What the Data for This Category Looks Like
Minor metal market data is sourced from professional commodity data providers for the non-ferrous metals industry. Update intervals fall between 15 minutes and one hour. Update delays for some niche varieties are slightly higher than mainstream categories. Data is packaged in standardized JSON format. Core fields include unique variety identifiers, latest transaction prices, price change values, daily benchmark average prices, and update timestamps. Most pricing units use yuan per tonne. Some niche varieties use kilograms as the pricing unit. Data distinguishes between spot and futures price types. Extended fields for some niche categories are optional. Not all interfaces return all additional fields.
Constraints for HTTP Interface and External System Integration
The data characteristics of minor metal categories create multiple constraints for HTTP interface and external system integration. Different minor metal varieties have varying market update frequencies. Some niche varieties have higher update delays. As a result, interface polling intervals must match the data source rhythm for the corresponding variety. A single unified cycle cannot be used. Data fields distinguish between spot and futures prices. Some niche varieties lack certain extended fields. Interface requests must include a price type parameter. External systems must handle empty field scenarios. Pricing units differ between yuan per tonne and kilograms. Unit conversion logic must be added during integration to avoid data parsing errors. The response speed of some niche data sources is slow. Interface timeout settings must reserve sufficient buffer time. Otherwise, request failures will occur.
Configuration Settings
| Configuration Item | Recommended Value | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
api_request_interval | 150–3600 seconds | Matches the 15-minute to 1-hour update frequency of minor metals. Set to 3600 seconds for niche varieties |
request_timeout | 10–20 seconds | Covers normal requests and delay scenarios from niche data sources. Prevents premature request termination |
price_type_filter | Choose either spot or futures | Data fields distinguish between spot and futures prices. Specify filter conditions to retrieve target data |
unit_conversion_switch | Enabled | Minor metals use two pricing units: yuan per tonne and kilograms. Automatic conversion is required to adapt to external system formats |
empty_field_handling | Return empty values and mark them | Some niche varieties lack extended fields. Retain the original data structure to facilitate troubleshooting |
max_retry_times | 2–3 times | Niche data sources occasionally experience request failures. Retries reduce the probability of data loss |
The parameter values provided on this page are general recommendations for starting point configuration. Actual values are affected by material form, data volume, and business rules. Specific issues require individual analysis. It is recommended to test on your own samples before finalizing settings.
Three Common Configuration Mistakes
- A
504 Gateway Timeouterror appears after a request returns results that exceed the set threshold. This occurs because therequest_timeoutconfiguration is not adjusted for niche minor metal varieties. Short timeout settings for general categories are used, which cannot cover data source delay scenarios. - Price fields in returned data are empty or units do not match. This occurs because
unit_conversion_switchis not enabled, andprice_type_filteris not specified in the request. This leads to retrieving price data of the wrong type or failing to handle unit differences. - Global variable assignment fails in the workflow. Received market data is incomplete. This occurs because
empty_field_handlingis not configured to retain empty values. Missing fields for some niche varieties are filtered out, preventing normal assignment.
How to Verify Proper Configuration
- Initiate an interface request for the target minor metal variety. Verify that returned fields match the public field structure of the data source.
- Initiate multiple consecutive requests. Verify that the update timestamps of returned results match the data source's update rhythm.
- Check that the data units received by the external system match the preset format. Confirm that the unit conversion logic is active.
- Simulate a request scenario for a niche variety. Confirm that empty fields are not forcibly filtered and the original data structure is retained.
Question material comes from public community discussions. Configuration values are common starting points and should be measured against your own samples. Verified on 2026-09-14.