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Connecting Your Broker

UTM supports multiple brokers for trading. This guide covers how to connect each one.

Supported Brokers​

BrokerConnection TypeFeatures
TradeStationCloud APIFull trading, market data, streaming
AlpacaCloud APIFull trading, market data
Interactive BrokersDesktop AppFull trading via local connection

TradeStation​

TradeStation connects via OAuth 2.0 for secure API access.

Prerequisites​

  • Active TradeStation account (live or paper)
  • TradeStation API access enabled

Connection Steps​

  1. Go to Brokers in the UTM sidebar
  2. Click Connect Broker and select TradeStation
  3. You'll be redirected to TradeStation's login page
  4. Log in and authorise UTM to access your account
  5. Select which accounts to sync
  6. Click Complete Setup

Account Types​

UTM supports both live and paper (simulation) accounts:

  • Live accounts - Real trading with real money
  • Paper accounts - Simulated trading for testing
Trading Mode

UTM displays your current trading mode (PAPER/LIVE) in the header. Make sure you're in the correct mode before placing orders.

Alpaca​

Alpaca connects via API keys for automated trading.

Prerequisites​

  • Alpaca account (live or paper)
  • API keys generated in Alpaca dashboard

Connection Steps​

  1. Log in to your Alpaca account at alpaca.markets
  2. Go to API Keys and generate a new key pair
  3. In UTM, go to Brokers > Connect Broker > Alpaca
  4. Enter your API Key and Secret Key
  5. Select environment (Live or Paper)
  6. Click Connect

Paper vs Live​

Alpaca provides separate environments:

  • Paper - Uses paper-api.alpaca.markets
  • Live - Uses api.alpaca.markets

Your API keys are specific to each environment.

Interactive Brokers​

Interactive Brokers connects through the UTM Desktop App for local connectivity.

Prerequisites​

  • Interactive Brokers account
  • TWS (Trader Workstation) or IB Gateway installed
  • UTM Desktop App installed

Connection Steps​

  1. Download the UTM Desktop App
  2. Install and launch the desktop app
  3. Log in with your UTM account
  4. Start TWS or IB Gateway and log in
  5. In UTM Desktop, click Connect to IB
  6. Configure the connection port (default: 7497 for TWS paper, 7496 for live)
  7. Accept the API connection in TWS

Desktop App Features​

The UTM Desktop App provides:

  • Direct local connection to IB (no cloud routing)
  • Automatic sync with the UTM cloud platform
  • Real-time position and order updates
  • Local data caching for reliability

Managing Connections​

Viewing Connected Brokers​

Go to Brokers to see all connected broker accounts:

  • Connection status (connected, disconnected, error)
  • Last sync time
  • Number of accounts

Syncing Data​

UTM automatically syncs:

  • Positions
  • Orders
  • Account balances
  • Trade history

Click the Sync button to manually refresh data.

Disconnecting a Broker​

  1. Go to Brokers
  2. Click the broker you want to disconnect
  3. Click Disconnect
  4. Confirm the disconnection
warning

Disconnecting a broker will:

  • Stop syncing positions and orders
  • Prevent new orders through that broker
  • Keep historical data in UTM

Troubleshooting​

TradeStation​

"Token expired" error

  • Re-authorise UTM from the Brokers page
  • TradeStation tokens expire after extended inactivity

Missing accounts

  • Ensure all accounts are selected during authorisation
  • Re-connect and check account permissions

Alpaca​

"Invalid API key" error

  • Verify you're using the correct environment (paper vs live)
  • Check that keys haven't been revoked
  • Generate new keys if needed

Interactive Brokers​

"Cannot connect to TWS"

  • Ensure TWS/Gateway is running and logged in
  • Check API settings in TWS (Edit > Global Configuration > API)
  • Verify the port number matches UTM Desktop settings
  • Allow API connections in TWS settings

Desktop App not syncing

  • Check internet connection
  • Verify you're logged in to UTM
  • Check the connection status indicator