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External Sources

External Sources poll a live API at regular intervals and make the value available to running strategies. Use them to incorporate real-time off-chart data — market sentiment, funding rates, on-chain metrics, or any API that returns a single current value.

External Sources vs External Indicators

External Sources provide a single live value that updates periodically for running strategies.

External Indicators provide historical data arrays for backtesting. See the External Indicators page.

Adding an external source​

  1. Open the Signals panel in the right sidebar
  2. Click + External Source
  3. Fill in the configuration fields (described below)
  4. Click Test Connection to verify
  5. Click Create

Configuration fields​

Name. A label for this data source (e.g. "Fear & Greed Index").

API Endpoint URL. The URL that returns the current value. Example: https://pro-api.coinmarketcap.com/v3/fear-and-greed/latest

Auth Header Name. If the API requires authentication, the header name (e.g. X-CMC_PRO_API_KEY). Leave blank for public APIs.

API Key. The authentication key value.

JSON Path to Value. A JSONPath expression pointing to the single value you want. Unlike External Indicators which return arrays, this should point to one value. Example: $.data[0].value

Refresh Interval. How often to poll the API, in seconds. Default is 300 (5 minutes). Minimum is 60 seconds — be respectful of API rate limits.

Testing your configuration​

Click Test Connection before creating. This makes a sample API call and shows you the value it found, so you can verify the JSONPath is correct.

Using in strategies​

Once created, the external source appears as a signal source in the strategy builder. You can use its live value as a condition — for example, "if Fear & Greed Index drops below 20, buy."

The value updates automatically at your configured refresh interval while the strategy is running.

warning

External Sources provide live data only — they do not have historical data for backtesting. If your strategy uses an external source, backtesting will not have access to that data and may produce unreliable results. The external source value will be missing or zero during the backtest period.

For backtesting with third-party data, use External Indicators instead, which fetch historical data ranges.