Kraken API Trading and Integration
Build automated trading strategies, integrate market data feeds, and manage accounts programmatically with Kraken's REST and WebSocket API.
API Interfaces
REST API
The Kraken REST API provides endpoints for account management, order placement, trade history, and market data retrieval. Authenticated requests use HMAC-SHA512 signatures for security. The REST interface supports all order types available on Kraken Pro including conditional and advanced orders.
Rate limits are tiered based on account verification level and endpoint type. Public market data endpoints have generous limits for real-time price monitoring and chart data retrieval. Private endpoints for order management support high-frequency strategies with appropriate rate limit tiers.
WebSocket API
Real-time streaming data through persistent WebSocket connections. Subscribe to order book updates, trade feeds, ticker data, and OHLC candles with sub-second latency. The WebSocket API is essential for strategies requiring immediate market data without polling overhead.
Private WebSocket channels provide real-time notifications for order fills, cancellations, and balance updates. This allows your trading system to react to execution events immediately rather than polling the REST API for status changes.
Build Your Trading System
Kraken's API supports languages including Python, JavaScript, Go, Rust, and any language capable of HTTP and WebSocket communication. Official and community client libraries simplify authentication, request signing, and response parsing.
The API documentation includes working code examples for common operations: placing orders, checking balances, subscribing to market data, and managing positions. Sandbox environments allow testing strategies without risking real funds.
- REST and WebSocket interfaces
- HMAC-SHA512 authenticated requests
- FIX protocol for institutional connectivity
- Sandbox testing environment
- Official libraries: Python, JavaScript, Go
- Rate limits scaled to account tier
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, API access is included with every Kraken account at no additional cost. Standard trading fees apply to orders placed through the API, identical to manual trading.
The API works with any language that supports HTTP and WebSocket connections. Official client libraries are available for Python, JavaScript, and Go. Community libraries exist for Rust, C#, PHP, and others.
Yes, Kraken provides a sandbox environment for testing API integrations without risking real funds. The sandbox mirrors the production API interface with simulated market data.