ECONOMIC_CALENDAR_API_SETUP.md

Economic Calendar API Setup Guide

The Economic Calendar feature uses real-time data from trusted economic news providers. This guide explains how to set up API keys for the best experience.

Supported APIs

The Economic Calendar supports multiple API sources with automatic fallback:

1. TradingEconomics API (Recommended - Most Comprehensive)

   • Coverage: 196+ countries, real-time economic calendar
   • Cost: Paid subscription required
   • Get API Key: https://tradingeconomics.com/api
   • Environment Variable: TRADING_ECONOMICS_API_KEY

2. Alpha Vantage API (Free Tier Available)

   • Coverage: Economic indicators, limited calendar
   • Cost: Free tier (5 API calls/minute, 500 calls/day)
   • Get API Key: https://www.alphavantage.co/support/#api-key
   • Environment Variable: ALPHA_VANTAGE_API_KEY

3. FRED API (Free - US Data Only)

   • Coverage: US economic indicators from Federal Reserve
   • Cost: Free (requires registration)
   • Get API Key: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/docs/api/api_key.html
   • Environment Variable: FRED_API_KEY

4. NewsAPI (Free Tier Available)

   • Coverage: Economic news articles
   • Cost: Free tier (100 requests/day)
   • Get API Key: https://newsapi.org/register
   • Environment Variable: NEWS_API_KEY

Setup Instructions

Step 1: Get API Keys

1. TradingEconomics (Best for comprehensive calendar):

   • Visit https://tradingeconomics.com/api
   • Sign up for an account
   • Subscribe to a plan
   • Copy your API key

2. Alpha Vantage (Free option):

   • Visit https://www.alphavantage.co/support/#api-key
   • Fill out the form
   • Copy your free API key

3. FRED (Free US data):

   • Visit https://fred.stlouisfed.org/docs/api/api_key.html
   • Create a free account
   • Copy your API key

4. NewsAPI (Free news):

   • Visit https://newsapi.org/register
   • Sign up for free account
   • Copy your API key

Step 2: Configure Environment Variables

Add your API keys to the .env file in the project root:

# Economic Calendar API Keys
TRADING_ECONOMICS_API_KEY=your_trading_economics_key_here
ALPHA_VANTAGE_API_KEY=your_alpha_vantage_key_here
FRED_API_KEY=your_fred_key_here
NEWS_API_KEY=your_newsapi_key_here

Step 3: Restart Application

After adding API keys, restart the ForexSmartBot application for the changes to take effect.

API Priority

The system tries APIs in this order:

1. TradingEconomics (if key provided)
2. Alpha Vantage (if key provided)
3. FRED (if key provided)
4. NewsAPI (if key provided)

If no API keys are configured, the calendar will show a message prompting you to set up API keys.

Free Options

For users who want to use free APIs:

1. Alpha Vantage - Free tier with 500 calls/day
2. FRED - Completely free, US data only
3. NewsAPI - Free tier with 100 requests/day

Recommended Free Setup:

• Get Alpha Vantage API key (free)
• Get FRED API key (free)
• Get NewsAPI key (free)

This combination provides good coverage without any cost.

Troubleshooting

No Events Showing

If no events are showing:

1. Check that API keys are correctly set in .env file
2. Verify API keys are valid and not expired
3. Check console for error messages
4. Ensure you have internet connection
5. Try refreshing the calendar

API Rate Limits

If you hit rate limits:

• Alpha Vantage: 5 calls/minute, 500/day (free tier)
• NewsAPI: 100 requests/day (free tier)
• Consider upgrading to paid plans for higher limits

Error Messages

Common errors:

• "No economic events found": No API keys configured or all APIs failed
• "API rate limit exceeded": Too many requests, wait or upgrade plan
• "Invalid API key": Check that your API key is correct

Support

For API-specific issues:

• TradingEconomics: support@tradingeconomics.com
• Alpha Vantage: support@alphavantage.co
• FRED: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/support
• NewsAPI: support@newsapi.org