Methodology
Full transparency on our data sources, scoring formula, update schedule, and liquidity filters — so you know exactly what you're looking at before acting on it.
Section 01
Every number on this site comes from one of three live API providers. We do not use delayed, scraped, or manually entered data.
Tradier is our primary data source for all options data. Every bid, ask, open interest, delta, implied volatility, and expiration date shown in the screener comes from Tradier's options chain endpoint, queried after market close each trading day.
Finnhub powers our earnings calendar. The /calendar/earnings endpoint returns confirmed and estimated earnings dates with EPS estimates for every symbol in our universe.
Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) provides sector, sub-sector, market cap tier, and profile data. Lives in our universe table, refreshed weekly.
Section 02
4:30 PM ET daily
Scanner triggers after market close — full universe processed
By 7:30 PM ET
All screener views updated and visible
Every 30 min
Today's best covered calls and earnings pages revalidate
Every Monday 8 AM ET
Weekly pages refresh with new expiration cycle
Every Sunday 6 AM ET
FMP fundamentals refresh — sector tags, market cap tiers
No weekends
Options scanner does not run Saturday or Sunday
Section 03
All yield figures shown are annualized — this lets you compare a 7-DTE weekly option against a 45-DTE monthly option on a level playing field.
Section 04
The CCL Score (CoveredCalls.live Score) is our proprietary composite ranking from 0 to 100. Higher is better.
80–100
Exceptional — top ~10% of daily candidates
65–79
Strong — above average across all four components
50–64
Average — trade-off between yield and spread
< 50
Below average — typically filtered out by default views
Section 05
Before any opportunity appears in our screener, it must pass all four of the following filters.
| Filter | Threshold | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Open Interest | ≥ 100 contracts | Below 100 OI, the market is thin enough that a single order can move the bid significantly. |
| Bid-Ask Spread | ≤ 5% of mid price | Spread % = (ask − bid) ÷ mid × 100. Wider spreads mean the bid is too far from fair value. |
| Instrument type | Equities and ETFs only | No OTC securities, ADRs with settlement risk, or leveraged products. |
| Exchange listing | US exchanges only | Ensures all contracts are cleared by the OCC. |
Section 06
Data is a post-market snapshot
The scanner runs once after 4:30 PM ET. IV and premiums can change significantly intraday. Always verify current prices with your broker before executing any trade.
Delta ≠ exact assignment probability
Delta is shown as a proxy for the probability of the option expiring in-the-money. It is a reasonable approximation under normal conditions but is not a precise assignment probability.
Not investment advice
CoveredCalls.live is an educational data and screening tool. Nothing on this site constitutes investment advice. We are not a registered investment advisor. See our Terms of Service.