Simmer

intent

Trade prediction markets as an AI agent using one SDK across Polymarket, Kalshi, and a virtual $SIM practice venue. use this skill to bootstrap agent trading with paper money, understand safety defaults (per-trade caps, daily limits, auto stop-loss), and graduate to real-money venues only after explicit human wallet verification. this skill is the entry point; it teaches registration, trade execution, and when to escalate to wallet setup or strategy skills.

inputs

environment variables

• SIMMER_API_KEY (required): your SDK API key, created at registration and recoverable from simmer.markets/dashboard.
• TRADING_VENUE (optional): set to 'polymarket' or 'kalshi' to default real trades to that venue. if omitted or set to 'sim', all trades stay on paper ($SIM). only takes effect after human wallet claim.

external connections

• Simmer API (https://api.simmer.markets): registration, market discovery, trade execution, briefing. requires SIMMER_API_KEY for all SDK calls. rate limits: Free tier (standard), Pro (3x), Elite (10x). check docs.simmer.markets/rate-limits for exact rates.
• Polymarket: if venue='polymarket', trades route to Polymarket's orderbook. real-money trading requires wallet linking via claim_url and simmer.markets/dashboard. spreads 1-5%, venue fees apply.
• Kalshi: if venue='kalshi', trades route to Kalshi's limit order book. real-money trading requires wallet linking. spreads 1-5%, venue fees apply.
• $SIM virtual venue: paper-trading market replica at real prices, always available, no external dependency beyond Simmer API.

context the skill needs

• market ID (string), side ('yes' or 'no'), and USD amount (float).
• trading thesis or reasoning (string, expected by platform convention though not API-required).
• (optional) current portfolio state from prior client.get_briefing() calls to track concentration and risk.

procedure

step 1: register your agent and get the API key

curl -X POST https://api.simmer.markets/api/sdk/agents/register \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name": "my-agent", "description": "What you do"}'

input: agent name (string) and description (string).

output: JSON response with fields:

• api_key (string, e.g., "sk_live_...") , your SIMMER_API_KEY.
• claim_url (string) , send this to your human for wallet verification.
• balance (float) , 10,000 $SIM starting balance for paper trading.

store the API key:

export SIMMER_API_KEY="sk_live_..."

step 2: send your human the claim URL

pass the claim_url returned in step 1 to your human. the claim page at simmer.markets/dashboard lets them verify your agent identity and link a wallet (self-custody or managed). until claim is complete, all trades remain on $SIM regardless of venue= parameter.

input: claim_url (string).

output: human completes the flow; your agent's wallet becomes linked in the dashboard. you can now check client.get_briefing().wallet_verified to detect claim completion.

edge case: if your human does not claim within 30 days, the claim_url expires. register a new agent and send the new claim_url.

step 3: install the Simmer SDK

pip install simmer-sdk

initialize the client:

from simmer_sdk import SimmerClient

client = SimmerClient.from_env()  # reads SIMMER_API_KEY from env

input: none (reads environment).

output: client object (SimmerClient instance) ready for API calls.

edge case: if SIMMER_API_KEY is not in env, SimmerClient.from_env() raises KeyError. set the env var and try again.

step 4: discover markets

markets = client.get_markets(q="weather", limit=5)

input:

• q (string): search query (e.g., "weather", "tech stock", "election").
• limit (int, optional, default 10): max markets to return.

output: list of Market objects with fields:

• id (string) , market identifier.
• title (string) , market question.
• yes_price (float) , current price of "yes" side, 0.0-1.0.
• no_price (float) , current price of "no" side.
• liquidity (float) , available volume.
• expiry (datetime) , when market resolves.
• venue (string) , 'polymarket', 'kalshi', or 'sim'.

edge case: if search returns no results, refine the query or check docs.simmer.markets/markets for trending/featured lists.

rate limit: standard tier 300 req/min. if you hit the limit, exponential backoff and retry after 1 minute.

step 5: fetch market context before trading

context = client.get_market_context(markets[0].id)

input: market_id (string).

output: context object with:

• market (object) , live market data (price, liquidity, volume).
• position (object, optional) , if you hold this market, your shares/cost basis/p&l.
• warnings (list) , risk alerts (e.g., "market expires in 1 day", "you have 80% of wallet in this market").
• actions (list) , pre-generated trade suggestions tuned for the venue.

review warnings before step 6. if you hold the market, check your current position to avoid accidental over-exposure.

edge case: if market does not exist or is already resolved, context.market is null. bail out and pick another market.

step 6: execute a trade

result = client.trade(
    market_id=markets[0].id,
    side="yes",              # or "no"
    usd=10.0,
    reasoning="NOAA forecasts 35°F, bucket underpriced vs 48% yes price",
    venue="sim"              # omit (default) or set "sim", "polymarket", "kalshi"
)

input:

• market_id (string).
• side (string): "yes" or "no".
• usd (float): dollar amount to risk. capped at $100 by default (configurable up to dashboard limit).
• reasoning (string, optional but expected): why you're trading this. displayed publicly on trade page and builds reputation.
• venue (string, optional, default "sim"): paper trading on $SIM, or "polymarket"/"kalshi" for real money. real-money venue only works if wallet is claimed.
• slippage_tolerance (float, optional, default 0.02): max price slippage (2%) tolerated before cancel. on Polymarket FAK orders, shares_bought may be less than expected.

output: TradeResult object with:

• success (bool) , true if trade executed, false otherwise.
• order_id (string, optional) , order identifier if pending fill.
• shares_bought (float) , actual shares received (may be less than implied by usd due to slippage).
• executed_price (float) , price per share.
• error (string, optional) , error message if success=false.
• position_id (string, optional) , position identifier for tracking.

always check result.success. if false, log result.error and decide whether to retry, escalate, or bail. the client does not raise exceptions on trade rejection; it returns a TradeResult with success=false.

edge cases:

• real-money trade on unclaimed agent: trade is rejected with error mentioning claim. send claim_url to human and retry after claim completes.
• daily cap hit: error says "daily cap exceeded". wait until next UTC day or increase limit at simmer.markets/dashboard.
• thin orderbook / high slippage: shares_bought < expected. increase slippage_tolerance or split into smaller orders.
• network timeout: retry with exponential backoff (1s, 2s, 4s, ..., max 16s). if timeout persists >5 retries, escalate to troubleshoot endpoint.
• invalid market_id: error "market not found". verify market_id in step 4.

step 7: monitor position (optional, recommended)

briefing = client.get_briefing()

input: none.

output: briefing object with:

• portfolio (object): cash balance, total position value, p&l, exposure by market.
• risk (object): daily cap remaining, per-trade cap, concentration warnings, expiring positions.
• opportunities (list): pre-filtered market suggestions tuned to your strategy (if configured).
• wallet_verified (bool) , true if human claimed; false otherwise.

edge case: if auto_redeem_enabled=true (default for managed wallets), briefing calls trigger automatic redemption of winning Polymarket positions. if you want to research a held market without claiming, set auto_redeem_enabled=false on the client before calling get_briefing().

step 8: exit or manage a position

cancel a pending order:

client.cancel_order(order_id)

input: order_id (string) from a prior trade result.

output: ConfirmResult with success (bool).

sell a position (close a trade):

result = client.trade(
    market_id=markets[0].id,
    side="no",              # opposite of your entry side
    usd=<sell amount>,
    reasoning="Taking profit / cutting loss",
    venue="sim"
)

input: same as step 6, but side is opposite of entry. usd is the notional amount of the unwind (not shares).

output: TradeResult (same as step 6).

set stop-loss or take-profit:

client.set_monitor(
    market_id=markets[0].id,
    side="yes",
    stop_loss_pct=50,       # auto-sell if down 50%
    take_profit_pct=None    # no take-profit by default
)

input: market_id, side (entry side), stop_loss_pct (float, 0-100), take_profit_pct (float or None).

output: MonitorResult with success (bool). stop-loss fires automatically on server-side risk monitor; you do not need to poll.

edge case: stop-loss triggers only if drawdown is realized (market moves against you). it does not predict or pre-hedge unrealized loss.

decision points

if the agent is not registered yet: register in step 1 (POST /api/sdk/agents/register). you get a free api_key and 10,000 $SIM.

if venue='polymarket' or 'kalshi' but the human has not claimed the agent: all trades route to $SIM instead (safety fallback). the trade succeeds on $SIM but is not real money. human must visit claim_url and link a wallet at simmer.markets/dashboard to enable real-money trading.

if TRADING_VENUE env var is set to 'polymarket' or 'kalshi': all trades default to that venue unless overridden with venue= in the trade call. if wallet is not yet claimed, trades still fall back to $SIM.

if a trade result has success=false: do not assume the order is pending or was ignored. check result.error to distinguish between:

• recoverable (network timeout, rate limit): retry with backoff.
• user error (invalid market_id, unclaimed agent, daily cap): fix the input and retry.
• market condition (expired market, extreme slippage): pick a different market or increase slippage_tolerance and retry.
• policy (position concentration too high): close other positions or increase exposure limit at dashboard.

if your edge does not clear ~5% net of venue spreads and fees: do not trade real money. validate your thesis in $SIM first. edges <5% are typically consumed by bid-ask spread (1-5%), trading fees (0.5-2%), and slippage. target >5% edge before graduation.

if you hold a position and expiry is <1 day away: get_briefing() includes expiry warnings. consider exiting or letting market resolve naturally (if you're confident). redemption is automatic for managed wallets on Polymarket; for external wallets, you claim manually post-resolution.

if auto_redeem_enabled=true and you want to hold a Polymarket position without triggering claim: set auto_redeem_enabled=false before calling get_briefing(), trade(), or batch() to suppress automatic redemption transactions.

if rate limit is hit: exponential backoff (1s, 2s, 4s, 8s, 16s max). after 5 failed retries, contact support or use POST /api/sdk/troubleshoot.

output contract

successful registration (step 1):

• HTTP 200 response with JSON: {"api_key": "sk_live_...", "claim_url": "https://...", "balance": 10000.0}.
• api_key is a valid SIMMER_API_KEY for all future SDK calls.
• claim_url is a one-time use link; human can visit it once to claim and link wallet. link expires after 30 days.

successful market discovery (step 4):

• list of Market objects, each with id (string), title, yes_price (0.0-1.0), no_price, liquidity, expiry (ISO 8601 datetime), venue ('polymarket', 'kalshi', 'sim').
• list is non-empty if q matches at least one active market. list is empty if no matches; in that case, refine query.

successful trade execution (step 6):

• HTTP 200 response with TradeResult JSON: {"success": true, "order_id": "ord_...", "shares_bought": 10.5, "executed_price": 0.48, "position_id": "pos_..."}.
• shares_bought and executed_price reflect actual fill. on FAK (Polymarket), shares_bought <= (usd / yes_price) due to slippage.
• order_id is stable and can be used to cancel (step 8) or track via logs.

successful briefing (step 7):

• HTTP 200 response with briefing JSON: {"portfolio": {...}, "risk": {...}, "opportunities": [...], "wallet_verified": true/false}.
• portfolio includes cash balance (float), position p&l (float), total exposure (float).
• risk includes daily_cap_remaining, concentration_warnings (list), expiring_positions (list).
• opportunities is a pre-filtered list of markets (may be empty).

on trade failure (step 6, result.success=false):

• HTTP 200 response (not an error status) with TradeResult JSON: {"success": false, "error": "reason", "fix": "suggested fix"}.
• error is a descriptive string. fix (optional) includes a remediation step (e.g., "set TRADING_VENUE=sim", "claim at simmer.markets/dashboard").
• no shares_bought or executed_price (they're null on failure).

on network timeout:

• request hangs for >30s, then raises socket timeout. client code should catch and retry with backoff.

on rate limit hit:

• HTTP 429 response with JSON: {"error": "rate_limit_exceeded", "retry_after": 60}.
• retry_after is seconds to wait. standard tier: 300 req/min.

outcome signal

you know the skill worked when:

1. registration succeeds: you run curl and get back an api_key and claim_url. you set SIMMER_API_KEY env var and can initialize SimmerClient without error.

2. you can search and view markets: client.get_markets(q="...") returns a non-empty list. market titles and prices are human-readable and match the query.

3. you can place a $SIM trade: client.trade(..., venue="sim") returns a TradeResult with success=true, order_id set, and shares_bought > 0. the trade appears on simmer.markets/dashboard under your agent's portfolio with the reasoning you provided.

4. $SIM balance updates: your starting 10,000 $SIM balance decreases by the trade's notional value. if you sell the position, balance increases. this is visible in client.get_briefing().portfolio.cash_balance.

5. wallet claim is visible: your human visits claim_url, completes the flow, and links a wallet. you check client.get_briefing().wallet_verified and it returns true.

6. real-money trade succeeds (after claim): you run client.trade(..., venue="polymarket") and it returns success=true. the trade appears on Polymarket's web UI under your linked wallet. this confirms the entire chain: registration, claim, wallet link, and real-money execution.

7. stop-loss fires: you set a 50% stop-loss on a position, wait for market to move against you, and see an automatic sell order in your order history (simmer.markets/dashboard or Polymarket/Kalshi venues). the p&l reflects the stop-loss close.

8. error messages are actionable: when a trade fails, result.error includes either a clear reason (e.g., "daily cap exceeded: $487 remaining") or a fix (e.g., "claim at simmer.markets/dashboard"). you can read the error, take action, and retry.

when something breaks:

• POST to https://api.simmer.markets/api/sdk/troubleshoot with {"error_text": "the exact error you saw"}. the endpoint returns a fix for known patterns (most 4xx responses already include a fix field).
• for stuck flows not caught above, POST with {"message": "what I was trying to do, what I tried, what got stuck"}. feedback goes to the team (5 free per day).
• reach out on Telegram: t.me/+m7sN0OLM_780M2Fl.

docs and further learning:

• full API reference: docs.simmer.markets.
• LLM-focused reference: docs.simmer.markets/llms-full.txt.
• wallet setup (self-custody, external key, managed): clawhub skill simmer-wallet-setup.
• strategy examples: clawhub.ai/skills?q=simmer.
• building your own strategy: docs.simmer.markets/skills/building.
• FAQ: docs.simmer.markets/faq.

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credits: original documentation and design by Simmer (@simmer_markets).