Step-by-Step Guide to Get Gold Ask (XAU-ASK) Historical Prices using this API
Step-by-Step Guide to Get Gold Ask (XAU-ASK) Historical Prices using this API
In the world of finance, particularly in precious metals trading, having access to accurate and timely data is crucial. This is where the Metals-API comes into play, offering developers a powerful tool to retrieve historical prices for gold (XAU) and other metals. This guide will walk you through the process of obtaining historical prices for gold using the Metals-API, while also exploring the broader implications of digital transformation in precious metals trading.
About Gold (XAU)
Gold, represented by the symbol XAU, has long been a symbol of wealth and a safe haven asset. In recent years, the digital transformation of the financial markets has significantly impacted how traders and investors interact with gold. The integration of data analytics and technology has revolutionized price discovery, allowing for more informed trading decisions. With the rise of digital asset solutions, the demand for real-time and historical data on gold prices has surged.
Data analytics plays a pivotal role in understanding market trends and making predictions. By leveraging advanced analytics, traders can gain insights into price movements, volatility, and market sentiment. The Metals-API provides a comprehensive suite of tools that empower developers to build applications that harness these insights, enabling them to stay ahead in the competitive landscape of precious metals trading.
API Description
The Metals-API is a robust platform that offers real-time and historical data for various metals, including gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. It enables developers to access a wealth of information through a simple and intuitive API. The API's capabilities are designed to support the development of next-generation applications that require accurate and timely metals data.
With the Metals-API, developers can retrieve the latest rates, historical prices, bid and ask prices, and even perform currency conversions. The API is built with innovation in mind, allowing for seamless integration into existing systems and applications. For more detailed information, you can refer to the Metals-API Documentation.
Key Features and Endpoints
The Metals-API offers a variety of endpoints, each designed to provide specific functionalities that cater to the needs of developers and traders alike. Here are some of the key features:
- Latest Rates Endpoint: This endpoint provides real-time exchange rate data for metals, updated every 60 minutes, 10 minutes, or even more frequently, depending on your subscription plan. This feature is essential for traders who need to make quick decisions based on the latest market data.
- Historical Rates Endpoint: Access historical rates for gold and other metals dating back to 2019. By appending a specific date to your API request, you can retrieve historical prices, allowing for in-depth analysis of price trends over time.
- Bid And Ask Endpoint: This powerful feature retrieves real-time bid and ask prices for metals, giving traders insight into market liquidity and pricing dynamics.
- Convert Endpoint: The Metals-API includes a currency conversion endpoint, enabling users to convert amounts between different metals or to/from USD. This is particularly useful for traders dealing with multiple currencies.
- Time-Series Endpoint: This endpoint allows you to query the API for daily historical rates between two specified dates, making it easier to analyze trends over specific periods.
- Fluctuation Endpoint: Track how metal prices fluctuate on a day-to-day basis. This endpoint provides valuable insights into market volatility and price movements.
- Carat Endpoint: Retrieve information about gold rates by carat. This feature is essential for jewelers and traders dealing with different purities of gold.
- Lowest/Highest Price Endpoint: Query the API to get the lowest and highest prices for a given date, providing insights into market extremes.
- Open/High/Low/Close (OHLC) Price Endpoint: This endpoint allows you to retrieve the open, high, low, and close prices for a specific date, which is crucial for technical analysis.
- Historical LME Endpoint: Access historical rates for LME symbols dating back to 2008, allowing for comprehensive analysis of market trends.
- API Key: Your unique API key is required to access the Metals-API. It is passed into the API base URL's access_key parameter for authentication.
- API Response: The API delivers exchange rates relative to USD by default, with all data returned in a structured JSON format.
- Available Endpoints: The Metals-API offers 14 different endpoints, each providing unique functionalities tailored to the needs of developers.
- Supported Symbols Endpoint: This endpoint returns a constantly updated list of all available currencies and metals, ensuring you have the latest information.
- News Endpoint: Retrieve the latest news articles related to various metals, keeping you informed about market developments.
List of Symbols
The Metals-API provides access to a comprehensive range of metal symbols. For a complete list of all supported symbols and their specifications, refer to the Metals-API Supported Symbols page.
API Endpoint Examples and Responses
Understanding how to interact with the Metals-API is crucial for effective implementation. Below are examples of various API endpoints and their corresponding JSON responses:
Latest Rates Endpoint
Get real-time exchange rates for all available metals.
{
"success": true,
"timestamp": 1769732317,
"base": "USD",
"date": "2026-01-30",
"rates": {
"XAU": 0.000482,
"XAG": 0.03815,
"XPT": 0.000912,
"XPD": 0.000744,
"XCU": 0.294118,
"XAL": 0.434783,
"XNI": 0.142857,
"XZN": 0.344828
},
"unit": "per troy ounce"
}
Historical Rates Endpoint
Access historical exchange rates for any date since 1999.
{
"success": true,
"timestamp": 1769645917,
"base": "USD",
"date": "2026-01-29",
"rates": {
"XAU": 0.000485,
"XAG": 0.03825,
"XPT": 0.000915,
"XPD": 0.000748
},
"unit": "per troy ounce"
}
Time-series Endpoint
Get exchange rates for a specific time period.
{
"success": true,
"timeseries": true,
"start_date": "2026-01-23",
"end_date": "2026-01-30",
"base": "USD",
"rates": {
"2026-01-23": {
"XAU": 0.000485,
"XAG": 0.03825,
"XPT": 0.000915
},
"2026-01-25": {
"XAU": 0.000483,
"XAG": 0.0382,
"XPT": 0.000913
},
"2026-01-30": {
"XAU": 0.000482,
"XAG": 0.03815,
"XPT": 0.000912
}
},
"unit": "per troy ounce"
}
Convert Endpoint
Convert any amount from one metal to another or to/from USD.
{
"success": true,
"query": {
"from": "USD",
"to": "XAU",
"amount": 1000
},
"info": {
"timestamp": 1769732317,
"rate": 0.000482
},
"result": 0.482,
"unit": "troy ounces"
}
Fluctuation Endpoint
Track rate fluctuations between two dates.
{
"success": true,
"fluctuation": true,
"start_date": "2026-01-23",
"end_date": "2026-01-30",
"base": "USD",
"rates": {
"XAU": {
"start_rate": 0.000485,
"end_rate": 0.000482,
"change": -3.0e-6,
"change_pct": -0.62
},
"XAG": {
"start_rate": 0.03825,
"end_rate": 0.03815,
"change": -0.0001,
"change_pct": -0.26
},
"XPT": {
"start_rate": 0.000915,
"end_rate": 0.000912,
"change": -3.0e-6,
"change_pct": -0.33
}
},
"unit": "per troy ounce"
}
OHLC (Open/High/Low/Close) Price Endpoint
Get OHLC data for a specific time period.
{
"success": true,
"timestamp": 1769732317,
"base": "USD",
"date": "2026-01-30",
"rates": {
"XAU": {
"open": 0.000485,
"high": 0.000487,
"low": 0.000481,
"close": 0.000482
},
"XAG": {
"open": 0.03825,
"high": 0.0383,
"low": 0.0381,
"close": 0.03815
},
"XPT": {
"open": 0.000915,
"high": 0.000918,
"low": 0.00091,
"close": 0.000912
}
},
"unit": "per troy ounce"
}
Bid/Ask Endpoint
Get current bid and ask prices for metals.
{
"success": true,
"timestamp": 1769732317,
"base": "USD",
"date": "2026-01-30",
"rates": {
"XAU": {
"bid": 0.000481,
"ask": 0.000483,
"spread": 2.0e-6
},
"XAG": {
"bid": 0.0381,
"ask": 0.0382,
"spread": 0.0001
},
"XPT": {
"bid": 0.000911,
"ask": 0.000913,
"spread": 2.0e-6
}
},
"unit": "per troy ounce"
}
Conclusion
The Metals-API is an invaluable resource for developers and traders looking to access historical prices for gold and other metals. By leveraging its various endpoints, you can gain insights into market trends, perform detailed analyses, and make informed trading decisions. The API's capabilities, such as real-time data retrieval, historical price access, and bid/ask information, empower users to build sophisticated applications that can adapt to the rapidly changing landscape of precious metals trading.
As the financial markets continue to evolve, embracing digital transformation and data analytics will be essential for success. The Metals-API stands at the forefront of this transformation, providing the tools necessary to navigate the complexities of the precious metals market. For further exploration, visit the Metals-API Documentation and discover the full potential of this powerful API.