When to use WebSocket
Use streams for monitoring, alerts, and pre-trade checks; use REST for history and ad-hoc queries. Do not replace stream with aggressive polling.
Guide
WebSocket live quote subscription
WebSocket is the right production path for live quotes. This guide covers subscribe payloads, message types, and REST vs stream roles.
Subscribe payload
After connecting to /api/v1/market/stream, send action=subscribe with market and symbols. Symbol count is plan-capped.
Message types
Expect subscribed ack, then type=tick frames. Errors arrive as type=error with a code such as WS_CONN_LIMIT.
Billing and limits
Handshake counts toward quota/RPM; ticks are not metered per message. Connection and symbol caps apply by plan.
Related reading
See /docs/api/stream and the WebSocket vs REST glossary entry.