API Keys & Rate Limits

API Keys & Rate Limits

API Key Summary

Provider	Env Variable	Free Tier	Signup Link
Finnhub	FINNHUB_API_KEY	30 calls/sec	finnhub.io
Alpha Vantage	ALPHA_VANTAGE_API_KEY	5 calls/min, 25 calls/day	alphavantage.co
FRED	FRED_API_KEY	No hard limit	fred.stlouisfed.org

All three keys are free and take under a minute to get.

Tools Available Without Any API Key (29 tools)

These modules work immediately with zero configuration:

Module	Tools	Data Source
TradingView	10	TradingView scanner API
TradingView Crypto	4	TradingView scanner API
SEC EDGAR	6	SEC EDGAR EFTS + XBRL
CoinGecko	3	CoinGecko public API
Options	5	Yahoo Finance
Options CBOE	1	CBOE CDN

Rate Limits & Caching

All modules use in-memory TTL caching to stay within limits automatically.

Data Source	Rate Limit	Cache TTL	Notes
TradingView	No documented limit	—	Data is 15-min delayed
SEC EDGAR	10 req/sec	5 min	Requires User-Agent header (handled automatically)
CoinGecko	~30 calls/min	1 min	No API key needed for basic access
Yahoo Finance	No documented limit	5 min	Options data; 15-min delayed
CBOE CDN	No documented limit	30 min	End-of-day put/call ratio data
Finnhub	30 calls/sec (free)	5 min	Very generous free tier
Alpha Vantage	5 calls/min, 25/day (free)	1 min	Most restrictive; 12s delay between batch requests
FRED	No hard limit	30 min	Very generous; data typically 1-2 weeks lagged

Alpha Vantage Tips

Alpha Vantage has the tightest free-tier limits (25 calls/day). To maximize value:

• Use batch requests: alphavantage_overview accepts up to 5 tickers at once
• Cache-friendly: Repeated calls within 1 minute hit cache, not the API
• Use TradingView first: For quotes and technicals, use the free TradingView tools. Reserve Alpha Vantage for fundamentals, earnings history, and dividends that only it provides
• Consider a paid key: $50/month gets 75 calls/min with no daily limit

Data Freshness

Data Type	Delay	Tools
Real-time	Seconds	finnhub_quote, finnhub_market_status
15-minute delayed	15 min	All TradingView tools, options tools
End-of-day	Next trading day	options_put_call_ratio
Economic data	1-2 weeks	All FRED tools (depends on indicator release schedule)
SEC filings	Real-time	All EDGAR tools (available as soon as filed)

Error Handling

When rate limits are hit, tools return error responses with retry hints rather than crashing. Example:

{
  "error": true,
  "code": "RATE_LIMITED",
  "message": "Alpha Vantage rate limit exceeded. Try again in 60 seconds."
}

The in-memory cache prevents most rate limit issues during normal use. If you're hitting limits, space out your requests or use cached-friendly batch patterns.