How to Connect Bybit

5 min readUpdated March 15, 2026

How to Connect Bybit

This guide walks you through creating a read-only API key on Bybit and connecting it to TraderNest for automatic trade syncing. The process takes about 5 minutes.

Requirement: API auto-sync requires a Starter or Advanced plan. If you are on the Free plan, you can still import Bybit trades via CSV.

Create Your Bybit API Key

1

Log In to Bybit

Go to bybit.com and log in to your account. Make sure you are on the main Bybit website (not the testnet).

2

Navigate to API Management

Click on your profile icon in the top-right corner, then select API from the dropdown menu. This takes you to the API Management page. You can also navigate directly to bybit.com/user/api-management.

3

Create a New API Key

Click "Create New Key". Select "System-generated API Keys" as the key type. Give the key a name — we recommend calling it "TraderNest" so you can easily identify it later.

4

Set Permissions

This is the most important step. Configure the permissions as follows:

  • Read-Only — Select this option. This is all TraderNest needs.
  • Contract (Derivatives) — Enable read access to your futures/derivatives trading data.
  • Trade — Leave this unchecked. TraderNest does not need trade permissions.
  • Withdraw — Leave this unchecked. Never enable withdrawal permissions.
  • Transfer — Leave this unchecked.
5

Set IP Whitelist

Bybit requires you to either restrict the API key to specific IPs or leave it unrestricted. For security, we recommend whitelisting TraderNest's server IP address. You can find this IP displayed in the TraderNest connection dialog (Settings > Exchanges > Add Exchange > Bybit). Copy the IP shown and paste it into Bybit's IP whitelist field.

6

Complete Two-Factor Authentication

Bybit will ask you to verify the API creation via your two-factor authentication method (Google Authenticator, SMS, or email). Complete the verification to create the key.

7

Copy Your API Key and Secret

After creation, Bybit will display your API Key and API Secret. Copy both of them immediately and store them securely. The API Secret is only shown once — if you lose it, you will need to create a new API key.

Important: The API Secret is only displayed once when you create the key. Make sure to copy it before closing the dialog. If you miss it, you will need to delete the key and create a new one.

Connect in TraderNest

8

Open Exchange Settings

In TraderNest, go to Settings > Exchanges and click "Add Exchange".

9

Select Bybit

From the list of supported exchanges, click on Bybit.

10

Paste Your Credentials

Paste your API Key and API Secret into the corresponding fields. Double-check that there are no extra spaces before or after the pasted values.

11

Click Connect

Click the "Connect" button. TraderNest will verify your API key and begin syncing your trade history. The first sync may take a few minutes, depending on how many trades are in your account.

Troubleshooting

  • "Invalid API Key" error — Double-check that you copied the full API key and secret without extra spaces. Make sure the key has not expired.
  • "IP not whitelisted" error — You need to add TraderNest's server IP to your Bybit API key whitelist. The IP is shown in the connection dialog.
  • No trades appearing — Ensure you enabled "Contract" or "Derivatives" permissions when creating the key. If you only enabled Spot permissions, futures trades will not sync.
  • Sync is slow — The first sync pulls your full trade history and may take several minutes for accounts with thousands of trades. Subsequent syncs are much faster.

Did this answer your question?

Related articles

Supported Exchanges Overview

Connecting Exchanges

Auto-Sync: How It Works

Connecting Exchanges

Troubleshooting Exchange Connections

Connecting Exchanges