PolymarketDocumentation/docs/developers/CLOB/quickstart.md

Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.polymarket.com/llms.txt Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Quickstart

Place your first order on Polymarket

This guide walks you through placing an order on Polymarket end-to-end.

```bash TypeScript theme={null} npm install @polymarket/clob-client ethers@5 ```

  ```bash Python theme={null}
  pip install py-clob-client
  ```
</CodeGroup>

Derive your API credentials and initialize the trading client. This example uses an EOA wallet (type `0`) — your wallet pays its own gas and acts as the funder:

<CodeGroup>
  ```typescript TypeScript theme={null}
  import { ClobClient } from "@polymarket/clob-client";
  import { Wallet } from "ethers"; // v5.8.0

  const HOST = "https://clob.polymarket.com";
  const CHAIN_ID = 137; // Polygon mainnet
  const signer = new Wallet(process.env.PRIVATE_KEY);

  // Derive API credentials
  const tempClient = new ClobClient(HOST, CHAIN_ID, signer);
  const apiCreds = await tempClient.createOrDeriveApiKey();

  // Initialize trading client
  const client = new ClobClient(
    HOST,
    CHAIN_ID,
    signer,
    apiCreds,
    0, // EOA
    signer.address,
  );
  ```

  ```python Python theme={null}
  from py_clob_client.client import ClobClient
  import os

  host = "https://clob.polymarket.com"
  chain_id = 137  # Polygon mainnet
  private_key = os.getenv("PRIVATE_KEY")

  # Derive API credentials
  temp_client = ClobClient(host, key=private_key, chain_id=chain_id)
  api_creds = temp_client.create_or_derive_api_creds()

  # Initialize trading client
  client = ClobClient(
      host,
      key=private_key,
      chain_id=chain_id,
      creds=api_creds,
      signature_type=0,  # EOA
      funder="YOUR_WALLET_ADDRESS"
  )
  ```
</CodeGroup>

<Note>
  If you have a Polymarket.com account, your funds are in a proxy wallet — use
  signature type `1` or `2` instead. See [Signature
  Types](/trading/overview#signature-types) for details.
</Note>

<Warning>
  Before trading, your funder address needs **USDC.e** (for buying outcome
  tokens) and **POL** (for gas, if using EOA type `0`). Proxy wallet users
  (types `1` and `2`) can use Polymarket's gasless relayer instead.
</Warning>

Get a token ID from the [Markets API](/market-data/fetching-markets), then create and submit your order:

<CodeGroup>
  ```typescript TypeScript theme={null}
  import { Side, OrderType } from "@polymarket/clob-client";

  const response = await client.createAndPostOrder(
    {
      tokenID: "YOUR_TOKEN_ID",
      price: 0.5,
      size: 10,
      side: Side.BUY,
    },
    {
      tickSize: "0.01",
      negRisk: false, // Set to true for multi-outcome markets
    },
    OrderType.GTC,
  );

  console.log("Order ID:", response.orderID);
  console.log("Status:", response.status);
  ```

  ```python Python theme={null}
  from py_clob_client.clob_types import OrderArgs, OrderType
  from py_clob_client.order_builder.constants import BUY

  response = client.create_and_post_order(
      OrderArgs(
          token_id="YOUR_TOKEN_ID",
          price=0.50,
          size=10,
          side=BUY,
      ),
      options={
          "tick_size": "0.01",
          "neg_risk": False,  # Set to True for multi-outcome markets
      },
      order_type=OrderType.GTC
  )

  print("Order ID:", response["orderID"])
  print("Status:", response["status"])
  ```
</CodeGroup>

<Tip>
  Look up a market's `tickSize` and `negRisk` values using the SDK's
  `getTickSize()` and `getNegRisk()` methods, or from the market object returned
  by the API.
</Tip>

```typescript TypeScript theme={null} // View all open orders const openOrders = await client.getOpenOrders(); console.log(`You have ${openOrders.length} open orders`);

  // View your trade history
  const trades = await client.getTrades();
  console.log(`You've made ${trades.length} trades`);

  // Cancel an order
  await client.cancelOrder(response.orderID);
  ```

  ```python Python theme={null}
  # View all open orders
  open_orders = client.get_orders()
  print(f"You have {len(open_orders)} open orders")

  # View your trade history
  trades = client.get_trades()
  print(f"You've made {len(trades)} trades")

  # Cancel an order
  client.cancel(order_id=response["orderID"])
  ```
</CodeGroup>

---

Troubleshooting

Wrong private key, signature type, or funder address for the derived API credentials.

* Check that `signatureType` matches your account type (`0`, `1`, or `2`)
* Ensure `funder` is correct for your wallet type
* Re-derive credentials with `createOrDeriveApiKey()` if unsure

Your funder address doesn't have enough tokens:

* **BUY orders**: need USDC.e in your funder address
* **SELL orders**: need outcome tokens in your funder address
* Ensure you have more USDC.e than what's committed in open orders

You need to approve the Exchange contract to spend your tokens. This is typically done through the Polymarket UI on your first trade, or using the CTF contract's `setApprovalForAll()` method. Your funder address is the wallet where your funds are held:

* **EOA (type 0)**: Your wallet address directly
* **Proxy wallet (type 1 or 2)**: Go to [polymarket.com/settings](https://polymarket.com/settings) and look for the wallet address in the profile dropdown

If the proxy wallet doesn't exist, log into Polymarket.com first (it's deployed on first login).

You're trying to place a trade from a restricted region. See [Geographic Restrictions](/api-reference/geoblock) for details.

---

Next Steps

Order types, tick sizes, and error handling Attribute orders to your builder account for volume credit