Index Options Trading

TradersPost supports cash-settled index options on major U.S. indexes. Index options are a separate asset class from stock and ETF options. To trade them, create a strategy with Asset class set to Index Options and send signals to that strategy's webhook URL.

Supported Indexes

Use the canonical underlying ticker in signals and subscription ticker lists:

Supported Brokers

• TradeStation
• E*TRADE
• tastytrade
• Tradier
• Public.com

Getting Started

1. Enable Options in your TradersPost account settings. That unlocks both stock/ETF options and index options.
2. Create a new strategy and set Asset class to Index Options.
3. Connect a supported broker subscription and allow the index tickers you want to trade (for example SPX).
4. Configure option chain scanning the same way you would for stock and ETF options — option type, expiration, intrinsic value, strikes away, and related settings.
5. Send webhook signals to the Index Options strategy URL.

Option chain scanning, directional entry/exit behavior, and contract symbol formats work the same as documented in Stock Options Trading.

Expiration Series Filters

When you configure option chain scanning (in subscription settings or the webhook signal), you can narrow expirations by series type. TradersPost uses the same filters on every supported broker:

0DTE and LEAPS can overlap the other filters. For example, a contract can be both 0DTE and Daily.

Which Contract Root Is Used

For the chain scan, TradersPost picks the contract root from the series filter:

• Monthly uses the monthly-style root.
• Weekly, Daily, End of Month, and Quarterly use the weekly / short-term root when one exists.
• 0DTE, LEAPS, or no series filter can consider both.

Why Lists Can Differ By Broker

Brokers do not always classify the same calendar date the same way. TradersPost maps each broker’s expirations into the shared filters above so Weekly and Monthly mean the same thing in your strategy, but the dates you see under a filter can still differ from one broker to another.

In particular on E*TRADE, some Fridays that have weekly-style contracts are only classified as monthly by the broker. TradersPost may still show those near-term Fridays under Weekly so you can scan the weekly-style root (SPXW, NDXP, and similar). That can make the E*TRADE Weekly list a bit wider than tastytrade, TradeStation, or Tradier for the same underlying. If a date appears there but the broker has no weekly-style contracts for it, chain scanning will not find a matching weekly-style contract.

On Tradier, the same third Friday can appear for both the monthly-style and weekly-style roots. TradersPost keeps that date available under Weekly when you are scanning weekly-style contracts.

VIX

Monthly still covers standard VIX settlements. Empty Weekly, End of Month, Quarterly, or LEAPS results mean no expiration matched that filter — not a broken connection.

Webhook Signals

Send signals to your Index Options webhook the same way you would for stock options. Examples assume option type Both (long calls on action=buy, long puts on action=sell).

Enter Bullish

{
    "ticker": "SPX",
    "action": "buy"
}

Enter Bearish

{
    "ticker": "SPX",
    "action": "sell"
}

Chain Filters In The Signal

{
    "ticker": "SPX",
    "action": "buy",
    "expiration": "+0 days",
    "intrinsicValue": "atm",
    "optionType": "call",
    "strikesAway": 0
}

Explicit Contract

{
    "ticker": "SPX",
    "action": "buy",
    "expiration": "2026-03-20",
    "optionType": "call",
    "strikePrice": 5800
}

See Webhooks for the full signal field reference.

Related

• Stock Options Trading — stock and ETF options setup, symbol formats, and chain scanning
• Webhooks — signal message reference
• Strategies — creating a strategy and choosing an asset class