Getting Started
Welcome to schwab-py! Read this page to learn how to install and configure
your first Schwab Python application.
Schwab API Access
Before we do anything with schwab-py, you’ll need to create a developer
account with Schwab and register an application. By the end of this section,
you’ll have accomplished the three prerequisites for using schwab-py:
Create an application.
Choose and save the callback URL (important for authenticating).
Receive an app key and a secret.
You can create a developer account here. The instructions from here on out assume you’re logged in, so make sure you log into the developer site after you’ve created your account.
Next, you’ll want to create an application and populate the
required fields. The first thing you’ll select is the API Product. We in the
community aren’t currently clear on the difference between the options
(“Accounts and Trading” and “Market Data”). It seems that selecting “Accounts
and Trading” grants access to all APIs supported by schwab-py, so unless you
have a reason to do differently, we recommend selecting that option.
Next are the app name and description. schwab-py does not use these values,
but the folks at at Schwab might. We recommend being descriptive here, if only
so that users and app approvers know what your app will do.
Next is the callback URL. In a nutshell, the OAuth login flow that Schwab uses works by opening a login page, securely collecting credentials on their domain, and then sending an HTTP request to the callback URL with ingredients for the token in the URL query.
The vast majority of users should set their callback URL to
https://127.0.0.1 (note the lack of a trailing slash). This means that once
the login flow is completed, the generated credentials are sent back to your
machine, rather than any external server. Certain advanced users may be able to
receive this data at a server, but this documentation assumes they are advanced
enough not to need our help creating such a setup.
In any case, note that whatever callback URL you choose, you must pass it to
schwab-py exactly in the same way as you specified it while creating your
app. Any deviation (including the addition of trailing slashes!) can cause
difficult-to-debug issues. Be careful not to mis-copy this value.
After your app is created, you will likely see it in an Approved - Pending
state when you view it in your dashboard. Don’t be fooled by the word
Approved: your app is not yet ready for use. You must wait for Schwab to
approve it, at which point its status will be Ready For Use. This can take
up to a few days. Only then can you proceed to using schwab-py.
Once your app is created and approved, you will receive your app key and secret.
Neither of these are meant to be shared by anyone, so keep them safe. You will
also be required to pass these into schwab-py. This library does not share
these values with anyone except official Schwab endpoints.
Installing schwab-py
This section outlines the installation process for client users. For developers, check out Contributing to schwab-py.
The recommended method of installing schwab-py is using pip from
PyPi in a virtualenv. First create a virtualenv in your project
directory. Here we assume your virtualenv is called my-venv:
pip install virtualenv
virtualenv -v my-venv
source my-venv/bin/activate
You are now ready to install schwab-py:
pip install schwab-py
That’s it! You’re done! You can verify the install succeeded by importing the package:
import schwab
If this succeeded, you’re ready to move on to Authentication and Client Creation.
Note that if you are using a virtual environment and switch to a new terminal your virtual environment will not be active in the new terminal, and you need to run the activate command again. If you want to disable the loaded virtual environment in the same terminal window, use the command:
deactivate
Getting Help
If you are ever stuck, feel free to join our Discord server to ask questions, get advice, and chat with like-minded people. If you feel you’ve found a bug, you can fill out a bug report.