How to enable the TWS API for PickMyTrade

Quick answer

Turn on Enable ActiveX and Socket Clients in TWS, then match its socket port in PickMyTrade. The API is the local connection that lets the desktop app talk to TWS. Use a paper login while checking the setup.

Educational software guidance. Trading involves risk. Read the financial and information disclaimers.

Step by step

1 Open File → Global Configuration in Mosaic. In Classic TWS, use Edit → Global Configuration.
2 Expand API in the left panel and select Settings. Tick Enable ActiveX and Socket Clients.
3 Read Socket port and note its value. Enter that same number in the PickMyTrade desktop connection settings.
4 Keep Read-Only API enabled for viewing only. Clear it only when you intend to let the connected app send orders. Click Apply, then OK.
5 Connect the desktop app and check that it shows the intended paper account. A connected socket alone does not prove the full alert path works.

A practical example

Think of TWS as the door to the broker and the desktop app as the tool at that door. The socket setting lets the two talk. It does not choose a stock or send a trade. For a first check, open paper TWS, turn on the socket control, and match the port. Then look for the paper account in the app. Stop there if the account is wrong. You do not need to send an order to find a port mismatch.

Illustrative scenario, not a record of a trade placed during this review.

Screen reference

Start in Mosaic with File → Global Configuration. Then choose the panel named in the steps.

TWS API Settings showing socket clients, read-only access, port and logging — Find the named control in API → Settings. The displayed values belong to a paper session and are examples, not universal recommendations. Captured in TWS paper mode on 3 October 2026. Open the image for full size.

How to confirm the result The desktop connection should show the expected account without a connection error. Check the account before doing any separate order test.

Mistake to avoid

Do not treat 7497 as a universal requirement. It is the usual TWS paper default; the value shown in your TWS settings wins.

Common questions

Do I need to install the API developer kit?

PickMyTrade supplies its own desktop app. End users normally configure TWS rather than install a programming kit.

Does enabling the API place a trade?

No. It allows a connection. Order request depends on the connected app, permissions, and Read-Only API.

TWS error 502: cannot connect to the API TWS and IB Gateway ports: paper versus live TWS connects but orders fail: check Read-Only API TWS error 507 or EOF: the API socket closed

Financial and information disclaimers

Financial disclaimer

These guides explain software. They are for education, not financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. No example is a suggestion to buy or sell a product or use a trading strategy. Trading can lose money, including all funds you put at risk. With margin, futures, short sales, or some options, losses can exceed your starting funds. Automation can fail, send duplicate orders, or act late. Stops do not guarantee a fill or a price. Review your orders and positions, and seek advice from a qualified professional for your own needs. Paper trades, examples, and past results do not predict live results or promise a profit.

Information disclaimer

This is general help based on the sources and check date shown on the page. Screens, settings, fees, data access, and product support can change or differ by app version, account, country, and broker. The content may contain errors or become out of date; accuracy, completeness, and continuous service are not guaranteed. Check current broker and app instructions before acting. Screenshots show where controls are; they do not prove that an order test passed. This guide does not replace broker terms or risk notices. References to IBKR and TradingView identify their products and do not imply their endorsement of this guide.