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Version: 1.0 (Current)

Symbol Formats Reference

Overview​

x3Algo uses a standardized symbol format across all supported Indian exchanges. Understanding the correct symbol format is crucial for successful algorithm configuration and trade execution.

Standard Format​

Basic Format​

EXCHANGE:SYMBOL

Components:

  • EXCHANGE: Exchange code (NSE, BSE, MCX, NCDEX)
  • :: Separator (colon)
  • SYMBOL: Instrument symbol

Examples:

NSE:RELIANCE
BSE:TATAMOTORS
MCX:GOLD
NCDEX:SOYBEAN

Exchange-Specific Formats​

NSE (National Stock Exchange)​

Equity Stocks:

NSE:SYMBOL

Examples:

NSE:RELIANCE      # Reliance Industries
NSE:TCS           # Tata Consultancy Services
NSE:INFY          # Infosys
NSE:HDFCBANK      # HDFC Bank
NSE:ICICIBANK     # ICICI Bank
NSE:SBIN          # State Bank of India
NSE:BHARTIARTL    # Bharti Airtel
NSE:ITC           # ITC Limited
NSE:KOTAKBANK     # Kotak Mahindra Bank
NSE:LT            # Larsen & Toubro

Indices:

NSE:NIFTY50       # Nifty 50 Index
NSE:BANKNIFTY     # Bank Nifty Index
NSE:NIFTYIT       # Nifty IT Index
NSE:NIFTYPHARMA   # Nifty Pharma Index

Futures:

NSE:SYMBOL[YY][MMM]FUT

Format Components:

  • SYMBOL: Stock symbol
  • YY: Two-digit year
  • MMM: Three-letter month code
  • FUT: Futures suffix

Month Codes:

  • JAN, FEB, MAR, APR, MAY, JUN, JUL, AUG, SEP, OCT, NOV, DEC

Examples:

NSE:RELIANCE24DECFUT    # Reliance Dec 2024 Futures
NSE:NIFTY24NOVFUT       # Nifty Nov 2024 Futures
NSE:BANKNIFTY24DECFUT   # Bank Nifty Dec 2024 Futures
NSE:TCS25JANFUT         # TCS Jan 2025 Futures
NSE:INFY25FEBFUT        # Infosys Feb 2025 Futures

Options:

NSE:SYMBOL[YY][MMM][STRIKE][CE/PE]

Format Components:

  • SYMBOL: Stock symbol
  • YY: Two-digit year
  • MMM: Three-letter month code
  • STRIKE: Strike price (no decimals)
  • CE: Call Option
  • PE: Put Option

Examples:

NSE:NIFTY24DEC24000CE    # Nifty Dec 2024 24000 Call
NSE:NIFTY24DEC24000PE    # Nifty Dec 2024 24000 Put
NSE:BANKNIFTY24DEC48000CE # Bank Nifty Dec 2024 48000 Call
NSE:RELIANCE24DEC2800CE   # Reliance Dec 2024 2800 Call
NSE:TCS24DEC4000PE        # TCS Dec 2024 4000 Put

Weekly Options:

NSE:NIFTY24NOV21500CE    # Nifty Nov 21, 2024 21500 Call
NSE:BANKNIFTY24NOV48500PE # Bank Nifty Nov 21, 2024 48500 Put

BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange)​

Equity Stocks:

BSE:SYMBOL

Examples:

BSE:SENSEX        # BSE Sensex Index
BSE:RELIANCE      # Reliance Industries
BSE:TCS           # Tata Consultancy Services
BSE:INFY          # Infosys
BSE:HDFCBANK      # HDFC Bank
BSE:ICICIBANK     # ICICI Bank
BSE:TATAMOTORS    # Tata Motors
BSE:WIPRO         # Wipro
BSE:AXISBANK      # Axis Bank
BSE:SUNPHARMA     # Sun Pharma

Futures:

BSE:SYMBOL[YY][MMM]FUT

Examples:

BSE:SENSEX24DECFUT      # Sensex Dec 2024 Futures
BSE:RELIANCE24NOVFUT    # Reliance Nov 2024 Futures
BSE:TCS25JANFUT         # TCS Jan 2025 Futures

Options:

BSE:SYMBOL[YY][MMM][STRIKE][CE/PE]

Examples:

BSE:SENSEX24DEC80000CE   # Sensex Dec 2024 80000 Call
BSE:SENSEX24DEC80000PE   # Sensex Dec 2024 80000 Put
BSE:RELIANCE24DEC2800CE  # Reliance Dec 2024 2800 Call

MCX (Multi Commodity Exchange)​

Commodities:

MCX:SYMBOL

Examples:

MCX:GOLD          # Gold
MCX:SILVER        # Silver
MCX:CRUDEOIL      # Crude Oil
MCX:NATURALGAS    # Natural Gas
MCX:COPPER        # Copper
MCX:ZINC          # Zinc
MCX:LEAD          # Lead
MCX:NICKEL        # Nickel
MCX:ALUMINIUM     # Aluminium

Futures:

MCX:SYMBOL[YY][MMM]FUT

Examples:

MCX:GOLD24DECFUT        # Gold Dec 2024 Futures
MCX:SILVER24DECFUT      # Silver Dec 2024 Futures
MCX:CRUDEOIL24NOVFUT    # Crude Oil Nov 2024 Futures
MCX:NATURALGAS24DECFUT  # Natural Gas Dec 2024 Futures
MCX:COPPER25JANFUT      # Copper Jan 2025 Futures

Mini Contracts:

MCX:GOLDM24DECFUT       # Gold Mini Dec 2024 Futures
MCX:SILVERM24DECFUT     # Silver Mini Dec 2024 Futures
MCX:CRUDEOILM24NOVFUT   # Crude Oil Mini Nov 2024 Futures

Options:

MCX:SYMBOL[YY][MMM][STRIKE][CE/PE]

Examples:

MCX:GOLD24DEC70000CE    # Gold Dec 2024 70000 Call
MCX:GOLD24DEC70000PE    # Gold Dec 2024 70000 Put
MCX:SILVER24DEC90000CE  # Silver Dec 2024 90000 Call
MCX:CRUDEOIL24NOV6000PE # Crude Oil Nov 2024 6000 Put

NCDEX (National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange)​

Agricultural Commodities:

NCDEX:SYMBOL

Examples:

NCDEX:SOYBEAN     # Soybean
NCDEX:WHEAT       # Wheat
NCDEX:RICE        # Rice
NCDEX:SUGAR       # Sugar
NCDEX:COTTON      # Cotton
NCDEX:JEERA       # Cumin Seeds
NCDEX:TURMERIC    # Turmeric
NCDEX:CORIANDER   # Coriander
NCDEX:CHANA       # Chickpea
NCDEX:GUARSEED    # Guar Seed

Futures:

NCDEX:SYMBOL[YY][MMM]FUT

Examples:

NCDEX:SOYBEAN24DECFUT   # Soybean Dec 2024 Futures
NCDEX:WHEAT25MARFUT     # Wheat Mar 2025 Futures
NCDEX:SUGAR24DECFUT     # Sugar Dec 2024 Futures
NCDEX:COTTON25APRFUT    # Cotton Apr 2025 Futures
NCDEX:JEERA24DECFUT     # Cumin Dec 2024 Futures

Options:

NCDEX:SYMBOL[YY][MMM][STRIKE][CE/PE]

Examples:

NCDEX:SOYBEAN24DEC5000CE  # Soybean Dec 2024 5000 Call
NCDEX:WHEAT25MAR2500PE    # Wheat Mar 2025 2500 Put
NCDEX:SUGAR24DEC40CE      # Sugar Dec 2024 40 Call

Expiry Date Formats​

Monthly Expiry​

Last Thursday of the Month:

  • Nifty, Bank Nifty, Fin Nifty (NSE)
  • Most stock futures and options

Example:

November 2024:
- Last Thursday: November 28, 2024
- Symbol: NSE:NIFTY24NOVFUT

Weekly Expiry​

Every Thursday:

  • Nifty, Bank Nifty (NSE)

Example:

November 2024 Thursdays:
- Nov 7:  NSE:NIFTY24NOV07FUT
- Nov 14: NSE:NIFTY24NOV14FUT
- Nov 21: NSE:NIFTY24NOV21FUT
- Nov 28: NSE:NIFTY24NOVFUT (monthly)

Commodity Expiry​

Varies by Commodity:

  • Gold/Silver: First Friday of month
  • Crude Oil: 19th of month
  • Natural Gas: 25th of month
  • Agricultural: Varies (typically 20th)

Validation Rules​

General Rules​

  1. Exchange Code:

    • Must be uppercase
    • Must be one of: NSE, BSE, MCX, NCDEX
    • Required

  2. Separator:

    • Must be colon (:)
    • Required

  3. Symbol:

    • Must be uppercase
    • No spaces allowed
    • Alphanumeric characters only
    • Required

Equity Symbols​

Valid:

NSE:RELIANCE      ✓
BSE:TCS           ✓
NSE:HDFCBANK      ✓

Invalid:

nse:reliance      ✗ (lowercase)
NSE RELIANCE      ✗ (no colon)
NSE:Reliance      ✗ (mixed case)
NSE:RELI ANCE     ✗ (space in symbol)
RELIANCE          ✗ (no exchange)

Futures Symbols​

Valid:

NSE:RELIANCE24DECFUT    ✓
MCX:GOLD24NOVFUT        ✓
NCDEX:SOYBEAN25JANFUT   ✓

Invalid:

NSE:RELIANCE2024DECFUT  ✗ (4-digit year)
NSE:RELIANCE24DEC       ✗ (missing FUT)
NSE:RELIANCE24DecFUT    ✗ (mixed case month)
NSE:RELIANCE24DECEMBERF ✗ (full month name)

Options Symbols​

Valid:

NSE:NIFTY24DEC24000CE     ✓
NSE:BANKNIFTY24NOV48000PE ✓
MCX:GOLD24DEC70000CE      ✓

Invalid:

NSE:NIFTY24DEC24000       ✗ (missing CE/PE)
NSE:NIFTY24DEC24000.00CE  ✗ (decimal in strike)
NSE:NIFTY24DEC24000Call   ✗ (use CE not Call)
NSE:NIFTY24DEC24000ce     ✗ (lowercase CE)

Symbol Lookup​

Finding Correct Symbols​

Method 1: Broker Platform

  1. Log into your broker platform
  2. Search for the instrument
  3. Note the exact symbol format
  4. Use the same format in x3Algo

Method 2: Exchange Websites

Method 3: x3Algo Symbol Search

GET /api/symbols/search?query=RELIANCE&exchange=NSE

Common Symbols Reference​

Top NSE Stocks​

NSE:RELIANCE      # Reliance Industries
NSE:TCS           # Tata Consultancy Services
NSE:HDFCBANK      # HDFC Bank
NSE:INFY          # Infosys
NSE:ICICIBANK     # ICICI Bank
NSE:HINDUNILVR    # Hindustan Unilever
NSE:SBIN          # State Bank of India
NSE:BHARTIARTL    # Bharti Airtel
NSE:ITC           # ITC Limited
NSE:KOTAKBANK     # Kotak Mahindra Bank
NSE:LT            # Larsen & Toubro
NSE:AXISBANK      # Axis Bank
NSE:ASIANPAINT    # Asian Paints
NSE:MARUTI        # Maruti Suzuki
NSE:SUNPHARMA     # Sun Pharma
NSE:TITAN         # Titan Company
NSE:ULTRACEMCO    # UltraTech Cement
NSE:WIPRO         # Wipro
NSE:NESTLEIND     # Nestle India
NSE:POWERGRID     # Power Grid Corp

NSE Indices​

NSE:NIFTY50       # Nifty 50
NSE:BANKNIFTY     # Bank Nifty
NSE:FINNIFTY      # Fin Nifty
NSE:NIFTYIT       # Nifty IT
NSE:NIFTYPHARMA   # Nifty Pharma
NSE:NIFTYAUTO     # Nifty Auto
NSE:NIFTYMETAL    # Nifty Metal
NSE:NIFTYFMCG     # Nifty FMCG
NSE:NIFTYREALTY   # Nifty Realty
NSE:NIFTYENERGY   # Nifty Energy

MCX Commodities​

MCX:GOLD          # Gold
MCX:GOLDM         # Gold Mini
MCX:SILVER        # Silver
MCX:SILVERM       # Silver Mini
MCX:CRUDEOIL      # Crude Oil
MCX:CRUDEOILM     # Crude Oil Mini
MCX:NATURALGAS    # Natural Gas
MCX:COPPER        # Copper
MCX:ZINC          # Zinc
MCX:LEAD          # Lead
MCX:NICKEL        # Nickel
MCX:ALUMINIUM     # Aluminium

NCDEX Commodities​

NCDEX:SOYBEAN     # Soybean
NCDEX:WHEAT       # Wheat
NCDEX:RICE        # Rice
NCDEX:SUGAR       # Sugar
NCDEX:COTTON      # Cotton
NCDEX:JEERA       # Cumin Seeds
NCDEX:TURMERIC    # Turmeric
NCDEX:CORIANDER   # Coriander
NCDEX:CHANA       # Chickpea
NCDEX:GUARSEED    # Guar Seed
NCDEX:GUARGUM     # Guar Gum
NCDEX:CASTORSEED  # Castor Seed

Algorithm Configuration Examples​

Single Symbol​

{
  "name": "Reliance Momentum",
  "symbols": ["NSE:RELIANCE"],
  "timeframe": "15m",
  "strategyType": "momentum"
}

Multiple Symbols​

{
  "name": "Bank Stocks Swing",
  "symbols": [
    "NSE:HDFCBANK",
    "NSE:ICICIBANK",
    "NSE:SBIN",
    "NSE:KOTAKBANK",
    "NSE:AXISBANK"
  ],
  "timeframe": "1h",
  "strategyType": "swing"
}

Index Futures​

{
  "name": "Nifty Futures Scalper",
  "symbols": ["NSE:NIFTY24DECFUT"],
  "timeframe": "5m",
  "strategyType": "scalping"
}

Options Trading​

{
  "name": "Bank Nifty Options",
  "symbols": [
    "NSE:BANKNIFTY24DEC48000CE",
    "NSE:BANKNIFTY24DEC48000PE"
  ],
  "timeframe": "15m",
  "strategyType": "momentum"
}

Commodity Trading​

{
  "name": "Gold Futures",
  "symbols": ["MCX:GOLD24DECFUT"],
  "timeframe": "1h",
  "strategyType": "swing"
}

Agricultural Commodities​

{
  "name": "Soybean Seasonal",
  "symbols": ["NCDEX:SOYBEAN24DECFUT"],
  "timeframe": "1d",
  "strategyType": "position"
}

Symbol Validation API​

Validate Symbol​

POST /api/symbols/validate
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "symbol": "NSE:RELIANCE"
}

Response:

{
  "valid": true,
  "exchange": "NSE",
  "symbol": "RELIANCE",
  "type": "equity",
  "tradable": true
}

Search Symbols​

GET /api/symbols/search?query=RELIANCE&exchange=NSE

Response:

{
  "results": [
    {
      "symbol": "NSE:RELIANCE",
      "name": "Reliance Industries Ltd",
      "type": "equity",
      "exchange": "NSE"
    },
    {
      "symbol": "NSE:RELIANCE24DECFUT",
      "name": "Reliance Dec 2024 Futures",
      "type": "futures",
      "exchange": "NSE",
      "expiry": "2024-12-26"
    }
  ]
}

Best Practices​

1. Always Use Uppercase​

// ✓ Correct
"symbols": ["NSE:RELIANCE"]

// ✗ Incorrect
"symbols": ["nse:reliance"]

2. Verify Symbol Before Trading​

// Validate symbol before creating algorithm
const response = await fetch('/api/symbols/validate', {
  method: 'POST',
  body: JSON.stringify({ symbol: 'NSE:RELIANCE' })
});

if (response.valid) {
  // Create algorithm
}

3. Check Expiry Dates for Derivatives​

// ✓ Good: Check expiry before trading
"symbols": ["NSE:NIFTY24DECFUT"]  // Expires Dec 28, 2024

// ✗ Bad: Using expired contract
"symbols": ["NSE:NIFTY24OCTFUT"]  // Already expired

4. Use Correct Exchange​

// ✓ Correct: Stock on correct exchange
"symbols": ["NSE:RELIANCE"]

// ✗ Incorrect: Stock on wrong exchange
"symbols": ["MCX:RELIANCE"]  // Reliance not on MCX

5. Group Similar Instruments​

// ✓ Good: All from same sector
"symbols": [
  "NSE:HDFCBANK",
  "NSE:ICICIBANK",
  "NSE:SBIN"
]

// ⚠ Caution: Mixed instruments
"symbols": [
  "NSE:RELIANCE",
  "MCX:GOLD24DECFUT",
  "NCDEX:SOYBEAN24DECFUT"
]

Common Mistakes​

  1. Missing Exchange Prefix

    ✗ "RELIANCE"
    ✓ "NSE:RELIANCE"

  2. Wrong Separator

    ✗ "NSE-RELIANCE"
    ✗ "NSE_RELIANCE"
    ✓ "NSE:RELIANCE"

  3. Lowercase Symbols

    ✗ "nse:reliance"
    ✓ "NSE:RELIANCE"

  4. Incorrect Futures Format

    ✗ "NSE:RELIANCE-DEC24-FUT"
    ✗ "NSE:RELIANCE2024DECFUT"
    ✓ "NSE:RELIANCE24DECFUT"

  5. Wrong Month Code

    ✗ "NSE:RELIANCE24DECEMBERFUT"
    ✗ "NSE:RELIANCE2412FUT"
    ✓ "NSE:RELIANCE24DECFUT"

  6. Decimal in Strike Price

    ✗ "NSE:NIFTY24DEC24000.00CE"
    ✓ "NSE:NIFTY24DEC24000CE"

  7. Wrong Option Suffix

    ✗ "NSE:NIFTY24DEC24000CALL"
    ✗ "NSE:NIFTY24DEC24000C"
    ✓ "NSE:NIFTY24DEC24000CE"

Troubleshooting​

Symbol Not Found​

Problem: Algorithm shows "Symbol not found" error

Solutions:

  1. Verify symbol format is correct
  2. Check if symbol is tradable on the exchange
  3. Ensure futures/options haven't expired
  4. Use symbol search API to find correct format

Invalid Symbol Format​

Problem: "Invalid symbol format" error

Solutions:

  1. Check exchange prefix (NSE, BSE, MCX, NCDEX)
  2. Verify colon separator is present
  3. Ensure symbol is uppercase
  4. Remove any spaces or special characters

Expired Contract​

Problem: No data or trades for futures/options

Solutions:

  1. Check expiry date of contract
  2. Roll over to next month's contract
  3. Update algorithm with current month symbol