Vehicle data services
Dealer stock sync: DMS, website, Auto Trader, Motors and eBay in step
Dealer stock sync means a car added to the DMS appears on your website, Auto Trader, Motors and eBay with the same price, images and spec, and disappears everywhere when it sells. We build the sync layer between Keyloop, Pinewood, Dragon2000, Click Dealer and Auto Trader Connect, and the same discipline for parts stock across Shopify, eBay and Amazon.
Stock lives in too many places. The DMS has the vehicle, Auto Trader has the photos and the price the sales manager last changed on the Dealer Portal, the website has whatever the feed sent on Tuesday, and Motors has last week's. Buyers notice: a car advertised at two prices, a sold car still generating enquiries, a derivative that says 'GOLF' on one portal and 'Golf GT TDI 140' on another. Every one of those is a lost lead or a wasted phone call.
Auto Trader is usually the centre of gravity. Auto Trader Connect exposes real-time stock, images, pricing and valuations through a JSON API, with taxonomy lookups that resolve a derivative from a VRM or OEM model code; integrations must meet Auto Trader's integration fundamentals and partners are certified. Stock Sync runs the other way, feeding Auto Trader stock into dealer websites and DMS platforms. Around the edges sit the DMS vendors (Keyloop for franchised groups, Pinewood, Dragon2000, Click Dealer, MotorDesk and DealerDesk for independents, Kerridge K8 in the factor world), Motors.co.uk with its syndication to eBay and Gumtree, and eBay Motors itself.
Parts and salvage have the same problem with different names. A breaker's Pinnacle or Hollander system holds the part, eBay has the listing, the website has a third copy, and a part sells twice. A parts retailer on Shopify oversells on Amazon because the two were reconciled overnight. The fix is identical: one master per field, event-driven updates outward, and a reconciliation job that catches what events miss.
How it works
End to end
- 01
Decide the master per field
Vehicle identity and cost from the DMS; retail price and images perhaps from Auto Trader; description from the website CMS. Write it down. Two systems that both think they own price will fight forever.
- 02
Ingest from the master
Auto Trader Stock Sync or Connect for Auto Trader-managed stock; DMS exports or APIs (Keyloop, Pinewood, Dragon2000, Click Dealer) for DMS-managed stock; Pinnacle or Hollander for breakers; the store platform for parts.
- 03
Normalise identity
Resolve every vehicle to VRM, VIN, a cap ID or Auto Trader taxonomy derivative ID, VAT status and an ordered image set at minimum resolution. Resolve every part to a master SKU with supplier aliases.
- 04
Push outward
Website, Auto Trader Connect, Motors feed, eBay Motors and Meta catalogue for vehicles; Shopify, eBay and Amazon for parts. Each channel gets a mapped record from the canonical one, never a copy of another channel's feed.
- 05
Reconcile
Detect sold and removed stock, resolve conflicts by the master rules, and run a scheduled comparison of every channel against the source so drift is caught within hours.
- 06
Monitor and alert
Dashboard of stock counts per channel, price mismatches, missing images, feed failures and stale items, with alerts to sales admin rather than a developer inbox.
Deliverables
What you get
- Field-ownership matrix: which system is master for each attribute
- Sync service with connectors for your DMS, Auto Trader Connect and each portal
- Canonical stock model with VRM, VIN, taxonomy ID, VAT status and ordered images
- Event-driven updates and instant removal on sale
- Daily reconciliation with a drift report
- Monitoring dashboard and alerts for sales admin
- Auto Trader partner certification support where required
- Runbook and handover
Data sources
Providers we integrate
We are provider-neutral: we pick the source that fits your budget, licensing position and the fields you actually need.
| Source | What it returns | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Auto Trader Connect (API) | Real-time stock, images, pricing, valuations (retail, trade, PX, including no-VAT fields), taxonomy derivative lookup by VRM or OEM model code, Deal Builder. | Integrations must meet Auto Trader's integration fundamentals (OAuth, error handling); partners are certified. Auto Trader handles around 155 million technology and data service calls a month (FY26). |
| Auto Trader Stock Sync | Inbound feed of the dealer's Auto Trader stock into the dealer website or DMS. | The simplest route where Auto Trader is the master for stock and images. |
| Dealer management systems | Vehicle records, cost and retail price, status, images and documents from Keyloop, Pinewood, Dragon2000, Click Dealer, MotorDesk, DealerDesk and Kerridge K8. | Access varies from documented APIs to scheduled exports; some vendors charge for integration access. Legacy CSV/XML FTP feeds remain common. |
| Motors.co.uk | Dealer stock listings syndicated to eBay and Gumtree. | Fed via DMS or feed partners to the Motors feed spec. |
| eBay APIs (Trading, Inventory, Sell) | Vehicle classified and auction listings; parts listings with K-Type compatibility; quantity updates. | Channel tools such as M2E Pro, Linnworks and ChannelAdvisor sit on the same APIs. |
| Breaker inventory systems | Salvage part records against the donor vehicle's VIN and VRM, with location, grade and price, from Pinnacle Professional or Hollander. | Typically export-based; eBay listing tools may already be attached and must be brought into the same reconciliation. |
Data quality
Where this goes wrong, and what we do about it
Derivative mismatch: the DMS carries the free-text DVLA model, so the same car appears as three different derivatives across portals.
Resolve the derivative once via Auto Trader taxonomy or cap ID at stocking time and carry that ID to every channel.
Duplicate stock IDs when a car is re-stocked, transferred between branches or re-entered after a failed sale.
Key on VIN plus stock event, not on the DMS stock number, and merge history rather than creating a second record.
Sold cars still live on portals for days, generating enquiries the sales team cannot fulfil.
Sale and reservation events trigger immediate removal; reconciliation catches any that events missed.
Parts oversold because eBay, Amazon and the store are reconciled on a nightly batch.
Quantity updates pushed on every order event to all channels, with a safety buffer on fast-moving lines.
Images out of order, below minimum resolution or missing on one portal.
One ordered image set on the canonical record, validated for size, with the walkaround video attached where the channel supports it.
Stock Sync: common questions
What is dealer stock sync?
Keeping the same vehicle record (price, images, spec, status) consistent across the DMS, your website, Auto Trader, Motors, eBay and Meta, updated as soon as anything changes and removed everywhere when the car sells. One master per field, mapped outward to each channel.
Can my website take stock directly from Auto Trader?
Yes. Auto Trader Stock Sync feeds your Auto Trader stock into your website or DMS, and Auto Trader Connect gives real-time API access to stock, images, pricing and valuations. Integrations must meet Auto Trader's integration fundamentals and partners are certified.
Which DMS platforms can you integrate?
Keyloop, Pinewood, Dragon2000, Click Dealer, MotorDesk, DealerDesk and Kerridge K8, via APIs where the vendor provides them and scheduled exports where they do not. Some vendors charge for integration access; we confirm that during scoping.
How fast does a sold car come off the portals?
With event-driven sync, within minutes of the sale or reservation being recorded in the master system. A daily reconciliation catches anything an event missed. Legacy file feeds are limited to their schedule, which is why we replace them where the channel offers an API.
Does stock sync work for breakers and parts retailers?
Yes. The same pattern applies: one master for each part (Pinnacle, Hollander or your store), quantity updates pushed on every order to eBay, Amazon and the website, and a reconciliation job to stop double-selling.
Related data services
Vehicle data
Feed Management
A Google Shopping feed car parts retailers can rely on needs GTINs, clean titles, correct categories and fitment-aware attributes, refreshed as prices and stock move.
Read moreVehicle data
Vehicle Valuation Tools
A car valuation API lets a buyer enter a reg and mileage and get a part-exchange figure on your site or inside the sales process, from cap hpi Black Book, Auto Trader Connect or VDG.
Read moreVehicle data
Vehicle Data API
Choosing a vehicle data API in the UK means choosing between DVLA VES, DVSA MOT History, UKVD/VDG, cap hpi, HPI, Experian AutoCheck and MotorCheck.
Read moreUsually delivered with
Integrations
Autotrader Integration
Autotrader integration means connecting your website, DMS or stock system to Auto Trader Connect, Auto Trader's REST API platform.
Read moreIntegrations
DMS Integration
DMS integration connects your dealer management system to your website, apps and marketing tools so stock, customers, vehicles and bookings flow both ways without re-keying.
Read moreBuild
Car Dealer Websites
Car dealer websites live or die on the stock page.
Read moreIntegrations
eBay Motors Integration
eBay Motors integration connects your parts store, yard management system or catalogue to eBay UK so listings, K-Type compatibility, stock and orders stay in sync.
Read moreSectors that use this
Car Dealers
Car dealer marketing that does not rent all your traffic from Auto Trader.
View servicesBreakers & Dismantlers
Breakers yard website with used parts listed by donor VRM and K-Type, in sync with Pinnacle and eBay, plus scrap-my-car leads.
View servicesCar Parts Retailers
Car parts marketing agency built on fitment: TecDoc K-Type, reg lookup, eBay and Amazon feeds on Shopify, WooCommerce or Magento.
View servicesCommercial Vehicles & Fleet
Commercial vehicle dealer website design with payload filters, Auto Trader Vans feeds and B2B quoting for van, truck and fleet firms.
View servicesMotorcycles
Motorcycle dealer website design, parts eCommerce with fitment data and Auto Trader Bikes feeds, built for the spring peak.
View servicesAuctions & Remarketing
Car auction website and bidding platform build for remarketing, dealer-to-dealer and enthusiast auctions.
View servicesTalk to the pit wall
Scope stock sync for your platform
Tell us your platform, your data provider (if you have one) and what the customer should be able to do. We will come back with a fixed-price scope and an honest view of the data licensing.