Introduction

About 5 min

Introduction

Tiger Open API platform provides interface services for both individual quant developers and institutional clients. To make the APIs easier to use, we developed this software development kit (SDK). The Open API SDK encapsulates the underlying interfaces that Tiger Brokers offers, providing a convenient way for our users to trade, monitor and manage their accounts in their self-designed trading programs, using programming languages of their choice(Java/Python/C++/C#). Currently, the Tiger Open API supports all types of accounts opened at Tiger Brokers, including global account, prime account and paper trade accounts.

Primary Users

The Open API platform is desgined for quantitative investors with a basic understanding in quantitative trading strategies and a working knowledge of software development.

Major Functions

  • Create orders, modify or cancel orders, and check the status of orders
  • Check account status, such as balances and current positions
  • Get market data, such as quotes for U.S. and HK stocks, or stock options, as well as other related market data
  • Get notification for changes of order status, positions, or market price of a specific stock, etc.

Trade a Varity of Products in Global Markets

Products available for trade:

MarketProductsPrime AccountPaper Account
U.S.Stocks, ETFs(Fraction trading,only Prime account)
Options
Futures
HongkongStocks, ETFs
Options
Futures
Warrant
CBBC
SingaporeStocks, ETFs
Futures
AustraliaStocks, ETFs

Note:The prime account allows placing orders outside regular trading hours. However, your paper trading account may have some additional restrictions when trading certain products after markets

Market Quote Available:

MarketTypes of ProductsName of Quote Subscription
U.S.StocksLevel1
U.S.StocksLevel2 Market Depth data
U.SFuturesCME、CBOT etc
HongKongStocksHKEX Level2

Note 1: Trading on margin is only supported for certain stocks

Note 2:We recommend using Tiger Prime account,if you have a Gobal account and would like to use Open API, please contact usopen in new window

Market Data Permissions

We offer two types of market data permissions for US stocks: Level 0 Basic Market Data, Level 1 Standard Market Data, and Level 2 Advanced Market Data. There are two types of market data permissions for Hong Kong stocks: Level 0 Basic Market Data and Level 2 Advanced Market Data.

US Stock Market Data Permissions | Explanation

Market Data LevelDescription
US Stock Level 1 Standard Market DataLevel 1 data allows you to view the latest stock prices, detailed trade-by-trade data, and the best bid and ask data.
US Stock Level 2 Advanced Market DataLevel 2 data provides deep market information, including 40 levels of depth data, volume-price distribution charts, and large order alerts.

Hong Kong Stock Market Data Permissions | Explanation

Market Data LevelDescription
Hong Kong Stock Level 0 Basic Market DataLevel 0 data provides basic market information, requiring manual refresh for the latest prices. It does not include order book data, trade-by-trade details, or broker queues.
Hong Kong Stock Level 2 Advanced Market DataLevel 2 data offers advanced market information with automatic price updates, 10 levels of order book data, detailed trade-by-trade information, and broker queues.

Support for Multiple Order Types

  • Open API currently supports the following order types:
Order TypeDescription
Market OrderA market order does not require customers to set a specific price. It will be executed at the current market price. Market orders allow for quick execution but do not guarantee a specific execution price. During rapid market fluctuations or for less actively traded stocks, market orders may be filled at a higher or lower price. Please evaluate the associated risks before placing market orders.
Limit OrderA limit order requires customers to specify a specific price. It will only be executed if the stock price reaches the specified price or a better price. Limit orders will only be filled at the limit price or better, allowing customers to lock in a specific price range. However, using limit orders may result in missed opportunities if the stock price does not reach or surpass the limit price.
Stop OrderA stop order is triggered when the stock price reaches or exceeds the customer's specified stop price. The system will automatically submit a market order based on the chosen buy or sell direction. Stop orders serve to protect profits or limit losses. Please note that a successful placement of a stop order or the submission of a market order after the stop price is triggered does not guarantee execution. If your account experiences insufficient buying power, insufficient holdings, etc., subsequent market orders may fail.
Stop Limit OrderA stop limit order allows customers to set a specified stop price and a limit price. Once the stock price reaches the set stop price, the order will be placed as a limit order. This type of order can be placed as a limit order to avoid significant deviations between the execution price and the customer's expected stop price. However, if the price rapidly drops below the limit price and continues to decline, the order may not be executed, resulting in increasing losses. Please note that some underlying assets may not support stop limit orders.
Trailing Stop OrderA trailing stop order allows customers to automatically adjust the stop trigger price based on market price fluctuations by setting a trailing amount or percentage. When the market price reaches the user-defined trailing stop price, the system will automatically place a buy or sell market order. Trailing stop orders automatically adjust based on favorable market price movements within the user-defined amount/percentage, limiting potential losses without restricting possible gains. However, trailing stop orders cannot guarantee a specific execution price and may execute at a price far from the stop trigger price.
Attached OrdersAttached orders use sub-orders to achieve profit-taking or stop-loss effects for the main order. Available sub-order types for attachment include limit orders (for profit-taking) and stop limit orders/stop orders (for stop-loss purposes).

Algorithmic Orders

  • Open API supports the following algorithmic order types:
Algorithmic Order TypeDescription
TWAP (Time-Weighted Average Price)TWAP is a simple and traditional algorithmic trading strategy. The purpose of the TWAP model is to reduce the impact on the market while providing a relatively low average execution price, thereby minimizing trading costs. In situations where intraday trading volume cannot be accurately estimated, this model can effectively achieve the basic goal of algorithmic trading.
VWAP (Volume-Weighted Average Price)VWAP is an algorithmic trading strategy that splits large orders into smaller ones, executing them in batches within a specified time period. The goal is to achieve a final buying or selling price as close as possible to the overall market's average price during that time segment.

For a list of supported order type, please see FAQ - Trade - Supported Order Types

Supported Account Types

  • Prime account: Support trading of U.S. stocks, Hong Kong stocks, A-Shares, options and futures. Margin and short selling function supports some stocks. Both Margin and Cash accounts are supported. Please refer to the FAQ section of this documentation, or contact our support team for a full list of tradable securities and corresponding trading hours
  • Paper trade account: We offer mocking trading of U.S. stocks, stock options, Hong Kong stocks and A-Shares
  • Global account: Please contact us for more information

No Additional Charge

Users can use the Open API for free as long as they have an active Tiger account and Deposit. Open API is a free service, there are no additional fees for orders placed via the Open API. For more information, please see the Fee Structuresopen in new window page of Tiger Brokers' official website.

  • To get market via Open API, you must have an active API market data subscription. This subscription is independant from the market subscription for our APP and must be purchased separatly. Please see Fees and Permissions for more information.
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