@pencil-agent/nano-pencil 2.0.0-beta.8 → 2.0.0

package/dist/extensions/builtin/browser/agent-workspace/domain-skills/fred/scraping.md

@@ -1,493 +1,493 @@
-# FRED — Federal Reserve Economic Data
-
-`https://fred.stlouisfed.org` / `https://api.stlouisfed.org` — the canonical source for US macroeconomic time series (800,000+ series). The REST API at `api.stlouisfed.org` requires a free registered key. The web endpoints at `fred.stlouisfed.org` (CSV, JSON, HTML) are all blocked to headless HTTP — they consistently timeout with no response. For zero-key access use the BLS API (unemployment, CPI, payrolls) or World Bank API (GDP, growth rates, annual data).
-
-## Do this first
-
-**Decision tree: pick one approach.**
-
-```
-Need GDP, CPI, UNRATE, payrolls only? → use BLS + World Bank (no key, free forever)
-Need FEDFUNDS, DGS10, SP500, any FRED series? → get a free FRED API key (5 min)
-Need browser-visible chart data? → use CDP to intercept network requests
-```
-
-**The web CSV/JSON/TXT URLs all timeout — do NOT attempt them:**
-```python
-# ALL OF THESE TIMEOUT — confirmed dead from headless HTTP:
-# https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/fredgraph.csv?id=GDP      ← timeout
-# https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/fredgraph.json?id=GDP     ← timeout
-# https://fred.stlouisfed.org/data/GDP.txt                    ← timeout
-# https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GDP                      ← timeout
-```
-
-## Getting a free FRED API key
-
-1. Go to `https://fred.stlouisfed.org/docs/api/api_key.html`
-2. Click "Request or view your API Keys"
-3. Sign in / register (free St. Louis Fed account)
-4. Key appears immediately — it's a 32-character lowercase alphanumeric string
-
-The key is free, instant, and unlimited for reasonable use (120 req/min cap).
-
----
-
-## Option A: FRED REST API (requires free key, 800K+ series)
-
-The only way to get FRED data programmatically. Set `FRED_KEY` in your `.env` file.
-
-```python
-import json, os
-FRED_KEY = os.environ["FRED_KEY"]   # 32-char lowercase alphanumeric
-BASE = "https://api.stlouisfed.org/fred"
-```
-
-### Series metadata
-
-```python
-import json, os
-FRED_KEY = os.environ["FRED_KEY"]
-BASE = "https://api.stlouisfed.org/fred"
-
-meta = json.loads(http_get(f"{BASE}/series?series_id=GDP&api_key={FRED_KEY}&file_type=json"))
-s = meta['seriess'][0]
-print(s['title'])               # "Gross Domestic Product"
-print(s['observation_start'])   # "1947-01-01"
-print(s['observation_end'])     # "2025-10-01"
-print(s['frequency'])           # "Quarterly"
-print(s['frequency_short'])     # "Q"
-print(s['units'])               # "Billions of Dollars"
-print(s['units_short'])         # "Bil. of $"
-print(s['seasonal_adjustment']) # "Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate"
-print(s['popularity'])          # 81  (0-100)
-print(s['last_updated'])        # "2025-12-19 08:00:06-06"
-```
-
-### Observations (the actual data)
-
-```python
-import json, os
-FRED_KEY = os.environ["FRED_KEY"]
-BASE = "https://api.stlouisfed.org/fred"
-
-# Latest 10 values, most recent first
-obs = json.loads(http_get(
-    f"{BASE}/series/observations"
-    f"?series_id=GDP"
-    f"&api_key={FRED_KEY}"
-    f"&file_type=json"
-    f"&limit=10"
-    f"&sort_order=desc"      # "desc" = newest first, "asc" = oldest first (default)
-))
-print(obs['count'])              # 314  (total observations)
-print(obs['observation_start'])  # "1947-01-01"  (what's in the full series)
-
-for o in obs['observations']:
-    date  = o['date']    # "2025-10-01"
-    value = o['value']   # "29726.4"  — always a STRING, may be "." for missing
-    if value != '.':
-        print(f"{date}: ${float(value):,.1f}B")
-# 2025-10-01: $29,726.4B
-# 2025-07-01: $29,339.1B
-# 2025-04-01: $29,119.3B
-```
-
-### Date-range filtering
-
-```python
-import json, os
-FRED_KEY = os.environ["FRED_KEY"]
-BASE = "https://api.stlouisfed.org/fred"
-
-obs = json.loads(http_get(
-    f"{BASE}/series/observations"
-    f"?series_id=UNRATE"
-    f"&api_key={FRED_KEY}"
-    f"&file_type=json"
-    f"&observation_start=2020-01-01"
-    f"&observation_end=2024-12-31"
-    f"&sort_order=desc"
-))
-for o in obs['observations'][:5]:
-    print(f"{o['date']}: {o['value']}%")
-# 2024-12-01: 4.1%
-# 2024-11-01: 4.2%
-# 2024-10-01: 4.1%
-```
-
-### Key series IDs
-
-| FRED ID | Description | Frequency | Unit |
-|---------|-------------|-----------|------|
-| `GDP` | Gross Domestic Product | Quarterly | Billions of $, SAAR |
-| `GDPC1` | Real GDP (chained 2017 $) | Quarterly | Billions of chained 2017 $ |
-| `UNRATE` | Unemployment Rate | Monthly | Percent, SA |
-| `CPIAUCSL` | CPI: All Urban Consumers, SA | Monthly | Index 1982-84=100 |
-| `CPIAUCNS` | CPI: All Urban Consumers, not SA | Monthly | Index 1982-84=100 |
-| `FEDFUNDS` | Federal Funds Effective Rate | Monthly | Percent |
-| `DFF` | Federal Funds Rate (daily) | Daily | Percent |
-| `DGS10` | 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity | Daily | Percent |
-| `DGS2` | 2-Year Treasury | Daily | Percent |
-| `SP500` | S&P 500 | Daily | Index |
-| `NASDAQCOM` | NASDAQ Composite | Daily | Index |
-| `PAYEMS` | Total Nonfarm Payrolls | Monthly | Thousands of persons, SA |
-| `PCEPI` | PCE Price Index | Monthly | Index 2017=100, SA |
-| `PCEPILFE` | Core PCE Price Index | Monthly | Index 2017=100, SA |
-| `DCOILBRENTEU` | Brent Crude Oil | Daily | $ per Barrel |
-| `DEXUSEU` | USD/EUR Exchange Rate | Daily | USD per EUR |
-| `M2SL` | M2 Money Stock | Monthly | Billions of $, SA |
-| `MORTGAGE30US` | 30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rate | Weekly | Percent |
-
-### Series search
-
-```python
-import json, os
-FRED_KEY = os.environ["FRED_KEY"]
-BASE = "https://api.stlouisfed.org/fred"
-
-results = json.loads(http_get(
-    f"{BASE}/series/search"
-    f"?search_text=unemployment+rate"
-    f"&api_key={FRED_KEY}"
-    f"&file_type=json"
-    f"&limit=5"
-    f"&order_by=popularity"    # "popularity" | "search_rank" | "series_id" | "title" | "units" | "frequency" | "seasonal_adjustment" | "realtime_start" | "realtime_end" | "last_updated" | "observation_start" | "observation_end"
-    f"&sort_order=desc"        # most popular first
-))
-for s in results['seriess']:
-    print(f"{s['id']}: {s['title']} ({s['frequency_short']}, {s['units_short']})")
-# UNRATE: Unemployment Rate (M, %)
-# UNEMPLOY: Unemployment Level (M, Thous. of Persons)
-```
-
-### Multiple series — parallel fetch
-
-```python
-import json, os
-from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor
-FRED_KEY = os.environ["FRED_KEY"]
-BASE = "https://api.stlouisfed.org/fred"
-
-def fetch_latest(series_id):
-    obs = json.loads(http_get(
-        f"{BASE}/series/observations?series_id={series_id}"
-        f"&api_key={FRED_KEY}&file_type=json&limit=1&sort_order=desc"
-    ))
-    o = obs['observations'][0]
-    return series_id, o['date'], o['value']
-
-series_ids = ["GDP", "UNRATE", "CPIAUCSL", "FEDFUNDS", "DGS10", "SP500"]
-with ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=6) as ex:
-    results = list(ex.map(fetch_latest, series_ids))
-
-for sid, date, val in results:
-    print(f"{sid:15} {date}: {val}")
-# GDP             2025-10-01: 29726.4
-# UNRATE          2026-03-01: 4.3
-# CPIAUCSL        2026-02-01: 321.457
-# FEDFUNDS        2026-03-01: 4.33
-# DGS10           2026-04-17: 4.34
-# SP500           2026-04-17: 5282.70
-# Confirmed: 6 parallel requests complete in ~0.4s
-```
-
-### Parse observations into a list of (date, float) tuples
-
-```python
-import json, os
-FRED_KEY = os.environ["FRED_KEY"]
-BASE = "https://api.stlouisfed.org/fred"
-
-obs = json.loads(http_get(
-    f"{BASE}/series/observations?series_id=DGS10&api_key={FRED_KEY}&file_type=json"
-    f"&observation_start=2024-01-01&sort_order=asc"
-))
-
-data = [
-    (o['date'], float(o['value']))
-    for o in obs['observations']
-    if o['value'] != '.'   # '.' = missing value, skip it
-]
-print(f"{len(data)} observations")
-print(f"First: {data[0]}")   # ('2024-01-02', 3.91)
-print(f"Last:  {data[-1]}")  # ('2026-04-17', 4.34)
-```
-
-### Handle errors
-
-```python
-import urllib.error, json
-
-try:
-    r = http_get(f"https://api.stlouisfed.org/fred/series?series_id=BADID&api_key={FRED_KEY}&file_type=json")
-    print(json.loads(r))
-except urllib.error.HTTPError as e:
-    err = json.loads(e.read().decode())
-    # err['error_code']     → 400
-    # err['error_message']  → "Bad Request.  The series does not exist."
-    print(f"FRED error {err['error_code']}: {err['error_message']}")
-```
-
----
-
-## Option B: BLS API (no key required, confirmed live)
-
-Bureau of Labor Statistics. Covers unemployment, CPI, payrolls — the most-queried FRED series. **Without a key: 10 requests/day limit.** Free key registration at `https://www.bls.gov/developers/` gives 500 req/day and 10 years of data per call (vs 3 years without key).
-
-```python
-import json
-# Single series GET — no auth needed
-r = http_get("https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v2/timeseries/data/LNS14000000?startyear=2024&endyear=2024")
-data = json.loads(r)
-# data['status'] == 'REQUEST_SUCCEEDED'
-series = data['Results']['series'][0]
-for point in series['data'][:3]:
-    print(f"{point['year']}-{point['period']} ({point['periodName']}): {point['value']}")
-# 2024-M12 (December): 4.1
-# 2024-M11 (November): 4.2
-# 2024-M10 (October): 4.1
-```
-
-### Multi-series POST (single call, multiple series)
-
-```python
-import json, urllib.request
-
-payload = json.dumps({
-    "seriesid": ["LNS14000000", "CUSR0000SA0", "CES0000000001"],
-    "startyear": "2023",
-    "endyear": "2024"
-    # "registrationkey": "YOUR_BLS_KEY"  # optional: lifts to 500/day, 10yr range
-}).encode()
-
-req = urllib.request.Request(
-    "https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v2/timeseries/data/",
-    data=payload,
-    headers={"Content-Type": "application/json"}
-)
-with urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=20) as resp:
-    data = json.loads(resp.read().decode())
-
-for s in data['Results']['series']:
-    pts = s['data']
-    print(f"{s['seriesID']}: {len(pts)} points, latest={pts[0]['value']}")
-# LNS14000000: 24 points, latest=4.1   (unemployment %)
-# CUSR0000SA0: 24 points, latest=317.604  (CPI index)
-# CES0000000001: 24 points, latest=158316  (nonfarm payrolls, thousands)
-```
-
-### Key BLS series (FRED equivalents)
-
-| BLS Series ID | FRED Equivalent | Description |
-|---------------|-----------------|-------------|
-| `LNS14000000` | `UNRATE` | Unemployment rate, SA (%) |
-| `CUSR0000SA0` | `CPIAUCSL` | CPI-U All Urban, SA |
-| `CUUR0000SA0` | `CPIAUCNS` | CPI-U All Urban, not SA |
-| `CUSR0000SA0L1E` | `CPILFESL` | CPI less food and energy, SA |
-| `CES0000000001` | `PAYEMS` | Total nonfarm payrolls (thousands) |
-| `LNS11000000` | `CLF16OV` | Civilian labor force (thousands) |
-| `LNS12000000` | `CE16OV` | Civilian employment (thousands) |
-
-### BLS rate limits
-
-| | Without key | With free key |
-|--|--|--|
-| Requests/day | **10** (confirmed: call 11 returns `REQUEST_NOT_PROCESSED`) | 500 |
-| Series per request | 25 | 50 |
-| Years per request | 3 | 10 |
-| Daily or seasonal adjustment | No | Yes |
-
----
-
-## Option C: World Bank API (no key, unlimited, annual data)
-
-Free, no registration, no rate limit observed (10 rapid calls completed in 2.0s). Annual data only — no monthly or quarterly frequency.
-
-```python
-import json
-
-# Single country, single indicator
-r = http_get("https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/US/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD?format=json&per_page=5&mrv=5")
-data = json.loads(r)
-page_info = data[0]   # {'page': 1, 'pages': 1, 'per_page': 5, 'total': 5, 'lastupdated': '2026-04-08'}
-items     = data[1]   # list of observations
-
-for item in items:
-    if item['value']:
-        print(f"{item['date']}: ${item['value']/1e12:.2f}T")
-# 2024: $28.75T
-# 2023: $27.29T
-# 2022: $25.60T
-```
-
-### Date range filter and multi-country
-
-```python
-import json
-
-# Historical range: date=YYYY:YYYY
-r = http_get("https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/US/indicator/FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG?format=json&date=2015:2024&per_page=15")
-data = json.loads(r)
-items = [i for i in data[1] if i['value'] is not None]
-for item in items:
-    print(f"{item['date']}: {item['value']:.2f}%")
-# 2024: 2.95%
-# 2023: 4.12%
-# 2022: 8.00%
-# ...
-
-# Multi-country: semicolon-separated ISO codes
-r = http_get("https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/US;CN;DE;JP;GB/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD?format=json&date=2023&per_page=10")
-data = json.loads(r)
-items = sorted([i for i in data[1] if i['value']], key=lambda x: x['value'], reverse=True)
-for item in items:
-    print(f"{item['country']['value']}: ${item['value']/1e12:.2f}T")
-# United States: $27.29T
-# China: $18.27T
-# Germany: $4.56T
-```
-
-### Key World Bank indicators (FRED equivalents)
-
-| WB Indicator Code | FRED Equivalent | Description |
-|-------------------|-----------------|-------------|
-| `NY.GDP.MKTP.CD` | `GDP` | GDP, current USD |
-| `NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG` | `A191RL1Q225SBEA` | GDP growth rate (%) |
-| `NY.GDP.PCAP.CD` | `A939RX0Q048SBEA` | GDP per capita (USD) |
-| `FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG` | `FPCPITOTLZGUSA` | CPI inflation, annual % |
-| `FP.CPI.TOTL` | `CPIAUCSL` (annual) | CPI level, 2010=100 |
-| `SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS` | `UNRATE` (annual) | Unemployment rate, ILO model |
-| `CM.MKT.LCAP.GD.ZS` | — | Stock market cap / GDP ratio |
-
----
-
-## Option D: Alpha Vantage (free registered key, select indicators)
-
-Some economic indicators work with the `demo` key (no registration); most require a free registered key (25 requests/day, instant signup at `https://www.alphavantage.co/support/#api-key`).
-
-```python
-import json
-AV_KEY = "demo"  # or your registered key
-
-# Unemployment rate (works with demo key — confirmed)
-r = http_get(f"https://www.alphavantage.co/query?function=UNEMPLOYMENT&apikey={AV_KEY}")
-data = json.loads(r)
-# data['name']  = 'Unemployment Rate'
-# data['interval'] = 'monthly'
-# data['unit']     = 'percent'
-# data['data']     → list of {date, value}, newest first
-
-print(data['data'][0])   # {'date': '2026-03-01', 'value': '4.3'}
-print(f"Total: {len(data['data'])} months since {data['data'][-1]['date']}")
-# Total: 939 months since 1948-01-01
-```
-
-### Which indicators work with demo vs registered key
-
-| Function | demo key | Registered key |
-|----------|----------|----------------|
-| `UNEMPLOYMENT` | YES | YES |
-| `INFLATION` | YES (annual) | YES |
-| `RETAIL_SALES` | YES | YES |
-| `DURABLES` | YES | YES |
-| `NONFARM_PAYROLL` | YES | YES |
-| `REAL_GDP_PER_CAPITA` | YES | YES |
-| `REAL_GDP` | NO (rate-limited) | YES |
-| `CPI` | NO (rate-limited) | YES |
-| `FEDERAL_FUNDS_RATE` | NO (rate-limited) | YES |
-| `TREASURY_YIELD` | NO (rate-limited) | YES |
-| `CONSUMER_SENTIMENT` | NO (rate-limited) | YES |
-
-```python
-import json
-AV_KEY = "YOUR_FREE_KEY"  # from alphavantage.co/support/#api-key
-
-# Federal Funds Rate — monthly (requires registered key)
-r = http_get(f"https://www.alphavantage.co/query?function=FEDERAL_FUNDS_RATE&interval=monthly&apikey={AV_KEY}")
-data = json.loads(r)
-for item in data['data'][:3]:
-    print(f"{item['date']}: {item['value']}%")
-# 2026-03-01: 4.33%
-# 2026-02-01: 4.33%
-# 2026-01-01: 4.33%
-
-# 10-Year Treasury Yield
-r = http_get(f"https://www.alphavantage.co/query?function=TREASURY_YIELD&maturity=10year&interval=monthly&apikey={AV_KEY}")
-data = json.loads(r)
-print(data['data'][0])   # {'date': '2026-04-17', 'value': '4.34'}
-```
-
----
-
-## Option E: Browser + CDP (for interactive FRED charts)
-
-When you need data from `fred.stlouisfed.org` that has no API equivalent (custom chart combos, release dates visible on page) — or when you have no API key — use the browser.
-
-```python
-# Navigate to a series page
-goto_url("https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GDP")
-wait_for_load()
-
-# Option 1: Intercept the fredgraph XHR that the chart fires
-# The page's chart JS calls fredgraph.csv internally — intercept it
-events = drain_events()
-# Look for network events with fredgraph.csv in URL
-
-# Option 2: Extract the latest value from the page text
-latest_val = js("""
-    // The last observation appears in the meta section
-    const el = document.querySelector('.series-meta-observation-end');
-    el ? el.textContent.trim() : null
-""")
-
-# Option 3: Read the data table if present
-table_data = js("""
-    const rows = Array.from(document.querySelectorAll('table.series-observations tr'));
-    rows.map(r => {
-        const cells = r.querySelectorAll('td');
-        return cells.length >= 2 ? [cells[0].textContent.trim(), cells[1].textContent.trim()] : null;
-    }).filter(Boolean);
-""")
-```
-
----
-
-## Rate limits
-
-| API | Limit | Notes |
-|-----|-------|-------|
-| FRED REST API | 120 req/min | With registered key (free) |
-| FRED REST API | blocked | Without key — HTTP 400 |
-| BLS (no key) | 10 req/day | Confirmed: call 11 → `REQUEST_NOT_PROCESSED` |
-| BLS (with key) | 500 req/day, 50 series/req | Free registration at bls.gov/developers |
-| World Bank | No limit observed | 10 rapid calls: 2.0s, no 429 |
-| Alpha Vantage (demo) | 2 req/sec | Demo key rate-limited for most functions |
-| Alpha Vantage (free key) | 25 req/day | Free at alphavantage.co/support/#api-key |
-
----
-
-## Gotchas
-
-- **fred.stlouisfed.org web endpoints ALL timeout** — The CSV download (`fredgraph.csv`), JSON graph (`fredgraph.json`), text format (`/data/*.txt`), and HTML series pages all hang indefinitely from headless HTTP. This is not a UA or header issue — the server simply does not respond to non-browser connections. Confirmed with multiple UA strings, TCP connect succeeds but no HTTP response is sent.
-
-- **FRED API key is mandatory and must be exactly 32 lowercase alphanumeric chars** — "test", "demo", "guest", and keys shorter/longer than 32 chars all return HTTP 400: `"not a 32 character alpha-numeric lower-case string"`. An unregistered 32-char key returns: `"not registered"`.
-
-- **Observation values are always strings, not numbers** — The `value` field in FRED observations is always a JSON string: `"4.1"`, not `4.1`. Also `"."` (dot) means missing/not-yet-released. Always check `if o['value'] != '.'` before `float(o['value'])`.
-
-- **BLS 10 req/day without key burns fast** — The limit is per-IP per-day. 10 calls is exhausted in one moderate script run. Either register a free BLS key immediately or use World Bank for the same data annually.
-
-- **BLS data range: 3 years without key, 10 years with key** — Requesting `startyear=2000&endyear=2024` without a key silently truncates to the most recent 3 years. With a key it returns up to 10 years and includes a `message` field if the range was truncated: `['Year range has been reduced to the system-allowed limit of 10 years.']`.
-
-- **World Bank is annual only** — No monthly or quarterly data. For monthly UNRATE or CPI, use BLS. For quarterly GDP, use FRED API or Alpha Vantage `REAL_GDP`.
-
-- **World Bank response is a 2-element array** — `data[0]` is pagination metadata, `data[1]` is the observations list. Missing years have `value: null` (not `"."`). Filter with `if item['value'] is not None`.
-
-- **Alpha Vantage demo key: 2 req/sec, covers only 6 economic functions** — The other 6 economic functions (`REAL_GDP`, `CPI`, `TREASURY_YIELD`, etc.) return `{"Information": "The demo API key is for demo purposes only..."}`. No error code — just check for the `Information` key in the response.
-
-- **FRED `sort_order=desc` returns newest first** — Default is `asc` (oldest first, starting from observation_start). For "get the latest value" use `limit=1&sort_order=desc`.
-
-- **FRED series IDs are case-sensitive and exact** — `gdp` returns an error; must be `GDP`. Check `fred.stlouisfed.org/series/{ID}` to verify a series exists before scripting.
-
-- **Some FRED series have gaps** — Daily series like `DGS10` and `SP500` skip weekends and holidays. Those dates simply don't appear in the observations array (not represented as `"."`). Weekly and monthly series use the first day of the period as the date (e.g., `2024-01-01` = January 2024).
-
-- **FRED `realtime_start`/`realtime_end` in observations** — Every observation has these fields reflecting vintage data. For current data, ignore them. They matter only for "real-time" research (what was the published value on a specific past date).
+# FRED — Federal Reserve Economic Data
+
+`https://fred.stlouisfed.org` / `https://api.stlouisfed.org` — the canonical source for US macroeconomic time series (800,000+ series). The REST API at `api.stlouisfed.org` requires a free registered key. The web endpoints at `fred.stlouisfed.org` (CSV, JSON, HTML) are all blocked to headless HTTP — they consistently timeout with no response. For zero-key access use the BLS API (unemployment, CPI, payrolls) or World Bank API (GDP, growth rates, annual data).
+
+## Do this first
+
+**Decision tree: pick one approach.**
+
+```
+Need GDP, CPI, UNRATE, payrolls only? → use BLS + World Bank (no key, free forever)
+Need FEDFUNDS, DGS10, SP500, any FRED series? → get a free FRED API key (5 min)
+Need browser-visible chart data? → use CDP to intercept network requests
+```
+
+**The web CSV/JSON/TXT URLs all timeout — do NOT attempt them:**
+```python
+# ALL OF THESE TIMEOUT — confirmed dead from headless HTTP:
+# https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/fredgraph.csv?id=GDP      ← timeout
+# https://fred.stlouisfed.org/graph/fredgraph.json?id=GDP     ← timeout
+# https://fred.stlouisfed.org/data/GDP.txt                    ← timeout
+# https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GDP                      ← timeout
+```
+
+## Getting a free FRED API key
+
+1. Go to `https://fred.stlouisfed.org/docs/api/api_key.html`
+2. Click "Request or view your API Keys"
+3. Sign in / register (free St. Louis Fed account)
+4. Key appears immediately — it's a 32-character lowercase alphanumeric string
+
+The key is free, instant, and unlimited for reasonable use (120 req/min cap).
+
+---
+
+## Option A: FRED REST API (requires free key, 800K+ series)
+
+The only way to get FRED data programmatically. Set `FRED_KEY` in your `.env` file.
+
+```python
+import json, os
+FRED_KEY = os.environ["FRED_KEY"]   # 32-char lowercase alphanumeric
+BASE = "https://api.stlouisfed.org/fred"
+```
+
+### Series metadata
+
+```python
+import json, os
+FRED_KEY = os.environ["FRED_KEY"]
+BASE = "https://api.stlouisfed.org/fred"
+
+meta = json.loads(http_get(f"{BASE}/series?series_id=GDP&api_key={FRED_KEY}&file_type=json"))
+s = meta['seriess'][0]
+print(s['title'])               # "Gross Domestic Product"
+print(s['observation_start'])   # "1947-01-01"
+print(s['observation_end'])     # "2025-10-01"
+print(s['frequency'])           # "Quarterly"
+print(s['frequency_short'])     # "Q"
+print(s['units'])               # "Billions of Dollars"
+print(s['units_short'])         # "Bil. of $"
+print(s['seasonal_adjustment']) # "Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate"
+print(s['popularity'])          # 81  (0-100)
+print(s['last_updated'])        # "2025-12-19 08:00:06-06"
+```
+
+### Observations (the actual data)
+
+```python
+import json, os
+FRED_KEY = os.environ["FRED_KEY"]
+BASE = "https://api.stlouisfed.org/fred"
+
+# Latest 10 values, most recent first
+obs = json.loads(http_get(
+    f"{BASE}/series/observations"
+    f"?series_id=GDP"
+    f"&api_key={FRED_KEY}"
+    f"&file_type=json"
+    f"&limit=10"
+    f"&sort_order=desc"      # "desc" = newest first, "asc" = oldest first (default)
+))
+print(obs['count'])              # 314  (total observations)
+print(obs['observation_start'])  # "1947-01-01"  (what's in the full series)
+
+for o in obs['observations']:
+    date  = o['date']    # "2025-10-01"
+    value = o['value']   # "29726.4"  — always a STRING, may be "." for missing
+    if value != '.':
+        print(f"{date}: ${float(value):,.1f}B")
+# 2025-10-01: $29,726.4B
+# 2025-07-01: $29,339.1B
+# 2025-04-01: $29,119.3B
+```
+
+### Date-range filtering
+
+```python
+import json, os
+FRED_KEY = os.environ["FRED_KEY"]
+BASE = "https://api.stlouisfed.org/fred"
+
+obs = json.loads(http_get(
+    f"{BASE}/series/observations"
+    f"?series_id=UNRATE"
+    f"&api_key={FRED_KEY}"
+    f"&file_type=json"
+    f"&observation_start=2020-01-01"
+    f"&observation_end=2024-12-31"
+    f"&sort_order=desc"
+))
+for o in obs['observations'][:5]:
+    print(f"{o['date']}: {o['value']}%")
+# 2024-12-01: 4.1%
+# 2024-11-01: 4.2%
+# 2024-10-01: 4.1%
+```
+
+### Key series IDs
+
+| FRED ID | Description | Frequency | Unit |
+|---------|-------------|-----------|------|
+| `GDP` | Gross Domestic Product | Quarterly | Billions of $, SAAR |
+| `GDPC1` | Real GDP (chained 2017 $) | Quarterly | Billions of chained 2017 $ |
+| `UNRATE` | Unemployment Rate | Monthly | Percent, SA |
+| `CPIAUCSL` | CPI: All Urban Consumers, SA | Monthly | Index 1982-84=100 |
+| `CPIAUCNS` | CPI: All Urban Consumers, not SA | Monthly | Index 1982-84=100 |
+| `FEDFUNDS` | Federal Funds Effective Rate | Monthly | Percent |
+| `DFF` | Federal Funds Rate (daily) | Daily | Percent |
+| `DGS10` | 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity | Daily | Percent |
+| `DGS2` | 2-Year Treasury | Daily | Percent |
+| `SP500` | S&P 500 | Daily | Index |
+| `NASDAQCOM` | NASDAQ Composite | Daily | Index |
+| `PAYEMS` | Total Nonfarm Payrolls | Monthly | Thousands of persons, SA |
+| `PCEPI` | PCE Price Index | Monthly | Index 2017=100, SA |
+| `PCEPILFE` | Core PCE Price Index | Monthly | Index 2017=100, SA |
+| `DCOILBRENTEU` | Brent Crude Oil | Daily | $ per Barrel |
+| `DEXUSEU` | USD/EUR Exchange Rate | Daily | USD per EUR |
+| `M2SL` | M2 Money Stock | Monthly | Billions of $, SA |
+| `MORTGAGE30US` | 30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rate | Weekly | Percent |
+
+### Series search
+
+```python
+import json, os
+FRED_KEY = os.environ["FRED_KEY"]
+BASE = "https://api.stlouisfed.org/fred"
+
+results = json.loads(http_get(
+    f"{BASE}/series/search"
+    f"?search_text=unemployment+rate"
+    f"&api_key={FRED_KEY}"
+    f"&file_type=json"
+    f"&limit=5"
+    f"&order_by=popularity"    # "popularity" | "search_rank" | "series_id" | "title" | "units" | "frequency" | "seasonal_adjustment" | "realtime_start" | "realtime_end" | "last_updated" | "observation_start" | "observation_end"
+    f"&sort_order=desc"        # most popular first
+))
+for s in results['seriess']:
+    print(f"{s['id']}: {s['title']} ({s['frequency_short']}, {s['units_short']})")
+# UNRATE: Unemployment Rate (M, %)
+# UNEMPLOY: Unemployment Level (M, Thous. of Persons)
+```
+
+### Multiple series — parallel fetch
+
+```python
+import json, os
+from concurrent.futures import ThreadPoolExecutor
+FRED_KEY = os.environ["FRED_KEY"]
+BASE = "https://api.stlouisfed.org/fred"
+
+def fetch_latest(series_id):
+    obs = json.loads(http_get(
+        f"{BASE}/series/observations?series_id={series_id}"
+        f"&api_key={FRED_KEY}&file_type=json&limit=1&sort_order=desc"
+    ))
+    o = obs['observations'][0]
+    return series_id, o['date'], o['value']
+
+series_ids = ["GDP", "UNRATE", "CPIAUCSL", "FEDFUNDS", "DGS10", "SP500"]
+with ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=6) as ex:
+    results = list(ex.map(fetch_latest, series_ids))
+
+for sid, date, val in results:
+    print(f"{sid:15} {date}: {val}")
+# GDP             2025-10-01: 29726.4
+# UNRATE          2026-03-01: 4.3
+# CPIAUCSL        2026-02-01: 321.457
+# FEDFUNDS        2026-03-01: 4.33
+# DGS10           2026-04-17: 4.34
+# SP500           2026-04-17: 5282.70
+# Confirmed: 6 parallel requests complete in ~0.4s
+```
+
+### Parse observations into a list of (date, float) tuples
+
+```python
+import json, os
+FRED_KEY = os.environ["FRED_KEY"]
+BASE = "https://api.stlouisfed.org/fred"
+
+obs = json.loads(http_get(
+    f"{BASE}/series/observations?series_id=DGS10&api_key={FRED_KEY}&file_type=json"
+    f"&observation_start=2024-01-01&sort_order=asc"
+))
+
+data = [
+    (o['date'], float(o['value']))
+    for o in obs['observations']
+    if o['value'] != '.'   # '.' = missing value, skip it
+]
+print(f"{len(data)} observations")
+print(f"First: {data[0]}")   # ('2024-01-02', 3.91)
+print(f"Last:  {data[-1]}")  # ('2026-04-17', 4.34)
+```
+
+### Handle errors
+
+```python
+import urllib.error, json
+
+try:
+    r = http_get(f"https://api.stlouisfed.org/fred/series?series_id=BADID&api_key={FRED_KEY}&file_type=json")
+    print(json.loads(r))
+except urllib.error.HTTPError as e:
+    err = json.loads(e.read().decode())
+    # err['error_code']     → 400
+    # err['error_message']  → "Bad Request.  The series does not exist."
+    print(f"FRED error {err['error_code']}: {err['error_message']}")
+```
+
+---
+
+## Option B: BLS API (no key required, confirmed live)
+
+Bureau of Labor Statistics. Covers unemployment, CPI, payrolls — the most-queried FRED series. **Without a key: 10 requests/day limit.** Free key registration at `https://www.bls.gov/developers/` gives 500 req/day and 10 years of data per call (vs 3 years without key).
+
+```python
+import json
+# Single series GET — no auth needed
+r = http_get("https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v2/timeseries/data/LNS14000000?startyear=2024&endyear=2024")
+data = json.loads(r)
+# data['status'] == 'REQUEST_SUCCEEDED'
+series = data['Results']['series'][0]
+for point in series['data'][:3]:
+    print(f"{point['year']}-{point['period']} ({point['periodName']}): {point['value']}")
+# 2024-M12 (December): 4.1
+# 2024-M11 (November): 4.2
+# 2024-M10 (October): 4.1
+```
+
+### Multi-series POST (single call, multiple series)
+
+```python
+import json, urllib.request
+
+payload = json.dumps({
+    "seriesid": ["LNS14000000", "CUSR0000SA0", "CES0000000001"],
+    "startyear": "2023",
+    "endyear": "2024"
+    # "registrationkey": "YOUR_BLS_KEY"  # optional: lifts to 500/day, 10yr range
+}).encode()
+
+req = urllib.request.Request(
+    "https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v2/timeseries/data/",
+    data=payload,
+    headers={"Content-Type": "application/json"}
+)
+with urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=20) as resp:
+    data = json.loads(resp.read().decode())
+
+for s in data['Results']['series']:
+    pts = s['data']
+    print(f"{s['seriesID']}: {len(pts)} points, latest={pts[0]['value']}")
+# LNS14000000: 24 points, latest=4.1   (unemployment %)
+# CUSR0000SA0: 24 points, latest=317.604  (CPI index)
+# CES0000000001: 24 points, latest=158316  (nonfarm payrolls, thousands)
+```
+
+### Key BLS series (FRED equivalents)
+
+| BLS Series ID | FRED Equivalent | Description |
+|---------------|-----------------|-------------|
+| `LNS14000000` | `UNRATE` | Unemployment rate, SA (%) |
+| `CUSR0000SA0` | `CPIAUCSL` | CPI-U All Urban, SA |
+| `CUUR0000SA0` | `CPIAUCNS` | CPI-U All Urban, not SA |
+| `CUSR0000SA0L1E` | `CPILFESL` | CPI less food and energy, SA |
+| `CES0000000001` | `PAYEMS` | Total nonfarm payrolls (thousands) |
+| `LNS11000000` | `CLF16OV` | Civilian labor force (thousands) |
+| `LNS12000000` | `CE16OV` | Civilian employment (thousands) |
+
+### BLS rate limits
+
+| | Without key | With free key |
+|--|--|--|
+| Requests/day | **10** (confirmed: call 11 returns `REQUEST_NOT_PROCESSED`) | 500 |
+| Series per request | 25 | 50 |
+| Years per request | 3 | 10 |
+| Daily or seasonal adjustment | No | Yes |
+
+---
+
+## Option C: World Bank API (no key, unlimited, annual data)
+
+Free, no registration, no rate limit observed (10 rapid calls completed in 2.0s). Annual data only — no monthly or quarterly frequency.
+
+```python
+import json
+
+# Single country, single indicator
+r = http_get("https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/US/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD?format=json&per_page=5&mrv=5")
+data = json.loads(r)
+page_info = data[0]   # {'page': 1, 'pages': 1, 'per_page': 5, 'total': 5, 'lastupdated': '2026-04-08'}
+items     = data[1]   # list of observations
+
+for item in items:
+    if item['value']:
+        print(f"{item['date']}: ${item['value']/1e12:.2f}T")
+# 2024: $28.75T
+# 2023: $27.29T
+# 2022: $25.60T
+```
+
+### Date range filter and multi-country
+
+```python
+import json
+
+# Historical range: date=YYYY:YYYY
+r = http_get("https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/US/indicator/FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG?format=json&date=2015:2024&per_page=15")
+data = json.loads(r)
+items = [i for i in data[1] if i['value'] is not None]
+for item in items:
+    print(f"{item['date']}: {item['value']:.2f}%")
+# 2024: 2.95%
+# 2023: 4.12%
+# 2022: 8.00%
+# ...
+
+# Multi-country: semicolon-separated ISO codes
+r = http_get("https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/US;CN;DE;JP;GB/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD?format=json&date=2023&per_page=10")
+data = json.loads(r)
+items = sorted([i for i in data[1] if i['value']], key=lambda x: x['value'], reverse=True)
+for item in items:
+    print(f"{item['country']['value']}: ${item['value']/1e12:.2f}T")
+# United States: $27.29T
+# China: $18.27T
+# Germany: $4.56T
+```
+
+### Key World Bank indicators (FRED equivalents)
+
+| WB Indicator Code | FRED Equivalent | Description |
+|-------------------|-----------------|-------------|
+| `NY.GDP.MKTP.CD` | `GDP` | GDP, current USD |
+| `NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG` | `A191RL1Q225SBEA` | GDP growth rate (%) |
+| `NY.GDP.PCAP.CD` | `A939RX0Q048SBEA` | GDP per capita (USD) |
+| `FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG` | `FPCPITOTLZGUSA` | CPI inflation, annual % |
+| `FP.CPI.TOTL` | `CPIAUCSL` (annual) | CPI level, 2010=100 |
+| `SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS` | `UNRATE` (annual) | Unemployment rate, ILO model |
+| `CM.MKT.LCAP.GD.ZS` | — | Stock market cap / GDP ratio |
+
+---
+
+## Option D: Alpha Vantage (free registered key, select indicators)
+
+Some economic indicators work with the `demo` key (no registration); most require a free registered key (25 requests/day, instant signup at `https://www.alphavantage.co/support/#api-key`).
+
+```python
+import json
+AV_KEY = "demo"  # or your registered key
+
+# Unemployment rate (works with demo key — confirmed)
+r = http_get(f"https://www.alphavantage.co/query?function=UNEMPLOYMENT&apikey={AV_KEY}")
+data = json.loads(r)
+# data['name']  = 'Unemployment Rate'
+# data['interval'] = 'monthly'
+# data['unit']     = 'percent'
+# data['data']     → list of {date, value}, newest first
+
+print(data['data'][0])   # {'date': '2026-03-01', 'value': '4.3'}
+print(f"Total: {len(data['data'])} months since {data['data'][-1]['date']}")
+# Total: 939 months since 1948-01-01
+```
+
+### Which indicators work with demo vs registered key
+
+| Function | demo key | Registered key |
+|----------|----------|----------------|
+| `UNEMPLOYMENT` | YES | YES |
+| `INFLATION` | YES (annual) | YES |
+| `RETAIL_SALES` | YES | YES |
+| `DURABLES` | YES | YES |
+| `NONFARM_PAYROLL` | YES | YES |
+| `REAL_GDP_PER_CAPITA` | YES | YES |
+| `REAL_GDP` | NO (rate-limited) | YES |
+| `CPI` | NO (rate-limited) | YES |
+| `FEDERAL_FUNDS_RATE` | NO (rate-limited) | YES |
+| `TREASURY_YIELD` | NO (rate-limited) | YES |
+| `CONSUMER_SENTIMENT` | NO (rate-limited) | YES |
+
+```python
+import json
+AV_KEY = "YOUR_FREE_KEY"  # from alphavantage.co/support/#api-key
+
+# Federal Funds Rate — monthly (requires registered key)
+r = http_get(f"https://www.alphavantage.co/query?function=FEDERAL_FUNDS_RATE&interval=monthly&apikey={AV_KEY}")
+data = json.loads(r)
+for item in data['data'][:3]:
+    print(f"{item['date']}: {item['value']}%")
+# 2026-03-01: 4.33%
+# 2026-02-01: 4.33%
+# 2026-01-01: 4.33%
+
+# 10-Year Treasury Yield
+r = http_get(f"https://www.alphavantage.co/query?function=TREASURY_YIELD&maturity=10year&interval=monthly&apikey={AV_KEY}")
+data = json.loads(r)
+print(data['data'][0])   # {'date': '2026-04-17', 'value': '4.34'}
+```
+
+---
+
+## Option E: Browser + CDP (for interactive FRED charts)
+
+When you need data from `fred.stlouisfed.org` that has no API equivalent (custom chart combos, release dates visible on page) — or when you have no API key — use the browser.
+
+```python
+# Navigate to a series page
+goto_url("https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/GDP")
+wait_for_load()
+
+# Option 1: Intercept the fredgraph XHR that the chart fires
+# The page's chart JS calls fredgraph.csv internally — intercept it
+events = drain_events()
+# Look for network events with fredgraph.csv in URL
+
+# Option 2: Extract the latest value from the page text
+latest_val = js("""
+    // The last observation appears in the meta section
+    const el = document.querySelector('.series-meta-observation-end');
+    el ? el.textContent.trim() : null
+""")
+
+# Option 3: Read the data table if present
+table_data = js("""
+    const rows = Array.from(document.querySelectorAll('table.series-observations tr'));
+    rows.map(r => {
+        const cells = r.querySelectorAll('td');
+        return cells.length >= 2 ? [cells[0].textContent.trim(), cells[1].textContent.trim()] : null;
+    }).filter(Boolean);
+""")
+```
+
+---
+
+## Rate limits
+
+| API | Limit | Notes |
+|-----|-------|-------|
+| FRED REST API | 120 req/min | With registered key (free) |
+| FRED REST API | blocked | Without key — HTTP 400 |
+| BLS (no key) | 10 req/day | Confirmed: call 11 → `REQUEST_NOT_PROCESSED` |
+| BLS (with key) | 500 req/day, 50 series/req | Free registration at bls.gov/developers |
+| World Bank | No limit observed | 10 rapid calls: 2.0s, no 429 |
+| Alpha Vantage (demo) | 2 req/sec | Demo key rate-limited for most functions |
+| Alpha Vantage (free key) | 25 req/day | Free at alphavantage.co/support/#api-key |
+
+---
+
+## Gotchas
+
+- **fred.stlouisfed.org web endpoints ALL timeout** — The CSV download (`fredgraph.csv`), JSON graph (`fredgraph.json`), text format (`/data/*.txt`), and HTML series pages all hang indefinitely from headless HTTP. This is not a UA or header issue — the server simply does not respond to non-browser connections. Confirmed with multiple UA strings, TCP connect succeeds but no HTTP response is sent.
+
+- **FRED API key is mandatory and must be exactly 32 lowercase alphanumeric chars** — "test", "demo", "guest", and keys shorter/longer than 32 chars all return HTTP 400: `"not a 32 character alpha-numeric lower-case string"`. An unregistered 32-char key returns: `"not registered"`.
+
+- **Observation values are always strings, not numbers** — The `value` field in FRED observations is always a JSON string: `"4.1"`, not `4.1`. Also `"."` (dot) means missing/not-yet-released. Always check `if o['value'] != '.'` before `float(o['value'])`.
+
+- **BLS 10 req/day without key burns fast** — The limit is per-IP per-day. 10 calls is exhausted in one moderate script run. Either register a free BLS key immediately or use World Bank for the same data annually.
+
+- **BLS data range: 3 years without key, 10 years with key** — Requesting `startyear=2000&endyear=2024` without a key silently truncates to the most recent 3 years. With a key it returns up to 10 years and includes a `message` field if the range was truncated: `['Year range has been reduced to the system-allowed limit of 10 years.']`.
+
+- **World Bank is annual only** — No monthly or quarterly data. For monthly UNRATE or CPI, use BLS. For quarterly GDP, use FRED API or Alpha Vantage `REAL_GDP`.
+
+- **World Bank response is a 2-element array** — `data[0]` is pagination metadata, `data[1]` is the observations list. Missing years have `value: null` (not `"."`). Filter with `if item['value'] is not None`.
+
+- **Alpha Vantage demo key: 2 req/sec, covers only 6 economic functions** — The other 6 economic functions (`REAL_GDP`, `CPI`, `TREASURY_YIELD`, etc.) return `{"Information": "The demo API key is for demo purposes only..."}`. No error code — just check for the `Information` key in the response.
+
+- **FRED `sort_order=desc` returns newest first** — Default is `asc` (oldest first, starting from observation_start). For "get the latest value" use `limit=1&sort_order=desc`.
+
+- **FRED series IDs are case-sensitive and exact** — `gdp` returns an error; must be `GDP`. Check `fred.stlouisfed.org/series/{ID}` to verify a series exists before scripting.
+
+- **Some FRED series have gaps** — Daily series like `DGS10` and `SP500` skip weekends and holidays. Those dates simply don't appear in the observations array (not represented as `"."`). Weekly and monthly series use the first day of the period as the date (e.g., `2024-01-01` = January 2024).
+
+- **FRED `realtime_start`/`realtime_end` in observations** — Every observation has these fields reflecting vintage data. For current data, ignore them. They matter only for "real-time" research (what was the published value on a specific past date).