OKX CEX Bot Trading CLI

Grid and DCA (Dollar Cost Averaging / Martingale) trading bot management on OKX exchange. All grid and DCA bots in this skill are native OKX platform bots — they run server-side on OKX and do not require a locally running process. Requires API credentials.

Prerequisites

1. Install okx CLI:

   npm install -g @okx_ai/okx-trade-cli
   

2. Configure credentials — check first, then set up if missing:

   okx config show   # shows configured profiles; api_key shows last 4 chars if set
   

   If credentials are already configured → proceed to step 3.

   If not configured, choose one of:

   Option A — Interactive wizard (run this yourself in terminal; preserves existing profiles):

   okx config init          # demo mode (opens browser → OKX demo API page)
   okx config init          # run again for live mode (creates a second profile)
   

   Creates okx-demo (demo) and/or okx-prod (live) profiles. Each run safely merges into the existing config file without overwriting other profiles.

   Option B — Write config directly (use when no config file exists yet; agent can do this if user provides credentials in chat):

   # Demo only
   mkdir -p ~/.okx && cat > ~/.okx/config.toml << 'EOF'
   default_profile = "okx-demo"
   
   [profiles.okx-demo]
   api_key = "YOUR_API_KEY"
   secret_key = "YOUR_SECRET_KEY"
   passphrase = "YOUR_PASSPHRASE"
   demo = true
   EOF
   
   # Demo + live (both profiles)
   mkdir -p ~/.okx && cat > ~/.okx/config.toml << 'EOF'
   default_profile = "okx-demo"
   
   [profiles.okx-demo]
   api_key = "DEMO_API_KEY"
   secret_key = "DEMO_SECRET_KEY"
   passphrase = "DEMO_PASSPHRASE"
   demo = true
   
   [profiles.okx-prod]
   api_key = "PROD_API_KEY"
   secret_key = "PROD_SECRET_KEY"
   passphrase = "PROD_PASSPHRASE"
   demo = false
   EOF
   

   ⚠ If ~/.okx/config.toml already exists with other profiles, use Option A (okx config init) instead to avoid overwriting them.

   After writing config: CLI commands pick up the new credentials immediately. MCP tools require a reconnect (restart Claude Desktop or the MCP server process) to reload the config.

   Switch between profiles:

   okx config set default_profile okx-demo   # switch to demo
   okx config set default_profile okx-prod   # switch to live
   okx --profile okx-prod bot grid orders --algoOrdType grid  # one-off override
   

3. Test with demo mode (simulated trading, no real funds):

   okx --profile demo bot grid orders --algoOrdType grid
   

Credential & Profile Check

Run this check before any authenticated command.

Step A — Verify credentials

okx config show       # verify configuration status (output is masked)

• If the command returns an error or shows no configuration: stop all operations, guide the user to run okx config init, and wait for setup to complete before retrying.
• If credentials are configured: proceed to Step B.

Step B — Confirm profile (required)

--profile is required for all authenticated commands. Never add a profile implicitly.

Value	Mode	Funds
live	实盘	Real funds — bot operates with real money
demo	模拟盘	Simulated — safe for testing bot configurations

Resolution rules:

1. Current message intent is clear (e.g. "real" / "实盘" / "live" → live; "test" / "模拟" / "demo" → demo) → use it and inform the user: "Using --profile live (实盘)" or "Using --profile demo (模拟盘)"
2. Current message has no explicit declaration → check conversation context for a previous profile:
   • Found → use it, inform user: "Continuing with --profile live (实盘) from earlier"
   • Not found → ask: "Live (实盘) or Demo (模拟盘)?" — wait for answer before proceeding

Handling 401 Authentication Errors

If any command returns a 401 / authentication error:

1. Stop immediately — do not retry the same command
2. Inform the user: "Authentication failed (401). Your API credentials may be invalid or expired."
3. Guide the user to update credentials by editing the file directly with their local editor:

   ~/.okx/config.toml
   

   Update the fields api_key, secret_key, passphrase under the relevant profile. Do NOT paste the new credentials into chat.
4. After the user confirms the file is updated, run okx config show to verify (output is masked)
5. Only then retry the original operation

Demo vs Live Mode

Profile is the single control for 实盘/模拟盘 switching — exactly two options:

--profile	Mode	Funds
live	实盘	Real funds — bot operates with real money
demo	模拟盘	Simulated — no real funds

okx --profile live  bot grid create ...    # 实盘 — real funds
okx --profile demo  bot grid create ...    # 模拟盘 — simulated funds

Rules:

1. --profile is required on every authenticated command — determined in "Credential & Profile Check" Step B
2. Every response after a command must append: [profile: live] or [profile: demo]
3. Do not use the --demo flag for mode switching — use --profile instead
4. For bot create/stop operations (write commands), profile must be explicitly confirmed before execution

Example

User: "Start a BTC grid bot"
Agent: "Live (实盘) or Demo (模拟盘)?"
User: "Demo"
Agent runs: okx --profile demo bot grid create --instId BTC-USDT --algoOrdType grid ...
Agent replies: "Grid bot created: 12345678 (OK) — simulated, no real funds used. [profile: demo]"

Skill Routing

• For market data (prices, charts, depth, funding rates) → use okx-cex-market
• For account balance, P&L, positions history, fees, transfers → use okx-cex-portfolio
• For regular spot/swap/futures/algo orders → use okx-cex-trade
• For grid and DCA trading strategies (native OKX platform bots) → use okx-cex-bot (this skill)

Quickstart

# Create a spot grid bot on BTC ($90k–$100k, 10 grids, invest 1000 USDT)
okx bot grid create --instId BTC-USDT --algoOrdType grid \
  --minPx 90000 --maxPx 100000 --gridNum 10 --quoteSz 1000

# Create a contract grid bot on BTC perp (neutral, 5x leverage, 100 contracts)
# basePos defaults to true for long/short (opens base position); neutral ignores it
okx bot grid create --instId BTC-USDT-SWAP --algoOrdType contract_grid \
  --minPx 90000 --maxPx 100000 --gridNum 10 \
  --direction neutral --lever 5 --sz 100

# List all active grid bots
okx bot grid orders --algoOrdType grid

# Get grid bot details and P&L
okx bot grid details --algoOrdType grid --algoId <algoId>

# Stop a grid bot (keep assets as-is)
okx bot grid stop --algoId <algoId> --algoOrdType grid --instId BTC-USDT --stopType 2

# Create a DCA bot on BTC (3% TP, 3 safety orders, each triggers at 5% drop)
okx bot dca create --instId BTC-USDT \
  --initOrdAmt 50 --safetyOrdAmt 30 --maxSafetyOrds 3 \
  --pxSteps 0.05 --pxStepsMult 1 --volMult 1 \
  --tpPct 0.03 --triggerType 1

# List all active spot DCA bots
okx bot dca orders

# Get DCA bot details
okx bot dca details --algoId <algoId>

# Stop a DCA bot (sell base and get quote)
okx bot dca stop --algoId <algoId> --instId BTC-USDT --stopType 1

Command Index

Grid Bot

#	Command	Type	Description
1	okx bot grid create	WRITE	Create a grid bot
2	okx bot grid stop	WRITE	Stop a grid bot
3	okx bot grid orders	READ	List active or history grid bots
4	okx bot grid details	READ	Single grid bot details + PnL
5	okx bot grid sub-orders	READ	Individual grid fills or live orders

DCA Bot

#	Command	Type	Description
6	okx bot dca create	WRITE	Create a DCA bot (spot or contract)
7	okx bot dca stop	WRITE	Stop a DCA bot (spot or contract)
8	okx bot dca orders	READ	List active or history DCA bots
9	okx bot dca details	READ	Single DCA bot details + PnL
10	okx bot dca sub-orders	READ	Individual DCA fills, live orders, or cycles

Use --type spot (default) or --type contract to switch between spot and contract DCA.

Cross-Skill Workflows

Spot Grid Bot

User: "Start a BTC grid bot between $90k and $100k with 10 grids, invest 1000 USDT"

1. okx-cex-market    okx market ticker BTC-USDT                     → confirm price is in range
2. okx-cex-portfolio okx account balance USDT                       → confirm available funds
        ↓ user approves
3. okx-cex-bot       okx bot grid create --instId BTC-USDT --algoOrdType grid \
                       --minPx 90000 --maxPx 100000 --gridNum 10 --quoteSz 1000
4. okx-cex-bot       okx bot grid orders --algoOrdType grid          → confirm bot is active
5. okx-cex-bot       okx bot grid details --algoOrdType grid --algoId <id> → monitor PnL

Contract Grid Bot (Long / Short / Neutral)

User: "Create a long grid bot on BTC perp from $90k to $100k, 10x leverage"

1. okx-cex-market    okx market ticker BTC-USDT-SWAP                → confirm current price
2. okx-cex-portfolio okx account balance USDT                       → confirm margin
        ↓ user approves
3. okx-cex-bot       okx bot grid create --instId BTC-USDT-SWAP --algoOrdType contract_grid \
                       --minPx 90000 --maxPx 100000 --gridNum 10 \
                       --direction long --lever 10 --sz 100
                       # basePos defaults to true (opens base position for long/short)
                       # For short: --direction short; for neutral: --direction neutral
4. okx-cex-bot       okx bot grid orders --algoOrdType contract_grid → confirm active

Spot DCA Bot

User: "Set up a DCA bot on ETH, initial buy $100, 5 safety orders at 3% drops, 2% TP"

1. okx-cex-market    okx market ticker ETH-USDT                     → check current price
2. okx-cex-portfolio okx account balance USDT                       → confirm funds available
        ↓ user approves
3. okx-cex-bot       okx bot dca create --instId ETH-USDT \
                       --initOrdAmt 100 --safetyOrdAmt 50 --maxSafetyOrds 5 \
                       --pxSteps 0.03 --pxStepsMult 1 --volMult 1 \
                       --tpPct 0.02 --triggerType 1
4. okx-cex-bot       okx bot dca orders                             → confirm bot is active
5. okx-cex-bot       okx bot dca details --algoId <id>              → monitor PnL

Contract DCA Bot (Long / Short)

User: "Start a short DCA bot on BTC perp, 3x leverage, $200 initial, 3% TP"

1. okx-cex-market    okx market ticker BTC-USDT-SWAP               → confirm current price
2. okx-cex-portfolio okx account balance USDT                       → confirm margin
        ↓ user approves
3. okx-cex-bot       okx bot dca create --type contract --instId BTC-USDT-SWAP \
                       --initOrdAmt 200 --safetyOrdAmt 100 --maxSafetyOrds 3 \
                       --pxSteps 0.03 --pxStepsMult 1.2 --volMult 1.5 \
                       --tpPct 0.03 --lever 3 --side sell
                       # For long: --side buy
4. okx-cex-bot       okx bot dca orders --type contract             → confirm active
5. okx-cex-bot       okx bot dca details --type contract --algoId <id> → monitor PnL

Monitor and Stop All Bots

User: "Show all my active bots and stop the ones losing money"

1. okx-cex-bot       okx bot grid orders --algoOrdType grid         → list spot grid bots
2. okx-cex-bot       okx bot grid orders --algoOrdType contract_grid → list contract grid bots
3. okx-cex-bot       okx bot dca orders [--type contract]           → list DCA bots
4. okx-cex-bot       okx bot grid details --algoOrdType grid --algoId <id>  → check PnL
5. okx-cex-bot       okx bot grid stop --algoId <id> --algoOrdType grid --instId BTC-USDT --stopType 2

Operation Flow

Step 0 — Credential & Profile Check

Before any authenticated command:

Determine profile (required):

• Options: live (实盘) or demo (模拟盘) — exactly these two values

1. Current message intent clear (e.g. "real"/"实盘"/"live" → live; "test"/"模拟"/"demo" → demo) → use it, inform user: "Using --profile live (实盘)"
2. Current message has no explicit declaration → check conversation context for previous profile:
   • Found → use it, inform user: "Continuing with --profile live (实盘) from earlier"
   • Not found → ask: "Live (实盘) or Demo (模拟盘)?" — wait for answer

If no credentials configured: guide user to run okx config init, stop all trading actions

After every command result: append [profile: live] or [profile: demo] to the response

Step 1: Identify Bot Type and Action

• Grid bot create → okx bot grid create
• Grid bot stop → okx bot grid stop
• Grid bot status/P&L → okx bot grid orders + okx bot grid details
• Grid individual fills → okx bot grid sub-orders
• DCA bot create → okx bot dca create (add --type contract for contract DCA)
• DCA bot stop → okx bot dca stop (add --type contract for contract DCA)
• DCA bot status/P&L → okx bot dca orders + okx bot dca details
• DCA individual fills/cycles → okx bot dca sub-orders

Step 2: Run Read Commands Immediately — Confirm Profile (Step 0) then Writes

Read commands (orders, details, sub-orders): run immediately.

• --algoOrdType for grid → infer from context (grid for spot, contract_grid for perp)
• --type for DCA → defaults to spot; use --type contract for contract DCA
• --history → use default (active); only query history if explicitly requested

Write commands (create, stop): confirm once before executing.

• Grid create: confirm --minPx, --maxPx, --gridNum; verify --minPx < current price < --maxPx; confirm investment size
  • Spot grid: --quoteSz (USDT) or --baseSz (base currency)
  • Contract grid: --direction (long/short/neutral), --lever, --sz (number of contracts); --basePos defaults to true (open base position for long/short)
• DCA create: confirm --initOrdAmt, --safetyOrdAmt, --maxSafetyOrds, --pxSteps, --tpPct
  • Spot DCA: requires --triggerType (1=instant, 2=RSI); default --type spot
  • Contract DCA: add --type contract, --lever, and --side (buy=long, sell=short)
• Grid stop: confirm --stopType (default omitted → keep assets; 1=sell all to quote)
• DCA stop: confirm --stopType (1=sell base to quote, default; 2=keep base)
• Demo dry-run: suggest okx --profile demo bot grid create ... when user is unsure

⚠ Insufficient balance — NEVER auto-transfer funds. If the trading account balance is insufficient to create a bot, do NOT automatically initiate a fund transfer (account_transfer). Instead, inform the user of the shortfall (current available vs. required amount) and ask how they want to proceed. Suggested options to present:

1. Transfer funds from funding account to trading account (specify amount)
2. Reduce the investment size to fit available balance
3. Cancel the bot creation

Step 3: Verify After Writes

• After grid create: run okx bot grid orders to confirm bot is active; then okx bot grid details to monitor PnL
• After DCA create: run okx bot dca orders to confirm bot is active; then okx bot dca details for details
• After stop: run okx bot grid orders --history / okx bot dca orders --history to confirm bot is stopped

CLI Command Reference

Grid Bot — Create

okx bot grid create --instId <id> --algoOrdType <type> \
  --maxPx <px> --minPx <px> --gridNum <n> \
  [--runType <1|2>] \
  [--quoteSz <n>] [--baseSz <n>] \
  [--direction <long|short|neutral>] [--lever <n>] [--sz <n>] \
  [--basePos] [--no-basePos] \
  [--json]

Param	Required	Default	Description
--instId	Yes	-	Instrument (e.g., BTC-USDT for spot grid, BTC-USDT-SWAP for contract grid)
--algoOrdType	Yes	-	grid (spot grid) or contract_grid (contract grid)
--maxPx	Yes	-	Upper price boundary
--minPx	Yes	-	Lower price boundary
--gridNum	Yes	-	Grid levels (2–100)
--runType	No	1	1=arithmetic spacing, 2=geometric spacing
--quoteSz	Cond.	-	USDT investment — spot grid only (provide quoteSz or baseSz)
--baseSz	Cond.	-	Base currency investment — spot grid only
--direction	Cond.	-	long, short, or neutral — contract grid only
--lever	Cond.	-	Leverage (e.g., 5) — contract grid only
--sz	Cond.	-	Number of contracts to invest — contract grid only
--basePos / --no-basePos	No	true	Open a base position at creation — contract grid only (ignored for neutral direction). Default is true (opens base position). Use --no-basePos to disable.

---

Grid Bot — Stop

okx bot grid stop --algoId <id> --algoOrdType <type> --instId <id> \
  [--stopType <1|2|3|5|6>] [--json]

--stopType	Behavior
1	Stop + sell/close all positions at market
2	Stop + keep current assets as-is (default)
3	Stop + close at limit prices
5	Stop + partial close
6	Stop without selling (smart arbitrage)

---

Grid Bot — List Orders

okx bot grid orders --algoOrdType <type> [--instId <id>] [--algoId <id>] [--history] [--json]

Param	Required	Default	Description
--algoOrdType	Yes	-	grid or contract_grid
--instId	No	-	Filter by instrument
--algoId	No	-	Filter by algo ID
--history	No	false	Show completed/stopped bots instead of active

---

Grid Bot — Details

okx bot grid details --algoOrdType <type> --algoId <id> [--json]

Returns: bot config, current PnL (pnlRatio), grid range, number of grids, state, position info.

---

Grid Bot — Sub-Orders

okx bot grid sub-orders --algoOrdType <type> --algoId <id> [--live] [--json]

Flag	Effect
(default)	Filled sub-orders (executed grid trades)
--live	Pending grid orders currently on the book

---

DCA Bot — Create

# Spot DCA (default)
okx bot dca create --instId <id> \
  --initOrdAmt <n> --safetyOrdAmt <n> --maxSafetyOrds <n> \
  --pxSteps <ratio> --pxStepsMult <mult> --volMult <mult> \
  --tpPct <ratio> [--slPct <ratio>] \
  --triggerType <1|2> \
  [--reserveFunds <true|false>] [--json]

# Contract DCA
okx bot dca create --type contract --instId <id> \
  --initOrdAmt <n> --safetyOrdAmt <n> --maxSafetyOrds <n> \
  --pxSteps <ratio> --pxStepsMult <mult> --volMult <mult> \
  --tpPct <ratio> [--slPct <ratio>] \
  --lever <n> --side <buy|sell> \
  [--reserveFunds <true|false>] [--json]

Param	Required	Default	Description
--type	No	spot	spot or contract
--instId	Yes	-	Instrument (e.g., BTC-USDT for spot, BTC-USDT-SWAP for contract)
--initOrdAmt	Yes	-	Initial order amount in USDT
--safetyOrdAmt	Yes	-	Safety order amount in USDT
--maxSafetyOrds	Yes	-	Max number of safety orders (e.g., 3)
--pxSteps	Yes	-	Price drop % per safety order (e.g., 0.03 = 3%)
--pxStepsMult	Yes	-	Price step multiplier between safety orders (e.g., 1.2)
--volMult	Yes	-	Safety order size multiplier (e.g., 1.5)
--tpPct	Yes	-	Take-profit ratio (e.g., 0.03 = 3%)
--slPct	No	-	Stop-loss ratio (e.g., 0.05 = 5%)
--reserveFunds	No	false	Pre-reserve full required assets upfront
--triggerType	Spot only	-	1=instant start, 2=RSI signal trigger
--lever	Contract only	-	Leverage multiplier (e.g., 3)
--side	Contract only	-	buy=long, sell=short

---

DCA Bot — Stop

okx bot dca stop [--type <spot|contract>] --algoId <id> --instId <id> \
  [--stopType <1|2>] [--json]

--stopType	Behavior
1	Sell base currency to quote at market (cash out) — default
2	Keep base currency as-is

---

DCA Bot — List Orders

okx bot dca orders [--type <spot|contract>] [--history] [--json]

Param	Required	Default	Description
--type	No	spot	spot or contract
--history	No	false	Show completed/stopped bots instead of active

---

DCA Bot — Details

okx bot dca details [--type <spot|contract>] --algoId <id> [--json]

Returns: bot config, current PnL (pnlRatio), safety orders triggered, state. Contract also returns direction, lever, avgPx.

---

DCA Bot — Sub-Orders

okx bot dca sub-orders [--type <spot|contract>] --algoId <id> [--live] [--cycleId <id>] [--json]

Flag / Param	Effect
(default, spot)	Filled sub-orders (executed DCA buys)
--live	Spot: pending orders currently on the book
(default, contract)	List all cycles
--cycleId <id>	Contract: show orders within a specific cycle

---

MCP Tool Reference

CLI and MCP tools share the same underlying tool layer. MCP tools accept type=spot or type=contract directly.

Tool	Description
dca_create_order	Create spot or contract DCA bot
dca_stop_order	Stop spot or contract DCA bot
dca_get_orders	List spot or contract DCA bots
dca_get_order_details	Single DCA bot details
dca_get_sub_orders	Sub-orders (spot) or cycles (contract)

---

Input / Output Examples

"Start a BTC grid bot from $90k to $100k with 10 grids"

okx bot grid create --instId BTC-USDT --algoOrdType grid \
  --minPx 90000 --maxPx 100000 --gridNum 10 --quoteSz 1000
# → Grid bot created: 12345678 (OK)

"Show all my active grid bots"

okx bot grid orders --algoOrdType grid

"What's the P&L on my BTC grid bot?"

okx bot grid details --algoOrdType grid --algoId 12345678
# → pnlRatio, pnl, investAmt, totalAnnRate, runType, gridNum, maxPx, minPx

"Stop my BTC grid bot and keep the assets"

okx bot grid stop --algoId 12345678 --algoOrdType grid --instId BTC-USDT --stopType 2

"Create a DCA bot on ETH: $100 initial, safety orders at 3% drops, 2% TP"

okx bot dca create --instId ETH-USDT \
  --initOrdAmt 100 --safetyOrdAmt 50 --maxSafetyOrds 3 \
  --pxSteps 0.03 --pxStepsMult 1 --volMult 1 \
  --tpPct 0.02 --triggerType 1
# → DCA bot created: 87654321 (OK)

"Show my active DCA bots"

okx bot dca orders

"How is my ETH DCA bot doing?"

okx bot dca details --algoId 87654321
# → current PnL, avg entry, safety orders triggered, TP target

"Stop my ETH DCA bot and sell everything"

okx bot dca stop --algoId 87654321 --instId ETH-USDT --stopType 1

"Create a contract DCA bot on BTC perp, long, 3x leverage, 2% TP"

okx bot dca create --type contract --instId BTC-USDT-SWAP \
  --initOrdAmt 200 --safetyOrdAmt 100 --maxSafetyOrds 3 \
  --pxSteps 0.03 --pxStepsMult 1.2 --volMult 1.5 \
  --tpPct 0.02 --lever 3 --side buy

Edge Cases

Grid Bot

• Price out of range: --minPx must be < current price < --maxPx; check with okx-cex-market first
• Insufficient balance: check okx-cex-portfolio → account balance before creating. If insufficient, do NOT auto-transfer — report the shortfall and ask the user for instructions (see Step 2)
• Contract grid direction: long (buys more at lower prices), short (sells at higher), neutral (both)
• Contract grid basePos: defaults to true — long/short grids automatically open a base position at creation. Neutral direction ignores this. Pass --no-basePos to disable.
• Contract grid --sz: number of contracts, not USDT amount
• Stop type: stopType 1 sells/closes all; stopType 2 keeps assets; stopType 5/6 for contract grid positions
• Already stopped bot: stop returns error — check bot grid orders --history first to confirm state
• Demo mode: okx --profile demo bot grid create ... — safe for testing, no real funds

DCA Bot

• Insufficient balance: check okx-cex-portfolio → account balance before creating. If insufficient, do NOT auto-transfer — report the shortfall and ask the user for instructions (see Step 2)
• pxStepsMult: use 1.0 for equal price spacing; >1.0 to widen gaps between successive safety orders
• volMult: use 1.0 for equal safety order sizes; >1.0 to increase size per safety order (Martingale)
• triggerType 2 (RSI): requires additional RSI parameters — use 1 (instant) unless specifically requested
• Stop type: stopType 1 sells base to quote (cash out); stopType 2 keeps base currency as-is
• Already stopped bot: stop returns error — check bot dca orders --history first to confirm state
• Contract DCA: add --type contract to any DCA CLI command; create also requires --lever and --side

Communication Guidelines

• Use "bot" not "strategy" when referring to grid or DCA in user-facing responses (e.g., "grid bot", "DCA bot" — not "grid strategy" or "DCA strategy").
• Always refer to DCA bots as "DCA" — do not translate to "定投" or "recurring buy". The underlying mechanism is Martingale (马丁格尔), not simple dollar cost averaging. Use "DCA" in all user-facing responses regardless of language.
• Grid bot can be referred to as "网格" in Chinese contexts.

Global Notes

• Grid and DCA bots are native OKX platform bots — they run entirely on OKX servers; stopping the CLI does not affect them
• All write commands require valid credentials in ~/.okx/config.toml or env vars
• --profile <name> is required for all authenticated commands; see "Credential & Profile Check" section
• Every command result includes a [profile: <name>] tag for audit reference
• --json returns raw OKX API v5 response
• Rate limit: 20 requests per 2 seconds per UID for all bot operations
• Grid --gridNum range: 2–100
• DCA safety orders are triggered sequentially as price drops by --pxSteps increments
• Contract DCA automatically starts with an instant trigger (set by the tool internally)