Prerequisites

No additional installations required! This package includes:

• Pre-configured IB Gateway for all platforms (Linux, macOS, Windows)
• Java Runtime Environment (JRE) for IB Gateway
• All necessary dependencies

You only need:

• Interactive Brokers account (paper or live trading)
• Node.js 18+ (for running the MCP server)

Quick Start

Add this MCP server to your Cursor/Claude configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "interactive-brokers": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "interactive-brokers-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

When you first use the server, a web browser window will automatically open for the Interactive Brokers OAuth authentication flow. Log in with your IB credentials to authorize the connection.

Headless Mode Configuration

For automated environments or when you prefer not to use a browser for authentication, you can enable headless mode by configuring it in your MCP server configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "interactive-brokers": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "interactive-brokers-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "IB_HEADLESS_MODE": "true",
        "IB_USERNAME": "your_ib_username",
        "IB_PASSWORD_AUTH": "your_ib_password"
      }
    }
  }
}

In headless mode, the server will automatically authenticate using your credentials without opening a browser window. This is useful for:

• Automated trading systems
• Server environments without a display
• CI/CD pipelines
• Situations where browser interaction is not desired

Important: Even in headless mode, Interactive Brokers may still require two-factor authentication (2FA). When 2FA is triggered, the headless authentication will wait for you to complete the 2FA process through your configured method (mobile app, SMS, etc.) before proceeding.

To enable paper trading, add "IB_PAPER_TRADING": "true" to your environment variables:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "interactive-brokers": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "interactive-brokers-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "IB_HEADLESS_MODE": "true",
        "IB_USERNAME": "your_ib_username",
        "IB_PASSWORD_AUTH": "your_ib_password",
        "IB_PAPER_TRADING": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}

Security Note: Store credentials securely and never commit them to version control. Consider using environment variable files or secure credential management systems.

Flex Query Configuration (Optional)

To use Flex Queries for retrieving account statements and historical data, you need to configure your Flex Web Service Token:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "interactive-brokers": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "interactive-brokers-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "IB_FLEX_TOKEN": "your_flex_token_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

How to Get Your Flex Token:

1. Log in to Interactive Brokers Account Management
2. Go to Settings → Account Settings
3. Navigate to Reporting → Flex Web Service
4. Generate or retrieve your Flex Web Service Token

For detailed instructions on enabling Flex Web Service, see the IB Flex Web Service Guide.

Creating Flex Queries:

1. Go to Reports → Flex Queries in Account Management
2. Create or customize your query template
3. Click the info icon next to your query to find its Query ID

For a complete guide on creating and customizing Flex Queries, see the IB Flex Queries Guide.

Note: When you execute a Flex Query for the first time, the MCP server automatically saves it with its name from the API. Future executions can reference the query by either its ID or its saved name.

Flex Query Features:

• Automatic Memory: When you execute a Flex Query, it's automatically saved for future use
• Easy Reuse: Previously used queries are remembered - no need to copy query IDs repeatedly
• Friendly Names: Optionally provide a friendly name when first executing a query
• Forget Queries: Remove queries you no longer need with the forget_flex_query tool

Configuration Variables

| Feature | Environment Variable | Command Line Argument | |---------|---------------------|----------------------| | Username | IB_USERNAME | --ib-username | | Password | IB_PASSWORD_AUTH | --ib-password-auth | | Headless Mode | IB_HEADLESS_MODE | --ib-headless-mode | | Paper Trading | IB_PAPER_TRADING | --ib-paper-trading | | Auth Timeout | IB_AUTH_TIMEOUT | --ib-auth-timeout | | Flex Token | IB_FLEX_TOKEN | N/A | | Read-only mode | IB_READ_ONLY_MODE | --ib-read-only-mode |

Available MCP Tools

Trading & Account Management

| Tool | Description | | ------------------ | ----------------------------------------- | | get_account_info | Retrieve account information and balances | | get_positions | Get current positions and P&L | | get_market_data | Real-time market data for symbols | | place_order | Place market, limit, or stop orders (only if read-only mode is disabled) | | get_order_status | Check order execution status | | get_live_orders | Get all live/open orders for monitoring |

Flex Queries (Requires IB_FLEX_TOKEN)

| Tool | Description | | ------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | | get_flex_query | Execute a Flex Query and retrieve statements (auto-saves for reuse) | | list_flex_queries | List all previously used Flex Queries | | forget_flex_query | Remove a saved Flex Query from memory |

Troubleshooting

Authentication Problems:

• Use the web interface that opens automatically
• Complete any required two-factor authentication
• Try paper trading mode if live trading fails

Support

• This Server: Open an issue in this repository.

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.