Autotrader.co.uk WordPress Integration PRO

Feature Overview (Video)

1. Introduction

Autotrader WordPress Integration PRO is a premium WordPress plugin that connects your website directly to the Autotrader UK Stock API via Devikit’s secure proxy server. It automatically imports and displays your dealership’s vehicle stock with full SEO optimisation, structured data, responsive design, and advanced filtering.

The plugin is designed for a single dealer per WordPress installation. You only need to provide your Autotrader Advertiser ID (DID) — no API keys or secrets are stored on your website.

Key Features

• Secure API proxy — no API credentials stored on your site
• Automatic stock synchronisation (3 times per day, every 8 hours)
• SEO-friendly URL structure: /vehicles/{make}/{model}/{slug}/ (derivative slug by default)
• JSON-LD structured data (Vehicle + Offer schema)
• Responsive vehicle listings and detail pages
• Advanced filtering: make, model, fuel type, transmission, body type, colour, doors, price/mileage/year ranges
• Image optimisation with lazy loading and srcset
• Compatible with Yoast SEO and RankMath
• XML Sitemap for vehicles (/sitemap-vehicles.xml)
• Configurable SEO templates for both single and listing pages
• OpenGraph and Twitter Card meta tags
• [autotrader_vehicles] shortcode to embed listings anywhere
• Customisable colours via Appearance settings
• Advanced caching with stampede protection
• Detailed error logging with credential redaction
• Translation-ready (WPML, Polylang, Loco Translate)
• License and automatic update system
• Featured vehicles tab and [autotrader_featured_vehicles] shortcode
• Additional shortcodes: vehicle selector, latest vehicles, filters-only
• Gutenberg blocks mirroring all shortcodes
• Image lightbox and video gallery on single vehicle pages
• SEO-friendly derivative vehicle URLs (optional)

2. Requirements

• WordPress 6.0 or higher
• PHP 7.4 or higher
• An active Autotrader dealer account with a Trade package
• Your Autotrader Advertiser ID (DID)
• API access enabled by Autotrader for the Devikit integration (see section 3)
• A valid license key for Autotrader Integration PRO

3. Requesting Autotrader API Access

Important: Before using this plugin, you must request Autotrader to enable API access for your dealership account. Retailers need to have a Trade package with Autotrader to access API services.

Steps

1. Send an email to partner.support@autotrader.co.uk requesting activation for the Devikit Autotrader WordPress Integration PRO.
2. Provide your Autotrader DID (Dealer ID). If you don’t have it, provide at minimum your Trading Name and Postcode.
3. Autotrader will activate your account within a few hours during business days.
4. Once activated, enter your Advertiser ID in the plugin’s Setup tab and click “Test Connection”.

Sample Activation Email

To: partner.support@autotrader.co.uk

Subject: API Integration Activation Request — Devikit Autotrader WordPress Integration PRO

Dear Autotrader Partner Support,

I would like to request activation of API access for the Devikit Autotrader WordPress Integration PRO partner integration for my dealership.

Dealership Details:
— Autotrader Advertiser ID (DID): [Your Advertiser ID / DID]
— Trading Name: [Your Dealership Trading Name]
— Postcode: [Your Dealership Postcode]
— Website: [Your Website URL]

Could you please enable Stock Sync API access for the Devikit integration partner so that I can synchronise my vehicle stock with my website?

Please activate the production environment (not the test/sandbox environment) for my dealership account.

Thank you for your assistance.

Kind regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Dealership Name]

Note: The plugin’s Setup tab includes a copy-to-clipboard button for this sample email, pre-filled with your website URL.

4. Installation

1. Download the plugin ZIP file (autotrader-integration-pro.zip).
2. In your WordPress admin panel, go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin.
3. Select the ZIP file and click Install Now.
4. Click Activate Plugin.
5. Go to Autotrader → License and enter your license key.
6. Go to Autotrader → Setup and enter your Advertiser ID.
7. Click Test Connection to verify.
8. Go to Autotrader → Dashboard and click Sync Now.
9. Visit /vehicles/ on your website to see your listings.

5. License Tab

All plugin features require an active license.

Activating a License

1. Navigate to Autotrader → License.
2. Enter the license key you received after purchase.
3. Click Activate License.
4. The status should change to License Active.

License Information

After activation, the following information is displayed:

• License key (partially masked)
• Activation date
• Expiry date (if applicable)

Deactivating a License

You can deactivate your license to transfer it to a different website. Click Deactivate License and confirm the action.

Automatic Updates

An active license enables automatic plugin updates directly from the WordPress admin panel. When a new version is available, it will appear in Dashboard → Updates.

6. Setup Tab — API Configuration

This tab is where you configure your connection to the Autotrader API.

Advertiser ID

Enter your Autotrader Advertiser ID (also known as Dealer ID or DID). You can find this in your Autotrader Portal account. If you cannot find it, contact Autotrader support with your Trading Name and Postcode.

Test Connection

After saving your Advertiser ID and receiving confirmation from Autotrader that your account has been activated, click Test Connection to verify everything is working. The result will show:

• Connected — API access is working correctly.
• Connection Failed — Check your Advertiser ID or contact Autotrader to ensure activation.

Security Notice

API credentials (OAuth2 keys) are securely managed by Devikit’s proxy server. No API keys or secrets are stored on your WordPress website. Only your Advertiser ID is saved locally.

7. Dashboard Tab

The Dashboard provides an overview of your plugin’s status.

Sync Status

• Status indicator — Success (green), Error (red), Running (blue), or Never Synced (grey).
• Last sync time — When the most recent synchronisation occurred.
• Vehicles in stock — Number of vehicles currently imported.
• Last error — If the last sync failed, the error message is displayed.
• Sync Now — Manually trigger a stock synchronisation (counts towards the daily limit of 3).

Configuration

• API Connection — Current connection status.
• License — Active or Inactive.
• Sync Schedule — Fixed at 3 times per day (every 8 hours). Scheduled UTC times are displayed on the Dashboard (not in Appearance).
• Next Sync — Date and time of the next scheduled sync.

Quick Links

• View Vehicle Listings — opens /vehicles/ on your site.
• Vehicle Sitemap — opens /sitemap-vehicles.xml.
• Setup & Advertiser ID — shortcut to the Setup tab.
• License Management — shortcut to the License tab.

8. Listing & Featured Settings

Note (v1.1.0): The former Sync Settings admin tab has been removed. Listing options below now live under Autotrader → Appearance. Sync schedule details (3 syncs per day, UTC times) are shown on the Dashboard tab only.

Listing Settings (Appearance Tab)

• Vehicles Per Page — Default: 12 (min 4, max 100).
• Default Listing Page — Enable or disable the built-in /vehicles/ archive.
• Vehicles Without Photos — Optionally hide stock with no images from the website.
• Placeholder Image — Media Library image for vehicles without photos.
• Default Sort — Default listing sort (price, mileage, year, age, date added, make) and order.

Featured Vehicles Tab

Use Autotrader → Featured Vehicles to mark vehicles with the star icon. Featured status is stored separately and is not reset when stock syncs. If a vehicle disappears from stock entirely, it is removed from the featured list automatically.

Display featured vehicles with [autotrader_featured_vehicles] or the Autotrader Featured Vehicles Gutenberg block.

When disabling the default listing page, individual vehicle detail pages (/vehicles/{make}/{model}/{slug}/) continue to work. Use shortcodes to embed listings elsewhere.

Note: After changing listing or URL settings, flush permalinks via Settings → Permalinks → Save Changes.

9. Shortcodes & Gutenberg Blocks

Embed vehicle listings, filters, teasers, and homepage search boxes using shortcodes or matching Gutenberg blocks (Widget category in the block inserter).

Shortcode Reference

Gutenberg Blocks

Blocks with the same options: Autotrader Vehicle Listing, Autotrader Latest Vehicles, Autotrader Vehicle Selector, Autotrader Featured Vehicles, and Autotrader Filters Only.

A full shortcode reference table is also shown at the bottom of Autotrader → Appearance.

Vehicle detail links use /vehicles/{make}/{model}/{slug}/ URLs (derivative slug by default in v1.1.0).

10. SEO Settings Tab

Configure the meta title and meta description templates used for vehicle pages.

Single Vehicle Page

• Meta Title Template — Default: {year} {make} {model} - {dealer}
• Meta Description Template — Default: {year} {make} {model} with {mileage} miles. {fuel}, {transmission}. Price: {price}.

Vehicles Listing Page

• Meta Title Template — Default: {make} {model} Vehicles - {dealer}
• Meta Description Template — Default: Browse our selection of {make} {model} vehicles at {dealer}. Quality used and new cars available.

Available Placeholders

On listing pages, {make} and {model} are automatically removed when browsing all vehicles or filtering by make only.

Vehicle URLs

URL Slug Source (default: Derivative) — uses the vehicle derivative plus a short unique suffix, e.g. /vehicles/volkswagen/up/1-0-move-up-a1b2c3d4/. Takes effect immediately after save (no resync required). Old stock-ID URLs redirect with HTTP 301.

Choose Stock ID to revert to the previous URL format if needed.

11. Appearance Tab

Dealer Information

Contact details displayed on vehicle detail pages in the “Interested in this vehicle?” enquiry sidebar.

• Dealer Name — Your dealership name. Also used in SEO meta tags, structured data (JSON-LD), and OpenGraph tags. Falls back to the WordPress site name if left empty.
• Phone Number — Displayed as a clickable link on vehicle detail pages.
• Email Address — Displayed as a clickable mailto link on vehicle detail pages.

Contact Note

Optional text below the email address in the enquiry sidebar. Basic HTML is supported. Placeholders: {{make}}, {{model}}, {{price}}, {{year}}, {{derivative}}, {{mileage}}, {{fuel}}, {{transmission}}, {{colour}}, {{registration}}, {{stock_id}}, {{url}}.

Visible Specifications

Choose which specification rows appear on single vehicle pages (make, model, VIN, engine details, etc.).

Vehicle Detail Page & Attention Grabber

Toggle the Autotrader advert strapline on single pages. Control where the attention grabber appears (listing cards and/or single page) and its text colour.

Colours

Customise the key colours of the vehicle listing pages. Fonts are inherited from your active theme. Leave fields empty to use default values.

12. Advanced Tab

Logging

Toggle logging on or off. When enabled, the plugin records sync events, API errors, and diagnostic information. Logs are displayed in a filterable table at the bottom of this tab.

• Enable Logging — Checkbox. Default: enabled.
• Filter buttons — Filter log entries by level: All, ERROR, WARNING, INFO, DEBUG.
• Clear Log — Remove all log entries.

Recommendation: Disable logging when everything is working correctly. Enable it when troubleshooting issues.

Uninstall

• Keep Data on Uninstall — When checked, all plugin data (options, cache, cron jobs) is preserved after uninstalling the plugin. When unchecked (default), everything is cleaned up.

Error Log

When logging is enabled, the error log table displays entries with timestamp, level, message, and context. Sensitive information (e.g. license keys) is automatically redacted in log entries.

The log stores a maximum of 200 entries. Older entries are automatically removed.

13. Vehicle Listing Page

By default, the plugin creates a listing page at /vehicles/. It displays all imported vehicles as responsive cards with:

• Image slider with navigation arrows and dots
• Vehicle make, model, and derivative
• Attention grabber (ad headline from Autotrader)
• Key specs: mileage and year
• Price
• Location (town)

URL Structure

Pagination

Vehicle listings are paginated according to the “Vehicles Per Page” setting. Navigation includes Previous/Next buttons and numbered page links.

14. Vehicle Detail Page

Each vehicle has a dedicated detail page showing:

Gallery

• Full-size hero image — click to open a full-screen lightbox with arrow and keyboard navigation
• Gallery navigation arrows (left/right) and image counter (e.g. “3 / 12”)
• Scrollable thumbnail strip
• Videos tab — when Autotrader provides videos, a separate Videos tab shows a 16:9 HTML5 player (download and picture-in-picture disabled)

Vehicle Information

• Full title (make, model, derivative)
• Price with optional “Was” price and savings amount
• Monthly payment (if available from Autotrader)
• Price indicator rating (e.g. “Fair Price”, “Good Price” — hidden if “NOANALYSIS”)
• Key highlights: mileage, year, fuel type, transmission, body type, colour, doors, etc.
• Registration number
• Full description from Autotrader

Specifications Table

A detailed table showing all available specifications: make, model, derivative, year, mileage, condition, registration, body type, colour, fuel type, transmission, engine size, engine power, doors, seats, drivetrain, emission class, CO2 emissions, and VIN. Empty fields are automatically hidden.

Enquiry Sidebar

A sidebar card titled “Interested in this vehicle?” showing:

• Vehicle price
• Vehicle title
• Dealer name (from Appearance settings)
• Phone number (clickable, from Appearance settings)
• Email address (clickable mailto, from Appearance settings)
• VAT status (if available)

Breadcrumbs

Navigation breadcrumbs are displayed at the top: All Vehicles → Make → Model → Vehicle Title.

15. Filtering and Sorting

Both the listing page and shortcode include a comprehensive filter bar.

Make / Model Dropdowns

Select a make to filter vehicles. Once a make is selected, a model dropdown appears with models available for that make. Counts are shown next to each option.

Additional Filters

• Body Type
• Fuel Type
• Transmission
• Colour
• Doors
• Price range (min / max)
• Mileage range (min / max)
• Year range (from / to)

Sorting

Sort options:

• Price: Low to High / High to Low
• Mileage: Low to High / High to Low
• Year: Newest First / Oldest First
• Make: A-Z / Z-A
• Date Added: Newest / Oldest
• Age (year): Newest / Oldest

Default sort order can be set under Autotrader → Appearance → Listing Settings.

Apply / Clear Filters

Click Apply Filters to apply the selected filters. Click Clear Filters to reset all filters and return to the full listing. Filter selections are preserved in the URL query string and persist across pagination.

16. Images and Gallery

Vehicle images are served directly from Autotrader’s CDN — they are not downloaded or stored in WordPress.

Optimisations

• Lazy loading — All images except the hero use loading="lazy".
• Priority loading — The hero image uses fetchpriority="high".
• srcset — Multiple image sizes are provided via srcset for responsive loading.
• Aspect ratio — Images use CSS aspect-ratio to prevent layout shifts.
• CDN presets — Autotrader CDN uses {resize}/wNNN presets (w84 thumbs, w600 cards, w1024 hero) instead of &width= query params
• Card carousel — Disable per shortcode with disable_carousel="yes" for a single primary image per card

Listing Cards

Each vehicle card includes an image slider with left/right arrows, navigation dots, an image counter, and touch/swipe support on mobile.

Detail Page Gallery

The detail page gallery includes a large hero image (click for lightbox), left/right navigation arrows, a thumbnail strip, keyboard navigation, optional Videos tab, and smooth transitions.

17. XML Sitemap

The plugin automatically generates an XML sitemap at /sitemap-vehicles.xml containing all vehicle detail page URLs and listing page URLs. The sitemap is:

• Automatically registered in your robots.txt.
• Integrated with Yoast SEO’s sitemap index (if Yoast is active).
• Integrated with RankMath’s sitemap index (if RankMath is active).

18. Yoast SEO / RankMath Integration

The plugin integrates with both Yoast SEO and RankMath via their respective filter hooks:

• Custom meta titles and descriptions for single vehicle pages and listing pages.
• Canonical URLs for all vehicle pages.
• OpenGraph tags (og:title, og:description, og:image, og:type).
• Twitter Card meta tags.
• Vehicle URLs added to Yoast/RankMath sitemaps automatically.

If neither Yoast nor RankMath is installed, the plugin outputs its own meta tags and OpenGraph data.

19. Structured Data (JSON-LD)

Each vehicle detail page outputs JSON-LD structured data using the Vehicle and Offer schema types. This helps search engines understand your vehicle listings and can enable rich results in Google.

The structured data includes:

• Vehicle name, make, model, year
• Mileage, fuel type, transmission, body type, colour
• Engine displacement, VIN
• Price, currency, availability
• Dealer/seller information
• Vehicle image
• Price indicator (if available)

20. Caching

Vehicle data is cached using WordPress transients with an 8-hour TTL (matching the sync schedule). The cache includes stampede protection to prevent multiple simultaneous API calls.

Data is stored persistently in wp_options (via update_option) so that vehicle listings remain available even if transients are cleared. The cache is only flushed after a successful API response — if the API returns an error, existing data is preserved.

21. Error Handling

The plugin handles all Autotrader API error codes according to Autotrader’s Go Live requirements:

Rate limit headers (X-RateLimit-Remaining, X-RateLimit-Reset) are parsed and respected. If a sync fails, existing vehicle data in the database is preserved.

22. Translation / i18n

The plugin is fully translation-ready. All user-facing strings use WordPress i18n functions with the autotrader-integration-pro text domain.

• A .pot file is included in the /languages folder.
• load_plugin_textdomain() is called on init for compatibility with manual translations.
• Compatible with WPML, Polylang, and Loco Translate.

23. Theme Template Overrides

You can override the plugin’s templates by copying them into your active theme. Create a folder autotrader-integration-pro in your theme directory and place the modified templates there.

24. Uninstall

When you deactivate and delete the plugin, it will remove all data by default:

• All plugin options from the database
• All cached transients
• All scheduled cron jobs
• Rewrite rules are flushed

To prevent data removal, enable Keep Data on Uninstall in the Advanced tab before uninstalling.

25. Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need an Autotrader dealer account?

Yes. You need a valid Autotrader dealer account and your Advertiser ID (DID) to use this plugin. You also need to request Autotrader to enable API access for the Devikit integration.

Do I need API keys?

No. API credentials are securely managed by Devikit’s proxy server. You only need to enter your Autotrader Advertiser ID. No API keys or secrets are stored on your website.

How do I get my Advertiser ID?

Your Advertiser ID (also called DID or Dealer ID) can be found in your Autotrader Portal account. If you cannot find it, contact Autotrader support with your Trading Name and Postcode.

Does this support multiple dealers?

No. This plugin is designed for a single dealer per WordPress installation.

How often does the stock data refresh?

Stock is automatically synchronised 3 times per day (every 8 hours). This is the maximum frequency allowed by the Autotrader API. You can also trigger a manual sync from the Dashboard tab (counts towards the daily limit).

Does this work with Yoast SEO / RankMath?

Yes. The plugin integrates with both via their respective filter hooks, providing custom titles, meta descriptions, and canonical URLs for all vehicle pages. Vehicle URLs are also added to their sitemaps automatically.

Does the plugin generate a sitemap?

Yes. The plugin generates an XML sitemap at /sitemap-vehicles.xml containing all vehicle detail pages and listing pages. This sitemap is automatically added to your robots.txt and integrated with Yoast SEO and RankMath sitemap indexes.

Are vehicle images stored in WordPress?

No. Images are served directly from Autotrader’s CDN for optimal performance. The plugin uses lazy loading, srcset, and priority loading for the hero image.

Can I translate the plugin into another language?

Yes. The plugin is fully translation-ready. All user-facing strings use WordPress i18n functions with the autotrader-integration-pro text domain. Compatible with WPML, Polylang, and Loco Translate.

What happens if Autotrader returns a 403 error?

A 403 error means your Advertiser ID has not been activated for the Devikit integration. Contact partner.support@autotrader.co.uk to request activation (see section 3).

What happens if the API returns an error during sync?

If the API returns an error (e.g. rate limit exceeded), the existing vehicle data is preserved. The cache and database are not cleared until a successful response is received. The error is logged and displayed on the Dashboard.

Can I disable the built-in /vehicles/ page?

Yes. In Autotrader → Appearance → Listing Settings, disable “Default Listing Page”. Individual vehicle detail pages will still work. Use the [autotrader_vehicles] shortcode to display listings on any page.

How do I customise the vehicle card or page layout?

You can override any template by copying it to your theme’s autotrader-integration-pro directory (see section 24). You can also customise colours via the Appearance tab without editing code.

26. Support

If you need help, have questions, or encounter any issues:

• Email: hi@devikit.co.uk
• Contact form: devikit.co.uk/contact