ApexVol MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that gives AI assistants live access to ApexVol's options analytics platform: options chains, IV rank, volatility risk premium, Greeks, gamma exposure (GEX), expected moves, strategy building, and market screening. 44 tools, one connector.

Works with Claude Code, Claude Desktop, claude.ai (remote connector — no install), and any MCP-compatible client.

• Setup guide (step by step): https://apexvol.com/learn/claude-options-data-mcp
• REST API docs: https://apexvol.com/docs/api
• Single-file API reference, sized for LLM context windows: https://apexvol.com/docs/api/apexvol-api.md

Quickstart

Option A — Remote connector (no install)

Add a custom connector in claude.ai or Claude Desktop (Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector) with this URL:

https://apexvol.com/mcp-server

Sign in with your ApexVol account when prompted (OAuth). That's it — no Python, no config files.

Claude Code can use the remote server too:

claude mcp add --transport http apexvol https://apexvol.com/mcp-server

then authenticate when prompted (the /mcp command shows login state).

Option B — Local install (stdio)

pipx install apexvol-mcp
claude mcp add apexvol -e APEXVOL_API_TOKEN=avmcp_YOUR_TOKEN_HERE -- apexvol-mcp

Access requires any paid ApexVol plan (from $55/mo). Every tool returns the same data tier your web plan includes; Pro unlocks the full toolset. Tokens are self-served at apexvol.com/account → API Access.

Example session

Real output, 2026-08-15:

You: What's the IV rank for SPY?

Claude calls get_iv_rank("SPY"):

Metric	Value
Current IV	12.3%
IV Rank	7.8
IV Percentile	8.3%
52-Week Low	11.2%
52-Week High	25.0%

Assessment: LOW — consider buying premium rather than selling it.

Follow-ups like "so is a calendar spread better than an iron condor here?" work because Claude can pull the term structure, build both strategies, and compare the Greeks — in the same conversation.

Architecture

Remote (no install)
┌─────────────────────────┐            ┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ claude.ai / Desktop /   │── OAuth ──▶│ https://apexvol.com/mcp-server│
│ Claude Code (HTTP)      │            │ (streamable HTTP)             │
└─────────────────────────┘            └──────────────────────────────┘

Local (stdio)
┌─────────────────────┐               ┌─────────────────────┐
│ Claude Code/Desktop │               │ apexvol.com         │
│         │           │               │                     │
│         ▼           │               │                     │
│   ApexVol MCP       │──── HTTPS ───▶│  /api/mcp/data/...  │
│   (runs locally)    │               │                     │
└─────────────────────┘               └─────────────────────┘

The local server runs on your machine and calls the ApexVol platform API. The remote server is the same toolset hosted by ApexVol, authenticated with OAuth instead of a token.

Features

• 43 Analytics Tools — every /api/mcp/data endpoint is reachable from Claude
• Built-in reference — a help tool answers "which tool gives me X" from a bundled copy of the API docs, and 41 prompts appear in your client's prompt picker: 33 starters, three per data family, plus 8 whole-job recipes
• Natural Language Interface - Ask questions like "What's the IV rank for SPY?"
• Remote or local - hosted OAuth connector, or a pipx-installed stdio server
• Token Authentication - Secure API token validation (local mode)
• Built-in health check - apexvol-mcp --check verifies your install and token

Available Tools

Options Chain (6 tools)

• get_options_chain - Full options chain for any ticker
• get_expirations - Available expiration dates
• get_options_by_delta - Find options at specific delta
• get_stock_price - Current price and company info
• calculate_expected_move - Expected move from straddle pricing; tickers="SPY,AAPL,NVDA" prices up to 25 symbols in one call (0.1.4)
• get_historical_chain - Chain snapshot on any past trading day

Volatility Analysis (7 tools)

• get_iv_rank - IV rank and percentile; tickers="SPY,QQQ,IWM" ranks up to 25 symbols in one call (0.1.4)
• get_volatility_cone - IV vs historical realized volatility
• get_volatility_risk_premium - VRP (IV minus RV)
• get_term_structure - IV across expirations
• find_iv_opportunities - Mean reversion opportunities
• get_vix_snapshot - VIX level and term-structure state
• get_monies_surface - Smoothed vol surface: implied, forecast, or model-vs-market comparison

Greeks & GEX (5 tools)

• get_gex - Gamma Exposure by strike; tickers= batches up to 25 symbols, strikes_around and detail size the payload (0.1.4)
• get_charm_exposure - Delta decay exposure
• get_third_order_greeks - Speed, zomma, color, vomma, ultima
• get_greeks_heatmap - Greeks across strikes and expirations
• get_cross_index_gex - Compare GEX across indices

Options Flow (3 tools)

• get_options_flow - Flow and unusual activity (end-of-day figures while the market is closed; answers with an explanation, never zeros, if the volume feed goes quiet); limit and detail size the row lists (0.1.4)
• get_smart_money_flow - Institutional flow patterns ⚠️ same limitation as above
• scan_volatility_arb - Cross-index volatility arbitrage

Strategy Building (5 tools)

• build_strategy - Build options strategies (iron condor, spreads, etc.)
• analyze_strategy - Full P&L and Greeks analysis
• optimize_strategy - Find optimal strikes
• simulate_option_chain - Black-Scholes what-if re-pricing (price/DTE/IV shift)
• calculate_probability_of_profit - PoP for any set of legs

Risk Management (4 tools)

• calculate_portfolio_greeks - Aggregate portfolio Greeks
• run_scenario_analysis - What-if scenarios
• generate_stress_tests - Stress test results
• get_hedge_recommendations - Delta-hedge suggestions (stock + option legs)

Positions are passed as a JSON array (ticker, position_type, quantity, strike, expiration, Greeks) — pull option Greeks from get_options_chain first. Plain text ("AAPL 100 shares") works for stock-only portfolios.

Events & Screening (5 tools)

• get_earnings_calendar - Upcoming earnings
• analyze_earnings_history - Historical earnings moves
• screen_market - Market screening (high IV, unusual volume, etc.)
• get_market_overview - Market-wide volatility overview
• get_economic_calendar - Macro events (CPI, FOMC, jobs...)

Ticker Analytics (8 tools)

• get_ticker_analytics - One tool, eight views: skew, dividends, borrow_rate, correlation, hv_regimes, price_context, relative_value, greeks_exposure
• get_earnings_move_analysis - seven views: mispricing, historical_moves, expected_vs_actual, verdict, seasonality, post_drift, iv_crush
• get_max_pain - Max pain strike and loss profile
• get_volume_profile - Volume/OI by strike with OI-implied support/resistance
• get_zero_dte - 0DTE gamma, flip level, max pain, theta decay (SPY/QQQ/SPX...); strikes_around and detail size the chain (0.1.4)
• get_orats_cores - Raw vendor cores row (340+ fields) with field selection
• search_tickers - Resolve names to symbols / check coverage
• scan_relative_value - Market-wide IV/SPY mean-reversion and pairs scans

Help and discovery (1 tool)

• help - The API reference inside the server. help() lists the families and how to ask; help("get_iv_rank"), help("gex") or help("/iv-rank/{ticker}") return the tool, family or endpoint record (question, parameters, units, basis, fields, plan, prompts, docs URL); any other words run a search. Bundled data, no request cost, works before a token is set.

Prompt starters

The server also registers 41 prompts, three per data family plus one per recipe, that show up in the prompt picker of Claude Desktop, Cursor and VS Code. Each one carries the ticker as an argument with a real default, names the tools that answer it and links the family page. The wording matches the prompt library.

Installation (local mode, in detail)

Prerequisites

• Python 3.10+
• Any paid ApexVol plan and an API token (see "Getting a Token" below)

Install the Package

We recommend pipx so the apexvol-mcp command is isolated and always on your PATH:

pipx install apexvol-mcp

Plain pip install apexvol-mcp also works.

Or install from source:

git clone https://github.com/ryansilk/apexvol-mcp.git
cd apexvol-mcp
pip install -e .

Verify the install

Before touching any Claude config, confirm the command works and your token authenticates:

APEXVOL_API_TOKEN=avmcp_YOUR_TOKEN_HERE apexvol-mcp --check

--check prints the client version, auth result, and your remaining rate-limit/monthly budget. If it says OK, the only step left is wiring it into Claude.

Configuration

Claude Code (CLI)

One command:

claude mcp add apexvol -e APEXVOL_API_TOKEN=avmcp_YOUR_TOKEN_HERE -- apexvol-mcp

Or add to your project's .mcp.json or global ~/.claude.json by hand:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apexvol": {
      "command": "apexvol-mcp",
      "env": {
        "APEXVOL_API_TOKEN": "avmcp_YOUR_TOKEN_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop App

macOS: Edit ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows: Edit %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json