# How to connect Alpaca to OpenClaw (paste one key, 100 tools) > Connect Alpaca to OpenClaw with ClawLink: paste your Alpaca key once and 100 tools work from chat. No MCP server to run, nothing stored on your machine. Web version: https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/alpaca The usual route to Alpaca access for OpenClaw is an MCP server you configure and keep running, plus your own OAuth app or API keys. ClawLink gives OpenClaw a more practical Alpaca setup: install one ClawHub skill, connect Alpaca in the browser, and OpenClaw can call real Alpaca actions from any chat surface with no auth, token refresh, or tool wiring to build yourself. ## Setup It takes three steps to connect OpenClaw to Alpaca. 1. **Install ClawLink** — add the plugin to OpenClaw once. 2. **Connect Alpaca** — one-click OAuth in the ClawLink dashboard. 3. **Use it from chat** — ask OpenClaw in plain English. **Paste this into OpenClaw to set up ClawLink:** > I want to connect my apps to OpenClaw through ClawLink. > Please install the ClawLink plugin from ClawHub and enable it: `openclaw plugins install clawhub:clawlink-plugin` > When it is installed, tell me and stop. After I reply, give me the ClawLink pairing link. Setup notes, if you need them: https://claw-link.dev/skill.md **Alternative for any agent (no plugin needed):** if the OpenClaw plugin route isn't available or doesn't work, any AI agent with shell access can use the ClawLink CLI instead: ```bash npx -y @useclawlink/cli login # sign in via browser — no API key to paste npx -y @useclawlink/cli connect alpaca # connect Alpaca (browser OAuth) npx -y @useclawlink/cli actions alpaca # list available actions npx -y @useclawlink/cli run alpaca --input '' # execute (add --confirm for writes) ``` ### Install by command The setup prompt above does all of this in one paste. By hand, it is one install command plus a browser approval: ```bash openclaw plugins install clawhub:clawlink-plugin ``` Then ask OpenClaw to set up ClawLink. It starts browser pairing and prints an approval link — open it, approve the device, return to the chat, and say `done`. Finally, connect Alpaca in the [ClawLink dashboard](https://claw-link.dev/dashboard) — paste your Alpaca API key once. Verify the connection by asking OpenClaw: > Pull the relevant data from Alpaca, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. ### Using a different agent? The OpenClaw plugin is one client of ClawLink's MCP server. Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, or any agent that can run a shell command pairs with the same ClawLink account through the CLI: ```bash npx -y @useclawlink/cli login ``` `login` opens the same browser approval and stores a credential locally. Once Alpaca is connected in the dashboard, that agent calls the same 100 Alpaca tools over MCP. Full setup for MCP clients and shell agents: [connect apps to any AI agent](https://claw-link.dev/learn/connect-apps-to-any-ai-agent). ## Alpaca MCP for OpenClaw Looking for a Alpaca MCP server for OpenClaw? ClawLink connects Alpaca to OpenClaw and exposes 100 Alpaca tools your agent can call over [MCP](https://claw-link.dev/learn/what-is-an-mcp-server), with [hosted auth](https://claw-link.dev/learn/oauth-for-ai-agents) and nothing to run or maintain yourself. Using Hermes instead? The [Hermes Alpaca integration](https://claw-link.dev/hermes/alpaca) works the same way. ## What the OpenClaw Alpaca integration can do 100 Alpaca tools are ready for OpenClaw once the account is connected. The 30 below are the ones people reach for most; your agent can call all 100. ### 30 of 100 Alpaca tools for OpenClaw | Tool | What it does | |---|---| | **Get account** `alpaca_get_account` | Retrieves account information for the authenticated Alpaca account | | **Get account activities** `alpaca_get_account_activities` | Retrieves account activities for the authenticated Alpaca account | | **Get account activities by activity type** `alpaca_get_account_activities_by_activity_type` | Retrieves account activities of a specific type for the authenticated Alpaca account | | **Get account activities2** `alpaca_get_account_activities2` | Retrieves account activities of one type for the authenticated Alpaca account using the v2 API | | **Get account config** `alpaca_get_account_config` | Retrieves the current trading account configuration settings for the authenticated Alpaca | | **Get account portfolio history** `alpaca_get_account_portfolio_history` | Retrieves the portfolio history statistics for an Alpaca trading account | | **Get account portfolio history1** `alpaca_get_account_portfolio_history1` | Retrieves the portfolio history statistics for a trading account | | **Get accounts positions** `alpaca_get_accounts_positions` | Bulk fetches all open positions for the authenticated account | | **Get all open positions** `alpaca_get_all_open_positions` | Retrieves all open positions for the authenticated Alpaca trading account | | **Get all orders** `alpaca_get_all_orders` | Retrieves all orders for an account based on specified filter criteria | | **Get alpaca data crypto us bars** `alpaca_get_alpaca_data_crypto_us_bars` | Retrieves historical OHLCV (Open, High, Low, Close, Volume) bars for crypto symbols in a | | **Get bars for multiple crypto symbols** `alpaca_get_bars_for_multiple_crypto_symbols` | Retrieves OHLCV (Open, High, Low, Close, Volume) bars for multiple crypto symbols | | **Get bars for multiple stock symbols** `alpaca_get_bars_for_multiple_stock_symbols` | Retrieves OHLCV (Open, High, Low, Close, Volume) bars for multiple stock symbols | | **Get bars for stock symbol** `alpaca_get_bars_for_stock_symbol` | Retrieves historical OHLCV (Open, High, Low, Close, Volume) bars for a single stock symbol | | **Get bars stocks** `alpaca_get_bars_stocks` | Retrieves historical OHLCV (Open, High, Low, Close, Volume) bars for a single stock symbol | | **Get calendar** `alpaca_get_calendar` | Retrieves market calendar information for trading days from the Alpaca Trading API | | **Get clock** `alpaca_get_clock` | Retrieves the current market clock information from the Alpaca Trading API | | **Get conditions** `alpaca_get_conditions` | Retrieves the mapping of condition codes to their names from Alpaca Markets API for the | | **Get crypto latest quotes** `alpaca_get_crypto_latest_quotes` | Retrieves the latest bid and ask prices for specified crypto symbols at a specific location | | **Get crypto perp latest bars** `alpaca_get_crypto_perp_latest_bars` | Retrieves the latest OHLCV (Open, High, Low, Close, Volume) bars for crypto perpetual futures | | **Get crypto perp latest order books** `alpaca_get_crypto_perp_latest_order_books` | Retrieves the latest bid and ask orderbook data for specified crypto perpetual futures symbols | | **Get crypto perp latest pricing** `alpaca_get_crypto_perp_latest_pricing` | Retrieves the latest pricing data for specified crypto perpetual futures symbols | | **Get crypto perp latest quotes** `alpaca_get_crypto_perp_latest_quotes` | Retrieves the latest bid and ask prices for specified crypto perpetual futures symbols for a | | **Get crypto perp latest trades** `alpaca_get_crypto_perp_latest_trades` | Retrieves the latest trade data for specified crypto perpetual futures symbols | | **Get crypto perps global latest bars** `alpaca_get_crypto_perps_global_latest_bars` | Retrieves the latest OHLCV (Open, High, Low, Close, Volume) bars for crypto perpetual futures | | **Get crypto perps global latest pricing** `alpaca_get_crypto_perps_global_latest_pricing` | Returns the latest pricing data for crypto perpetual futures symbols | | **Get crypto perps global latest quotes** `alpaca_get_crypto_perps_global_latest_quotes` | Retrieves the latest bid and ask prices for specified crypto perpetual futures symbols | | **Get crypto perps global latest trades** `alpaca_get_crypto_perps_global_latest_trades` | Retrieves the latest trade data for specified crypto perpetual futures symbols | | **Get crypto snapshots** `alpaca_get_crypto_snapshots` | Retrieves snapshots (latest trade, latest quote, minute bar, daily bar, and previous daily bar) | | **Get crypto us latest bars** `alpaca_get_crypto_us_latest_bars` | Retrieves the latest OHLCV (Open, High, Low, Close, Volume) bars for US crypto symbols | ## Example prompts **Get Account** > Pull the relevant data from Alpaca, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. **Get Account Activities** > Pull the relevant data from Alpaca, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. **Get Account Activities By Activity Type** > Pull the relevant data from Alpaca, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. **Get Account Activities2** > Pull the relevant data from Alpaca, summarize it in plain English, and point out anything that needs attention. ## ClawLink vs. building it yourself The alternative to ClawLink is usually manual API key setup plus your own token handling, permission troubleshooting, and tool plumbing for OpenClaw. That is fine if you want to build and maintain the integration yourself. Most teams just want Alpaca working from chat. | | Manual | ClawLink | |---|---|---| | **Credential handling** | Collect, validate, store, and rotate the Alpaca API key yourself, then make sure every tool call uses the right account. | Users complete the hosted ClawLink setup once and the connected Alpaca account becomes available to the agent without you building credential management. | | **Ongoing maintenance** | You own refresh logic, permission debugging, environment config, and every provider-specific edge case for Alpaca. | ClawLink handles the repetitive integration plumbing so your team can focus on the workflow instead of the infrastructure. | | **Agent usability** | You still need to expose the right Alpaca actions to the runtime in a format your agent can reliably use. | 100 tools for Alpaca are already exposed through ClawLink, so the agent can read and act from chat immediately. | ## ClawLink vs. Composio Composio also exposes Alpaca to AI agents. It is developer infrastructure: Python and TypeScript SDKs, an MCP server, and a catalog past 1,000 apps, aimed at teams shipping agent products. ClawLink is built for OpenClaw users instead. You install the plugin once, connect Alpaca in the browser, and the 100 tools above work from chat. There is no SDK and no config file, and the Alpaca key you paste at setup is stored server-side rather than kept in your environment. Choosing between them? Read the full [Composio alternatives](https://claw-link.dev/hub/composio-alternatives) comparison. ### OpenClaw installed the Alpaca skill but can't call the tools The ClawHub skill teaches OpenClaw about Alpaca, but the calls run through the ClawLink plugin and your connected account. Make sure Alpaca is connected in the dashboard, then start a fresh chat so OpenClaw reloads the tool catalog. If OpenClaw runs as a persistent gateway, restart it so the new tools register. ### Connection succeeds but no tools appear Reconnect Alpaca from the dashboard, then start a fresh chat if the runtime still has the old tool catalog loaded. ### "Tool schema not loaded yet" error when calling Alpaca tools Alpaca tool schemas load on demand the first time a tool runs and are cached after that, so this error usually clears on its own: wait a few seconds and retry the same request. If every Alpaca call keeps failing with it in a fresh chat, reconnect from the dashboard, and contact support if it still persists — that pattern points to a configuration problem on our side, not something you can fix by reconnecting again. ### Alpaca returns 403 or "permission denied" on one action while others work Two usual causes. The connected account may not have access to the specific workspace, inbox, store, or project in the request — check that first. If access looks right, the agent may have sent a placeholder value (like "YOUR_ID" or an example id from documentation) instead of a real one: ask it to run a list or search tool first, then retry the action with a real id from those results. Most failures at this stage are one of these two, not ClawLink bugs. ### API key setup works but results look incomplete Double-check that the API key for Alpaca has the right scopes or account access. A valid key can still be too limited for some reads or writes. ### Is there a OpenClaw Alpaca integration? Yes. ClawLink is the fastest way to connect OpenClaw to Alpaca: link your Alpaca account once in the browser and OpenClaw can call the Alpaca API through 100 ready-made tools — no custom code or token handling. ### How do I add Alpaca to OpenClaw with ClawLink? Paste the setup prompt from this page into OpenClaw. It installs the ClawLink Alpaca skill from ClawHub, then you click Connect in the dashboard to authorize Alpaca. OpenClaw calls the tools from the next message — no config files, and the Alpaca key you paste is stored server-side instead of in your environment. ### How long does it take to connect Alpaca to OpenClaw? About two minutes. Sign in, click Connect next to Alpaca in the dashboard, authenticate, and OpenClaw can use it from the next chat message. ### Why use ClawLink instead of wiring Alpaca up myself? The alternative to ClawLink is usually manual API key setup plus your own token handling, permission troubleshooting, and tool plumbing for OpenClaw. That is fine if you want to build and maintain the integration yourself. Most teams just want Alpaca working from chat. ### OpenClaw installed the Alpaca skill but can't call the tools The ClawHub skill teaches OpenClaw about Alpaca, but the calls run through the ClawLink plugin and your connected account. Make sure Alpaca is connected in the dashboard, then start a fresh chat so OpenClaw reloads the tool catalog. If OpenClaw runs as a persistent gateway, restart it so the new tools register. ## Related - [Stripe tools](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/stripe) — Manage payments, customers, and invoices - [Zoho Books](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/zoho-books) — Organize finances, invoices, bills, and accounting - [Ramp](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/ramp) — Read cards, transactions, bills, and reimbursements, and file receipts