# Delayed data, NO DATA or STALE, or Depth unavailable

> A desk shows DELAYED, NO DATA or STALE, or a Depth unavailable toast: which market data subscription or IBKR limit causes each one and how to fix it.

Source: https://scalpeltrade.com/guides/fix-delayed-data
Guide 13.4, Troubleshooting. Beginner, 4 min read.
Checked with Scalpel 1.12.8 on 2026-10-15. By Scalpel Team.

**In short:**

All of Scalpel's market data comes from your own Interactive Brokers connection, so these messages point at your IBKR subscriptions or limits. **DELAYED** means IBKR is sending 15-minute delayed prices because that username has no live subscription for the stock's exchange. **NO DATA** means nothing has arrived since the symbol loaded, and **STALE** means no tick for 12 seconds or more. **Depth unavailable** means IBKR refused the Level 2 book, most often because the account's 3 depth books are already in use.

Scalpel uses no third-party data feed: quotes, Level 2, the tape and the charts all come through TWS or IB Gateway. When a desk looks wrong, the badge in its header says which part is missing.

## The badges

The badge sits after the session label (**PRE**, **RTH**, **AFTER** or **CLOSED**) in the desk header. A live, healthy desk shows no badge.

*Screenshot: DELAYED in amber, NO DATA and STALE in grey. Demo data.*

| Badge | What it means for your trade | Usual cause |
|---|---|---|
| **DELAYED** | Prices are about 15 minutes old. Do not trade off them. | No live subscription for that exchange on this username |
| **NO DATA** | Nothing has arrived since you loaded the symbol | The link is down, the symbol is wrong, or IBKR refused the data |
| **STALE** | No tick for 12 seconds or more | A quiet stock (common in the early pre-market), a halt, or the feed stopped |

## DELAYED

IBKR sends delayed prices when the username logged in to TWS or IB Gateway lacks a live market data subscription for the exchange the stock trades on. It is per stock: one desk can be live and another delayed.

1. Log in to Client Portal and open your market data subscriptions (under **Settings**).
2. Add the live US equity bundle and the Level 2 depth you need. [Guide 1.6](https://scalpeltrade.com/guides/ibkr-market-data-for-day-trading) lists what a momentum scalper needs.
3. Subscriptions belong to a username. If Scalpel's TWS or IB Gateway logs in with a second username, that username needs its own ([guide 13.3](https://scalpeltrade.com/guides/fix-tws-signed-out)).
4. New subscriptions can take a while to switch on. Then log out of TWS or IB Gateway and back in, and reload the symbol.

## NO DATA

- Check the **IBKR** pill in the status bar. Not **Connected**? Start with [guide 13.1](https://scalpeltrade.com/guides/fix-disconnected).
- Check the symbol: a typo or a stock that does not trade on a major US exchange loads nothing.
- Your username may have no subscription at all for that exchange. Open the same symbol in TWS: if TWS shows nothing either, it is a subscription question for Interactive Brokers.

## STALE

STALE is not always a fault. A thin pre-market stock can go 12 seconds without a trade or quote change, and a halted stock stops ticking. If every desk goes STALE together, the feed has stopped:

- TWS or IB Gateway may have lost its own connection to Interactive Brokers. Check its status bar.
- Another login with your username (often the IBKR mobile app) can take the market data from your desktop session. Log out of it.

## Depth unavailable for ABCD

A toast that starts **Depth unavailable for** and ends with IBKR's own reason means the desk's Level 2 book was refused. The desk keeps its quote, tape and chart; only the book is empty.

*Screenshot: IBKR refused a fourth depth book. The text after the colon is IBKR's own message. Demo data.*

| IBKR's reason mentions | Fix |
|---|---|
| A maximum number of market depth requests | Your account allows a set number of Level 2 books at once (3 for most accounts), and every desk with a symbol asks for one. Run 3 trading desks, close Level 2 windows open in TWS, or ask Interactive Brokers about more depth lines. |
| Not subscribed, or no market data permissions | Add the depth subscription for that exchange ([guide 1.6](https://scalpeltrade.com/guides/ibkr-market-data-for-day-trading)). |
| A competing session | Log out of the other login using your username, such as the mobile app. |

To free a book, clear a desk you are not using, or switch it to **SCAN**: a scan desk gives its data line back ([guide 2.2](https://scalpeltrade.com/guides/arrange-desks)). Then load the symbol again on the desk that had no book: Scalpel asks for depth when a symbol loads, not later.

## Questions

**Why does Scalpel show DELAYED data?**

Interactive Brokers sends 15-minute delayed prices when your username has no live subscription for that stock's exchange. Add the live subscription in Client Portal, then log in to TWS or IB Gateway again.

**Why is Level 2 empty on my fourth desk?**

Most IBKR accounts can stream 3 Level 2 books at once. The fourth desk gets a Depth unavailable toast and keeps its quote, tape and chart. Run 3 trading desks or ask IBKR about more depth lines.

**What does STALE mean?**

No new tick for that symbol in 12 seconds or more. Normal on a quiet pre-market stock or a halt; a problem if every desk goes STALE at once.

**Do I need a separate data feed for Scalpel?**

No. Everything comes through your IBKR connection. You pay Interactive Brokers for market data as you would for any IBKR platform.