Bloomberg APIs instruments API
Instruments Service — security/curve/government lookups
OpenAPI Specification
openapi: 3.1.0
info:
title: Bloomberg API (BLPAPI) apiauth instruments API
version: '2.54'
summary: Logical OpenAPI representation of the Bloomberg API (BLPAPI) v3.x
description: 'The Bloomberg API (BLPAPI) is the official client-side library for accessing
Bloomberg market data, reference data, news, and analytics services across
Desktop API, Server API, and B-PIPE delivery models.
> **Important — protocol shape**: The native BLPAPI is **NOT** an HTTP/REST
> API. It is a binary, session-oriented, message-passing API delivered over
> the Bloomberg Network using the BLPAPI client SDK (C, C++, Java, .NET, Python).
> It uses a request/response paradigm and a subscription paradigm rather than
> stateless HTTP verbs.
>
> This OpenAPI document is a **logical mapping** of the BLPAPI service and
> schema model into HTTP-shaped operations so that:
>
> - The request and response message shapes for each Bloomberg service
> can be discovered, indexed, and reasoned about by tooling that speaks OpenAPI.
> - Agents and code-generators can derive typed client wrappers around the
> official BLPAPI SDK.
> - The Bloomberg services and their operations become discoverable in
> APIs.json indexes alongside REST APIs.
>
> **It is not a runnable HTTP gateway**. Calls described here must be
> translated into BLPAPI SDK requests against a Bloomberg session.
>
> For Bloomberg''s REST/HTTP products (Bloomberg Data License REST API,
> Bloomberg HAPI, Enterprise Data Catalog) refer to those products'' own
> developer portals — they are separate from BLPAPI.
## Services
The BLPAPI exposes services at well-known service names:
- `//blp/refdata` — Reference Data Service (request/response)
- `//blp/mktdata` — Market Data Service (subscription)
- `//blp/mktvwap` — Custom VWAP Service (subscription)
- `//blp/mktbar` — Market Bar Subscription Service (subscription)
- `//blp/apiflds` — API Field Information Service (request/response)
- `//blp/pagedata` — Page Data Service (subscription)
- `//blp/tasvc` — Technical Analysis Service (request/response)
- `//blp/apiauth` — API Authorization Service (request/response)
- `//blp/instruments` — Instruments Service (request/response)
B-PIPE-only services (`//blp/mktdepthdata`, `//blp/mktlist`, `//blp/srcref`)
are documented in the BLPAPI Developer''s Guide section 9 and not modeled here.
## Identifier formats
Securities follow the format `[Topic Prefix]/SYMBOLOGY[@Pricing Source][Exchange]`
with optional Yellow Key (Govt, Corp, Mtge, M-Mkt, Muni, Pfd, Equity, Comdty,
Index, Curncy, Client). The default Topic Prefix is `ticker`. Other prefixes
include `cusip`, `isin`, `sedol1`, `sedol2`, `bbgid`, `buid`, `wpk`, `sicovam`,
`common`, `bsid`, `svm`, `cins`, `cats`.
Examples: `IBM US Equity`, `/cusip/912828GM6@BGN`, `MSFT@ETPX US Equity`,
`GBPUSD BAAM Curncy`.
## Auth and Permissioning
BLPAPI uses Entitlement IDs (EIDs), the `//blp/apiauth` service, and Identity
Objects to gate access to data. Three deployment-specific authorization models
apply:
- **Server API** — IP-based authorization
- **B-PIPE** — Token-based authorization with separate authentication step
- **Desktop API** — User context derived from the Bloomberg Professional terminal
See section 6 of the Developer''s Guide for details.
'
contact:
name: Bloomberg Production Support
url: https://www.bloomberg.com/professional/support/
license:
name: Permissive (Bloomberg sample license terms)
termsOfService: https://www.bloomberg.com/professional/support/api-library/
servers:
- url: blpapi+session://{session}
description: 'Logical BLPAPI session endpoint. In production, applications open a
`Session` against `Session.Options` configured for Desktop API
(`localhost:8194`), Server API (`<server-host>:8194` with ASID
authentication), or B-PIPE (multiple BPIPE hosts with token authentication).
'
variables:
session:
default: localhost
description: Session identifier — Desktop, Server API ASID, or B-PIPE BPID
security:
- desktopAPI: []
- serverAPI: []
- bpipeToken: []
tags:
- name: instruments
description: Instruments Service — security/curve/government lookups
paths:
/instruments/SecurityLookupRequest:
post:
operationId: securityLookupRequest
tags:
- instruments
summary: Look up securities by free-text query
description: 'Searches Bloomberg''s instrument universe by ticker / name. Returns
candidate securities with their full Bloomberg identifiers.
**BLPAPI service**: `//blp/instruments`
'
requestBody:
required: true
content:
application/x-blpapi-request:
schema:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/SecurityLookupRequest'
responses:
'200':
description: SecurityLookupResponse
content:
application/x-blpapi-response:
schema:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/InstrumentLookupResponse'
/instruments/CurveLookupRequest:
post:
operationId: curveLookupRequest
tags:
- instruments
summary: Look up Bloomberg yield curves
requestBody:
required: true
content:
application/x-blpapi-request:
schema:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/CurveLookupRequest'
responses:
'200':
description: CurveLookupResponse
content:
application/x-blpapi-response:
schema:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/InstrumentLookupResponse'
/instruments/GovtLookupRequest:
post:
operationId: govtLookupRequest
tags:
- instruments
summary: Look up government securities
requestBody:
required: true
content:
application/x-blpapi-request:
schema:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/GovtLookupRequest'
responses:
'200':
description: GovtLookupResponse
content:
application/x-blpapi-response:
schema:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/InstrumentLookupResponse'
components:
schemas:
GovtLookupRequest:
type: object
required:
- query
properties:
query:
type: string
maxResults:
type: integer
default: 10
partialMatch:
type: boolean
default: true
ticker:
type: string
InstrumentLookupResponse:
type: object
properties:
results:
type: array
items:
type: object
additionalProperties: true
description: Per-instrument result. Shape varies by lookup type.
CurveLookupRequest:
type: object
required:
- query
properties:
query:
type: string
maxResults:
type: integer
default: 10
countryCode:
type: string
currencyCode:
type: string
type:
type: string
subtype:
type: string
curveid:
type: string
bbgid:
type: string
SecurityLookupRequest:
type: object
required:
- query
properties:
query:
type: string
description: Free-text search string.
maxResults:
type: integer
default: 10
minimum: 1
maximum: 100
languageOverride:
type: string
example: ENGLISH
yellowKeyFilter:
type: string
enum:
- YK_FILTER_NONE
- YK_FILTER_GOVT
- YK_FILTER_CORP
- YK_FILTER_MTGE
- YK_FILTER_MMKT
- YK_FILTER_MUNI
- YK_FILTER_PFD
- YK_FILTER_EQTY
- YK_FILTER_CMDT
- YK_FILTER_INDX
- YK_FILTER_CRNCY
- YK_FILTER_CLNT
securitySchemes:
desktopAPI:
type: apiKey
in: header
name: X-BLPAPI-Session
description: 'Desktop API authorization is handled by the local Bloomberg Professional
terminal. Applications open a session against `localhost:8194` and the
terminal context is the authorization. No token is presented over the wire.
'
serverAPI:
type: apiKey
in: header
name: X-BLPAPI-ASID
description: 'Server API authorization is by ASID and registered IP address.
The application''s IP must be entitled in the Bloomberg Anywhere
permissioning system; an `AuthorizationRequest` with `ipAddress`
validates the user''s identity at that location.
'
bpipeToken:
type: http
scheme: bearer
bearerFormat: BLPAPI-Token
description: 'B-PIPE applications acquire a token via the
`AuthorizationTokenRequest` operation, then submit the token in an
`AuthorizationRequest` to obtain an Identity object. The Identity
object is then attached to subsequent service requests.
'
externalDocs:
description: Bloomberg API Developer's Guide v2.54 (June 30, 2014)
url: https://www.bloomberg.com/professional/support/api-library/