Broker API
IG API: questions and answers
8 questions about the IG API, each answered from the IG record on this site and nothing else. 2 rest on sources that conflict.
Risk warning: CFDs and spread bets are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You can lose money on these products, and each provider publishes its own loss figure under FCA rules. You should consider whether you understand how they work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Automated and API trading can amplify losses through bugs, connectivity failures and runaway orders.
An answer here is the record's own wording, cut at the end of a sentence, or a list of names read from records. An answer that opens with the word Unverified has no dated source behind it. Where this page and the provider's own documentation differ, the documentation wins. Nothing here recommends a broker.
IG API questions
Does IG have an API?
Yes. This register records IG as having its own API (REST and Streaming), with availability marked as active. REST plus streaming for IG spread bet and CFD accounts.
IG Labschecked
Does IG have a demo or paper trading API?
Partial: demo API works, but no key from a standalone demo account unless it is linked to a live account.
How to use IG APIchecked IG Labs FAQ: the demo and live base addresses, and the demo key rulechecked IG REST trading API guide: examples on the demo hostchecked
The IG record's full wording. The same question for every record.
What are IG's API rate limits?
Sources conflict on at least one of these limits, and the rate limits page shows both readings. The limits register holds 5 limit records for the IG API, each with its own scope: Historical price data points a week, Non trading requests a minute, Concurrent streaming subscriptions and Trading requests a minute.
Sources conflictlabs.ig.comchecked
IG API rate limits in full, each with its scope. The same question for every record.
How do I authenticate with the IG API?
Sources conflict. API key plus username and password returns CST and X-SECURITY-TOKEN, valid 12 hours on a rolling basis with each call resetting the clock on the IG Labs FAQ, while IG's REST trading API guide says 6 hours at first, extended up to a maximum of 72 hours: a disagreement between two IG pages that the blocked reference page could not settle on 23 Sep 2026. The other reading: IG Labs FAQ: 12 hours between calls, reset by each call. IG Labs REST trading API guide: 6 hours at first, extended up to 72 hours while in use.
Sources conflictIG Labs REST trading API guidechecked IG Labs FAQchecked
The IG record's full wording. The same question for every record.
Does IG support streaming or WebSocket prices?
Streaming runs on Lightstreamer: IG's Streaming API Guide starts by sending you to the Lightstreamer client library, and the server address to connect to comes back from the /session call. By default a connection holds up to 40 simultaneous subscriptions.
IG Labs Streaming API Guidechecked IG Labs FAQchecked
The IG record's full wording. The same question for every record.
Is there an official Python library for IG?
No Python library marked official is recorded here for IG, which is not evidence that none exists. The record lists as community: trading-ig.
trading-igchecked
Every library in the IG record. The same question for every record.
Does IG have an MCP server?
The MCP server register on this site holds 2 servers for IG. Published by the provider itself: IG Trading: CFD Assistant. Published by the community, not by the provider: ig-trading-mcp.
IG Trading: CFD Assistantchecked ig-trading-mcpchecked
The MCP server directory, with what each server can do. The same question for every record.
What does IG error error.public-api.exceeded-api-key-allowance mean?
The traffic allowance of the API key has been exceeded. IG's reference lists this code under HTTP 403 in the Exceptions tables for /session.
labs.ig.comchecked
IG error error.public-api.exceeded-api-key-allowance: the meaning in full and what to do. The same question for every record.
Where to go next
- The IG API record in full: every field with its source
- Answers for every broker and platform API
- Which retail brokers have a public trading API?
- Which broker APIs have a demo environment?
- What are the rate limits of each broker API?
- How does each broker API authenticate?
- Which broker APIs stream prices?
- Which broker APIs have an official Python library?
- Which broker APIs have an MCP server?
- What does each API's most referenced error mean?
Other brokers
In order of name. The order is not a ranking.