From file to useful result
How to ask with this skill installed
Installing the skill gives your AI a method. Your request still has to provide the case-specific facts, constraints and expected output.
1Name the real task
Describe the decision or deliverable, not just the topic.
2Provide the evidence
Add source material, audience, limits and known facts.
3Define done
Set format, quality criteria and checks.
Adaptable starting prompt
Replace the brackets with your case
What you need first
FMP API Key
This skill requires a Financial Modeling Prep API key.
Get Free API Key:
- Visit: https://site.financialmodelingprep.com/developer/docs
- Sign up for free account
- Receive API key immediately
- Free tier: 250 API calls/day (sufficient for weekly earnings calendar)
API Key Setup by Environment:
Claude Code (CLI):
export FMP_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"
Claude Desktop: Set environment variable in system or configure MCP server.
Claude Web: API key will be requested during skill execution (stored only for current session).
Mistakes to avoid
Problem: API key not working
Solutions:
- Verify API key is correct (copy-paste carefully)
- Check if API key is active (login to FMP dashboard)
- Ensure no extra spaces before/after key
- Try generating new API key from FMP dashboard
Problem: Script returns empty results
Solutions:
- Verify date range is in future (not past dates)
- Check date format is YYYY-MM-DD
- Try wider date range (e.g., 14 days instead of 7)
- Verify companies actually have announced earnings dates for that week
Problem: Missing major companies
Solutions:
- Company may not have announced earnings date yet
- Some companies announce dates very late (1-2 days before)
- Cross-reference with company investor relations website
- Market cap may have dropped below $2B threshold
Problem: Rate limit hit (429 error)
Solutions:
- Free tier: 250 calls/day
- Each weekly report uses ~3-5 API calls
- Check if other tools/scripts are using same API key
- Wait 24 hours for rate limit reset
- Consider upgrading to paid tier if needed frequently
Problem: Script execution error
Solutions:
- Verify Python 3 is installed:
python3 --version - Install requests library:
pip install requests - Check script has execute permissions:
chmod +x fetch_earnings_fmp.py - Run with python3 explicitly:
python3 fetch_earnings_fmp.py ...