Setup guides

Connecting your market data to Buzz Charts

The short version

Most providers need only an API key: paste it in Buzz Charts ▸ Settings ▸ Data connections and press Test.
A few providers deliver data only through their own app, which must be running on your Mac. Today that's Theta Data (Theta Terminal).
That app comes from the provider, not from Buzz Charts. Buzz Charts never installs software of its own to make a provider work.

Providers that need their own app

Some data providers don't send data straight from their servers to other apps. Instead, they give their customers a small app of their own that signs in with your account and makes your data available on your Mac. Buzz Charts then reads your data from that app. This is the provider's requirement, and it's the same for any software you use with them.

Provider	Its required app	Where it comes from
Theta Data	Theta Terminal (a Java app)	Theta Data's website: ThetaTerminalv3.jar

Every other supported provider works with a key alone.

Theta Data: setting up Theta Terminal

Theta Data requires its Theta Terminal app to be running on your Mac whenever you want Theta data. You have two ways to set it up.

The easy way: let Buzz Charts fetch it from Theta

Save your Theta API key in Buzz Charts ▸ Settings ▸ Data connections ▸ Theta Data. You'll find the key in your Theta Data account.
Java 21 or newer. Theta Terminal is a Java app, and macOS doesn't include Java. If Buzz Charts says Java is missing, install it free from Adoptium (Temurin 21), then press Check again.
Download Theta Terminal. Press Download it from Theta’s website. Buzz Charts fetches Theta's own file, unchanged, from Theta's website and saves it in a ThetaTerminal folder in your home folder, the folder Theta's guide uses.
Start Theta Terminal. Press Start Theta Terminal. It signs in with your saved key, and the Theta card turns green: Connected. Tick Start it whenever Buzz Charts opens if you'd like it ready every time.

Or set it up yourself

Prefer to run it on your own? Follow Theta Data's setup guide. In short, with Java 21 or newer installed, open Terminal and run:

mkdir -p ~/ThetaTerminal && cd ~/ThetaTerminal
curl -LO https://downloads.thetadata.us/ThetaTerminalv3.jar
java -jar ThetaTerminalv3.jar --api-key YOUR_THETA_API_KEY

Leave that window open while you use Buzz Charts, then press Test on the Theta Data card. If macOS blocks the file the first time, open System Settings ▸ Privacy & Security and choose Open Anyway.

Good to know

Theta Terminal is Theta Data's software. Buzz Charts doesn't change it, bundle it or install anything of its own. A Theta Terminal started by Buzz Charts stops when you quit Buzz Charts; one you started yourself keeps running.

Your Theta key stays on your Mac. Buzz Charts hands it only to Theta Terminal, which sends it only to Theta Data.

Live gamma needs Theta's Pro tier; on lower tiers the GEX / VEX map uses the previous session's greeks, and Buzz Charts says so on the map.

Everything else: paste a key

Open Buzz Charts ▸ Settings ▸ Data connections.
Pick your provider, paste your key (the eye button shows what you pasted), and press Test.
A green Connected means it works. The In use boxes show which key is feeding Charts and GEX / VEX right now; other connected keys wait on standby.

Questions

Why does Theta Data need another app?

Theta Data delivers data only through its own app, Theta Terminal, which has to be running on your Mac. That's Theta's requirement for any software you use with them. Theta Terminal comes from Theta Data, not from Buzz Charts: Buzz Charts can fetch it for you from Theta's website and start it with your key, or you can set it up yourself (see above). Every other supported provider works with just a key.

Does Buzz Charts install anything else on my Mac?

No. Buzz Charts is one app. The only other software involved is a provider's own app when that provider requires one (today only Theta Terminal), and that comes from the provider's website.

Questions? Email support [at] buzzcharts [dot] app.