Okex PHP API Integration Guide – Full V5 Support with Websocket

Integrating cryptocurrency exchange APIs into your trading systems can significantly enhance automation, data analysis, and real-time decision-making. The Okex PHP SDK offers a powerful, developer-friendly solution for interacting with the OKX exchange using clean, object-oriented PHP code. This guide dives deep into the features, setup, and practical usage of the linwj/okex package — a robust PHP library that mirrors the official OKX API documentation while supporting both RESTful V3/V5 endpoints and Websocket V5 streaming.

Whether you're building a trading bot, portfolio tracker, or market analytics dashboard, this SDK streamlines communication with OKX's spot, futures, margin, and options markets.

Why Use the Okex PHP SDK?

The Okex PHP library is designed to reflect the structure and naming conventions of the official OKX API, making it intuitive for developers already familiar with the platform. It supports:

Full V5 API compatibility
Websocket V3 and V5 integration for real-time data
Spot, futures, margin, and swap trading interfaces
Configurable request timeouts, proxies, and cURL options
Demo (paper trading) mode support
Multi-exchange ecosystem via companion libraries

This consistency ensures minimal learning curve and faster development cycles.

👉 Discover how automated trading tools can supercharge your strategy on OKX.

Installation via Composer

Getting started is simple using Composer, the de facto dependency manager for PHP:

composer require linwj/okex

After installation, autoload the dependencies in your project:

require __DIR__ . '/vendor/autoload.php';

You can now initialize the API client for spot, futures, or V5 endpoints with optional authentication credentials.

Custom Request Configuration

Fine-tune your HTTP client behavior by setting custom options:

$okex = new OkexSpot();

$okex->setOptions([
    'timeout' => 10,
    'proxy'   => [],
    'curl'    => [],
    'headers' => ['x-simulated-trading' => 1] // Enable demo trading
]);

These settings leverage Guzzle HTTP under the hood, giving you full control over connection behavior — perfect for high-frequency applications or environments with network restrictions.

Working with OKX V5 API

The V5 API provides a unified interface across all product types. Below are key functional areas with usage examples.

Market Data (Public Endpoints)

Fetch real-time market information including tickers, candles, and index prices.

use Lin\Okex\OkexV5;

$okex = new OkexV5();

try {
    $tickers = $okex->market()->getTickers(['instType' => 'SPOT']);
    print_r($tickers);
} catch (\Exception $e) {
    print_r(json_decode($e->getMessage(), true));
}

Available methods include:

getTicker() – Latest price for an instrument
getIndexTickers() – Index price data
getCandles() – Historical OHLC data
getTrades() – Recent trade history

All responses follow OKX’s JSON schema, ensuring compatibility with existing parsing logic.

Trading & Order Management

Execute trades, cancel orders, and manage algo strategies securely using authenticated endpoints.

$okex = new OkexV5($key, $secret, $passphrase);

$result = $okex->trade()->postOrder([
    'instId'   => 'BTC-USDT',
    'tdMode'   => 'cross',
    'side'     => 'buy',
    'ordType'  => 'limit',
    'sz'       => '0.01',
    'px'       => '10000'
]);

Key order actions supported:

Place limit/market orders
Cancel single or batch orders
Amend active orders
Query order status
Submit algorithmic orders (trigger, trailing stop, etc.)

Account & Risk Management

Access account balances, positions, transaction history, and configure leverage settings.

$balance = $okex->account()->getBalance();
$positions = $okex->account()->getPositions();
$config = $okex->account()->getConfig();

Advanced features:

Set position mode (long_short_mode, net_mode)
Adjust leverage per instrument
Retrieve funding and transfer records
Access archived billing data

👉 Maximize your trading efficiency with real-time data from OKX’s advanced API suite.

Real-Time Data with Websocket V5

For low-latency applications like arbitrage bots or live dashboards, Websocket integration is essential.

Server Setup (CLI Mode)

The Websocket server must run in Linux CLI mode as a daemon:

use Lin\Okex\OkexWebSocketV5;

$okex = new OkexWebSocketV5();

$okex->config([
    'log'        => true,
    'ping_time'  => 20,
    'listen_time'=> 2,
    'data_time'  => 0.1
]);

$okex->start();

Start in foreground:

php server.php start

Run as background daemon:

php server.php start -d

Logging should be enabled in production to monitor connection stability.

Client-Side Subscription

Subscribe to public and private channels seamlessly:

$okex = new OkexWebSocketV5();

// Public channels
$okex->subscribe([
    ["channel" => "tickers", "instId" => "BTC-USDT"],
    ["channel" => "candle5m", "instId" => "BTC-USDT"]
]);

// Private channels (requires auth)
$okex->keysecret([
    'key'        => 'your-key',
    'secret'     => 'your-secret',
    'passphrase' => 'your-passphrase'
]);

$okex->subscribe([
    ["channel" => "account", "ccy" => "BTC"],
    ["channel" => "orders", "instType" => "FUTURES"]
]);

Supported channel types:

tickers, books (order book), candles
account, positions, orders, orders-algo

Data Retrieval Methods

Retrieve subscribed data in three ways:

Direct return:
```
$data = $okex->getSubscribe();
```

Callback function:

$okex->getSubscribe(function($data) {
    echo json_encode($data);
});

Persistent process monitoring:
```
$okex->getSubscribe($callback, true);
```

You can also filter results by specific channels or instruments.

Reconnection Handling

Ensure uninterrupted data flow:

$okex->reconPublic();     // Reconnect public feeds
$okex->reconPrivate($key); // Reconnect private feeds with key

This is crucial during network hiccups or server restarts.

FAQ: Common Questions About the Okex PHP Library

Is this library officially affiliated with OKX?

No. This is a third-party PHP wrapper developed independently to simplify interaction with the OKX API. It adheres strictly to public documentation but is not maintained by OKX.

Does it support both testnet and live trading?

Yes. Use the 'x-simulated-trading'=>1 header to enable demo mode for risk-free testing without affecting real funds.

Can I use it for high-frequency trading (HFT)?

While the library supports fast request execution and Websocket streaming, performance depends on your server location, network latency, and PHP environment optimization. For ultra-low-latency needs, consider C++ or Rust implementations.

How do I handle API rate limits?

The library does not include built-in rate limiting. You should implement throttling logic in your application based on OKX’s documented limits:

REST API: Varies by endpoint (typically 20 requests per 2 seconds)
Websocket: Up to 20 subscription messages per second

Is there support for other exchanges?

Yes! The same developer maintains compatible SDKs for Binance, Huobi, Bitfinex, Bybit, and more under the Exchanges-PHP umbrella project.

What PHP versions are supported?

The package requires PHP 7.2 or higher and uses namespaces, exceptions, and modern syntax. Ensure your environment meets these requirements.

Final Thoughts

The Okex PHP SDK (linwj/okex) delivers a clean, maintainable interface for integrating with one of the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges. With full support for V5 REST APIs, real-time Websocket streams, and flexible configuration options, it's ideal for developers building algorithmic trading systems, portfolio trackers, or market analysis tools.

By abstracting complexity while preserving fidelity to the original API design, this library accelerates development without sacrificing control.

👉 Start building smarter trading systems today with OKX’s powerful API infrastructure.