Data Guide
This guide is for users who want to connect to the Polymarket Exchange for read-only market data consumption without trading functionality.Who Is This For?
The Data Guide is designed for:- Data vendors building market data products
- Research teams analyzing prediction market data
- Analytics platforms displaying market information
- Developers building read-only applications
What You Can Access
With read-only access, you can consume:| Data Type | Description | Access Method |
|---|---|---|
| Market Data | Real-time quotes, BBO, L2 order book | REST API, gRPC Streaming |
| Reference Data | Instruments, symbols, metadata | REST API |
| Market Statistics | OHLC, last trade price, volume, open interest | REST API, gRPC Streaming |
Getting Started
Step 1: Onboarding
Contact Polymarket to request read-only API access:- Email onboarding@qcex.com with your use case
- Specify that you need read-only data access (no trading)
- Provide your company/organization details
Step 2: Authentication Setup
Even for read-only access, you need to authenticate using Private Key JWT:- Generate an RSA key pair
- Share your public key with Polymarket
- Receive your Client ID credentials
Step 3: Request Required Scopes
For read-only data access, request these scopes:| Scope | Description |
|---|---|
read:marketdata | BBO (best bid/offer) and streaming market data |
read:l2marketdata | L2 orderbook depth |
read:instruments | Instrument listings and metadata |
Available Endpoints
REST API
| Endpoint | Description |
|---|---|
/v1/orderbook/{symbol}/bbo | Best bid/offer for a symbol |
/v1/orderbook/{symbol} | L2 order book depth |
/v1/refdata/instruments | List all instruments |
/v1/refdata/symbols | List all symbols |
/v1/refdata/metadata | Instrument metadata |
gRPC Streaming
For real-time data, use the Market Data Stream:- Subscribe to BBO updates
- Subscribe to L2 order book changes
- Receive market statistics updates (OHLC, last trade, volume)