ClawBack

Mirror congressional stock trades with automated broker execution

Agent Instructions

When the user invokes /clawback, execute the appropriate command based on the argument:

Commands

When the user invokes /clawback with any arguments, execute the corresponding command:

How to Execute Commands

Option 1: Using the wrapper script (recommended) When executing ClawBack commands, always:

1. Use the wrapper script at {baseDir}/bin/clawback.py
2. Pass the command as an argument (e.g., {baseDir}/bin/clawback.py status)
3. Capture and display the output to the user

Option 2: Direct Python execution (if wrapper doesn't work) If the wrapper script fails, you can run ClawBack directly:

1. Change to the skill directory: cd {baseDir}
2. Activate the virtual environment: source venv/bin/activate
3. Run the CLI: python -m clawback.cli [command]
4. Capture and display the output

Important: Always check if the virtual environment exists at {baseDir}/venv. If not, you may need to run the setup first.

/clawback setup - Interactive Setup Flow

When user runs /clawback setup, follow these steps:

Step 1: Install dependencies (if needed) Check if {baseDir}/venv exists. If not, run:

cd {baseDir} && python3 -m venv venv && source venv/bin/activate && pip install -e .

Step 2: Prompt for E*TRADE credentials Ask the user for each value:

1. Environment: Ask "Do you want to use sandbox (testing) or production (real money)?"

   • Default: sandbox

2. Consumer Key: Ask "Enter your E*TRADE Consumer Key (from developer.etrade.com):"

   • Required field

3. Consumer Secret: Ask "Enter your E*TRADE Consumer Secret:"

   • Required field

4. Account ID: Ask "Enter your E*TRADE Account ID (or leave blank to get it after OAuth):"

   • Optional - can be obtained later

Step 3: Save configuration Create/update ~/.clawback/config.json with the provided values:

{
  "broker": {
    "adapter": "etrade",
    "environment": "<sandbox or production>",
    "credentials": {
      "apiKey": "<consumer_key>",
      "apiSecret": "<consumer_secret>"
    }
  },
  "trading": {
    "accountId": "<account_id>",
    "initialCapital": 50000,
    "tradeScalePercentage": 0.01,
    "maxPositionPercentage": 0.05,
    "dailyLossLimit": 0.02
  },
  "notifications": {
    "telegram": {
      "enabled": true,
      "useOpenClaw": true
    }
  },
  "congress": {
    "dataSource": "official",
    "pollIntervalHours": 24,
    "minimumTradeSize": 10000
  }
}

Step 4: Confirm setup Tell the user: "Configuration saved to ~/.clawback/config.json. Run /clawback status to verify."

Getting E*TRADE API Credentials

Direct user to: https://developer.etrade.com

1. Create a developer account
2. Create a new app (sandbox first for testing)
3. Copy the Consumer Key and Consumer Secret

Configuration Location

• Config file: ~/.clawback/config.json
• Skill directory: {baseDir}

Reading Saved Configuration

To check if the user has configured credentials, read ~/.clawback/config.json:

• If file doesn't exist or credentials are empty → prompt for setup
• If credentials exist → can proceed with status/run commands

The CLI automatically reads from ~/.clawback/config.json for all operations.

Checking Setup Status

Before running /clawback status or /clawback run, verify:

1. {baseDir}/venv exists (dependencies installed)
2. ~/.clawback/config.json exists with non-empty broker.credentials.apiKey

If either is missing, suggest running /clawback setup first.

ClawBack tracks stock trades disclosed by members of Congress (House and Senate) and executes scaled positions in your E*TRADE brokerage account. Built on the premise that congressional leaders consistently outperform the market due to informational advantages.

Default Target Politicians

ClawBack monitors these politicians by default (configurable):

Trading Strategy Defaults

Features

• Real-time disclosure tracking from official House Clerk and Senate eFD sources
• Automated trade execution via E*TRADE API (only supported broker)
• Smart position sizing - scales trades to your account size
• Trailing stop-losses - lock in profits, limit losses
• Risk management - drawdown limits, consecutive loss protection
• Telegram notifications - get alerts for new trades and stop-losses
• Backtesting engine - test strategies on historical data

Performance (Backtest Results)

Congressional leaders have outperformed the S&P 500 by 47% annually according to NBER research.

Installation via ClawHub

# Install from ClawHub registry
clawhub install clawback

# Or install from local directory
clawhub install ./clawback

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Skill not executing: If /clawback doesn't work in OpenClaw:

   • Check if the skill is in the correct location: {baseDir}/
   • Verify the wrapper script is executable: chmod +x {baseDir}/bin/clawback.py
   • Check if virtual environment exists: {baseDir}/venv/

2. Authentication issues: If E*TRADE authentication fails:

   • Run the authentication utility: python {baseDir}/scripts/auth_utility.py --auth
   • Run {baseDir}/bin/clawback.py setup to reconfigure
   • Check credentials in ~/.clawback/config.json
   • Verify E*TRADE API keys are valid

3. Token expiration: If tokens expire (30-day lifespan):

   • Run: python {baseDir}/scripts/auth_utility.py --refresh
   • Or start new authentication: python {baseDir}/scripts/auth_utility.py --auth

4. Python import errors: If you see "ModuleNotFoundError":

   • Ensure virtual environment is activated
   • Run pip install -e . in {baseDir}/
   • Check Python path includes {baseDir}/src

Debug Mode

To debug skill execution, add DEBUG=1 environment variable:

DEBUG=1 {baseDir}/bin/clawback.py status

This will show additional information about the execution context.

Post-Installation Setup

After installation via ClawHub, the install.sh script runs automatically:

1. Python Environment Setup - Creates virtual environment
2. Package Installation - Installs ClawBack via pip
3. Directory Structure - Creates logs/, data/, config/ directories
4. Setup Prompt - Asks if you want to run the setup wizard

If you skip setup during installation, run it manually:

cd ~/.openclaw/skills/clawback
./setup.sh          # Interactive setup wizard
# or
clawback setup      # CLI-based setup

Improved Setup Features

• Better input handling - Works in both interactive and non-interactive modes
• Input validation - Validates E*TRADE API key formats
• Timeout handling - Automatically uses defaults if no input
• Error recovery - Fallback to manual setup if CLI fails
• Configuration check - Detects existing config and offers options

Interactive Setup Wizard

The setup wizard guides you through configuration:

Step 1: Environment Selection

• Sandbox (recommended for testing): No real trades, uses E*TRADE developer sandbox
• Production: Real trading with real money

Step 2: E*TRADE API Credentials

• Consumer Key: From E*TRADE developer portal
• Consumer Secret: From E*TRADE developer portal

Step 3: Authentication

• Automatic OAuth flow with E*TRADE
• Opens browser for authorization
• Returns verification code

Step 4: Account Selection

• Lists all available E*TRADE accounts
• Choose which account to trade with

Step 5: Telegram Setup (Optional)

• Configure notifications via Telegram bot
• Uses OpenClaw's built-in Telegram channel if available

Environment Variables

After setup, credentials are stored in .env:

# E*TRADE API (required)
BROKER_API_KEY=your_consumer_key_here
BROKER_API_SECRET=your_consumer_secret_here
BROKER_ACCOUNT_ID=your_account_id_here

# Telegram (optional)
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=your_bot_token_here
TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID=your_chat_id_here

# FMP API (optional)
FMP_API_KEY=your_fmp_api_key_here

Usage

# Use the installed CLI command
clawback run      # Start interactive trading mode
clawback daemon   # Run as background service
clawback status   # Check system status
clawback setup    # Re-run setup wizard
clawback test     # Test Telegram notifications

Automated Trading

The clawback daemon command runs continuously with:

• Disclosure checks at 10:00, 14:00, 18:00 ET (when filings are typically released)
• Trade execution at 9:35 AM ET (5 min after market open)
• Token refresh every 90 minutes (keeps E*TRADE session alive)
• Market hours enforcement (9:30 AM - 4:00 PM ET)

Data Sources

• House Clerk: https://disclosures-clerk.house.gov (PDF parsing)
• Senate eFD: https://efdsearch.senate.gov (web scraping)
• Financial Modeling Prep: Enhanced financial data (optional)

Supported Brokers

ClawBack currently only supports ETRADE. The adapter pattern allows for future broker support, but only ETRADE is implemented and tested.

Risk Management

• Position limits: 5% max per symbol, 20 positions max
• Stop-losses: 8% per position, 15% portfolio drawdown
• Daily limits: 3% max daily loss
• PDT compliance: Conservative 2 trades/day limit

Authentication Helpers

For manual E*TRADE authentication outside the main CLI:

# Standalone OAuth authentication script
cd {baseDir}
source venv/bin/activate
python scripts/auth_script.py

This generates an authorization URL, prompts for the verification code, and completes authentication.

File Locations

Security

• No hardcoded credentials in source code
• Environment variable based configuration
• Encrypted token storage for E*TRADE
• Git-ignored .env file
• Optional production encryption

Support

• Documentation: See README.md for detailed setup
• Issues: https://github.com/mainfraame/clawback/issues
• Community: https://discord.com/invite/clawd

Disclaimer

Trading involves substantial risk of loss. This software is for educational purposes only. Past congressional trading performance does not guarantee future results. Always test with E*TRADE sandbox accounts before live trading.