AutoTrader API / Feed - Automated

[jonamv8]

Hi,

Many of you will know that as part of the AutoTrader package to dealers they will set up a website which takes the feed from the Trader database automatically so that the dealer site shows the for sale list as per trader listings - which is nice. They also pay monthly for a dodgy looking website.

One dealer wants to move away and for us to set up a site for them. We want to bring the trader feed into the site automatically, client doesn't want to manage two sets of listings for obvious reasons.

Any solutions out there ?

[KFC]

With no Api or feed, you're going to need a custom scraping solution.

[jonamv8]

KFC said:

With no Api or feed, you're going to need a custom scraping solution.

Thought this may be the case, my post was hopefull.

Anyone with any experience of creating a bespoke scraper who may want to sell it?

[andyb28]

Possibly you could use an overriding css, maybe less:css to cherry pick the content?

Quite a fun project.

[Phateuk]

I'm pretty sure scraping their site is against the ToS? I looked into creating a site to aggregate ads from AT/ebay/ph etc so a single search returned ads from all sites but that was against the ToS

How about creating the ad in the site you make, then also posting that to autotrader?

[maffski]

Does the dealer use a Dealer Management System which uploads to Auto Trader? If so you may be able to use the DMS upload file and image archive it produces.

[jonamv8]

maffski said:

Does the dealer use a Dealer Management System which uploads to Auto Trader? If so you may be able to use the DMS upload file and image archive it produces.

No not that I am aware of, I believe that they update their Autotrader adverts directly. Got a meeting with them today so will clarify, thanks

[KFC]

Phateuk said:

I'm pretty sure scraping their site is against the ToS? I looked into creating a site to aggregate ads from AT/ebay/ph etc so a single search returned ads from all sites but that was against the ToS

How about creating the ad in the site you make, then also posting that to autotrader?

It will almost certainly be against the ToS but if you're only scraping your own ads then it is extremely unlikely to matter. How are they going to know, if its your own content then they won't know whether you scraped it or whether you copy and pasted it.


If you scrape Autotrader you're relying on them not changing their user facing page layout / css etc or it'll end up breaking your scraping. Not a disaster, it'll likely only need minor tweaks to refix it.

You could do it the other way and post in your own system then have it post to Autotrader automatically, but again if Autotrader make changes (this time to their admin page or whatever it is you use to post), then you're still going to be looking at tweaks to your own system to get it working again.

It sounds like a very simple job though, a days work max. Its nothing commercially sensitive either... i'd just throw it on one of the freelancer sites and pay an indian or a ukrainian buttons to do it for you.

[jonamv8]

KFC said:

Phateuk said:

I'm pretty sure scraping their site is against the ToS? I looked into creating a site to aggregate ads from AT/ebay/ph etc so a single search returned ads from all sites but that was against the ToS

How about creating the ad in the site you make, then also posting that to autotrader?

It will almost certainly be against the ToS but if you're only scraping your own ads then it is extremely unlikely to matter. How are they going to know, if its your own content then they won't know whether you scraped it or whether you copy and pasted it.


If you scrape Autotrader you're relying on them not changing their user facing page layout / css etc or it'll end up breaking your scraping. Not a disaster, it'll likely only need minor tweaks to refix it.

You could do it the other way and post in your own system then have it post to Autotrader automatically, but again if Autotrader make changes (this time to their admin page or whatever it is you use to post), then you're still going to be looking at tweaks to your own system to get it working again.

It sounds like a very simple job though, a days work max. Its nothing commercially sensitive either... i'd just throw it on one of the freelancer sites and pay an indian or a ukrainian buttons to do it for you.

This is pretty much what I thought, would be a different story if we were attempting to scrape the entire auto trader database .

The ongoing maintenance potential for problems is a little concerning however. We would need to monitor frequently to check that auto trader have not updated

Edited by jonamv8 on Wednesday 29th July 09:34

[KFC]

It'll be easy to monitor, there are only two outcomes when you try to auto post an ad - it posted successfully or it didn't. If the latter, show an error message to the user and have the system automatically email anyone who needs to know.

The error message can tell the user they're going to need to add the adverts manually until further notice?

[jonamv8]

Following a brief meeting it seems they also have a motors.co.uk account with their stock list maintained, this is administered through Autoedit. Going to see if we can link into that. Does anyone have any motors.co.uk experience?

KFC - Think it's essential if we go down that route that we put in a mechanism for alerting clients/devs as you say to ensure it remains stable

[maffski]

Might be easiest just to get them to let you have a look in AutoEdit - these kind of vertical apps don't tend to be well documented and while their website mentions datafeeds it only mentions import not export.

In fact the AutoExposure website mentions in the features 'Stock can be easily managed and uploaded to other classified websites'

[dmsims]

I know it's not quite what you are after but it's worth mentioning www.cardealer5.co.uk/

Those Autotrader dealer sites are truly dreadful considering what they charge

[jonamv8]

Right then thanks all.

Seems autoedit DMS software will provide a daily export, so we are moving in this direction.

AutoTrader were as expected, NOT VERY HELPFUL!

[Wilmslowboy]

Aplogises if I've not fully understood what you want/need

Autotrader will publish to other sites, so it could be the case your client updates the autotrader portal as usual and then autotrader pushes the content back to the "new site"

[jonamv8]

Wilmslowboy said:

Aplogises if I've not fully understood what you want/need

Autotrader will publish to other sites, so it could be the case your client updates the autotrader portal as usual and then autotrader pushes the content back to the "new site"

Do they - This isn't what we have been told? They only push to their Razor sites which they charge for, well that's my understanding. Do you have more info on this?

[Wilmslowboy]

We are a large customer,
We currently publish to a AT and use another tool to publish to our own site and many others (gumtree, PH, etc etc)

We are exploring just publishing to AT who have told us they can onward publish to all the other sites (with the exception of their biggest competitor) this includes publishing back to our own site.

This may only be available to their enterprise clients.

Might be worth revisting the question with them.

[jonamv8]

Wilmslowboy said:

We are a large customer,
We currently publish to a AT and use another tool to publish to our own site and many others (gumtree, PH, etc etc)

We are exploring just publishing to AT who have told us they can onward publish to all the other sites (with the exception of their biggest competitor) this includes publishing back to our own site.

This may only be available to their enterprise clients.

Might be worth revisting the question with them.

Ahh yes I think this is enterprise only or you pay a fee per car which soon starts to add up on a monthly basis. My client wants to reduce their monthly spend with AT so the solution has to be found elsewhere.

Appreciate the input - thanks

[jonamv8]

AutoEdit - Motors.co.uk are being very helpful in assisting us with a daily CSV here. Just a heads up for the future if anyone in a similar position

[Phateuk]

jonamv8 said:

AutoEdit - Motors.co.uk are being very helpful in assisting us with a daily CSV here. Just a heads up for the future if anyone in a similar position

Is that a CSV of their data, or that of autotrader? Had a look around their site, can't see any mention of an API/datafeed - did you have to ask them directly?