How to get email alerts when the VIX goes above a certain number.

Sarah Bush

Sarah Bush

Hi everyone:D,

My first post here, and I need help. I am with Interactive Brokers (Trader Workstation) and would like to know if there is a way to get alerts pushed to my phone when the VIX is above or below a certain number. I know how to set alerts with Interactive Brokers, but anytime an alert is triggered, I have to go back and reset it, or it won't alert me again. :banghead:

For example, I want to get an alert when the VIX is above 22 and an alert below 20. I don't want to have to go in manually and have to reset it every time. I want to set it and forget it. Email, text, it doesn't matter.

How can I automate this process of VIX alerts and not have to sit in front of the computer all day? Is there another software or platform that does this, or would you recommend something else?

Thanks so much!:)
 
@destriero Thank you very much for your help.

I just called Interactive Brokers, and they told me that the price alerts on all their various platforms (mobile and desktop) are designed to notify only once before automatically deleting itself. The option repeatable doesn't work when I select it. Screenshot attached.

Thanks so much!:)
 

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destriero said:
Set repeatable to “on”

https://www.interactivebrokers.com/en/software/mobileandroid/monitor/set_alerts.htm
More...

And here I was about to suggest writing something "special"... won't deny I like to do things the hard way sometimes:
Code: 
#!/usr/bin/env python3

# https://ib-insync.readthedocs.io/recipes.html#async-streaming-ticks
import asyncio, sys, os
import ib_insync as ibi

class App:

    async def run(self):
        self.ib = ibi.IB()
        with await self.ib.connectAsync( port = 12345 ):
            self.ib.reqMarketDataType(3)  # change to 1 for live data

            vix = ibi.Contract(conId=13455763, exchange="CBOE")
            await self.ib.qualifyContractsAsync(vix)

            self.ib.reqMktData(vix)
            async for tickers in self.ib.pendingTickersEvent:
                for ticker in tickers:
                    for tick in ticker.ticks:
                        if (tick.tickType==4):
                            self.ib.cancelMktData(vix)
                            if tick.price > 0:
                                os.system("xmessage -center '"+
                                          str(tick.price)+"' &")
                                sys.exit(0)

    def stop(self):
        self.ib.disconnect()


app = App()
try:
    asyncio.run(app.run())
except (KeyboardInterrupt, SystemExit):
    print("Sayonara!", file=sys.stderr)
    app.stop()
 
Sarah Bush said:
@destriero Thank you very much for your help.

I just called Interactive Brokers, and they told me that the price alerts on all their various platforms (mobile and desktop) are designed to notify only once before automatically deleting itself. The option repeatable doesn't work when I select it. Screenshot attached.

Thanks so much!:)
More...
Hit “alert active until…” and pick a date a month out and test it. It may bypass the auto delete (prob not). @spy has some code for you.
 
Sarah Bush said:
The option repeatable doesn't work when I select it.
More...

Interesting. I was actually about to caution that one problem with a notification getting tripped for something like the VIX is... that if it's toggling right around your limit (e.g. vix 19.999/20 every 30ms and your trigger is >=20) you could potentially send a huge number of email/sms messages.

So, the sample code I posted also exits after the the first time the limit is tripped. Ideally I'd suggest you consider how you'd like to rate limit the notifications you'll be receiving. For better or worse, that specific exercise must be left for the reader.

P.S. My sample also has a bug... the cancelMktData call should be within the innermost if block. Oops, sorry :(
 
Last edited:
spy said:
Interesting. I was actually about to caution that one problem with a notification getting tripped for something like the VIX is... that if it's toggling right around your limit (e.g. vix 19.999/20 every 30ms and your trigger is >=20) you could potentially send a huge number of email/sms messages.

So, the sample code I posted also exits after the the first time the limit is tripped. Ideally I'd suggest you consider how you'd like to rate limit the notifications you'll be receiving. For better or worse, that specific exercise must be left for the reader.

P.S. My sample also has a bug... the cancelMktData call should be within the innermost if block. Oops, sorry :(
More...


Yeah, I think IBKR is limiting the messaging requests. I understand it’s a pain but you could receive hundreds of messages as it straddles a price. I would put alerts on futures instead of cash.
 
Welcome Sarah!

It would probably be easiest to set a ticker website
or watchlist on your iphone, and check that every
few minutes.

If your broker account does not accommodate your
specific needs, you have to think outside the box
and do something different.
 
Sarah Bush said:
Hi everyone:D,

My first post here, and I need help. I am with Interactive Brokers (Trader Workstation) and would like to know if there is a way to get alerts pushed to my phone when the VIX is above or below a certain number. I know how to set alerts with Interactive Brokers, but anytime an alert is triggered, I have to go back and reset it, or it won't alert me again. :banghead:

For example, I want to get an alert when the VIX is above 22 and an alert below 20. I don't want to have to go in manually and have to reset it every time. I want to set it and forget it. Email, text, it doesn't matter.

How can I automate this process of VIX alerts and not have to sit in front of the computer all day? Is there another software or platform that does this, or would you recommend something else?

Thanks so much!:)
More...

Hi Sarah,

Sorry not able to answer your question but instead had a question on how you were able to set alerts on IBKR for VIX?

Scanned through the other alternatives but none of them seem to be VIX?

Thanks in advance :)
 
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