessionid={sessionId}&symbol={symbol}U&ticktype={tickType}&maxrecords={maxRecords}&begintime={beginTime}&endtime={endTime}
Query Parameters
| Parameter | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| sessionid | yes | Valid sessionid value returned from prior authorization. |
| symbol | yes | Instrument symbol. |
| ticktype | yes | Type of tick data to return. |
| maxrecords | yes | Maximum number of records to return wihin requesting time range. |
| begintime | yes | Begin time for requesting range. |
| endtime | yes | End time for requesting range. |
Tick types
| Tick Type | Description |
|---|---|
| trades | Trade records only. |
| quotes | Quote records only. |
| both | Both trade and quote records. |
JSON Response
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| type | ticks |
| status | Indicates if request completed successfully. Possible values are "ok" and "fail". |
| symbol | Original symbol. |
| ticks | Array of data ticks consisting of tick data. |
Each tick data record contains information about a tick. There are two types of tick data records, quotes and trades.
Quote tick record.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| t | Type of tick record, set to "q" for quote. |
| i | Index of tick record for current day. |
| tm | Tick record time. |
| b | Bid price. |
| a | Ask price. |
| bx | Bid exchange. |
| ax | Ask exchange. |
| bz | Bid size. |
| az | Ask size. |
| c | Quote condition. |
Trade tick record.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| t | Type of tick record, set to "t" for trade. |
| i | Index of tick record for current day. |
| tm | Tick record time. |
| l | Last traded price. |
| x | Last traded exchange. |
| z | Last traded size. |
| f | Trade flags. This is an integer value with ORed trade flags. |
| c | Array of 4 trade conditions. |
Snapshot Data
HTTP Example:
curl -X GET 'https://api.activetick.com/snapshot.json?sessionid=768ec82c7c064f5fbc34300ce538b3f8&symbols=EUR/USD_CFI,AAPL_S-U,IBM_S-U&columns=pc,l,b,a,bsz,asz,vol,ltm'
-H "Connection: Keep-Alive"
-H "Accept: application/json"
The above command returns JSON structured like this:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json
Connection: Keep-Alive
Content-Length: 771
{
"type":"snapshot",
"status":"ok",
"rows":[
{"symbol":"IBM_S U","status":"fail","data":[]},
{"symbol":"EUR/USD_CFI","status":"ok",
"data":[
{"c":"pc","s":"ok","v":"1.13013"},
{"c":"l","s":"ok","v":"1.13055"},
{"c":"b","s":"ok","v":"1.13049"},
{"c":"a","s":"ok","v":"1.13060"},
{"c":"bsz","s":"ok","v":"0"},
{"c":"asz","s":"ok","v":"0"},
{"c":"ltm","s":"ok","v":"2022-01-26T04:14:58.977000000"}
]
},
{"symbol":"AAPL_S U","status":"ok",
"data":[
{"c":"pc","s":"ok","v":"161.62"},
{"c":"l","s":"ok","v":"159.78"},
{"c":"b","s":"ok","v":"159.65"},
{"c":"a","s":"ok","v":"160.05"},
{"c":"bsz","s":"ok","v":"1"},
{"c":"asz","s":"ok","v":"4"},
{"c":"ltm","s":"ok","v":"2022-01-26T00:59:56.826201518"}
]
}
]
}
This endpoint provides access to static snapshot data values similar to SQL table for requested symbols and columns.
HTTP Request
GET /snapshot.json?sessionid={sessionId}&symbols={symbol1,symbol2..}&columns={col1,col2..}
Query Parameters
| Parameter | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| sessionid | yes | Valid sessionid value returned from prior authorization. |
| symbols | yes | List of symbols separated by commas. |
| columns | yes | List of data columns separated by commas. |
JSON Response
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| type | snapshot |
| status | Indicates if request completed successfully. Possible values are "ok" and "fail". |
| rows | Array of data rows for each requested symbol. |
Each row contains information about the symbol, as well as array of data values.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| symbol | Instrument symbol. |
| status | Status indicating if symbol information was successfully returned. |
| data | Array of data values for each requested column. |
| Row Status Code | Description |
|---|---|
| ok | Valid row information. |
| fail | Invalid row information because of invalid symbol or lack of permission. |
| max_limit_reached | Maximum limit of rows has been reached. |
Each row response contains array of data for requested columns.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| c | Data column code. |
| s | Column status. Possible values are "ok" and "fail". |
| v | Data value. |
Streaming Data
HTTP Example:
curl -X GET 'https://api.activetick.com/stream.json?sessionid=768ec82c7c064f5fbc34300ce538b3f8&symbols=AAPL_S-U,IBM_S-U'
-H "Connection: Keep-Alive"
-H "Accept: application/json"
The above command returns JSON structured like this:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json
Connection: Keep-Alive
Transfer-Encoding: chunked
{
"type":"stream",
"status":"ok",
"symbols":[
{"AAPL_S U":"ok"},
{"IBM_S U":"fail"}
]
"data":[
{
"type":"q",
"s":"AAPL_S U",
"tm":"1643211027608650318",
"so":"23",
"f":"104",
"co":"0",
"b":"161.83",
"bsz":"3",
"bex":"Q",
"a":"161.85",
"asz":"2",
"aex":"P"
},
{
"type":"q",
"s":"AAPL_S U",
"tm":"1643211027630493176",
"so":"23",
"bsz":"2",
"bex":"Z"
},
{
"type":"q",
"s":"AAPL_S U",
"tm":"1643211027630784061",
"so":"23",
"bex":"Q"
},
{
"type":"t",
"s":"AAPL_S U",
"tm":"1643211028401754064",
"so":"23",
"f":"3",
"l":"161.83",
"sz":"100",
"ex":"U"
},
{
"type":"q",
"s":"AAPL_S U",
"tm":"1643211028454944173",
"so":"23",
"aex":"K"
},
{
"type": "hb",
"time": "1643211357"
},
..
..
]
}
This endpoint subscribes to streaming data and streams data in chunked updates.
Request for streaming data must contain "Connection: Keep-Alive" header tag in order to keep the connection open. The server will maintain an open connection up until session token expires, or client disconnects.
Only one open streaming session is permitted.
Periodically the server will send a heartbeat message.
HTTP Request
GET /stream.json?sessionid=768ec82c7c064f5fbc34300ce538b3f8&symbols=AAPL_S-U,IBM_S-U
Query Parameters
| Parameter | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| sessionid | yes | Valid sessionid value returned from prior authorization. |
| symbols | yes | Array of symbols separated by commas. |
JSON Response
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| type | stream |
| status | Indicates if request completed successfully. Possible values are "ok" and "fail". |
| symbols | Array of symbols. The array includes subscription status for each symbol. |
| data | Array of messages that will be dynamically received as market events happen. |
| Symbol Status Code | Description |
|---|---|
| ok | Symbol was successfully subscribed. |
| fail | Symbol was not subscribed because the symbol is invalid or lack of permission. |
| max_limit_reached | Symbol was not subscribed because maximum limit of subscriptions has been reached. |
C++ example to convert epoch nanosecond timestamp to readable format
void EpochToDateTime(uint64_t epochNanos)
{
if(epochNanos == 0)
return;
uint32_t daysSinceEpoch = (uint32_t)(epochNanos / 86400000000000);
uint64_t remainderEpoch = epochNanos - daysSinceEpoch * 86400000000000;
daysSinceEpoch += 135080;
uint32_t year = (10000 * daysSinceEpoch + 14780) / 3652425;
int64_t ddd = (int32_t)daysSinceEpoch - (365 * year + year / 4 - year / 100 + year / 400);
if (ddd < 0)
{
--year;
ddd = (int32_t)daysSinceEpoch - (365 * year + year / 4 - year / 100 + year / 400);
}
int64_t mi = (100 * ddd + 52) / 3060;
uint16_t month = (uint16_t)((mi + 2) % 12 + 1);
year = year + (int32_t)((mi + 2) / 12 + 1600);
uint16_t day = (uint16_t)(ddd - (mi * 306 + 5) / 10 + 1);
uint16_t hour = (uint16_t)(remainderEpoch / 3600000000000);
uint64_t b = remainderEpoch % 3600000000000;
uint16_t minute = (uint16_t)(b / 60000000000);
uint64_t d = b % 60000000000;
uint16_t second = (uint16_t)(d / 1000000000);
uint32_t nanosecond = (uint32_t)(d % 1000000000);
printf("%04u-%02u-%02uT%02u:%02u:%02u.%09u",
year,
month,
day,
hour,
minute,
second,
nanosecond);
}
JSON Market Data Event Messages
Quote Message
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| type | q |
| s | Instrument symbol. |
| tm | Time of event in UTC epoch nanoseconds. |
| so | Source data feed. |
| f | Quote flags. |
| co | Quote condition. |
| b | Bid price. |
| bsz | Bid size. |
| bex | Bid exchange. |
| a | Ask price. |
| asz | Ask size. |
| aex | Ask exchange. |
Trade Message
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| type | t |
| s | Instrument symbol. |
| tm | Time of event in UTC epoch nanoseconds. |
| so | Source data feed. |
| f | Trade flags. |
| co | Array of 4 trade conditions. |
| l | Last price. |
| sz | Last size. |
| ex | Last exchange. |
Heartbeat Message
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| type | hb |
| time | Time in UTC epoch seconds. |
Reference
Symbology
ActiveTick API supports the following types of instruments:
- Stocks
- Indices
- Currencies
- Futures
- Stock Options
- Future Options
- Futures Spreads
A symbol consists of instrument-specific body, followed by 3-character code representing instrument type, instrument source exchange, and instrument country. The body and 3-character code is joined by an underscore ‘_’ character.
For instruments that trade on multiple exchanges, a special consolidated code is used to represent the source exchange.
Instrument Type Codes
| Type Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 'S' | Stock |
| 'I' | Index |
| 'C' | Currency |
| 'F' | Future |
| 'O' | Stock Option |
| 'P' | Future Option |
| 'D' | Future Spread |
Instrument Country Codes
| Country Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 'U' | United States |
| 'C' | Canada |
| 'I' | International (Used for Currencies) |
Symbology for Stocks
Stock and index instruments are the simplest forms of symbols. The body of the symbol is comprised of the instrument, followed by 3-character code.
US-based Stock Exchange Codes
| Exchange Code | Description |
|---|---|
| ' ' | Consolidated Exchange |
| 'A' | NYSE American, LLC (NYSE American) |
| 'B' | NASDAQ OMX BX, Inc. (NASDAQ OMX BX) |
| 'C' | NYSE National, Inc. (NYSE National) |
| 'D' | FINRA Alternative Display Facility (ADF) |
| 'H' | MIAX Pearl Exchange, LLC (MIAX) |
| 'I' | International Securities Exchange, LLC (ISE) |
| 'J' | Cboe EDGA Exchange, Inc. (Cboe EDGA) |
| 'K' | Cboe EDGX Exchange, Inc. (Cboe EDGX) |
| 'L' | Long-Term Stock Exchange, Inc. (LTSE) |
| 'M' | NYSE Chicago, Inc. (NYSE Chicago) |
| 'N' | New York Stock Exchange, LLC (NYSE) |
| 'P' | NYSE Arca, Inc. (NYSE Arca) |
| 'Q' | NASDAQ Stock Market, LLC (NASDAQ) |
| 'S' | Members Exchange, LLC (MEMX) |
| 'U' | OTC Markets, LLC |
| 'V' | Investors’ Exchange, LLC. (IEX) |
| 'W' | CBOE Stock Exchange, Inc. (CBSX) |
| 'X' | NASDAQ OMX PSX, Inc. (NASDAQ OMX PSX) |
| 'Y' | Cboe BYX Exchange, Inc. (Cboe BYX) |
| 'Z' | Cboe BZX Exchange, Inc. (Cboe BZX) |
Some examples of stock instrument symbols:
| Symbol | Description |
|---|---|
| AAPL_S U | AAPL symbol for consolidated exchanges |
| MSFT_SZU | MSFT symbol for Cboe BZX Exchange |
Symbology For Indices
Index instruments are similar to stock instruments, with exception of different instrument type code.
All index instruments use consolidated exchange code.
Some examples of index instrument symbols:
| Symbol | Description |
|---|---|
| DJI_I U | Dow Jones Industrial Index |
| SPX_I U | S&P 500 index |
Symbology for Currencies
Currency symbols contain a pair of currencies as its body, followed by 3-character code.
Currency symbols always use International country code.
Currency Exchange Code
| Exchange Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 'F' | Forex |
Some examples of currency instrument symbols:
| Symbol | Description |
|---|---|
| EUR/USD_CFI | Euro/USD pair |
| USD/CAD_CFI | USD/Canadian pair |
Symbology for Futures
Future symbols consist of a group, maturity date, and 3-character code. Underline character, ‘_’, is used as a separator between the group, maturity date and 3-character code.
Group portion of the symbol is exchange-specific group, such as “ES” for CME e-Minis, “CL” for NYMEX oil, etc.
Maturity portion of the symbol is represented in YYMMDD format. For instruments with standard maturity month, the day portion is set to “00”.
US-based Futures Exchange Codes
| Exchange Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 'C' | CME Exchange |
| 'K' | KCBT Exchange |
| 'N' | NYMEX Exchange |
| 'O' | CBOT Exchange |
| 'X' | COMEX Exchange |
Some examples of future instrument symbols:
| Symbol | Description |
|---|---|
| ES_220300_FCU | ESH2 CME e-Mini SP 500 contract with March 2022 maturity. |
| GC_220200_FXU | GCG2 COMEX Gold contract with February 2022 maturity. |
Symbology for Options
Option symbol consist of underlying symbol, expiration date, call/put indicator, strike price and strike price decimal code.
The following symbol format is used for options:
AAAA_YYMMDDXNNNNNP_IEC
Where:
- AAAA is the underlying symbol,
- YYMMDD is the expiration date,
- X is the call/put code,
- NNNNN is the strike price,
- P is the precision code,
- I is the instrument code,
- E is the exchange code,
- C is the country code
If option is a weekly option, the DD portion of expiration date will indicate week number the option expires, from W1 through W5. Precision code indicates how many digits are used for decimal portion of strike price.
Call/Put Codes
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 'C' | Call |
| 'P' | Put |
US-based Stock Options Exchange Codes
| Exchange Code | Description |
|---|---|
| ' ' | Consolidated OPRA |
US-based Future Options Exchange Codes
| Exchange Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 'C' | CME Exchange |
| 'K' | KCBT Exchange |
| 'N' | NYMEX Exchange |
| 'O' | CBOT Exchange |
| 'X' | COMEX Exchange |
Strike Price Precision Code
| Precision Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 'A' | 0 decimals |
| 'B' | 1 decimal |
| 'C' | 2 decimals |
| 'D' | 3 decimals |
| 'E' | 4 decimals |
| 'I' | 0 decimals negative |
| 'J' | 1 decimal negative |
| 'K' | 2 decimals negative |
| 'L' | 3 decimals negative |
| 'M' | 4 decimals negative |
Some examples of option instrument symbols:
| Symbol | Description |
|---|---|
| JNJ_211022C14700C_O U | JNJ Stock Call Option with 22/10/2021 expiration and 147.00 strike price |
| MSFT_220114P31000C_O U | MSFT Stock Put Option with 14/01/2022 expiration and 310.00 strike price |
| AAPL_1203W3C1234567B_O U | AAPL Weekly Stock Call Option |
| ES_120331C1234567A_PCU | ES e-Mini 500 Call Option |
Snapshot Data Columns
The following is a list of data column names used in snapshot data requests.
| Data Column Code | Description |
|---|---|
| s | Feed Source Code |
| pc | Previous Close |
| op | Open Price |
| cl | Close Price |
| l | Last Trade Price |
| b | Bid Price |
| a | Ask Price |
| hi | High Price |
| lo | Low Price |
| dhi | Daily High Price (including Ext-hours session) |
| dlo | Daily Low Price (including Ext-hours session) |
| yhi | 52-Week High Price |
| ylo | 52-Week Low Price |
| pop | Pre-market Open Price |
| el | Extended-hours Last Price |
| ecl | Extended-hours Close Price |
| bex | Bid Exchange |
| aex | Ask Exchange |
| lex | Last Trade Exchange |
| lco | Last Trade Condition |
| qco | Quote Condition |
| sbtm | Session Begin Time |
| setm | Session End Time |
| ltm | Last Trade Time |
| qtm | Quote Time |
| hitm | High Time |
| lotm | Low Time |
| dhitm | Daily High Time |
| dlotm | Daily Low Time |
| yhitm | 52-Week High Time |
| ylotm | 52-Week Low Time |
| lsz | Last Trade Size |
| bsz | Bid Size |
| asz | Ask Size |
| v | Volume |
| pv | Pre-market Volume |
| ev | Extened-hours Volume |
| tc | Trade Count |
| ptc | Pre-market Trade Count |
| etc | Extended-hours Trade Count |
| oi | Option Open Interest |
| sd | Short Description |
| ld | Long Description |
| sic | Stock SIC Code |
| sik | Stock SIK Code |
| pex | Stock Primary Exchange |
| av5 | 5-Day Average Volume |
| av10 | 10-Day Average Volume |
| av20 | 20-Day Average Volume |
| av50 | 50-Day Average Volume |
| av100 | 100-Day Average Volume |
| av200 | 200-Day Average Volume |
| ap5 | 5-Day Average Price |
| ap10 | 10-Day Average Price |
| ap20 | 20-Day Average Price |
| ap50 | 50-Day Average Price |
| ap100 | 100-Day Average Price |
| ap200 | 200-Day Average Price |
Quote Conditions
The following is a list of exchange-specific stock quote conditions used in historical tick data and streaming data.
| Quote Condition | Value |
|---|---|
| RegularQuote | 0 |
| RegularTwoSidedOpenQuote | 1 |
| RegularOneSidedOpenQuote | 2 |
| SlowAskQuote | 3 |
| SlowBidQuote | 4 |
| SlowBidAskQuote | 5 |
| SlowDueLRPBidQuote | 6 |
| SlowDueLRPAskQuote | 7 |
| SlowDueNYSELRPQuote | 8 |
| SlowDueSetSlowListBidAskQuote | 9 |
| ManualAskAutomaticBidQuote | 10 |
| ManualBidAutomaticAskQuote | 11 |
| ManualBidAndAskQuote | 12 |
| OpeningQuote | 13 |
| ClosingQuote | 14 |
| ClosedQuote | 15 |
| ResumeQuote | 16 |
| FastTradingQuote | 17 |
| TradingRangeIndicationQuote | 18 |
| MarketMakerQuotesClosedQuote | 19 |
| NonFirmQuote | 20 |
| NewsDisseminationQuote | 21 |
| OrderInfluxQuote | 22 |
| OrderImbalanceQuote | 23 |
| DueToRelatedSecurityNewsDisseminationQuote | 24 |
| DueToRelatedSecurityNewsPendingQuote | 25 |
| AdditionalInformationQuote | 26 |
| NewsPendingQuote | 27 |
| AdditionalInformationDueToRelatedSecurityQuote | 28 |
| DueToRelatedSecurityQuote | 29 |
| InViewOfCommonQuote | 30 |
| EquipmentChangeoverQuote | 31 |
| NoOpenNoResumeQuote | 32 |
| SubPennyTradingQuote | 33 |
| AutomatedBidNoOfferNoBid | 34 |
| LuldPriceBand | 35 |
| MarketWideCircuitBreakerLevel1 | 36 |
| MarketWideCircuitBreakerLevel2 | 37 |
| MarketWideCircuitBreakerLevel3 | 38 |
| RepublishedLuldPriceBand | 39 |
| IntradayAuction | 40 |
Trade Conditions
The following is a list of exchange-specific stock trade conditions used in historical tick data and streaming data.
| Trade Condition | Value |
|---|---|
| RegularTrade | 0 |
| AcquisitionTrade | 1 |
| AveragePriceTrade | 2 |
| AutomaticExecutionTrade | 3 |
| BunchedTrade | 4 |
| BunchSoldTrade | 5 |
| CAPElectionTrade | 6 |
| CashTrade | 7 |
| ClosingTrade | 8 |
| CrossTrade | 9 |
| DerivativelyPricedTrade | 10 |
| DistributionTrade | 11 |
| FormTTrade | 12 |
| FormTOutOfSequenceTrade | 13 |
| InterMarketSweepTrade | 14 |
| MarketCenterOfficialCloseTrade | 15 |
| MarketCenterOfficialOpenTrade | 16 |
| MarketCenterOpeningTrade | 17 |
| MarketCenterReOpenningTrade | 18 |
| MarketCenterClosingTrade | 19 |
| NextDayTrade | 20 |
| PriceVariationTrade | 21 |
| PriorReferencePriceTrade | 22 |
| Rule155AmexTrade | 23 |
| Rule127NyseTrade | 24 |
| OpeningTrade | 25 |
| OpenedTrade | 26 |
| RegularStoppedStockTrade | 27 |
| ReOpeningTrade | 28 |
| SellerTrade | 29 |
| SoldLastTrade | 30 |
| SoldLastStoppedStockTrade | 31 |
| SoldOutOfSequenceTrade | 32 |
| SoldOutOfSequenceStoppedStockTrade | 33 |
| SplitTrade | 34 |
| ContingentTrade | 35 |
| YellowFlagTrade | 36 |
| OddLotTrade | 37 |
| QualifiedContingentTrade | 38 |
| CorrectedConsolidatedClosePrice | 39 |
The following is a list of exchange-specific stock option trade conditions used in historical tick data and streaming data.
| Quote Condition | Value |
|---|---|
| OptionTradeConditionRegular | 0 |
| OptionTradeConditionCanc | 1 |
| OptionTradeConditionOseq | 2 |
| OptionTradeConditionCncl | 3 |
| OptionTradeConditionLate | 4 |
| OptionTradeConditionCnco | 5 |
| OptionTradeConditionOpen | 6 |
| OptionTradeConditionCnol | 7 |
| OptionTradeConditionOpnl | 8 |
| OptionTradeConditionAuto | 9 |
| OptionTradeConditionReop | 10 |
| OptionTradeConditionAjst | 11 |
| OptionTradeConditionSprd | 12 |
| OptionTradeConditionStdl | 13 |
| OptionTradeConditionStpd | 14 |
| OptionTradeConditionCstp | 15 |
| OptionTradeConditionBwrt | 16 |
| OptionTradeConditionCmbo | 17 |
| OptionTradeConditionSpim | 18 |
| OptionTradeConditionIsoi | 19 |
| OptionTradeConditionBnmt | 20 |
| OptionTradeConditionXmpt | 21 |
Trade Flags
The following is a list of trade flags used in historical tick trade data and streaming trade data.
Trade flag can contain multiple flags ORed together.
| Trade Flag | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| RegularMarketLastPrice | 0x1 | Last price can be used in regular trading session |
| RegularMarketVolume | 0x2 | Last size can be used in regular trading session |
| HighPrice | 0x4 | Last price is the high for the regular trading session |
| LowPrice | 0x8 | Last price is the low for the regular trading session |
| DayHighPrice | 0x10 | Last price is the high of the day, include extended trading sessions |
| DayLowPrice | 0x20 | Last price is the low of the day, include extended trading sessions |
| ExtendedMarketLastPrice | 0x40 | Last price can be used in extended trading session |
| PreMarketVolume | 0x80 | Last size can be used in pre-open trading session |
| AfterMarketVolume | 0x100 | Last size can be used in after-close trading session |
| ClosePrice | 0x200 | Last price is the closing price for current session |
| OpenPrice | 0x400 | Last price is the open price for current session |
Error Codes
When an error is encountered you will receive an HTTP status code along with a message and error code in the body of the response. The message is intended to give a user-friendly explanation of the error while the error codes are designed to be machine readable codes that applications can use to better understand the context of the error and react appropriately.
We use the following status codes for errors:
| Status | Code Meaning |
|---|---|
| 400 | Bad Request – The request contains errors. |
| 401 | Unauthorized – The authentication process failed, or the access token is not valid. |
| 403 | Forbidden – Access to this resource is restricted for the given caller. |
| 404 | Not Found – The specified resource could not be found. |
| 405 | Method Not Allowed – An invalid method was used to access a resource. |
| 406 | Not Acceptable – An unsupported format was requested. |
| 408 | Request Timed out - Request took too much time to respond and timed-out. |
| 409 | Conflict – The requested operation on the resource cannot be made due the resource state. |
| 429 | Too Many Requests - Exceeded maximum allowed request limit per minute. Try again next minute. |
| 500 | Internal Server Error – There was a problem with the API host server. Try again later. |
| 503 | Service Unavailable – API is temporarily offline for maintenance. Try again later. |