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# OpenBB Platform
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A comprehensive Python financial data platform that provides investment research capabilities for everyone, anywhere. OpenBB offers unified access to multiple financial data types including equities, options, cryptocurrency, forex, macroeconomics, and fixed income through both Python and CLI interfaces. The platform integrates with numerous financial data vendors, supports AI agent integration, and features a modular architecture with extensible providers.
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## Package Information
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- **Package Name**: openbb
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- **Language**: Python
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- **Installation**: `pip install openbb`
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- **Extended Installation**: `pip install openbb[all]`
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- **CLI Installation**: `pip install openbb-cli`
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- **Python Compatibility**: 3.9-3.12
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- **License**: AGPL-3.0-only
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## Core Imports
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```python
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from openbb import obb
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```
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All OpenBB functionality is accessed through the `obb` object, which provides the unified interface to all financial data capabilities.
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## Basic Usage
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```python
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from openbb import obb
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# Get historical stock data
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stock_data = obb.equity.price.historical("AAPL")
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df = stock_data.to_dataframe()
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# Search for stocks
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search_results = obb.equity.search("Apple")
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# Get cryptocurrency data
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crypto_data = obb.crypto.price.historical("BTC-USD")
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crypto_df = crypto_data.to_dataframe()
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# Get economic indicators
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unemployment_data = obb.economy.unemployment()
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economic_df = unemployment_data.to_dataframe()
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```
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## Architecture
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OpenBB Platform uses a modular, provider-agnostic architecture:
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- **Unified Interface**: Single `obb` entry point for all financial data
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- **Response Objects**: Structured data objects with conversion methods (`.to_dataframe()`, etc.)
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- **Provider System**: Seamless switching between data providers (free and paid)
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- **Extension Architecture**: Plugin system for custom data sources and functionality
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- **Configuration Management**: Centralized credential and provider management
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- **Multi-Format Access**: Python API, REST API, and CLI interfaces
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The platform abstracts data source complexity while maintaining full access to provider-specific features and ensuring consistent data formats across all financial domains.
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## Capabilities
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### Equity Market Data
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Comprehensive equity market data including historical prices, fundamental analysis, earnings data, institutional ownership, dark pool activity, and company discovery tools.
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```python { .api }
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# Price data
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def obb.equity.price.historical(symbol: str, **kwargs) -> ResponseObject: ...
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def obb.equity.price.quote(symbol: str, **kwargs) -> ResponseObject: ...
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# Company search and screening
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def obb.equity.search(query: str, **kwargs) -> ResponseObject: ...
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def obb.equity.screener(**kwargs) -> ResponseObject: ...
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# Fundamental data access points
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obb.equity.fundamental  # Financial metrics and company data
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obb.equity.calendar     # Earnings, dividends, IPOs, events
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obb.equity.estimates    # Analyst estimates and consensus
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obb.equity.ownership    # Institutional and insider data
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```
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[Equity Market Data](./equity.md)
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### Cryptocurrency Data
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Cryptocurrency market data including historical prices, market information, and trading pair discovery across major exchanges.
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```python { .api }
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# Crypto price data
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def obb.crypto.price.historical(symbol: str, **kwargs) -> ResponseObject: ...
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# Crypto search and discovery
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def obb.crypto.search(query: str, **kwargs) -> ResponseObject: ...
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```
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[Cryptocurrency Data](./crypto.md)
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### Economic Indicators
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Macroeconomic data and indicators including GDP, inflation, employment statistics, central bank data, and global economic metrics.
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```python { .api }
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# Economic data access
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obb.economy  # Macroeconomic indicators and data
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```
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[Economic Indicators](./economy.md)
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### Fixed Income Securities
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Bond and fixed income data including government bonds, corporate bonds, yield curves, and fixed income analytics.
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```python { .api }
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# Fixed income data
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obb.fixedincome  # Bond data and fixed income analytics
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```
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[Fixed Income Securities](./fixedincome.md)
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### Commodity Markets
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Commodity market data including energy, metals, agricultural products, and specialized commodity reports.
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```python { .api }
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# Commodity data and reports
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def obb.commodity.short_term_energy_outlook(**kwargs) -> ResponseObject: ...
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def obb.commodity.petroleum_status_report(**kwargs) -> ResponseObject: ...
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```
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[Commodity Markets](./commodity.md)
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### Currency and Forex
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Foreign exchange data including currency pairs, exchange rates, and forex market information.
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```python { .api }
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# Currency and forex data
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obb.currency  # Foreign exchange data
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```
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[Currency and Forex](./currency.md)
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### ETF and Index Data
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Exchange-traded fund and market index data including ETF analytics, index composition, and performance metrics.
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```python { .api }
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# ETF data
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obb.etf  # Exchange-traded fund data and analytics
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# Index data
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obb.index  # Market indices data
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```
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[ETF and Index Data](./etf-index.md)
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### Derivatives and Options
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Options and derivatives data including options pricing, Greeks, volatility analysis, and derivatives market information.
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```python { .api }
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# Derivatives data
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obb.derivatives  # Options and derivatives analytics
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```
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[Derivatives and Options](./derivatives.md)
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### Financial News and Sentiment
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Financial news aggregation and market sentiment analysis from multiple sources.
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```python { .api }
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# News and sentiment data
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obb.news  # Financial news and sentiment analysis
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```
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[Financial News and Sentiment](./news.md)
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### Technical Analysis
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Technical analysis indicators, charting capabilities, and quantitative analysis tools.
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```python { .api }
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# Technical analysis tools
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obb.technical      # Technical indicators and analysis
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obb.quantitative   # Quantitative analysis and metrics
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```
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[Technical Analysis](./technical.md)
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### Regulatory and Research Data
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Regulatory filings, academic research factors, and econometric analysis tools.
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```python { .api }
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# Regulatory data
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obb.regulators     # SEC filings and regulatory data
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# Academic research factors
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obb.famafrench     # Fama-French research factors
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# Econometric analysis
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obb.econometrics   # Econometric modeling tools
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```
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[Regulatory and Research Data](./regulatory.md)
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## Configuration and Providers
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### Provider Management
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OpenBB supports multiple data providers that can be configured and switched dynamically:
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```python { .api }
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# Provider configuration (examples of typical usage patterns)
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# Configuration is handled through OpenBB Hub or local configuration
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```
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**Free Providers:**
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- FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)
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- Polygon
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- Yahoo Finance
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**Paid Providers:**
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- Benzinga
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- Intrinio
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- Trading Economics
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### Authentication and Configuration
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```python { .api }
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# Configuration is managed through:
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# - OpenBB Hub (my.openbb.co) for centralized credential management
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# - Local configuration files
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# - Environment variables
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# - Runtime configuration
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```
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## Response Objects and Data Handling
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All OpenBB API calls return structured response objects with built-in conversion methods:
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```python { .api }
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import pandas
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class ResponseObject:
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    """
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    Response object returned by all OpenBB API calls.
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    Provides methods to convert financial data into various formats
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    for analysis and integration with other tools.
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    """
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    def to_dataframe(self) -> pandas.DataFrame:
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        """
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        Convert response data to pandas DataFrame.
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        Returns:
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        pandas.DataFrame: Structured data ready for analysis
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        """
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        ...
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    def to_dict(self) -> dict:
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        """Convert response data to dictionary format."""
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        ...
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    def to_json(self) -> str:
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        """Convert response data to JSON string."""
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        ...
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```
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## Platform Integration
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### REST API Access
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```python
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# OpenBB Platform includes a built-in REST API server
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# Default endpoint: http://localhost:6900
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# Provides HTTP access to all platform functionality
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```
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### CLI Interface
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```bash
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# Separate CLI package provides command-line access
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pip install openbb-cli
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# CLI mirrors Python API structure
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# Supports automation via OpenBB Routine Scripts
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```
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### Enterprise Integration
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- **OpenBB Workspace**: Enterprise UI at pro.openbb.co
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- **OpenBB Hub**: Credential management at my.openbb.co
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- **AI Integration**: Built-in support for AI agents and custom models