# Terminology

## API Keys

API Keys consist of a client ID (`clientId`) and a consumer key (`consumerKey`).
Aliases: app credentials, integration credentials

Learn more: [Getting Started: API Keys](https://docs.snaptrade.com/docs/getting-started#getting-started-api-keys), [FAQ: API Keys](https://docs.snaptrade.com/docs/faq#faq-api-keys)

## Personal Customer

A free SnapTrade customer experience for individuals who connect and manage their own brokerage accounts. Personal users can use SnapTrade OAuth or a Personal client ID and consumer key.

Learn more: [SnapTrade Personal vs Commercial](https://docs.snaptrade.com/docs/personal-vs-commercial)

## Commercial Customer

A SnapTrade customer experience for companies and developers building apps for their own end users. Commercial integrations use a client ID and consumer key, create SnapTrade users for app users, and manage connections under those users.

Learn more: [SnapTrade Personal vs Commercial](https://docs.snaptrade.com/docs/personal-vs-commercial)

## Client ID

The public key for your SnapTrade API key. In direct API requests, it is sent as the `clientId` query parameter.

## Consumer Key

The secret key for your SnapTrade API key. Use the consumer key when generating request signatures or validating webhook signatures.
Aliases: client secret

## SnapTrade User

A user record under your API key that represents one of your end users and authorizes access to that user's SnapTrade data.
Aliases: connected user record, SnapTrade profile

Learn more: [Getting Started: Users](https://docs.snaptrade.com/docs/getting-started#getting-started-users), [FAQ: Users](https://docs.snaptrade.com/docs/faq#faq-users)

## Institution

The financial provider a user connects through SnapTrade, such as a broker or exchange.
Aliases: broker, brokerage, provider, integration

Learn more: [Brokerage Integrations](https://docs.snaptrade.com/docs/integrations)

## Connection

An authorized link between a SnapTrade user and one brokerage login that grants data access and optionally trading access.
Aliases: brokerage authorization, linked brokerage, authorization

Learn more: [Connections](https://docs.snaptrade.com/docs/connections), [Getting Started: Connections](https://docs.snaptrade.com/docs/getting-started#getting-started-connections)

## Connection Portal

The hosted SnapTrade UI flow your user completes to create, repair, or upgrade a connection.
Aliases: connect flow, linking flow, auth portal

Learn more: [Connection Portal](https://docs.snaptrade.com/docs/implement-connection-portal)

## Disabled Connection

A connection state where brokerage authorization is invalid so fresh data and trading actions are blocked until repaired.
Aliases: broken connection, disconnected connection

Learn more: [Fix Disabled Connections](https://docs.snaptrade.com/docs/fix-broken-connections)

## Reconnect

A re-authorization flow that repairs an existing disabled connection by sending the user through the Connection Portal again.
Aliases: repair flow, re-authorize connection

Learn more: [Fix Disabled Connections](https://docs.snaptrade.com/docs/fix-broken-connections)

## Account

A specific brokerage account under a connection that SnapTrade exposes for balances, holdings, activity, and trading.
Aliases: portfolio account, trading account, brokerage account

Learn more: [Getting Started: Accounts](https://docs.snaptrade.com/docs/getting-started#getting-started-accounts), [Account Data](https://docs.snaptrade.com/docs/account-data)

## Balance

Cash and buying-power values reported for an account.
Aliases: cash balance, account cash

Learn more: [Account Data: Balances](https://docs.snaptrade.com/docs/account-data#account-data-balances)

## Position

A holding of a specific asset in an account, typically represented by quantity and market value.
Aliases: holding, asset position

Learn more: [Account Data: Positions](https://docs.snaptrade.com/docs/account-data#account-data-positions)

## Order

A brokerage instruction to buy or sell an instrument, including open, filled, canceled, and rejected states.
Aliases: trade order, instruction

Learn more: [Account Data: Orders](https://docs.snaptrade.com/docs/account-data#account-data-orders)

## Transaction

A brokerage-reported account event that records cash or position movement, such as buys, sells, dividends, fees, deposits, or withdrawals.
Aliases: activity, account activity, ledger entry

Learn more: [Account Data: Activities](https://docs.snaptrade.com/docs/account-data#account-data-activities)

## Periodic Sync

The process where SnapTrade updates account data from the connected brokerage.
Aliases: data refresh, update cycle, sync

Learn more: [Syncing and Data Freshness](https://docs.snaptrade.com/docs/syncing)

## Manual Refresh

An explicit API-triggered sync request for a connection outside the periodic sync schedule.
Aliases: forced sync, on-demand refresh

Learn more: [Syncing and Data Freshness](https://docs.snaptrade.com/docs/syncing)

## MCP Server

SnapTrade's hosted Model Context Protocol server that lets AI assistants securely read a user's connected brokerage data.
Aliases: AI connector, Claude connector, ChatGPT app

Learn more: [SnapTrade MCP Server](https://docs.snaptrade.com/docs/mcp-server)