--- title: "Key Concepts" description: "Downloading data by the ticker is the ideal, low cost option to aquiring local trading data." canonical: https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/lean-cli/datasets/quantconnect/key-concepts markdown: https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/lean-cli/datasets/quantconnect/key-concepts.md language: python source: https://github.com/QuantConnect/Documentation/tree/master/05%20Lean%20CLI/05%20Datasets/05%20QuantConnect/01%20Key%20Concepts modified: 2026-11-14 index: https://www.quantconnect.com/llms.txt --- # Key Concepts [Documentation](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2.md) > [Lean CLI](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/lean-cli.md) > Datasets > [QuantConnect](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/lean-cli/datasets/quantconnect.md) > Key Concepts > Code examples are shown in Python. Append `?lang=csharp` to this URL for the C# version of this page. ## Introduction To locally run the LEAN engine, you need local data. We recommend you source local data from our [Dataset Market](https://www.quantconnect.com/datasets), so you can use the same data that is available to your algorithm when you run it in the cloud. There are two methods of downloading data. You can download smaller, discrete datasets by ticker at a low cost or download complete datasets in bulk to avoid selection bias. You download the data through the CLI or LEAN in exchange for [QuantConnect Credit](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/organizations/credit.md) (QCC) or a data subscription. Before the CLI or LEAN downloads new files, they check if your local machine already stores the files. To use the CLI, you must be a member in an [organization](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/organizations/tier-features.md) on a paid tier. ## Data Type You can acquire local data in bulk or by ticker. The method you choose affects how you pay for the data and which data types you receive. ### Bulk When you download a dataset in bulk, you subscribe to it and download the full dataset with daily updates for one year. After that year, subscribe to the cheaper updates package to keep your local copy current for another year. Bulk downloads include every data type the dataset provides. ### By Ticker When you download by ticker, you download only the tickers you select and pay [QuantConnect Credit](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/organizations/credit.md) (QCC) per file. Some datasets provide up to three data types: **Trade**, **Quote**, and **Open Interest**. These data types are not mandatory, but to reproduce the same results as QuantConnect Cloud, download all the data types that the dataset provides. ## Using the CLI You can download datasets with the CLI using the non-interactive mode or the interactive mode. ### Non-Interactive Mode Follow these steps to download datasets with the non-interactive mode of the CLI: 1. Open the [listing page of the dataset](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/cloud-platform/datasets/navigating-the-market.md#02-View-All-Listings) that you want to download. 2. Click the **CLI** tab. If there is no **CLI** tab, you can't download the dataset. 3. Fill in the Command Line Generator form. 4. Select **Windows** or **Unix**. 5. Copy the CLI command that the form displays. 6. Open a terminal in your [organization workspace](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/lean-cli/initialization/organization-workspaces.md) and then run the command. 7. If you haven't already agreed to the CLI API Access and Data Agreement, in the browser window that opens, read the document and click **I Accept The Data Agreement**. The CLI displays a summary of your purchase and the download progress. ``` Data that will be purchased and downloaded: ┌─────────────┬──────────┬────────────────────────┬────────────┬────────┐ │ Dataset │ Vendor │ Details │ File count │ Price │ ├─────────────┼──────────┼────────────────────────┼────────────┼────────┤ │ US Equities │ AlgoSeek │ Data type: Trade │ 3 │ 15 QCC │ │ │ │ Ticker: SPY │ │ │ │ │ │ Resolution: Minute │ │ │ │ │ │ Start date: 2023-01-01 │ │ │ │ │ │ End date: 2023-01-05 │ │ │ └─────────────┴──────────┴────────────────────────┴────────────┴────────┘ Total price: 15 QCC Organization balance: 10,000 QCC Data Terms of Use has been signed previously. Find full agreement at: https://www.quantconnect.com/terms/data/?organization= ========================================================================== CLI API Access Agreement: On 2022-04-12 22:34:26 You Agreed: - Display or distribution of data obtained through CLI API Access is not permitted. - Data and Third Party Data obtained via CLI API Access can only be used for individual or internal employee's use. - Data is provided in LEAN format can not be manipulated for transmission or use in other applications. - QuantConnect is not liable for the quality of data received and is not responsible for trading losses. ========================================================================== ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 100% (32/32) ``` ### Interactive Mode Follow these steps to download datasets with the interactive mode of the CLI: 1. [Log in](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/lean-cli/initialization/authentication.md#02-Log-In) to the CLI if you haven't done so already. 2. Open a terminal in one of your [organization workspace directories](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/lean-cli/initialization/organization-workspaces.md). 3. Run `lean data download` to start an interactive downloading wizard. 4. Go through the interactive wizard to configure the data you want to download. 5. After configuring the data you want to download, enter **N** when asked whether you want to download more data. ``` $ lean data download Selected data: ... Total price: 10 QCC Organization balance: 10,400 QCC Do you want to download more data? [y/N]: N ``` 6. In the browser window that opens, read the CLI API Access and Data Agreement and click **I Accept The Data Agreement**. 7. Go back to the terminal and confirm the purchase to start downloading. ``` $ lean data download You will be charged 10 QCC from your organization's QCC balance After downloading all files your organization will have 10,400 QCC left Continue? [y/N]: y [1/1] Downloading equity/usa/daily/spy.zip (10 QCC) ``` Many of the datasets depend on the [US Equity Security Master](https://www.quantconnect.com/datasets/quantconnect-us-equity-security-master) dataset because the US Equity Security Master contains information on splits, dividends, and symbol changes. To check if a dataset depends the US Equity Security Master, see the listing in the [Dataset Market](https://www.quantconnect.com/datasets). If you try to download a dataset through the CLI that depends on the US Equity Security Master and you don't have an active subscription to it, you'll get an error. For example, follow these steps to download US Equity data from the Dataset Market: 1. Open a terminal in one of your [organization workspace directories](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/lean-cli/initialization/organization-workspaces.md). 2. Run `lean data download` to start an interactive downloading wizard and then select **QuantConnect** to list the categories in the [Dataset Market](https://www.quantconnect.com/datasets). ``` $ lean data download Select a historical data provider: 1) Interactive Brokers 2) Oanda 3) Bitfinex 4) Coinbase Advanced Trade 5) Binance 6) Kraken 7) CharlesSchwab 8) IQFeed 9) Polygon 10) FactSet 11) AlphaVantage 12) CoinApi 13) ThetaData 14) QuantConnect 15) Local 16) Quant Bridge 17) Bybit 18) TradeStation 19) Alpaca 20) Tastytrade 21) Eze 22) dYdX 23) Databento Enter an option: 14 ``` 3. Enter the dataset category number. ``` $ lean data download Select a category: 1) Commerce Data (3 datasets) 2) Consumer Data (2 datasets) 3) Energy Data (2 datasets) 4) Environmental Data (1 dataset) 5) Financial Market Data (30 datasets) 6) Industry Data (1 dataset) 7) Legal Data (2 datasets) 8) News and Events (4 datasets) 9) Political Data (2 datasets) 10) Transport and Logistics Data (1 dataset) 11) Web Data (9 datasets) Enter an option: 5 ``` 4. Enter the dataset number. ``` $ lean data download Select a dataset: 1) Bitcoin Metadata 2) Brain Language Metrics on Company Filings 3) Brain ML Stock Ranking 4) CFD Data 5) Composite Factor Bundle 6) Cross Asset Model 7) FOREX Data 8) Insider Trading 9) International Future Universe 10) NFT Sales 11) Tactical 12) US Congress Trading 13) US ETF Constituents 14) US Equities 15) US Equity Coarse Universe 16) US Equity Option Universe 17) US Equity Options 18) US Equity Security Master 19) US Future Option Universe 20) US Future Options 21) US Future Universe 22) US Futures 23) US Futures Security Master 24) US Index Option Universe 25) US Index Options 26) US Interest Rate 27) US SEC Filings 28) US Treasury Yield Curve 29) VIX Central Contango 30) VIX Daily Price Enter an option: 13 ``` If you don't have an active subscription to the US Equity Security Master, you'll get the following error message: `Your organization needs to have an active Security Master subscription to download data from the 'US Equities' datasetYou can add the subscription at https://www.quantconnect.com/datasets/quantconnect-security-master/pricing` 5. Enter the data type. ``` $ lean data download Data type: 1) Trade 2) Quote 3) Bulk Enter an option: 1 ``` 6. Enter the ticker(s). ``` $ lean data download Ticker(s) (comma-separated): SPY ``` 7. Enter the resolution. ``` $ lean data download Resolution: 1) Tick 2) Second 3) Minute 4) Hour 5) Daily Enter an option: 3 ``` 8. If you selected tick, second, or minute resolution in the previous step, enter the start and end date. ``` $ lean data download Start date (yyyyMMdd): 20230101 End date (yyyyMMdd): 20230105 ``` 9. Review your selected data and enter whether you would like to download more data. ``` $ lean data download Selected data: ┌─────────────┬──────────┬────────────────────────┬────────────┬────────┐ │ Dataset │ Vendor │ Details │ File count │ Price │ ├─────────────┼──────────┼────────────────────────┼────────────┼────────┤ │ US Equities │ AlgoSeek │ Data type: Trade │ 3 │ 15 QCC │ │ │ │ Ticker: SPY │ │ │ │ │ │ Resolution: Minute │ │ │ │ │ │ Start date: 2023-01-01 │ │ │ │ │ │ End date: 2023-01-05 │ │ │ └─────────────┴──────────┴────────────────────────┴────────────┴────────┘ Total price: 15 QCC Organization balance: 10,000 QCC Do you want to download more data? [y/N]: n ``` 10. If you haven't already agreed to the CLI API Access and Data Agreement, in the browser window that opens, read the document and click **I Accept The Data Agreement**. 11. Confirm your data purchase. ``` $ lean data download Data Terms of Use has been signed previously. Find full agreement at: https://www.quantconnect.com/terms/data/?organization= ========================================================================== CLI API Access Agreement: On 2022-04-12 22:34:26 You Agreed: - Display or distribution of data obtained through CLI API Access is not permitted. - Data and Third Party Data obtained via CLI API Access can only be used for individual or internal employee's use. - Data is provided in LEAN format can not be manipulated for transmission or use in other applications. - QuantConnect is not liable for the quality of data received and is not responsible for trading losses. ========================================================================== You will be charged 15 QCC from your organization's QCC balance After downloading all files your organization will have 9,985 QCC left Continue? [y/N]: y ``` After you confirm your data purchsae, the CLI downloads the data and prints its progress. ``` $ lean data download ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 100% (3/3) ``` ## Using Lean For more information about using LEAN to download datasets, see [Download Datasets During Backtests](https://www.quantconnect.com/docs/v2/lean-cli/backtesting/deployment.md#04-Download-Datasets-During-Backtests). ## Supported Datasets To view all of the supported datasets, see the [Dataset Market](https://www.quantconnect.com/datasets).