(planned) Zerodha is the second live broker on Sarathi's
list, after [Dhan](/brokers/dhan). The connection exists in the product; the
adapter does not. Credentials can be saved and are encrypted, but no order
reaches Zerodha. Sarathi has no partnership or contract with Zerodha.

## What works today

| Step | Status | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Save Kite Connect credentials | (live) | API key, API secret and an optional client id, entered in Settings. Needs the Starter pack or higher. |
| Encryption at rest | (live) | Envelope encryption: each bundle gets its own data key, wrapped by a versioned master key held only on the server. |
| Route selection | (live) | Saving credentials switches your route to Zerodha; disconnecting switches it back to paper. |
| Order placement | (planned) | No orders are sent. A Confirm on a Zerodha-routed card is rejected with `Broker "zerodha" is not configured`, the signal is marked failed, and the rejection is journaled. |


  The rejection on Confirm is by design. A route that cannot execute fails
  visibly rather than filling on paper, so the journal never shows a fill that
  did not happen. Until the adapter ships, stay on the [paper
  route](/brokers/paper).


Credentials are decrypted only when an order is placed. A Free account that tries to connect gets `Connecting a live broker needs the Starter pack or higher`.

## What the adapter will do

The planned adapter implements the same interface as the paper broker. Nothing upstream changes: webhook, card, tap, expiry and journal stay as they are.

- **One tap, one order.** Confirm places one order on your Zerodha account at the quantity you chose (½, 1×, 2×). Skip places nothing. Expiry places nothing, ever.
- **No autonomous mode.** No toggle lets Sarathi act on an alert without you. The human decision is a required column in the data model, not a setting.
- **Journal the broker's answer.** The order id, fill price and quantity Kite reports, or its rejection reason, go to the same fill table paper uses, with route `zerodha`.
- **Your account, your custody.** Sarathi never holds funds or securities. The order goes to the account behind your credentials.

Not planned: order modification, GTT or basket placement, position management, or reading holdings.

## Kite Connect facts

Checked 30 August 2026 on Zerodha's pages.

| Fact | Source |
| --- | --- |
| Personal plan, listed as free: order, GTT and alerts management, margin and portfolio APIs; no live or historical data | [Zerodha support: Kite API charges](https://support.zerodha.com/category/trading-and-markets/general-kite/kite-api/articles/what-are-the-charges-for-kite-apis) |
| Connect plan at ₹500 per month per app: adds WebSocket live data and historical candles | [Zerodha support: Kite API charges](https://support.zerodha.com/category/trading-and-markets/general-kite/kite-api/articles/what-are-the-charges-for-kite-apis) |
| Zerodha made execution APIs free for personal use, citing regulatory clarity on personal API use | [Z-Connect, 24 April 2025](https://zerodha.com/z-connect/updates/free-personal-apis-from-kite-connect) |
| No sandbox environment for Kite Connect | [Zerodha support: Kite Connect FAQs](https://support.zerodha.com/category/trading-and-markets/general-kite/kite-api/articles/kite-connect-api-faqs) |
| Login is a browser flow on Zerodha's login page that returns a `request_token` to a registered redirect URL; the `access_token` obtained from it expires at 6 AM the next day, described as a regulatory requirement | [Kite Connect docs: User](https://kite.trade/docs/connect/v3/user/) |
| Deleting an app invalidates its API key, secret and all access tokens immediately | [Zerodha support: Kite Connect FAQs](https://support.zerodha.com/category/trading-and-markets/general-kite/kite-api/articles/kite-connect-api-faqs) |

Three of these shape the adapter. The free Personal plan is enough: Sarathi only places orders and never streams data, so the ₹500 data plan is not a cost the adapter imposes. The daily token expiry means no long-lived session; a live Zerodha route needs Zerodha's login flow each trading day, and a Confirm after the token lapses must show as rejected, not be retried silently. And with no sandbox, the first live test is a real order at ½ size, which is what the [pre-live checklist](/learn/pre-live-checklist) asks for anyway.


  The login flow runs on Zerodha's own page. Sarathi never sees your Kite
  password; it stores the API key and secret you create in the developer
  console.


## The SEBI framework, in plain words

SEBI's February 2025 retail algo framework makes the broker the principal and any algo provider its agent, and whether a hosted bridge calling Kite Connect on your behalf counts as an algo provider is a question this page does not answer, so ask your broker. The circulars, dates and Zerodha's own overview are summarised under "The SEBI framework, in plain words" on the [Dhan page](/brokers/dhan#the-sebi-framework-in-plain-words).

## Get started

Start on the [paper route](/brokers/paper) today; it is the default and never metered. The Starter pack lets you save Kite Connect credentials now; the live route turns on when the adapter ships, after Dhan.