How to trade on Coinbase Pro
If you have accounts on multiple exchanges, you can connect and manage them all on Cryptowatch.
You can connect your exchange accounts by generating API keys on the exchange site, then plugging those keys into Cryptowatch’s Exchange Keys page. See this article for some tips on API key security, if you haven’t already.
Cryptowatch offers a lot of tools that can enhance your trading on Coinbase Pro:
Do technical analysis and chart drawings while you trade
View real-time order book and trade history feeds
Track your balances across multiple exchanges in real-time on the Portfolio page
Receive SMS and email alerts for price and volume and order-fills
Chat with other traders in the Trollbox
Create and save custom themes
Stream prices and order books with the Market Data WebSocket API
Pull market data into Google Sheets with the Cryptofinance.ai plugin
Automate orders and alerts using triggers and actions with Zapier integration
You will need an account at Coinbase Pro first. Then we'll connect that account to Cryptowatch.
In Cryptowatch, click the profile icon in the top-right corner, then select Exchange Keys from the menu:
The Exchange Keys page is where you can plug in API keys from trading- and portfolio-enabled exchanges into Cryptowatch:
If you are logged in to Coinbase Pro already, this will take you directly to the exchange’s API page. Otherwise, you will first be prompted to log in. Log in with your Coinbase Pro credentials to continue.
To find the API page from Coinbase Pro, click your profile name in the top-right of the Coinbase Pro interface and select API
Next, on Coinbase Pro, click the +New API Key button to generate a new key:
A window will open where you can choose which of your Coinbase Portfolios to connect (if you have more than one), choose a nickname for the new key, and add permissions. Only the View and Trade permissions are required to connect to Cryptowatch — do not grant withdrawal permissions.
IP Whitelisting is not yet supported for Coinbase Pro. If enabled, you will receive the error message: unhandled error.
Your passphrase won't be pixelated. Paste it into the Key Passphrase field on the Cryptowatch Exchange Keys page (the third, or bottom-most field):
Once you’ve done that, go ahead and click the blue CREATE API KEY button. You will be prompted to enter a 2-Step Verification code — enter the 7 digit code sent by text and click the ADD AN API KEY button:
Next you will receive your API secret key — click the box containing the key to copy it to the clipboard:
We do NOT recommend backing up or storing your secret keys. If you need to reconnect Cryptowatch to an exchange for any reason, generate a new key from your exchange.
Paste the secret key into the “API Secret” field one Exchange Keys page on Cryptowatch (the middle field):
Nearly finished — back on Coinbase Pro, you can click the DONE button below your API Secret Key to close the window. This will you return to the Coinbase Pro API Settings page, only now we can see the API key we created.
This is the last part — click on the string of letters and numbers to copy it to your clipboard:
Finally, paste the API Key into the API Key field back on the Cryptowatch Exchange Keys page (the first, or top-most field).
When you do, Cryptowatch will automatically finish connecting to your Coinbase Pro account. Once connected, the Coinbase Pro box will change color and no longer show the 3 API key input fields:
Now you can place and cancel orders and manage your Coinbase Pro portfolio on Cryptowatch. If you’re new to Cryptowatch, try following the New User Guide to get acquainted with the interface.
If you received an Invalid Key, Unprivileged Key, or Key Not Exclusive, or Unhandled error, visit the How to connect exchange accounts to Cryptowatch page for troubleshooting tips.
Now that your Coinbase Pro account is connected to Cryptowatch, you can trade on any Coinbase Pro market from the Cryptowatch terminal.
One way to get started is to visit the Markets page and filter the list by clicking the Exchanges drop-down list on the left and selecting Coinbase Pro. You can use the search bar in that drop-down to find Coinbase Pro right away:
Now you will only see markets available on Coinbase Pro. If you want to view markets for a specific asset, use the Asset’s drop-down list to narrow the results down further. Selecting any market in the list will open that market in the trading terminal.
You can filter for multiple assets on the Markets page to quickly compare markets.
Coinbase Pro traders can use Cryptowatch’s advanced charts to trade and perform technical analysis as well as track their funds alongside any other exchange accounts on the Portfolio page.
Check out these articles to learn more about trading and analysis on the Charts page:
These articles demonstrate the Portfolio page:
Cryptowatch’s alerts function is a favorite among traders as well. Check out these articles to learn how to set alerts for price, volume, and order fills: