← Back to OS Selection

Polymarket Scraper

What You'll Need

• A Linux system (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Arch, etc.)
• Internet connection
• Terminal access
• The polymarket1.py file (the code you were given)

Step 1: Install Python

Most Linux distributions come with Python pre-installed. Let's check if you have Python 3:

Check Python Version

Open your terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T on most distros) and run:

If you see something like Python 3.x.x, you're good to go! Skip to Step 2.

If Python 3 isn't installed, use your distribution's package manager:

Step 2: Install Required Library

The script needs the requests library to fetch data from Polymarket's API.

Install via pip

Or if you prefer using your system package manager:

Step 3: Save the Script File

Now let's save the Python code as a file.

Create a Directory

Save the Python Code

You have several options:

Option 1: Using a Text Editor (Recommended for Beginners)

1. Open your favorite text editor (gedit, kate, nano, vim, etc.)
2. Copy ALL of the polymarket1.py code
3. Paste it into the editor
4. Save as polymarket1.py in the PolymarketScraper folder

Option 2: Using nano (Terminal-based)

Paste the code, then press Ctrl + O to save and Ctrl + X to exit.

Option 3: Using vim

Press i for insert mode, paste the code, press Esc, type :wq and press Enter.

Step 4: Run the Script

Time to run the scraper!

Navigate to Your Directory

If you're not already there:

Run the Script

The script will ask you three questions:

Question 1: Enter categories

Type the categories you want to search, separated by commas:

Available categories: politics, crypto, geopolitics, tech, world, trump, elections

Press Enter after typing.

Question 2: How many total markets to fetch?

Type a number (how many markets you want to see):

Press Enter.

Question 3: Minimum volume filter?

Type 0 to see all markets, or a number like 10000 to only see markets with at least $10,000 in volume:

Press Enter.

The script will fetch data from Polymarket. You'll see progress messages. This takes 10-30 seconds.

Step 5: View Your Results

The script creates two files:

• polymarket_feed.html - Beautiful results page
• polymarket_data.json - Raw JSON data

Open the HTML File

You can open it several ways:

Method 1: Default Browser

Method 2: Specific Browser

Or use: chromium, google-chrome, brave, etc.

Method 3: File Manager

Navigate to ~/PolymarketScraper in your file manager and double-click polymarket_feed.html

What You'll See

• Markets sorted by category (Politics, Crypto, Tech, etc.)
• For each market:
  • The prediction question
  • Trading volume and liquidity
  • Current odds (YES/NO percentages)
  • End date
  • Link to Polymarket.com

Running It Again

To update data or change search parameters:

Answer the prompts with your new preferences. Refresh your browser (F5 or Ctrl+R) to see updated results!

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Problem: python3: command not found

Solution: Python 3 isn't installed. Install it using your package manager (see Step 1).

Problem: No module named 'requests'

Solution: Install the requests library:

Or use --user flag: pip3 install --user requests

Problem: Permission denied when installing

Solutions:

• Use sudo: sudo pip3 install requests
• Or install for user only: pip3 install --user requests

Problem: Error fetching markets

Solution:

• Check your internet connection: ping google.com
• Check if firewall is blocking Python
• Polymarket API might be temporarily down - wait and retry

Problem: No markets found

Solution:

• Lower your volume filter to 0
• Try different categories (politics and crypto are most active)
• Increase the number of markets to fetch

Problem: Can't open HTML file

Solution: Try different commands:

Understanding Your Results

What Do the Numbers Mean?

Volume: Total amount of money traded. Higher volume = more reliable odds. Markets with $500,000+ volume have better price discovery.

Liquidity: How easy it is to trade without affecting prices. Higher is better for actual trading.

YES/NO Odds: Market-implied probabilities:

• "YES 65% / NO 35%" = 65% probability the event happens
• "YES 20% / NO 80%" = only 20% probability it happens

End Date: When the market resolves. After this, the outcome is determined.

Pro Tips for Linux Users

• Bash Alias: Add to ~/.bashrc for quick access: alias pm='cd ~/PolymarketScraper && python3 polymarket1.py'
• Cron Job: Automate daily updates: 0 9 * * * cd ~/PolymarketScraper && python3 polymarket1.py (runs at 9 AM)
• JSON Processing: Use jq to parse the JSON output for custom analysis
• Version Control: Track changes with git: git init && git add . && git commit -m "Initial commit"
• Virtual Environment: Keep dependencies isolated: python3 -m venv venv && source venv/bin/activate
• Backup Results: cp polymarket_feed.html "feed_$(date +%Y%m%d).html" before each run

Advanced: Automation & Customization

Create a Bash Script

Save this as run_polymarket.sh:

Make it executable:

Schedule with Cron

Edit crontab:

Add this line for daily 9 AM updates:

Parse JSON with jq

Next Steps

Now that you're up and running:

• Experiment with all 7 categories
• Adjust filters to find niche markets
• Track market changes over time
• Automate with cron jobs
• Parse JSON data for custom analysis
• Share HTML reports with non-Linux users (it's cross-platform!)
• Visit Polymarket.com to explore further