If you’re a trader, analyst, or developer, you’ve probably felt the pain: you have a brilliant idea for an options strategy, but you can’t find reliable, structured data to backtest it. Free websites are incomplete, premium providers are too expensive, and manual downloads are just not scalable.
That’s where an Options Data API comes in. And if you want to go deeper, an Option Chain API gives you the full picture of all available contracts for a ticker. In this article, we’ll break down what they are, why they matter, and how you can use the EODHD API to power your strategies.
An Options Data API is a web service that allows you to pull structured data about options contracts — calls, puts, strikes, expiration dates, open interest, Greeks (Delta, Gamma, Vega, Theta), and implied volatility.
An Option Chain API goes one step further: instead of a single contract, it returns the entire chain of options for a given underlying asset. Think of it as the complete menu of contracts traders are dealing with for Apple, Tesla, or any ticker you’re analyzing.
👉 Want to test this right away? Check out the EODHD Options API. It offers more than 40 fields per contract (from bid/ask to open interest and Greeks), with powerful filters and sorting.
Here’s where the power of EODHD shines. Let’s walk through different use cases with real API examples.
https://eodhd.com/api/mp/unicornbay/options/eod?
filter[underlying_symbol]=AAPL&
filter[type]=call&
filter[strike_from]=300&
sort=exp_date&
api_token=demo
✅ Returns all call options for Apple with strike ≥ 300, sorted by expiration date.
Fields include: strike, exp_date, bid, ask, open_interest, volatility, delta.
https://eodhd.com/api/mp/unicornbay/options/eod?
filter[underlying_symbol]=AAPL&
filter[exp_date_from]=2024-01-21&
filter[exp_date_to]=2024-01-28&
sort=-exp_date&
api_token=demo
✅ Useful if you’re analyzing contracts within one earnings cycle or planning an earnings strategy.
https://eodhd.com/api/mp/unicornbay/options/eod?
filter[underlying_symbol]=AAPL&
filter[tradetime_from]=2025-02-01&
filter[tradetime_to]=2025-04-03&
sort=strike&
api_token=demo
✅ Returns only options active within a date range. Perfect for volume and liquidity analysis.
https://eodhd.com/api/mp/unicornbay/options/contracts?
filter[underlying_symbol]=AAPL&
filter[strike_from]=150&
filter[strike_to]=200&
sort=strike&
api_token=demo
✅ Returns all calls and puts between strike 150 and 200. Ideal for strategies like iron condors or butterflies.
https://eodhd.com/api/mp/unicornbay/options/eod?
filter[underlying_symbol]=TSLA&
filter[strike_from]=240&
filter[strike_to]=260&
filter[type]=put&
sort=exp_date&
api_token=demo
✅ Example for Tesla: pulls only puts near the current price (useful for hedging).
https://eodhd.com/api/mp/unicornbay/options/eod?
filter[underlying_symbol]=MSFT&
filter[type]=call&
filter[strike_from]=200&
filter[exp_date_from]=2025-01-01&
filter[exp_date_to]=2025-03-31&
sort=exp_date&
api_token=demo
✅ Perfect for seasonal strategies or quarterly backtests.
import requests
API_TOKEN = "your_api_key_here"
BASE = "https://eodhd.com/api/mp/unicornbay"
def get_options(symbol, params):
params["filter[underlying_symbol]"] = symbol
params["api_token"] = API_TOKEN
url = f"{BASE}/options/eod"
resp = requests.get(url, params=params)
return resp.json().get("data", [])
# Example: AAPL calls expiring in 2025 Q1
options = get_options("AAPL", {
"filter[type]": "call",
"filter[strike_from]": 200,
"filter[exp_date_from]": "2025-01-01",
"filter[exp_date_to]": "2025-03-31",
"sort": "exp_date"
})
for o in options[:5]:
print(o["contract"], o["strike"], o["exp_date"], o["delta"])
👉 You can replicate any of the above endpoints in Python with minor tweaks.
👉 With EODHD’s flexibility, you can go from basic analysis to quant-level modeling in a few lines of code. Start with the EODHD Options API and explore what’s possible.
An Options Data API is not just a convenience — it’s the foundation of serious options analysis. An Option Chain API takes it further, giving you the full market picture. With EODHD, you get affordable access, robust coverage, and developer-friendly filters.
Sharpen your trading axe with reliable data. Start using EODHD’s Options API today and take your strategies from guesswork to data-driven execution.
Options Data API and Option Chain API: How to Use EODHD for Smarter Trading was originally published in Coinmonks on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

