ETRADE Bot

1. Overview & Key Features

ETRADE Bot is a desktop-based automated trading platform built for US equity markets. Unlike cryptocurrency bots that operate on simple REST or WebSocket APIs, US stock brokers use OAuth-based authentication — a more involved but more secure authorization flow. ETRADE Bot handles the full OAuth handshake automatically, manages token refresh cycles, and provides a clean graphical interface for configuring and running automated trading strategies across multiple brokers.

Whether you want to automate simple moving average crossovers on individual stocks, run momentum-based strategies across a watchlist, or test your ideas risk-free in a paper trading sandbox, ETRADE Bot gives you the infrastructure to do it without writing code.

Key Features

• Multi-Broker Support: E*TRADE, Alpaca, Charles Schwab, Interactive Brokers (IBKR), Tradovate, and Webull — each with a dedicated connector module.
• Full OAuth 2.0 Flow: The bot handles the complete OAuth authorization dance — generating the auth URL, capturing the PIN/code, exchanging for access tokens, and refreshing tokens automatically before expiry.
• Sandbox / Paper Trading: Every E*TRADE API key comes with a sandbox counterpart. Enable sandbox mode to trade simulated portfolios against live market data with zero financial risk.
• Multiple Strategy Types: RSI, EMA crossover, SMA crossover, MACD, momentum, and mean reversion strategies configurable per watchlist symbol.
• Sentiment Analysis: Built-in market sentiment module reads news feeds and social indicators to supplement technical signals with directional sentiment bias.
• Demo Mode: A fully simulated trading environment that works without any broker connection — great for initial familiarization with the interface.
• Dark Professional UI: Built with Tkinter + ttkbootstrap, featuring a clean dark theme, scrollable log panel, and intuitive controls.
• Order Management: Market orders, limit orders, and order status monitoring. Full trade history log with timestamp and execution details.

2. System Requirements & Installation

Installation from Source

1. Navigate to the ETRADE_BOT folder in PowerShell or a terminal.
2. Create and activate a virtual environment: python -m venv .venv && .venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
3. Install requirements: pip install -r requirements.txt (includes pyetrade, ttkbootstrap, and broker-specific libraries).
4. Launch: python main.py

The compiled EXE (if available via the build release script) bundles all dependencies and can be run directly without Python installed.

3. Supported Brokers

Each broker module implements a shared ExchangeBase interface, meaning strategy logic works identically regardless of which broker you connect to.

4. OAuth Authentication Process

E*TRADE uses OAuth 1.0a for API access. This is a three-step authorization process that must be completed once per session (production) or once per day (sandbox). ETRADE Bot automates every step of this flow.

Step 1: Enter Your API Keys

1. Launch ETRADE Bot. The main window opens.
2. Click the API Settings button (or go to Settings → API Settings) to open the credentials dialog.
3. In the Production API Keys section, enter your E*TRADE Consumer Key and Consumer Secret from the E*TRADE developer portal.
4. In the Sandbox API Keys section, enter your E*TRADE Sandbox Consumer Key and Sandbox Consumer Secret. These are different keys issued alongside your production keys.
5. Check or uncheck Use Sandbox API depending on whether you want to trade with real money or simulated funds.
6. Click Save & Get Auth URL.

Step 2: Authorize in Your Browser

After clicking Save & Get Auth URL, the bot generates an OAuth authorization URL and automatically opens it in your default web browser. You will be directed to E*TRADE's login page. Log into your E*TRADE account and click Accept to authorize the bot. E*TRADE displays a 5-digit authorization PIN on the confirmation page.

Step 3: Submit the PIN

1. Copy the PIN from the browser page.
2. Return to ETRADE Bot. The PIN entry field is now enabled.
3. Paste the PIN into the PIN field and click Submit PIN & Connect.
4. The bot exchanges the PIN for OAuth access tokens. A success message appears in the log panel and the connection status indicator turns green.

Getting E*TRADE API Keys

To obtain API keys from E*TRADE:

1. Navigate to developer.etrade.com and create a developer account (linked to your E*TRADE brokerage account).
2. Register a new application. Fill in a name, description, and callback URL (use https://localhost if no web server is involved).
3. E*TRADE will issue you a Consumer Key and Consumer Secret for both Production and Sandbox environments. Copy both pairs immediately.
4. Your application must be approved for production access (sandbox access is immediate). Production approval typically takes 1–3 business days.

5. Sandbox Mode

Sandbox mode connects to E*TRADE's simulated trading environment. Your sandbox account has a pre-funded virtual balance, and all orders are executed against real-time market data but produce no actual financial transactions. This is ideal for:

• Learning the bot's features before trading with real money.
• Backtesting strategies on current market conditions.
• Developing and debugging new strategy configurations safely.

Enabling Sandbox Mode

In the API Settings dialog, check the Use Sandbox API toggle before saving credentials and connecting. The main window title bar displays [SANDBOX] when sandbox mode is active. All log entries are prefixed with [SANDBOX] to clearly distinguish simulated activity from real activity.

Sandbox balances and positions are separate from your live account. Positions opened in sandbox mode will never appear in your real E*TRADE account.

6. Interface Overview

The ETRADE Bot interface is built with Tkinter and ttkbootstrap for a clean, professional dark-themed look. The main window is organized into four primary areas.

Top Toolbar

• Account Balance: Displays current buying power and total portfolio value from the connected broker account.
• Connection Status: Color-coded indicator (green = connected, red = disconnected, yellow = authenticating).
• Mode Badge: Shows LIVE, SANDBOX, or DEMO depending on current mode.

Left Panel — Controls

• Watchlist Manager: Add/remove symbols to monitor. Each symbol can have its own strategy assignment.
• Strategy Selector: Choose the active trading strategy for the selected symbol.
• Trade Amount Settings: Dollar amount per trade, maximum daily loss limit.
• Stop Loss Configuration: Percentage-based stop loss per position.
• Action Buttons: Start Bot, Stop Bot, Manual Buy, Manual Sell, Refresh Quotes.

Center Panel — Activity Log

A scrollable, auto-updating log of all bot events. Every quote received, every signal evaluated, every order placed or filled, and every error is recorded here with a timestamp. Use the Clear Log button to reset the display. The log is also written to a file for persistent review.

Right Panel — Positions & Orders

• Open Positions: Table showing held positions, entry price, current price, quantity, and unrealized P&L.
• Recent Orders: Last 20 orders placed, with status (filled, pending, cancelled).
• Account Summary: Buying power, day trade count, pattern day trader status indicator.

7. Watchlist & Market Data

The watchlist is the set of symbols the bot actively monitors for trading signals. You can add any stock, ETF, or option symbol that your connected broker supports.

Adding Symbols

Type a ticker symbol (e.g., AAPL, SPY, TSLA) into the symbol search field at the top of the watchlist panel and press Enter or click Add. The bot immediately fetches a real-time quote and subscribes to streaming price updates for the symbol. The quote refreshes at the interval configured in Settings (default: 10 seconds).

Assigning Strategies

Each symbol in the watchlist can have its own strategy. Click a symbol to select it, then choose a strategy from the Strategy dropdown on the left panel. The strategy assignment is saved and persists across sessions. This allows you to run, for example, RSI on AAPL and MACD on SPY simultaneously from a single bot instance.

Removing Symbols

Select any symbol in the watchlist and click Remove. The bot stops monitoring that symbol and cancels any pending orders for it. Open positions for removed symbols are not automatically closed — you must close them manually or via the Positions panel.

Market Hours

The bot is aware of US market hours (9:30 AM – 4:00 PM ET, Monday–Friday). Outside of market hours, quote requests return the previous day's closing price. The bot can be configured to queue signals generated pre-market and execute them at market open via Settings → Pre-Market Queue.

8. Trading Strategies

ETRADE Bot includes several technical analysis strategies adapted specifically for US equity markets. Stock market price action differs from crypto in that it is subject to earnings, news events, dividends, and macroeconomic forces — the strategy parameters are tuned accordingly.

RSI Strategy

Uses a 14-period RSI. Generates a buy signal when RSI drops below 30 (oversold) and a sell signal when RSI rises above 70 (overbought). Recommended for stable large-cap stocks that tend to revert to the mean after short-term extremes. Not recommended during strong trend conditions.

EMA Crossover

Uses a fast EMA (default 9-period) and slow EMA (default 21-period). Buys on bullish crossover (fast above slow) and sells on bearish crossover. Well-suited for trending stocks after a breakout. Works best on daily or 1-hour timeframes.

SMA Crossover

Uses a 50-day and 200-day SMA for the classic "golden cross" (buy) and "death cross" (sell) signals. This is a long-term strategy best suited for position trading rather than day trading. Signals are rare but historically reliable on major indices and blue-chip stocks.

MACD Strategy

Standard MACD (12, 26, 9) configuration. Generates buy signals when the MACD line crosses above the signal line and sell signals on the reverse cross. The histogram provides momentum confirmation — strong histogram bars validate the signal, weak bars suggest caution.

Momentum Strategy

Ranks watchlist symbols by recent price momentum (N-day rate of change) and buys the top performers while selling or avoiding the laggards. Rebalances at configurable intervals. Best for a diversified watchlist of 10+ symbols.

Mean Reversion Strategy

Identifies stocks trading significantly below their N-day average (using Bollinger Bands or Z-score deviation) and buys the dip, expecting prices to return toward the mean. Sets a target exit at the mean or at a fixed percentage gain. Carries the risk of catching falling knives — use stop losses.

9. Order Entry & Execution

ETRADE Bot places orders through the connected broker's API. Orders are typically market orders for immediate execution, but limit orders can be configured in Settings for tighter price control.

Automated Orders

When the bot is running and detects a strategy signal for a watchlist symbol, it automatically calculates the order quantity based on your configured trade amount, then places the order. The order ID, type, quantity, and price are logged to the Activity Log and the Recent Orders panel updates in real time.

Manual Orders

Use the Manual Buy and Manual Sell buttons to place orders independently of strategy signals. Enter the symbol, quantity, and order type in the dialog that appears. Manual orders are logged with a [MANUAL] prefix in the Activity Log.

Order Types

• Market Order: Executes immediately at the best available price. Fastest execution, but price may deviate from the last quote in fast-moving markets.
• Limit Order: Executes only at or better than a price you specify. Provides price certainty but may not fill if the market moves away.

Pattern Day Trader (PDT) Awareness

For accounts under $25,000 at US brokers, the Pattern Day Trader rule limits accounts to 3 day trades (buy and sell the same security in the same day) within a rolling 5-day window. ETRADE Bot displays your current day trade count in the Account Summary panel and warns you when you are approaching the PDT limit to prevent unintentional violations.

10. Positions & Portfolio View

The Positions table displays all open positions managed by the bot, including positions opened manually outside the bot that exist in your account. Columns include: Symbol, Quantity, Entry Price, Current Price, Market Value, Unrealized P&L ($), and Unrealized P&L (%).

Closing Positions

Right-click any position to access the context menu. Options include: Close Full Position (market sell entire quantity), Close Half Position, and Set Stop Loss (set or update the stop loss level for that specific position).

Day P&L Summary

At the bottom of the Positions panel, a running total shows today's realized P&L (from closed positions) and total unrealized P&L (from open positions). This resets at midnight each trading day.

11. Sentiment Analysis

The built-in sentiment module (sentiment.py) provides a supplementary signal layer based on news and market sentiment rather than price action alone. It is not a standalone trading engine but can be used to filter or confirm technical signals.

What It Analyzes

• News sentiment: Fetches recent news headlines for watchlist symbols and uses keyword analysis to assign a sentiment score (positive, neutral, negative).
• Market sentiment indicators: Fear & Greed index proxy, VIX level comparison, and put/call ratio data where available.

Using Sentiment in Strategies

In Settings → Strategy Options, enable Sentiment Filter. When enabled, the bot only executes buy signals when the sentiment score for the symbol is positive or neutral. It suppresses buy signals during negative sentiment periods (e.g., during earnings disappointments or sector-wide sell-offs). Sell signals are unaffected by the filter.

12. Demo Mode

Demo mode runs the bot with a fully simulated broker connection — no real API keys are needed, no network requests are made, and all prices are generated from a pre-loaded demo state. This is designed for first-time users who want to learn the interface before connecting a real account.

Activating Demo Mode

At the main window, click Try Demo Mode (visible before any broker connection is established). The bot loads demo state from demo_state.json, populating the watchlist with sample symbols and simulated portfolio positions. All strategy signals, order placements, and P&L calculations behave identically to a live session.

Exiting Demo Mode

Click Stop Demo or close and reopen the application to exit demo mode. Demo state can be reset via Settings → Reset Demo State, which purges the demo_state.json file and restarts fresh.

13. Configuration & Settings

Access the Settings dialog from the main window's top toolbar or via the Settings button. Key configurable options include:

• Quote refresh interval: How often (in seconds) the bot polls for updated quotes. Default 10s. Reduce to 5s for more responsive signal detection; increase to 30s to conserve API call quota.
• Max daily loss ($): If cumulative realized losses for the day exceed this amount, the bot automatically stops trading and requires manual restart. Acts as a circuit breaker.
• Trade size ($): Dollar amount per trade. The bot calculates share quantity based on current price automatically.
• Stop loss (%): Applied to all positions. Individual position stop losses override this global setting.
• Pre-market queue: Queue signals generated outside market hours and execute at open.
• Log level: Verbose (all events) or Normal (signals and orders only).

All settings are saved to etrade_config.json in the application directory and persist across sessions.

14. Data Files & Logs

15. Troubleshooting

OAuth authorization fails

Ensure your Consumer Key and Secret match the environment (production vs. sandbox) that you have selected. Check that your system clock is accurate — OAuth signatures are time-sensitive. If the browser page shows "Application not found," the keys may not yet be approved for production use.

PIN is rejected

The OAuth PIN from E*TRADE is valid for only 5 minutes. If you take longer than 5 minutes between opening the browser and submitting the PIN, restart the authorization flow by clicking Save & Get Auth URL again. A new URL and PIN will be generated.

Orders are not filling

Verify market hours (9:30 AM – 4:00 PM ET). Limit orders may not fill if the market moves away from your limit price — switch to market orders if immediate execution is required. Check the Recent Orders panel for error codes returned by the broker.

"Account not authorized" error

Your E*TRADE developer application may not yet have production approval. Use sandbox mode until approval is granted, or check the E*TRADE developer portal for your application status.

Bot stops unexpectedly

Check the Activity Log for an error message. Common causes include: OAuth token expiry (re-authorize), network disconnection (reconnect), or the daily loss limit being hit (restart manually after reviewing trades). Set log level to Verbose for more detailed diagnostic output.

ETRADE Bot User Manual — DennTech Trading Solutions — May 2026