Automotive marketplaces

Cars.com dealer inventory feed

Cars.com is a go-to destination for buyers comparing inventory. AutoFire gives you a dealer-ready CSV pulled from the same vehicles you show on your website—VINs, pricing, photos, and detail links—so your classified presence doesn’t drift from your showroom story. Your Cars.com rep helps finalize the exact template; AutoFire focuses on keeping the export current.

Why connect Cars.com?

Listing where high-intent shoppers already browse extends your reach beyond your domain without re-keying cars into another system. When price or availability changes in AutoFire, your feed can reflect it on the next refresh cycle—less manual work for your team and fewer mismatches between your site and the marketplace.

What this means for your dealership

Starter column coverage includes identification, equipment, pricing, images, and dealer contact details—your rep may ask for additional fields for your account.

You maintain the commercial relationship with Cars.com; AutoFire does not replace your marketplace contract.

How it works

  • Turn on Cars.com in Distribution and share the private CSV URL with your rep or their feed intake process.
  • Each marketplace gets its own private link so you are not reusing secrets across partners.
  • Monitor generation status in the dashboard—if something fails, you will see it before shoppers do.

Partner-side setup

Cars.com packages, merchandising rules, and support are between you and Cars.com. Provide the feed URL only through channels they approve.

FAQ

Does AutoFire replace my Cars.com contract or listing agreement?
No. AutoFire provides your dealership website and the inventory feed endpoint. Commercial terms, listing packages, and support for Cars.com stay between you and Cars.com.
Are Cars.com advertising or listing fees included in AutoFire subscription pricing?
No. Your AutoFire subscription covers AutoFire software. Cars.com bills its own listing, advertising, or lead products separately.
How often does the feed update?
The Distribution screen states feeds refresh about every 30 minutes. You can also use “Refresh Inventory Now” to invoke generate_feeds for that feed configuration (see dashboard toasts for timing).
Can I run Cars.com at the same time as other marketplaces or feeds?
Yes. Distribution shows a separate card per platform with its own enable toggle and private token, so you do not reuse the same feed URL across partners.
Does AutoFire guarantee rankings or leads on Cars.com?
No. AutoFire generates inventory exports from your data; Cars.com controls how vehicles surface and perform in its marketplace.
Which inventory feed platforms does AutoFire support?
AutoFire currently generates exports for: Google Vehicle Listings, Facebook Automotive, Cars.com, AutoTrader, CarGurus. Those entries match the FEED_PLATFORMS list in the application source.