Options Flow API
Programmatic access to real-time unusual options activity data. Build trading tools, dashboards, and alerts on top of the same options flow pipeline that powers OptionsBell.
Quick start
# Base URL
https://optionsbell.com/api/v1
# Auth header
X-API-Key: sms_your_key_here
# Example: get unusual activity for NVDA today
curl -H "X-API-Key: sms_..." \
"https://optionsbell.com/api/v1/options-flow/unusual?symbols=NVDA&min_premium=25000"
Generate your API key at Settings. Pro plan includes 2,000 requests/day with a 30/min rate limit.
Endpoint reference
| Method | Path | Description |
|---|---|---|
| GET | /options-flow/unusual | Contract-level scan with filters: symbols, type (c/p), min_voloi, min_premium, min_iv, max_dte, date, since (cursor pagination) |
| GET | /options-flow/top | Biggest bets of the day ranked by premium |
| GET | /options-flow/{symbol} | All unusual contracts for a single ticker today |
| GET | /options-flow/history/{symbol} | End-of-day unusual flow series for backtesting |
| GET | /options-flow/streaks | Tickers with N+ consecutive days of unusual flow |
| GET | /options-flow/expiry | Premium distribution across DTE buckets |
| GET | /options-flow/sentiment | 0-9 sentiment scores per ticker, derived from bid/ask execution |
| GET | /options-flow/sentiment/{symbol} | Single-ticker sentiment breakdown |
| GET | /options-flow/iv-rank | IV rank and percentile for all tracked tickers |
| GET | /options-flow/iv-rank/{symbol} | Single-ticker IV rank history |
| GET | /options-flow/oi-changes | Largest open interest movers of the day |
| GET | /options-flow/oi-changes/{symbol} | Single-ticker OI change detail |
| GET | /options-flow/sectors | Unusual flow aggregated by sector |
| GET | /options-flow/market | Market breadth, regime, and aggregate flow statistics |
| GET | /options-flow/stats | Dataset coverage: date ranges, ticker counts, update cadence |
MCP server
OptionsBell ships a first-party MCP (Model Context Protocol) server with 13 tools mirroring the REST surface. Use OptionsBell inside Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Continue, or any MCP-capable client — no API key handling in your client config if you use a personal connector URL.
- Endpoint: https://optionsbell.com/mcp (Streamable HTTP, stateless)
- Auth: X-API-Key header, Bearer token, or personal connector URL
- Tools: 13 tools — get_unusual_activity, get_symbol_flow, get_top_prints, get_flow_history, get_flow_streaks, get_expiry_concentration, get_flow_sentiment, get_iv_rank, get_oi_changes, get_sector_flow, get_market_regime, get_dataset_stats, ping
- Rate limits: Tool calls count 1:1 against your API rate limits
Full setup guide at /docs/mcp.
Data model & coverage
- Coverage: 7,000+ US-listed stocks and ETFs
- Refresh cadence: Full options tape scan every 5 minutes during US market hours (9:30 AM – 4:00 PM ET)
- History: End-of-day unusual flow snapshots available for backtesting and analysis
- Premium values: Estimated as last_price × volume × 100; may differ from actual transaction values
- Sentiment scoring: 0-9 scale derived from execution relative to bid-ask spread at time of trade
An unusual options activity API, not another dashboard
As an options data api it is deliberately narrow: unusual activity, per-symbol flow, IV rank, OI changes and sector aggregates, rather than a general options data api trying to cover every chain in the market. If you need a broad options data api with full chains and greeks on every strike, this is the wrong tool.
Most platforms bolt an API onto a terminal. Here the unusual options activity API is part of the same plan rather than a separate tier: 17 endpoints and 2,000 requests/day, included at $24.99/month alongside the options flow product itself.
If you are evaluating an unusual options activity API to feed your own models or alerting stack, it returns the same sweep and block trade data you can see in the live feed, without paying for a dashboard seat you will not use.
Pair the unusual options activity API with the MCP integration to query flow data from your own tools rather than scraping a dashboard.
Common use cases
- Trading bot signals: Poll /unusual endpoint every 5 minutes, filter for your watchlist, forward high-conviction prints to your execution engine.
- Dashboard widgets: Surface top prints, sector flow, and sentiment data in a custom dashboard for your team or clients.
- Backtesting: Use the /history endpoint to test whether unusual flow streaks predict short-term price movements for your target universe.
- AI-assisted analysis: Pipe OptionsBell data into Claude or ChatGPT via the MCP server for natural-language querying of options flow data.
- Newsletter automation:Pull top prints and sector data programmatically to populate a daily market recap email or social media post.
Start building with the Options Flow API
17 REST endpoints, MCP server, OpenAPI spec. $24.99/month includes full API access. 7-day free trial.
Start free trial →