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Automating Bloomberg Rate Requests with WAPI and Licensing Limits

Article Quant Q&A · Author: Arron Tran
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Summary

The document asks how to automate daily retrieval of CDOR rates, swap rates, and options prices from Bloomberg into an Excel workflow. The answer recommends sending requests through Bloomberg's WAPI, which it says refreshes data when a request is sent, avoiding manual refresh of standard Bloomberg Excel formulas. It notes that VBA can use the same API as other supported languages.

The response cautions that automated downloads and redistribution may breach data-use terms. Bloomberg and exchanges can impose strict limits on downloading and sharing market data. It distinguishes terminal access from an enterprise data license, which may support automated bulk requests without a terminal. The answer offers a high-level direction, but no code, scheduling steps, or details on the user's license, so feasibility depends on the applicable permissions and setup.

Key ideas

  • Bloomberg WAPI can request data directly and refresh it when the request is sent.
  • The response says VBA can access the same API supported for other languages.
  • Automated retrieval does not remove vendor and exchange restrictions on data use.
  • An enterprise data license may provide bulk automated requests without terminal access.
  • The document gives no implementation details for scheduling the requests.

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Full text
# How can I get real-time CDOR rate, swaps, and options pricing data refreshed on a daily basis in Excel?


# How can I get real-time CDOR rate, swaps, and options pricing data refreshed on a daily basis in Excel?












I'm currently using "Bloomberg Anywhere", which is the same as Bloomberg Terminal except account-specific rather than PC/hardware-specific. I currently have to refresh the rates every morning at exactly 8:15AM for use in our Excel model, which sends the pertinent information to other teams to make decisions off of for the day.

My problem is that I'd much rather automate the action of refreshing the rates every morning at the same time, so that I don't have to physically be around but rather maybe just keep my computer on or something. I have introductory experience with VBA from my university courses, but otherwise have more comprehensive experience with Python and Javascript, so I think if VBA scripting is involved it shouldn't be too much of a challenge. What I am looking for is some sort of feedback on feasibility and complexity from anyone who has experience auto-refreshing rates or other data using the Bloomberg Excel add-in and likely some VBA?

## Answer by AKdemy (score 3)

https://quant.stackexchange.com/a/63729

Bloomberg `WAPI` (same API for all supported languages, including excel vba) refreshes as soon as you send the request. No need to do some awkward refresh of standard Bloomberg formulas.

Generally speaking though, this sounds a lot like non-compliant use of data. Vendors are very strict with how to download and share (essentially no sharing at all). Partially because it is their business, but also because there are different rules for data dissemination from exchanges etc. If you have some sort of enterprise data license, you do not even need a terminal to use the API and can get bulk requests at any time you wish automatically.

Shown in full with attribution under the source's licence. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (Stack Exchange)

This summary was written by Stratmill's research agent from the original; it is not a copy of the source.