setting up the edgeful API with VS Code + Claude Code
summary: a no-code walkthrough for setting up the edgeful API in VS Code with the Claude Code extension — install the tools, plug in your key, pull your first report, and build a dashboard from the data.
if you've never written a line of code, this is for you. the edgeful API gives you every stat behind every report on the platform, programmatically — and with Claude Code, you don't have to know how to make a request. you point it at the docs, paste in your key, and ask it to pull what you want in plain english.
total setup time is about 10 minutes. you only do it once.
watch the walkthrough
the fastest way — let your agent set it up
if you're using a coding agent that can read docs — Claude Code, Cursor, Codex — you can skip the manual steps below. just paste this one prompt:
Set up the edgeful API for me. Read https://www.edgeful.com/docs/agent-setup and follow the instructions there.
that doc is written for the agent, not for you — it's a copy-and-run setup guide. your agent reads it, pulls the API specs, creates your .env file, installs the dashboard skill, and fires a live test call to confirm everything works. it'll pause and ask for your API key when it needs it — generate one at edgeful.com/api-dashboard (step 5 below shows how).
that's the whole setup in one line. prefer to go step by step — or want to see what's happening under the hood? the manual walkthrough below covers each piece.
what you'll need
3 things before you start:
VS Code (free) — the editor you'll work out of
a Claude subscription — needed for the Claude Code extension
an edgeful API key — generated in your edgeful API dashboard
don't worry if any of those are unfamiliar. each step is below.
step 1 — install VS Code
go to google, search "VS Code," and click the first result — Visual Studio Code. download the version that matches your machine (Mac or Windows) and install it like any other app.
VS Code is the environment you'll work out of — a place to keep your project files and run Claude Code from. you don't need to learn it. you just need it open.
step 2 — install the Claude Code extension
open VS Code, click the extensions icon in the left sidebar (4 squares with one floating off), and search for Claude Code. click install on the official extension.
once installed, the extension will walk you through authorizing your Claude account — follow the prompts, it's just a sign-in flow.
when it's done, you'll see the Claude Code panel open inside VS Code. that's where you'll type your requests.
step 3 — create a project folder
Claude Code needs a folder to operate in — a defined workspace it can read from and write to. create a new empty folder anywhere on your machine and name it something obvious like edgeful-api-demo.
in VS Code, click file → open folder and select the folder you just made. VS Code will reload with that folder as your workspace. it'll be empty for now — files appear as Claude Code creates them.
step 4 — point Claude Code at the edgeful API docs
open your edgeful API dashboard and grab the link to the developer docs. you can also use the direct link: edgeful.com/docs/welcome.
back in VS Code, paste the link into Claude Code with a prompt like:
help me set up the edgeful API — here are the startup docs: https://www.edgeful.com/docs/welcome
Claude Code will read through the docs and then ask you 2 things:
which language do you want the demo in? Python is the easiest path — just answer "Python."
do you already have an API key? if you do, say yes. if not, you'll generate one in the next step.
Claude Code will start creating files in your folder. you'll see them appear in the sidebar as it goes.
step 5 — generate and add your API key
if you don't have an API key yet, open your edgeful dashboard, go to API dashboard → API keys, and click generate API key.
read the full API agreement before you accept — don't skip it. the key shown to you afterward is your only chance to copy it. if you lose it, you'll have to regenerate it and start over.
copy the full key (it starts with ef_live_), then jump back to VS Code. Claude Code already created a .env file in your project folder — open it, paste your key in place of the placeholder, and save the file (cmd+s on Mac, ctrl+s on Windows). the white dot on the file tab disappears once it's saved — that's your confirmation.
never share your API key with anyone, and never commit it to a public repo. for the full rundown on key safety, rotation, and naming conventions, read getting your first API key.
step 6 — test that it's working
tell Claude Code:
I pasted my API key into the .env file. can you test that it's working?
it'll fire a test request against the API. if it comes back successfully, setup is done.
from here you can ask for any report by name. try something like:
pull the NQ stats for the IB standard report in the New York session for the last year
Claude Code will figure out the right endpoint, hit it, save the response into a file in your folder, and summarize what came back. you never have to look at the raw request or response unless you want to.
a quick tip — if you don't want Claude Code asking permission for every action, switch it to auto mode. it'll move faster. only do this once you trust the workflow and you've read what it's about to run.
step 7 — optional: add the dashboard skill
once your data is in the workspace, you can take it further with the edgeful dashboard skill — a small file that teaches Claude Code how to turn API responses into clean, shareable HTML dashboards.
grab the skill file, drop it somewhere accessible, and tell Claude Code:
can you set up this skill in this workspace?
once the files are copied in, restart Claude Code so it picks up the new /dashboard command — then you can turn any data you've pulled into a dashboard in one line.
that's just the start. for the full treatment — cross-report mashups, comparing tickers side by side, and letting Claude surface the patterns — see building custom dashboards with the edgeful API + Claude Code.
where to take it from here
that's the whole setup — you only do it once. from now on, open VS Code, open the same folder, and start asking for data.
a few directions to push it:
compare across tickers — pull ES and NQ on the same report and stack them side by side. things that aren't easy in the edgeful UI become trivial here.
pull subreports and biweekly variants — the more specific the data, the more curated your dashboards get.
build a daily prep dashboard — pull the reports that matter for your process and generate a fresh dashboard every morning.
chain reports together — find new confluences by combining reports that don't sit next to each other in the UI.
you have access to every report, the screener, and what's in play through the API. anything you can see in the UI, you can pull, transform, and visualize the way you want.
for the full endpoint catalog and response shapes, the developer docs are the source of truth: edgeful.com/docs/api-reference.
if you build something interesting or have ideas for what you'd like the API to do, send us a note — we want to hear it.