Computer / Software / Brokerage Questions

What brokers do you support?

Currently, Trade Automation Toolkit works with only Interactive Brokers (IBKR)

What do I need to install the software?

The software must be installed on a Windows 10/11 PC or Windows Server 2022. You must also install and be running IBKR’s Trader Workstation (TWS) software. If 

What happens if I lose internet or power?

All Stop orders submitted to IBKR are running on their servers and will execute even if TAT is not running or not connected to the internet. Some of our users choose to run the software on a cloud PC from WIndows365.com. Windows 365 PC’s run in Microsoft data centers with highly redundant power and internet connections. This allows the application to continue running in the event you lose power or internet at your location. Also, you can use a remote desktop client to connect to your cloud PC from any computer or mobile device.

Can I move the software to a different computer?

You may only run Trade Automation Toolbox on one computer at a time. You may copy your data from one computer to another to retain your configuration and trade history. If you look at the settings page at the bottom you can see the folder where the database files are stored. Will looks something like:

C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Local\Packages\TradeAutomationToolbox_f46cr67q31chc\LocalState

If you go to that folder, you'll want to copy the data.db3 (live mode) and test.db3 (test mode) files.

Then on your new computer, install TAT. Go to the settings and find the data folder, which may be slightly different. Once you know the location, close TAT and copy over the original .db3 files to the new computer.

What do you have to do at your broker to get this set up?

You need to have an IBKR Pro account, appropriate market data permissions, and Trader Workstation (TWS) software installed. More information is available in our getting started documentation.

What is involved in getting this running each day?

Each day you will need to start TWS and log in to your IBKR account. Once connected, you will launch Trade Automation Toolbox, sign in to your TAT account, and click the Connect button to connect to IBKR.

Do I need to be in the USA to use the software? 

No. As long as you have an IBKR account with access to real time data and trading for SPX options, you can trade with TAT. However, the software is configured to run on the time zone of the computer it is installed on and it performs an end of day reset at midnight. If the US market is open past midnight your local time, you will need to change the timezone on your trading computer so that the entire trading day occurs prior to midnight. (We recommend using US Eastern time to match the market.)

How do I create a second user with IBKR if I want to run paper and live trading simultaneously?

IBKR only allows live streaming data on either your paper trading or live account at the same time, but not both. To have live streaming at the same time on both, you need to create a second username and subscribed to data for that user as well: https://ibkr.info/node/1004

I got the message “Outdated quote detected - trade aborted”. What does that mean and how can I fix it? 

That's a safety feature to avoid opening a trade if the quotes are outdated. We don't want to enter trades based on what the pricing was and where SPX was minutes ago. Quotes should be streaming in real time from TWS, but on occasion we have seen them stop or be delayed for some reason. It will correct itself most times, but restarting TAT which renews all of the data subscriptions should fix it right away.

Can I keep TWS from closing every night? 

TWS can be configured so that you only need to sign in to it once a week. In the Global Config, Lock and Exit settings, change the Auto Logoff settings to "Auto restart". This will restart TWS on a schedule, but it will keep you signed in for 1 week.