FRED Series with Custom Header Authentication

November 8, 2025 ยท View on GitHub

A simple OpenBB Workspace app that fetches FRED economic data using API key authentication via custom headers.

CleanShot 2025-10-27 at 17 38 42@2x

Features

  • Custom Header Authentication: API key passed via X-FRED-API-KEY header when connecting to OpenBB Workspace
  • Multi-Series Support: Fetch multiple FRED series simultaneously (e.g., GDP,UNRATE,CPIAUCSL)
  • Interactive Visualization: Line charts with table/chart toggle

Setup

  1. Install Dependencies:

    pip install -r requirements.txt

  2. Run the Application:

    uvicorn main:app --reload --port 8002

  3. Add to OpenBB Workspace:

    • Add new backend with URL: http://localhost:8002
    • Add custom header:
      • Name: X-FRED-API-KEY
      • Value: your_fred_api_key_here
CleanShot 2025-10-27 at 17 16 43@2x

Getting a FRED API Key

  1. Visit FRED API Key page
  2. Create a free account
  3. Generate your API key

Example Series IDs

  • SP500 - S&P 500 Index
  • GDP - Gross Domestic Product
  • UNRATE - Unemployment Rate
  • FEDFUNDS - Federal Funds Rate
  • CPIAUCSL - Consumer Price Index