How to Code a Bracket Order in the Web API

To help limit loss and lock in a profit you can bracket an order with additional opposite-side orders.

A BUY order is bracketed by a high-side sell limit and a low-side sell stop order. A SELL order is bracketed by a high-side buy stop order and a low side buy limit order.  

The endpoint /iserver/account/{accounted}/orders can be used to pass order request info in an Array to include the parent and child order(s).

A single customer order Id (cOID) is sent with the parent and the same value is specified in parentId for the child order(s).

Please be sure to authenticate first in order to resolve the below URLs.
For authentication details, visit https://interactivebrokers.github.io/cpwebapi/index.html#login

POST
https://localhost:5000/v1/api/iserver/account/{accountId}/orders

Request Body:

Array () [

• string                  acctId                                             
  The specified Account order is placed for. This should be one of the accounts returned by /iserver/accounts.
• string                  conid                                             
  contract identifier of the security you want to trade. You can find the conid with /iserver/secdef/search.
• string                  secType                                        
  asset class formatted as conid:type, for example 265598:STK
• string                  cOID                                                
  Customer Order Id. An arbitrary string that can be used to identify the order, e.g “my-fb-order”. The value must be unique for a 24h span.
• string                  parentId                                         
  When placing brack orders, specify with the child order. Must be equal to the cOID of the parent.
• string                  orderType                                      
  The type of order, example MKT (Market), LMT (Limit). Use the endpoint /info-and-rules to determine available orderType(s).
• string                  listingExchange                           
  Optional. By default we use “SMART” routing. Use the endpoint: /portal/iserver/contract/{conid}/info, to determine valid_exchange.
• boolean              outsideRTH                                  
  Set to true if the order can be executed outside regular trading hours.
• number               price                                                
  For LMT this is the limit price. For STP this is the stop price
• number               auxPrice                                         
  For STOP_LIMIT orders this is the Stop Price.
• string                  side                                                 
  SELL or BUY
• string                  ticker                                              
  Contract Symbol
• string                  tif                                                     
  The time-in-force of an order, example DAY. Use the endpoint /info-and-rules to determine tifTypes.
• string                  referrer                                           
  Order reference
• number               quantity                                         
  the amount or shares of the order. Usually integer, for some special cases can be float numbers.
• number               fxQty                                               
  double number, this is the cash quantity field used for FX conversion order.
• boolean              useAdaptive                                  
  If true, the system will use the Adaptive Algo to submit the order, ref: https://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/index.php?f=19091
• boolean              isCurrencyConversion               
  Set to true for a FX conversion order.
• string                  allocationMethod                        
  Set the allocation method when placing an order using an FA account for a group.
• boolean              isClose                                           
  Set to true if order is closing an existing position.

]

Response:

Array (){

• string                                id                                       
  order_id = system generated order Id(s) for each order. local_order_id = cOID. parent_order_id = order_Id of the parent order.
• Array of strings              message                         
  if the message is a question, you must use the endpoint /iserver/reply/{replyid} to confirm the message and submit the order.

Please be sure to authenticate first in order to resolve the below URLs.
For authentication details, visit https://interactivebrokers.github.io/cpwebapi/index.html#login

Example:

Request:

POST
https://localhost:5000/v1/api/iserver/account/DU***14/orders

Request Body:
{
  “orders”: [
  {
     “acctId”: “DU***14”,
     “conid”: “265598”,
     “cOID”: “66807300”,
     “orderType”: “LMT”,
     “listingExchange”: “SMART”,
     “outsideRTH”: true,
     “price”: 115.5,
     “side”: “BUY”,
     “ticker”: “AAPL”,
     “tif”: “DAY”,
     “referrer”: “ParentOrder”,
     “quantity”: 50,
     “useAdaptive”: false,
     “isClose”: false
  },
  {
     “acctId”: “DU***14”,
     “conid”: “265598”,
     “orderType”: “LMT”,
     “listingExchange”: “SMART”,
     “outsideRTH”: true,
     “price”: 125.5,
     “side”: “SELL”,
     “ticker”: “AAPL”,
     “tif”: “DAY”,
     “referrer”: “ProfitTakerOrder”,
     “quantity”: 50,
     “useAdaptive”: false,
     “isClose”: false,
     “parentId”: “66807300”,
  },
  {
     “acctId”: “DU***14”,
     “conid”: “265598”,
     “orderType”: “STP”,
     “listingExchange”: “SMART”,
     “outsideRTH”: false,
     “price”: 110.5,
     “side”: “SELL”,
     “ticker”: “AAPL”,
     “tif”: “DAY”,
     “referrer”: “StopLossOrder”,
     “quantity”: 50,
     “useAdaptive”: false,
     “isClose”: false,
     “parentId”: “66807300”,
  }
 ]
}

Response:
[
  {
    “order_id”: “1763237133”,
    “order_status”: “Submitted”,
    “local_order_id”: “66807300”
  },
  {
    “order_id”: “1763237135”,
     “order_status”: “PreSubmitted”,
    “parent_order_id”: “1763237133”
  }
]

If you have any further questions or issues creating a bracket order, please reach out to the API Group, ref: https://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/index.php?f=47047.

Visit the IBKR API Center for Downloads, Resources, and Technical Details:
https://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/trading/ib-api.php.

See the previous installments in this series: 

• Tutorial: Web API – Connect to Brokerage Session
• How to Code an IB Algo Order in the Web API
• How to Query Contract Details for Derivatives in the Web API