dxFeed is the data provider behind legacy markets in Exocharts — CME, CBOT, COMEX, NYMEX, Eurex and Nasdaq. Connecting it gives you futures and equities on the same charts, with the same order-flow tools, as your crypto instruments.
Two things to know before you start. dxFeed data is desktop only; it is not available in the browser. And the two subscriptions are separate: a dxFeed data plan does not include Exocharts, and an Exocharts subscription does not include dxFeed data. You need both.
What You Need First
- An active Exocharts subscription that includes Desktop Pro — see Payments on your dashboard.
- Exocharts Desktop installed and signed in — download it from the Desktop Pro page.
- A dxFeed data plan, ordered through get.dxfeed.com/orders/new/exocharts.
Order the dxFeed plan through that link rather than dxFeed's general signup. It provisions the account for use with Exocharts specifically.
dxFeed will email your credentials once the plan is active. Exchange market data licensing means this is not always instant — if the email has not arrived after a reasonable wait, chase dxFeed rather than us, since the account lives on their side.
1. Open the Connection Manager
In Exocharts Desktop, go to Settings → Connection Manager from the top left corner of the window, then select the dxFeed tab.
2. Enter Your Credentials
dxFeed sends your login and password by email once the plan is provisioned.
Paste them into the Connection Manager and click Save.
Copy the credentials straight from the email rather than typing them out. They are generated strings, and a mistyped character produces an authentication failure that looks the same as a service problem.
3. Download the Instruments
With the connection saved, click Download Instruments. This pulls the full symbol list for your data plan into the platform.
This step is not optional and it is not automatic. Until the instruments are downloaded, the symbol selector will show nothing for dxFeed even though the connection itself is working — which is the single most common reason people think the connection has failed when it has not.
Run it again after your data plan changes, and after reconnecting from a different machine.
4. Choose an Instrument
Open the symbol selector and pick your instrument. You can search by ticker or browse by exchange.
Futures contracts are listed with their expiry, so a search for NQ returns every listed quarter. Pick the front month unless you are working with a specific contract.
Once connected, dxFeed data can be used on charts and in the DOM until you disconnect.
One Connection at a Time
A dxFeed account allows one active connection. Signing in from a second machine disconnects the first.
If you have been connected elsewhere, you will need to reconnect and download the instruments again on the machine you want to use. This catches people out with a desktop at home and a laptop when travelling: the connection follows whichever machine connected last, and the instrument list does not survive the switch.
Troubleshooting
The connection saves but no instruments appear. Run Download Instruments. This is almost always the answer.
Authentication fails. Re-copy the credentials from the email. If they are correct and it still fails, check on the dxFeed side that the plan is active — a plan can be ordered but not yet provisioned.
The connection drops when you open Exocharts elsewhere. Expected behaviour. One account, one active connection.
Data stops mid-session. Check the connection status in the Connection Manager before assuming it is a platform problem. If dxFeed shows disconnected, reconnect there.