Can I use aggregates only?

For rough path research, yes. For realistic execution testing, quotes are needed.

Do aggregates include bid/ask spread?

No. Aggregates summarize traded or bar data and do not replace quote-level spread checks.

When do trades matter?

Trades help validate activity and explain bars, but they are not always fresh enough for fill assumptions.

API And Data Model Questions

Should I Use Options Aggregates or Quotes for Backtesting?

A decision table for choosing bars, quotes, trades, or snapshots in an options backtest.

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Quick answerLast verified April 28, 2026

Use options aggregates when the research question is price path, volatility, or bar-based movement. Use options quotes when the question is whether a fill was realistic at a specific timestamp. A serious options backtest often uses aggregates for path and quotes for execution validation.

Aggregates

Path

OHLC/VWAP bars summarize movement over intervals.

Quotes

Execution

Bid/ask rows show the market a strategy faced.

Trades

Activity

Prints explain executed flow but can be sparse.

The clean separation

Bars are convenient because they compress data. That convenience is useful for signal research, but it can hide spread and liquidity constraints.

Quotes are more demanding but more defensible for fill logic. If the strategy enters at a timestamp, the bid/ask market near that timestamp is the evidence that a fill was possible.

Which data object should a backtest use?

QuestionUseReason

What was the price path?AggregatesBars summarize OHLC/VWAP movement.

Could I enter at this time?QuotesBid/ask shows executable context.

Was there real activity?TradesPrints show executed volume.

What is the current state?SnapshotLatest quote, trade, Greeks, IV, and OI.

API example

Verify the answer with listed data

aggregate and quote pair

curl "https://api.cutemarkets.com/v1/options/aggs/O:SPY260515C00500000/1/day/2026-05-01/2026-05-15/" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

curl "https://api.cutemarkets.com/v1/options/quotes/O:SPY260515C00500000/?timestamp.gte=2026-05-15&limit=100" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Last verified

This Q&A page was last reviewed on April 28, 2026. Date-sensitive market calendars, provider docs, and listed contracts can change, so production workflows should verify the live source before trading or publishing an automated answer.