Carpybara API: turn auction inventory into a dealer workflow
How dealers and import teams can use the Carpybara API for auction listings, filters, quotas, keys and CRM-ready inventory workflows.
Most auction work starts in a browser tab. Dealer work does not end there. A serious import team needs the same data inside a CRM, pricing sheet, Telegram workflow, internal dashboard or daily shortlist. That is where the Carpybara API matters.
The API is not a toy export button. It is the product surface for teams that want live auction inventory without asking a manager to refresh Copart and IAAI all day.
What the API is for
The first useful API job is simple: pull filtered vehicle listings into your own workflow.
Use it when you need to:
- build a dealer-facing inventory board;
- monitor specific makes, years and price bands;
- feed candidates into a CRM or sales pipeline;
- compare Copart and IAAI listings in one system;
- run your own scoring, alerts or buyer matching on top of Carpybara data.
The public docs live at /api/docs. Enterprise customers manage keys in /dashboard/api.
Start with listings
The main endpoint is built around listings:
curl "https://api.carpybara.ai/v1/listings?canonical_make=Toyota&pageSize=5" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer cb_live_<your-key>"
That gives you structured JSON: source, title, year, make, model, VIN when available, mileage, price, buy-now price, damage, image and pagination metadata.
The practical value is not the JSON itself. The value is that your team can ask repeatable questions:
| Question | API filter idea |
|---|---|
| Which Toyota SUVs appeared today? | make, model, year range |
| Which lots fit a $5K-$20K import budget? | priceMin, priceMax |
| Which cars are low-mileage enough for retail buyers? | mileageMaxMi |
| Which source is producing better candidates? | source or sources |
| Which page should my tool fetch next? | next cursor |
Keys, quotas and safety
API access is enterprise-led. Once your account has access, the dashboard lets you create an API key, see plan limits, review monthly usage and revoke a key if it should no longer be used.
The important operational detail: the plaintext key is shown once. Treat it like production infrastructure, not like a password you can recover later. Put it in your server environment, not in a browser bundle.
The dashboard also shows request quotas, rate limits and allowed sources. That matters because a good integration should poll intentionally, not hammer the API and then wonder why the data pipeline is noisy.
What a dealer can build
A small dealer does not need a huge platform to get value. A useful first integration can be boring:
- Every morning, fetch new listings for target makes.
- Filter by year, mileage, price and source.
- Push candidates into a private inventory board.
- Add notes for VIN check, damage review and delivery estimate.
- Send only the top few cars to a buyer or manager.
That turns auction browsing into an actual queue. The buyer sees fewer cars, but better ones.
Where the API fits with the site
The browser app is still the best place to inspect a single vehicle, run VIN Check, use AI Damage Analysis, calculate Delivery, estimate Customs, and save finalists in Selected cars.
The API is for scale. Use it to discover, route and prioritize lots before a person spends attention on them.
The cleanest workflow is both: API for the pipeline, Carpybara UI for final review, and verified dealers for quotes when the shortlist is small.