# Alpaca

> Trade stocks and crypto via Alpaca API, including market data, order placement, portfolio management, and account info, with support for paper and live trading.

- Skill: `kbarbel640-del/alpaca` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 4 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add kbarbel640-del/alpaca`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/kbarbel640-del/alpaca/raw
- Safety review: CAUTION (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector WARNING)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Integrations & APIs, Finance & Business, REST & GraphQL APIs, Trading & Investing
- Tags: Alpaca, Crypto, Market Data, Orders, Paper Trading, Portfolio, Stocks, Trading
- Author: kbarbel640-del (https://skillmd.com/u/kbarbel640-del)
- Updated: 2026-08-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/kbarbel640-del/alpaca

---


# Alpaca Trading Skill

Trade stocks and crypto programmatically via Alpaca's API.

## Setup

Requires API credentials stored in environment or config:

```bash
# Set environment variables
export ALPACA_API_KEY="your-api-key"
export ALPACA_SECRET_KEY="your-secret-key"
export ALPACA_PAPER="true"  # "true" for paper, "false" for live
```

Or store in `~/.openclaw/credentials/alpaca.json`:

```json
{
  "apiKey": "your-api-key",
  "secretKey": "your-secret-key",
  "paper": true
}
```

## Quick Reference

### Get Quote
```bash
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py quote AAPL
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py quote AAPL,TSLA,NVDA
```

### Get Bars (Historical Data)
```bash
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py bars AAPL --timeframe 1Day --limit 10
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py bars AAPL --timeframe 1Hour --start 2026-02-01
```

### Check Account
```bash
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py account
```

### List Positions
```bash
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py positions
```

### Place Orders
```bash
# Market order
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py order buy AAPL 10

# Limit order
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py order buy AAPL 10 --limit 150.00

# Stop order
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py order sell TSLA 5 --stop 200.00

# Stop-limit order
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py order sell TSLA 5 --stop 200.00 --limit 195.00

# Skip price validation (use with caution)
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py order buy AAPL 10 --limit 999.00 --force
```

**Order Guardrails:**

1. **Symbol validation** — Rejects invalid/unknown tickers
2. **Buying power check** — Blocks orders exceeding available funds, shows max shares
3. **Duplicate detection** — Warns if you have open orders for same symbol/side
4. **Price validation** — Warns if limit price is worse than market
5. **Market hours check** — Detects pre-market, after-hours, and closed sessions
   - Pre-market (4:00 AM - 9:30 AM ET): Option to place pre-market order
   - After-hours (4:00 PM - 8:00 PM ET): Option to place after-hours order
   - Closed: Warns order will queue until market open
6. **Cost confirmation** — Shows total cost and requires confirmation

Use `--force` to skip all confirmation prompts (use with caution).

### List Orders
```bash
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py orders
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py orders --status open
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py orders --status closed --limit 20
```

### Cancel Order
```bash
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py cancel ORDER_ID
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py cancel all  # Cancel all open orders
```

### Get News
```bash
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py news AAPL
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py news AAPL,TSLA --limit 5
```

### Watchlist
```bash
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py watchlist list
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py watchlist create "Tech Stocks" AAPL,MSFT,GOOGL
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py watchlist add WATCHLIST_ID NVDA
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py watchlist delete WATCHLIST_ID
```

### Stream Live Data (Websocket)
```bash
# Stream trades (default)
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py stream AAPL

# Stream quotes
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py stream AAPL,TSLA --type quotes

# Stream bars (1-min)
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py stream NVDA --type bars

# Stream all data types
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py stream AAPL --type all
```

Press Ctrl+C to stop streaming.

### Price Alerts
```bash
# Add alert - notify when INTU drops below $399
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py alert add --symbol INTU --price 399 --condition below

# Add alert - notify when AAPL goes above $300
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py alert add --symbol AAPL --price 300 --condition above

# List active alerts
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py alert list

# Check alerts (used by cron)
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py alert check

# Remove an alert
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py alert remove --alert_id ABC123

# Clear all alerts
python3 scripts/alpaca_cli.py alert clear
```

Alerts are stored in `~/.openclaw/data/alpaca-alerts.json`.

## Script Location

All commands use: `scripts/alpaca_cli.py` (relative to this skill directory)

## API Reference

See `references/api.md` for detailed API documentation and response formats.

## Safety Notes

- Always confirm with user before placing real trades
- Paper trading (`ALPACA_PAPER=true`) recommended for testing
- Check buying power before large orders
- Verify order details before submission