Alpaca

Alpaca is an API-first broker supporting stocks, crypto, and options. Automate your trading strategies with TradersPost on your Alpaca account.

Contact Information

Email: [email protected]

Phone: none

Supported Asset Classes

  • Stocks
  • Crypto
  • Options

Automate stocks, options and crypto on Alpaca

Alpaca is an API-first broker, and one connection can carry stock, stock-option and crypto orders. The catch is that the rules differ by asset class, so the useful question is what each one allows.

One broker, three sets of rules

Stocks are the most flexible on Alpaca. Options and crypto are narrower, so if you run the same idea across asset classes, expect to send exits as separate simple orders on the options and crypto side.

  • Take profit and stop loss

    Stocks
    Attached to the entry
    Options
    Separate simple orders
    Crypto
    Separate simple orders

Alpaca does not accept complex orders (OCO, OTO, bracket) for options or crypto, and says so in its own error message. That is an Alpaca limit, not something TradersPost can work around.

What Alpaca supports

Order types and features by asset class, as TradersPost sends them to Alpaca.

What Alpaca supports
Capability Stocks Long and short Crypto Long only Stock options Long and short
Order types
Market orders Yes Yes Yes
Limit orders Yes Yes Yes
Stop orders Yes No Yes
Stop-limit orders Yes Yes Yes
Trailing stops Yes No No
Time in force
Day Yes No Yes
Good till canceled Yes Yes No
Immediate or cancel Yes Yes No
Fill or kill Yes No No
At the open Yes No No
At the close Yes No No
Attached exits
Bracket orders Yes No No
OCO orders Yes No No
OTO orders Yes No No
Trailing stop attached No No No
Direction and size
Short selling Yes No Yes
Fractional quantity Yes Yes Not applicable
  • Crypto: For a crypto stop loss, send a stop-limit order as its own exit.
  • Stock options: Take profit and stop loss cannot be attached to the entry. Send them as separate signals after the entry.

Alpaca: 4 things that work differently

  • Sizing Fractional stock orders have rules of their own

    A fractional stock order must be a day order, long only, with no take profit or stop loss attached. Alpaca accepts up to 9 decimal places.

  • Sizing Crypto orders under $10 are rejected

    Alpaca rejects orders under $10 on crypto. Size small positions by dollar amount so the quantity stays above it.

  • Orders Options orders are Day only

    Alpaca accepts only Day time in force on options. Market, limit, stop and stop limit orders work.

  • Orders Crypto time in force is GTC or IOC

    Crypto on Alpaca takes GTC or IOC, never Day, and cannot carry attached take profit or stop loss.

Supported Countries

Alpaca is supported in multiple countries. Take a look at the supported countries list to determine if you are eligible to use Alpaca in your country.

Limitations

  • Alpaca does not support complex orders (OCO, OTO, bracket) for the Crypto or Options asset class. This is a limitation of the Alpaca broker and not a limitation of TradersPost. If you submit a complex order to Alpaca for the Crypto or Options asset class, you will receive a message that says "Complex orders not supported for options trading".
  • Alpaca does not support index options. Use stock/ETF options on Alpaca, or connect TradeStation, Tradier, E*TRADE, or tastytrade for index options.
  • Alpaca does not allow shorting crypto. Their documentation states that "cryptocurrencies are not shortable", so a strategy trading crypto on Alpaca must be configured for long positions only.
  • Alpaca supports only Market, Limit and Stop Limit orders for the Crypto asset class. Stop and Trailing Stop are not available, which also means a crypto stop loss cannot use those types.
  • Alpaca does not support Trailing Stop orders for the Options asset class. If you submit one, Alpaca answers with "Invalid order type for options trading". Market, Limit, Stop and Stop Limit all work. Alpaca's own dashboard does offer a trailing stop on options, but their API does not, and TradersPost places every order through the API.

Alpaca automation questions

Can I automate TradingView strategies into Alpaca?
Yes. Point a TradingView alert at your TradersPost webhook. TradersPost turns that JSON into orders on the Alpaca account you connected and subscribed.