Create a Binance API key
Used for: Auto-Trade (live) and positions view. Menu names can differ slightly between the website and app versions.
Watch it in one minute
Account
Illustration · menu names can differ slightly on the website and app
Tick only these
- Enable Reading
- Enable Futures
Never tick
- Enable Withdrawals
- Enable Spot & Margin Trading
- Permits Universal Transfer
- Enable Margin Loan, Repay & Transfer
Our server IP (whitelist this on the key)
Before you start
- Identity verification and 2FA are complete.
- Your USDⓈ-M Futures account is open: Derivatives → USDⓈ-M Futures → Open now and answer the short quiz. Until you do, Binance greys out Enable Futures on API keys.
Step by step
- 1
Open API management
Log in at binance.com, open the profile icon → Account → API Management (in the app: Profile → Security → API Management).
- 2
Create the key
Click Create API → System generated, name it Kestrel and pass the security verification.
- 3
Set restrictions
Click Edit restrictions.
Keep Enable Reading and tick Enable Futures.
Leave Enable Withdrawals, Enable Spot & Margin Trading, Permits Universal Transfer and every other box unticked.
- 4
Restrict to our server IP
Choose Restrict access to trusted IPs only (Recommended) and add 187.127.177.38, then confirm.
- 5
Save and copy
Click Save and pass the security check.
Copy the API Key and Secret Key. The secret is shown only once.
- 6
Paste into Kestrel
In Kestrel open Exchanges & keys → Binance, paste the key and secret and click Save. We check with Binance that futures trading is on and withdrawals are off.
Fund your futures wallet
Move USDT into the USDⓈ-M Futures wallet: Wallet → Transfer, from Spot to USDⓈ-M Futures.
Either position mode works. Kestrel sets isolated margin and the leverage for each coin automatically.
If saving the key fails
- "Invalid API-key, IP, or permissions for action"
- The IP list does not include 187.127.177.38, or Enable Futures is off. Edit the key on Binance and fix both.
- "Enable Futures" cannot be ticked
- Open the USDⓈ-M Futures account first (see Before you start), then edit the key again.
- "Timestamp for this request is outside the recvWindow"
- Temporary clock issue on our side; wait a minute and save again.
Kestrel stores keys encrypted (AES-256-GCM) and checks them live with Binance before saving.