How to create a Coinbase Advanced Trade API key and connect it to TradingForge.
TradingForge connects to Coinbase using the Advanced Trade API. This is the modern Coinbase API that replaced the legacy Coinbase Pro API. If you previously used Coinbase Pro, you will need to generate new Advanced Trade API keys — the old Pro keys are not compatible.
Never enable the Transfer permission on your Coinbase API key. TradingForge has no need to transfer or withdraw funds from your account. Keeping transfer permissions disabled is an important safety measure.
Creating Your Coinbase Advanced Trade API Key
1
Log in to Coinbase
Go to coinbase.com and log in to your account.
2
Open API settings
Click on your profile icon in the top-right corner and select Settings. In the settings menu, navigate to the API tab.
3
Click "New API Key"
Click the New API Key button to begin the key creation process.
4
Select your trading portfolio
Under the Portfolios section, select the portfolio you use for trading. If you only have one portfolio (the default), select that one.
5
Enable Trade permission
In the permissions section, enable Trade. This grants TradingForge both view and trade access, which is needed to read balances and place orders. Do not enable any other permissions.
6
Do NOT enable Transfer permission
Ensure the Transfer permission checkbox remains unchecked. TradingForge does not require it and enabling it unnecessarily increases risk.
7
Add an IP whitelist (optional but recommended)
If you know your public IP address, add it to the IP whitelist field. This restricts use of the API key to your machine only. Visit whatismyip.com to find your current public IP.
8
Complete 2FA verification
Coinbase requires 2FA confirmation to create a new API key. Approve the request through your authenticator app or other 2FA method configured on your account.
9
Copy your API Key and API Secret
After creation, Coinbase will display your API Key and API Secret. Copy both values and store them securely. The API Secret is only shown once — if you lose it, you must delete this key and create a new one.
10
Add credentials to TradingForge
In TradingForge, go to Settings → Exchange. Select Coinbase from the exchange dropdown. Paste your API Key and API Secret into the respective fields and click Save.
Advanced Trade API vs Legacy Pro API
TradingForge uses the Coinbase Advanced Trade API exclusively. The legacy Coinbase Pro (now Coinbase Exchange) API is not supported. If you are migrating from another tool that used Pro API keys, you must generate fresh keys from the Advanced Trade API section as described above.
If you encounter authentication errors after entering your credentials, the most common cause is accidentally using old Coinbase Pro API keys instead of Advanced Trade API keys. Delete the old keys and generate new ones from the correct section of the Coinbase settings.
Verifying the Connection
After saving your credentials in TradingForge, the exchange status indicator on the dashboard should turn green. If it shows red, verify that:
The Trade permission on Coinbase Advanced Trade includes both read access and order management in a single permission scope — there is no separate "read only" option. Enabling Trade is the minimum and only permission required.
