> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.benzinga.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Message Format

> All messages from the Benzinga TCP stream are delivered as JSON objects. Each message represents a piece of financial content such as news, option alerts, or market events. 

## Message Structure

```json theme={null}
{
  "id": 49917328,
  "title": "Option Alert: GOOG $210 Calls",
  "body": "",
  "authors": [{"name": "Benzinga Newsdesk"}],
  "published": "Wed Jan 14 2026 18:47:30 GMT+0000 (UTC)",
  "updated": "Wed Jan 14 2026 18:47:30 GMT+0000 (UTC)",
  "channels": ["Options"],
  "tickers": [{"name": "GOOG", "primary": false, "sentiment": 0}],
  "status": "Published",
  "link": null
}
```

## Field Reference

| Field       | Type        | Description                                            |
| ----------- | ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| `id`        | Integer     | Unique identifier for the content item                 |
| `title`     | String      | Headline or title of the content                       |
| `body`      | String      | Full body content (HTML formatted when present)        |
| `authors`   | Array       | List of author objects with `name` property            |
| `published` | String      | Original publication timestamp (UTC)                   |
| `updated`   | String      | Last update timestamp (UTC)                            |
| `channels`  | Array       | Content categories (e.g., "Options", "Press Releases") |
| `tickers`   | Array       | Associated stock symbols with metadata                 |
| `status`    | String      | Publication status (typically "Published")             |
| `link`      | String/null | URL to full article on Benzinga (if available)         |

### Ticker Object

```json theme={null}
{
  "name": "GOOG",
  "primary": false,
  "sentiment": 0
}
```

| Field       | Type    | Description                                        |
| ----------- | ------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| `name`      | String  | Stock ticker symbol                                |
| `primary`   | Boolean | Whether this is the primary ticker for the content |
| `sentiment` | Integer | Sentiment indicator (0 = neutral)                  |

## Example Messages

### Option Alert

```json theme={null}
{
  "id": 49917328,
  "title": "Alphabet Option Alert: Fri $210 Calls at the Ask: 5 @ $125.0 vs 7017 OI; Earnings 2/4 After Close Ref=$334.37",
  "body": "",
  "authors": [{"name": "Benzinga Newsdesk"}],
  "published": "Wed Jan 14 2026 18:47:30 GMT+0000 (UTC)",
  "updated": "Wed Jan 14 2026 18:47:30 GMT+0000 (UTC)",
  "channels": ["Options"],
  "tickers": [{"name": "GOOG", "primary": false, "sentiment": 0}],
  "status": "Published",
  "link": null
}
```

### Block Trade

```json theme={null}
{
  "id": 49917330,
  "title": "Block Trade: TOGI 1.1M @ $0.044 at the bid",
  "body": "",
  "authors": [{"name": "Benzinga Newsdesk"}],
  "published": "Wed Jan 14 2026 18:47:33 GMT+0000 (UTC)",
  "updated": "Wed Jan 14 2026 18:47:33 GMT+0000 (UTC)",
  "channels": [],
  "tickers": [{"name": "TOGI", "primary": false, "sentiment": 0}],
  "status": "Published",
  "link": null
}
```

### Press Release

```json theme={null}
{
  "id": 49917339,
  "title": "MediCapture Launches aiScope™ Pilot for Veterinary Sciences at VMX 2026",
  "body": "<p>Medical AI Made Easy—From Lab to Real-World Training...</p>",
  "authors": [{"name": "PRNewswire"}],
  "published": "Wed Jan 14 2026 18:47:00 GMT+0000 (UTC)",
  "updated": "Wed Jan 14 2026 18:48:02 GMT+0000 (UTC)",
  "channels": ["Press Releases"],
  "tickers": [],
  "status": "Published",
  "link": "http://www.benzinga.com/node/49917339"
}
```

### Trading Halt

```json theme={null}
{
  "id": 49917388,
  "title": "Trading Halt: Halted at 1:49:45 p.m. ET - Trading Halt on NASDAQ only: Volatility Trading Pause; Trading Expected to Resume at 1:54:45 p.m. ET",
  "body": "",
  "authors": [{"name": "Benzinga Newsdesk"}],
  "published": "Wed Jan 14 2026 18:49:45 GMT+0000 (UTC)",
  "updated": "Wed Jan 14 2026 18:49:45 GMT+0000 (UTC)",
  "channels": [],
  "tickers": [{"name": "WSHP", "primary": false, "sentiment": 0}],
  "status": "Published",
  "link": null
}
```

### Analyst Rating

```json theme={null}
{
  "id": 49917389,
  "title": "UBS Maintains Buy on Procter & Gamble, Lowers Price Target to $161",
  "body": "UBS analyst Peter Grom maintains Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) with a Buy...",
  "authors": [{"name": "Benzinga Newsdesk"}],
  "published": "Wed Jan 14 2026 18:49:49 GMT+0000 (UTC)",
  "updated": "Wed Jan 14 2026 18:49:50 GMT+0000 (UTC)",
  "channels": ["News", "Price Target", "Hot", "Analyst Ratings"],
  "tickers": [{"name": "PG", "primary": true, "sentiment": 0}],
  "status": "Published",
  "link": null
}
```

## Common Channels

| Channel           | Description                  |
| ----------------- | ---------------------------- |
| `Options`         | Options activity alerts      |
| `Press Releases`  | Corporate press releases     |
| `News`            | General news                 |
| `Price Target`    | Analyst price target updates |
| `Analyst Ratings` | Rating changes               |
| `Hot`             | Trending/notable content     |
| `General`         | General market content       |
| `Opinion`         | Opinion pieces and analysis  |

## Processing Tips

<Tip>
  Messages are delivered as newline-delimited JSON. Each line contains a complete JSON object.
</Tip>

### Best Practices

1. **Parse Each Line**: Each newline represents a complete JSON message
2. **Handle HTML in Body**: The `body` field may contain HTML entities and tags
3. **Check for Updates**: Compare `published` and `updated` timestamps to identify edits
4. **Filter by Channel**: Use the `channels` array to filter for specific content types
5. **Track by ID**: Use the `id` field as a unique identifier for deduplication