Every brokerage account on Ezana has one of two access levels. Read-only access lets Ezana import your balances, holdings, orders, and transaction history so analytics such as your portfolio dashboard and performance metrics reflect your real accounts. Read & write access also authorizes trading on the account. (Placing orders from inside Ezana is not currently available; see below.) This guide explains which is which, and how to tell for your own accounts.
How it works
1. Ezana Brokerage (Alpaca Securities). Opening an Ezana brokerage account creates an account Ezana manages directly with Alpaca.
2. External brokerages via SnapTrade. When you connect an external brokerage, SnapTrade requests trading access wherever the brokerage allows it, and read-only access where it does not. The provider and disclosure screens tell you which applies before you approve anything with your brokerage.
3. Accounts via Plaid. Plaid-linked accounts are always read-only. They exist to feed your analytics, never to trade.
Current capabilities by brokerage
The tables below are generated live from our integration layer, so they always reflect current coverage. A brokerage listed under read & write still requires you to authorize trading when you connect it; connecting without trading authorization keeps it read-only.
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Switching a read-only connection to read & write
If your brokerage supports trading but you connected it through Plaid, connect it again through SnapTrade: on the Home page choose + Add Portfolio, pick the brokerage, and select SnapTrade. Your brokerage asks you to authorize; nothing changes until you approve it there.
Things to know
- Your brokerage credentials are entered with the brokerage or the aggregator, never with Ezana.
- Ezana holds a scoped token that grants exactly the access level you approved. A disconnect button is not currently available in the app: revoke access at your brokerage, or email contact@ezana.world. See Managing External Brokerage Connections.
- Order entry inside Ezana has not launched yet, so even a read & write connection is used for data today.
- In the brokerage picker, tiles marked read-only cannot trade through Ezana.
- Read more in How Your Data Is Protected.
Related articles
- Which Brokerages We Support
- Executing Trades From Ezana
- Importing Your Portfolio From a Brokerage
- Paper Trading: Practicing With $100,000
FAQ
Q: Can a Plaid connection ever place trades?
A: No. Plaid connections are read-only by design.
Q: Does read-only access let Ezana withdraw money?
A: No. Read-only access cannot move money or place orders.
Q: Can I place trades on a read & write connection today?
A: Not from inside Ezana yet. Order entry is planned for a later release; see Executing Trades From Ezana.