Finance & Accounting · Alpaca + Claude
Alpaca MCP with Claude: Check Portfolios and Manage Orders in Plain Language
The short answer
Claude works with Alpaca through the Model Context Protocol, an open standard that lets Claude securely read information and take actions in the tool. Once connected, Claude can check portfolios, fetch market data and manage orders from a natural language request, using the permissions your organisation sets and with people approving consequential actions.
What is Alpaca?
Alpaca is a stock and crypto trading platform. It offers commission-free trading, real-time market data and tools for algorithmic strategies. Developers use it to build brokerage apps and trading bots. Finance teams, fintech product owners and investment operations groups use it to build portfolio workflows with direct market connectivity.
How Claude connects to Alpaca through MCP
The Model Context Protocol, or MCP, is an open standard that acts like a universal adapter between Claude and other software. It lets Claude use a tool securely, with permissions the organisation controls. For Alpaca, the connection can use the Alpaca MCP server or a direct API link, depending on what suits the build.
Once connected, Claude can typically read portfolio positions, check account information, fetch market data and review existing orders. It can also prepare and place paper trades, which are simulated orders that do not use real money. Staff can ask for these actions in everyday language rather than navigating screens or writing code for each request.
Permissions and approvals keep people in charge. Access is limited to what each workflow needs, and sign-in uses the method Alpaca supports, either an API key or OAuth sign-in. Consequential actions such as placing live orders can require a named person to approve before anything is sent, and every action is recorded in an audit log.
What you can automate
Portfolio Summaries for Advisers
Advisers often need a clear view of client holdings before a review meeting. Claude can pull current positions, cash balances and recent activity, then produce a short summary with notable changes. The adviser checks the summary and uses it as a starting point, saving time spent gathering figures from several screens.
Market Data Checks for Analysts
Research analysts can ask Claude for recent price movements, volumes or market data on a set of symbols. Claude can fetch the figures and arrange them into a table or brief. This helps analysts spend more time interpreting the data and less time collecting it, while the source remains the live feed.
Paper Trade Testing for Developers
Development teams building trading bots or brokerage apps can test strategies with paper trades before going live. Claude can place simulated orders, report fills and flag errors in the logic. Testers describe the scenario in plain words, which makes it quicker to check edge cases.
Order Status Follow-Up for Operations
Operations staff often chase the status of open or partly filled orders. Claude can list open orders, show their current state and draft a status note for a manager. Anything that changes an order is held for human approval before it is carried out.
Daily Reconciliation Support for Finance
Finance teams can use Claude to compare the positions held in Alpaca with the figures in their ledger or reporting system. Claude highlights differences and lists items to investigate. Accountants keep control of adjustments and sign off on the final figures.
An end-to-end workflow: Morning Portfolio Reconciliation
TriggerEach business morning, before the finance team starts its close checks.
Claude retrieves current positions and cash balances from Alpaca using the approved read-only connection.
Claude pulls the matching balances and transaction records from the finance team's accounting system.
Claude compares the two sets of figures and lists any mismatches by symbol and amount.
Claude drafts a summary and posts it to the team's Microsoft 365 channel for review.
An accountant reviews the flagged items and approves any follow-up action before it is taken.
OutcomeThe finance team starts the day with a reconciled view of positions, and differences are investigated sooner. Typical results vary by organisation, but teams often spend less time on manual comparison.
How we set it up
Free Automation Audit
We review how your teams use Alpaca today and identify the workflows worth automating. You receive a short written plan showing where Claude can save time and where human checks should stay in place.
Secure Connection
We connect Claude to Alpaca using an API key or OAuth sign-in, whichever suits your setup. Access is set to the least privilege each workflow needs, and paper trading is enabled first where relevant.
Workflow Design
We design the end-to-end process across Alpaca and your other systems, such as Microsoft 365, your CRM, ERP or ticketing tool. Approval points are set for every action that changes an order or moves money.
Testing Against Real Cases
We test the workflow against past cases from your own records. We check accuracy, edge cases and approval routing, and adjust the design until results match what your team expects.
Launch, Monitoring and Training
We launch with monitoring and audit logs turned on, then train your team on how to make requests and review outputs. We remain available for adjustments after launch.
Who benefits
- Portfolio Adviser
- Gets faster portfolio summaries and holdings checks ahead of client reviews.
- Trading Systems Developer
- Tests bots and brokerage features with paper trades and clearer error reports.
- Finance Controller
- Receives daily reconciliation support with mismatches flagged for review.
- Operations Manager
- Tracks open orders and status updates without manual screen checks.
Security and control
- Least-privilege access so each workflow can only read or act within its defined scope.
- Paper trading used first to test logic before any live orders are considered.
- Named human approval required for any action that places, changes or cancels an order.
- Audit logs recording every request, response and approval for later review.
- Clear separation of credentials, with API keys and sign-in tokens stored securely and rotated on schedule.
For teams in the US, UK, India and the Middle East
Organisations in the United States and the United Kingdom can host the Claude workflow in their chosen region, supporting their existing data protection and financial regulatory obligations. In India, workflows can be designed to meet the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023. Firms in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia can align data handling with local data protection laws. Hosting region is chosen during design to meet your specific requirements.
Learn more about Claude and MCP
Anthropic's AI model and assistant.
Secure links between Claude and business tools.
How engineers build and change software with Claude.
Hosted agents that run multi-step work.
The open standard Claude uses to connect to tools.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Alpaca MCP server do?
The Alpaca MCP server is a connector that lets Claude communicate with Alpaca in a controlled way. It allows Claude to request information such as positions, balances and market data, and to carry out permitted actions such as paper trades. The server only exposes the functions you approve, which keeps the connection focused on your workflow.
Is it secure to connect Claude to Alpaca?
Security depends on how the connection is set up. We use the sign-in method Alpaca supports, either an API key or OAuth sign-in, with least-privilege access. Consequential actions can require human approval, and audit logs record activity. We do not guarantee outcomes, but we design each connection to limit risk.
What can Claude do with Alpaca once connected?
Typically Claude can check portfolio positions and account information, fetch market data, review orders and place paper trades when permitted. Live order actions can be routed through an approval step. The exact scope is agreed during the audit and matched to your workflow and permissions.
How long does setup take?
Timelines vary with the number of workflows and systems involved. A simple read-only connection with one workflow can often be set up within a few weeks, including testing. More complex designs with several approval routes and connected systems usually take longer. We confirm a timeline after the free automation audit.
Which plan or permissions do I need?
Generally, you need an Alpaca account with credentials that allow the access your workflow requires, and a sign-in method the platform supports. Access levels should match the least privilege each task needs. Which account type or permission set suits you depends on your trading activity, and we confirm this with you during the audit.