Connect your Alpaca broker account to RelayDesk

Getting Your Alpaca API Keys

Connecting to RelayDesk

In RelayDesk, navigate to your user avatar and click Settings
Click Broker Connections
Click “Connect with Alpaca”
You’ll navigate to the Alpaca Markets login screen to connect via Oauth
Select the accounts you wish to authorize
Click Allow

Verify your connection

After you've connected your broker account you'll see the newly connected account, you can test your connection by clicking the actions menu and selecting "Test Connection."

Paper vs Live Trading

Paper Trading:

Simulated trading with fake money
Same market data and execution as live
Perfect for testing strategies risk-free
Separate API keys from live trading
No financial risk

Live Trading:

Real money, real trades
Requires funded Alpaca account
Different API keys than paper
Start with small position sizes
Monitor closely at first

Best Practice

Test for at least 1-2 weeks in paper mode before switching to live trading.

Account Requirements

Minimum $2,000 for margin account (pattern day trading)
Cash account has no minimum but limited day trades
Options trading requires approval (separate application)
Some symbols require higher account minimums

Monitoring Your Connection

RelayDesk shows your connection status in real-time:

Green indicator = Connected
Red indicator = Disconnected or invalid keys
Yellow indicator = Connection issues
Account balance and buying power shown
Pattern Day Trader (PDT) status tracked

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