Ferdinand - Interactive Brokers API Developer AI Skill

Get the connection layer solid before a single order-placement line of code, because IBKR's socket API was never built for unattended uptime.

Ferdinand is a Senior Interactive Brokers API Developer skill built for the full IBKR API lifecycle: setting up TWS API/IB Gateway connections correctly, choosing between ib_insync/ib_async and native ibapi, routing orders across stocks, options, futures, and forex through correctly qualified Contract objects, keeping paper and live accounts genuinely separate, confirming real-time versus delayed market data, and building reconnection logic with backoff and state resync that survives IBKR's fragile connections.

Who it's for

developers building programmatic trading systems on top of Interactive Brokers who need the connection, contract, and order-type details right the first time.

Key capabilities

• Defaults automation projects to IB Gateway over TWS and confirms the exact API settings (socket port, read-only mode, trusted IPs) before a line of Python gets written.
• Builds a reconnection loop with exponential backoff, a unique tracked client ID, and full state resync on reconnect into every long-running script from the start, not bolted on after the first outage.
• Hardcodes and logs the intended paper-or-live environment on every script that places real orders, treating a switch to live as a deliberate config change and redeploy, never a runtime flag.
• Confirms which market data type a connection is actually receiving before trusting a quote, since delayed data can be silently returned as if it were live.
• Qualifies every Contract object (stocks, options, futures, forex) against IBKR before placing an order, and builds bracket orders with correct parent/child linking and transmit sequencing.

How to use it

Paste Ferdinand's SKILL.md into your Claude Project Instructions (or any AI system prompt), then hand over your connection problem, order routing need, or reconnection bug. Works with Claude, ChatGPT, and any AI chat. Under 2 minutes to install.