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CarsIreland.ie Car Search Scraper: Automated Vehicle Listing Data Extraction for Irish Market

Introduction

CarsIreland.ie stands as Ireland's leading automotive marketplace, connecting thousands of car buyers with dealerships and private sellers across the country. With extensive listings covering new and used vehicles from all major manufacturers, the platform serves as a critical resource for the Irish automotive market, offering detailed vehicle specifications, competitive pricing, and comprehensive dealer information.

For automotive professionals, market researchers, dealerships, and industry analysts, accessing structured data from CarsIreland.ie provides invaluable insights into market trends, pricing dynamics, inventory availability, and competitive positioning. However, manually collecting vehicle data across multiple searches, makes, models, and price ranges is impractical and time-intensive, especially for comprehensive market analysis or inventory monitoring.

The CarsIreland.ie Car Search Scraper automates this data extraction process, enabling systematic collection of vehicle listings with complete specifications, pricing details, dealer information, and multimedia content. Whether you're analyzing market pricing for specific models, monitoring competitor inventory, or building databases for automotive research, this scraper delivers the automation needed to transform hours of manual work into minutes of efficient data collection.

Scraper Overview

The CarsIreland.ie Car Search Scraper is a specialized data extraction tool designed to systematically collect vehicle listing information from Ireland's premier automotive marketplace. This scraper employs advanced web automation techniques to navigate search results and extract comprehensive vehicle data including specifications, pricing, dealer details, and multimedia content.

Key advantages include residential proxy support for reliable data collection, configurable retry mechanisms for handling network interruptions, and flexible pagination controls for managing large datasets. The scraper is particularly valuable for automotive dealers monitoring competitive pricing, market analysts researching vehicle trends, inventory managers tracking availability, and automotive businesses conducting market intelligence across the Irish car market.

The tool handles various search parameters including make/model combinations, keyword filters, and multiple sorting options. It maintains high data accuracy while implementing ethical scraping practices and respecting rate limits. Users can customize extraction parameters to focus on specific vehicle types, price ranges, or dealer categories relevant to their research objectives.

Input and Output Details

Example url 1: https://www.carsireland.ie/search?sort=EngineSizeAsc&makeModelSearch=Audi%20A3&keywords=suv

Example url 2: https://www.carsireland.ie/search?sort=EngineSizeAsc&keywords=suv&makeModelSearch=Volkswagen

Example url 3: https://www.carsireland.ie/search?sort=EngineSizeAsc&keywords=suv&makeModelSearch=Volkswagen&minYear=2025&maxYear=2026&FuelType=Petrol

Example Screenshot of automotive list by query page:

Input Format

The scraper accepts JSON configuration allowing precise control over the data extraction process. The input structure includes critical parameters determining how the scraping operation executes.

Scrape with URLs:

{
  "proxy": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"],
    "apifyProxyCountry": "US"
  },
  "ignore_url_failures": true,
  "max_retries_per_url": 2,
  "max_items_per_url": 20,
  "urls": [
    "https://www.carsireland.ie/search?sort=PriceAsc&makeModelSearch=Audi%20A3&keywords=suv",
    "https://www.carsireland.ie/search?sort=MileageAsc&makeModelSearch=BMW%203%20Series",
    "https://www.carsireland.ie/search?sort=Recent&keywords=hybrid"
  ]
}

The urls parameter: Add URLs of car search result pages you want to scrape. Paste URLs individually or use Bulk edit to add prepared lists. This is ideal when you have specific search configurations you want to extract.

The ignore_url_failures parameter: When set to true, the scraper continues running even if some URLs fail after maximum retries. This ensures one problematic URL doesn't halt your entire scraping job.

When providing URLs for scraping, all options in the "Scrape with search filters" section will be disabled. The system only collects data from your specified URLs.

Scrape with Search Filters:

{
  "keyword": "SUV",
  "sort_by": "PriceAsc",
  "page": 1,
  "max_items_per_url": 20,
  "max_retries_per_url": 2,
  "proxy": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"],
    "apifyProxyCountry": "IE"
  }
}

The keyword parameter: Enter search keyword to find vehicles (e.g., "SUV", "hybrid", "automatic", "diesel"). This searches across vehicle descriptions and features.

The sort_by parameter: Filter and sort results by various criteria:

• "" - Recommended (default sorting)
• "PriceAsc" - Price Ascending (lowest to highest)
• "PriceDesc" - Price Descending (highest to lowest)
• "Recent" - Most recently listed
• "Make" - Alphabetically by manufacturer
• "Year" - Newest year first
• "YearAsc" - Oldest year first
• "MileageDesc" - Highest mileage first
• "MileageAsc" - Lowest mileage first
• "CountyAsc" - Alphabetically by location
• "EngineSizeAsc" - Smallest engine first

The page parameter: Specify starting page number for scraping. Useful for resuming interrupted scrapes or targeting specific result ranges.

When using search filters, leave the urls field empty in the "Scrape with URLs" configuration.

General Options:

The max_items_per_url parameter: Limit items per URL or search filters. Default value is 20, providing manageable batch sizes while allowing comprehensive data collection.

The max_retries_per_url parameter: Limit retry attempts for each URL or search filter if scraping encounters bot detection or page loading failures. Default value is 2, balancing thoroughness with efficiency.

The proxy parameter: Proxy configuration essential for maintaining anonymity and avoiding detection. For optimal CarsIreland.ie access, consider using Irish (IE) or UK proxies.

Output Format

The scraper returns structured vehicle data with each field serving specific purposes for automotive market analysis and inventory management:

• Public Reference: Unique public identifier for the vehicle listing. Essential for tracking individual listings, preventing duplicates, and referencing specific vehicles in databases.

• Dealer Reference: Internal dealer stock number or reference code. Critical for dealer inventory management, cross-referencing with dealer systems, and verifying vehicle availability.

• Price Detail: Comprehensive pricing information including list price, currency, and pricing structure. Fundamental for competitive pricing analysis, market valuation studies, and identifying pricing trends.

• Search Detail Summary: Condensed vehicle summary as displayed in search results. Provides quick vehicle overview including key specifications, useful for rapid screening and initial filtering.

• Dealer Detail Summary: Information about the selling dealer or private seller. Important for dealer reputation analysis, geographic distribution studies, and B2B dealer relationship development.

• Image Details: URLs and metadata for vehicle images. Valuable for visual inventory catalogs, automated listing creation, and quality assessment of dealer photography.

• Capabilities: Vehicle features and capabilities (e.g., transmission type, fuel type, drive configuration). Essential for feature-based market segmentation, comparing specifications across similar models.

• Video Link: URL to vehicle video content if available. Indicates premium listings and dealer investment in multimedia marketing, useful for content quality analysis.

• Stock Location: Geographic location where vehicle is located. Critical for regional market analysis, logistics planning, and understanding inventory distribution across Ireland.

• Sale: Indicates if vehicle is part of special sale or promotion. Identifies discounted inventory, seasonal promotions, and dealer clearance activities for pricing strategy analysis.

• Vehicle: Core vehicle specifications including make, model, year, mileage, color, and body type. Fundamental data for all automotive analysis, market research, and inventory categorization.

• Has Vehicle Spin: Boolean indicating 360-degree vehicle spin availability. Shows dealer investment in premium listings and enhanced customer experience features.

• Franchise Listing: Indicates if listing is from official franchise dealer. Differentiates authorized dealers from independent sellers, important for warranty analysis and brand representation studies.

• Engine Size: Engine displacement in liters (e.g., 2.0L). Key specification for market segmentation, fuel efficiency analysis, and comparing similar vehicles.

• Engine Size CC: Engine displacement in cubic centimeters. Precise technical specification useful for detailed comparative analysis and European market standards.

• Is Premium Listing: Boolean showing if listing has premium/featured status. Identifies dealers investing in advertising, useful for competitive intelligence and understanding dealer marketing strategies.

• Volteras: Integration with Volteras financing platform if available. Indicates financing options availability, relevant for understanding dealer service offerings and customer financing trends.

• Has Video: Boolean indicating video content presence. Quick filter for multimedia-rich listings, useful for identifying high-quality dealer presentations.

• Has 360 Exterior: Boolean showing exterior 360-degree view availability. Indicates premium dealer photography investment and enhanced listing quality.

• Has 360 Interior: Boolean showing interior 360-degree view availability. Shows highest-tier listing presentations, useful for premium market segment analysis.

Each field supports specific use cases in automotive market research, competitive pricing analysis, inventory management, and dealer performance evaluation across the Irish automotive market.

Example Output:

[
  {
  "public_reference": "4301001",
  "dealer_reference": null,
  "price_detail": {
    "gbp_price": null,
    "euro_price": 2950,
    "vat_included": false,
    "auction": false,
    "poa": false
  },
  "search_detail_summary": {
    "channel": "Car",
    "year": 2012,
    "mmv": {
      "derivative": "1.5 XE 5DR DSL",
      "clean_make": "Nissan",
      "clean_model": "Qashqai"
    },
    "fuel_type": "Diesel",
    "transmission": "Manual",
    "category": null,
    "vrm": "12D23753",
    "mileage": 271978
  },
  "dealer_detail_summary": {
    "seller_type": "ContactTrade",
    "distance_in_miles": null,
    "dealer_name": "A.C Motors",
    "dealer_id": "73640",
    "dealer_logo": "https://c0.carzone.ie/dealer-resource/programme/featured/73640.jpg",
    "town": null,
    "location": null
  },
  "image_details": [
    {
      "full_size_image_url": "https://c0.carsie.ie/d43864c90df075c94489ddbe4ca5ffe95c8daff1542ef4bed71d471a25c2c760.jpg",
      "image_resize_url": "https://c0.carsie.ie/d43864c90df075c94489ddbe4ca5ffe909babf0d1f43abcc5498c1bbec79e6c5.jpg"
    },
    {
      "full_size_image_url": "https://c0.carsie.ie/d43864c90df075c94489ddbe4ca5ffe99495d733067372cd9398a6a1ba6b09da.jpg",
      "image_resize_url": "https://c0.carsie.ie/d43864c90df075c94489ddbe4ca5ffe96fe87dd9d94bd41255645a8bffd0c03d.jpg"
    },
    {
      "full_size_image_url": "https://c0.carsie.ie/d43864c90df075c94489ddbe4ca5ffe9076e3e6c528b80b45b74176f804afe58.jpg",
      "image_resize_url": "https://c0.carsie.ie/d43864c90df075c94489ddbe4ca5ffe9e5b0b3d0d64531f91e1b94442bd336c6.jpg"
    },
    {
      "full_size_image_url": "https://c0.carsie.ie/d43864c90df075c94489ddbe4ca5ffe9905ee5ceb5a1aafe540b5da12cfce22d.jpg",
      "image_resize_url": "https://c0.carsie.ie/d43864c90df075c94489ddbe4ca5ffe9cfab6b2a93f2f846fff3405afe9033e9.jpg"
    },
    {
      "full_size_image_url": "https://c0.carsie.ie/d43864c90df075c94489ddbe4ca5ffe9e07d83d8f2234cd5ff6332d6f8685f2a.jpg",
      "image_resize_url": "https://c0.carsie.ie/d43864c90df075c94489ddbe4ca5ffe985971ad0b56fadaa0c74961f64e7a8f2.jpg"
    },
    {
      "full_size_image_url": "https://c0.carsie.ie/d43864c90df075c94489ddbe4ca5ffe9d097fcb00fce0b261be2f4663666d70f.jpg",
      "image_resize_url": "https://c0.carsie.ie/d43864c90df075c94489ddbe4ca5ffe9b4c98ad9baddee7d4b8fa7c9c87fe4d0.jpg"
    },
    {
      "full_size_image_url": "https://c0.carsie.ie/d43864c90df075c94489ddbe4ca5ffe9d11790e1acb239179ee7b6e1cd3499b3.jpg",
      "image_resize_url": "https://c0.carsie.ie/d43864c90df075c94489ddbe4ca5ffe9fc7f66bc20af402252bcabc2e3b4c28d.jpg"
    },
    {
      "full_size_image_url": "https://c0.carsie.ie/d43864c90df075c94489ddbe4ca5ffe9192a156dab1fe5d8b545fb1a2c827728.jpg",
      "image_resize_url": "https://c0.carsie.ie/d43864c90df075c94489ddbe4ca5ffe9ef7b9cd4c74078929e5d8b6bafbc3f3a.jpg"
    }
  ],
  "capabilities": [
    "Finance",
    "ClickCollectService",
    "EnhancedRetailerStore",
    "HomeDeliveryService",
    "LiveVideoService",
    "DealerBranding",
    "Video",
    "CZTradeIn",
    "MobileStandout"
  ],
  "video_link": null,
  "stock_location": {
    "city": null,
    "county": "Laois"
  },
  "sale": {
    "advert_title": "Nissan Qashqai 1.5 XE 5DR DSL",
    "advert_description": "Nissan Qashqai 2012 Family SUV \r\n\r\n1.5 dCi Diesel\r\n\r\nNew NCT until 31/08/26\r\nTax 1/26 €280 year only\r\nMileage 169k miles\r\n\r\nGood overall condition inside and outside\r\nDriving very well\r\nEconomical and reliable\r\n\r\nSpec includes\r\nA/C\r\nRadio USB / AUX\r\nElectronic windows and mirrors\r\nMultifunction steering wheel\r\nCruise control\r\n2 keys\r\n\r\nIdeal family car or daily driver.\r\nReady to go.\r\n\r\n **Contact** \r\nArek 0857431686\r\n **Price** €2950\r\n\r\n\r\nVIEWING BY APPOITMENT ONLY\r\n\r\nTrade-ins welcome\r\n\r\nDelivery options offered",
    "advert_pricing": {
      "price": 2950,
      "euro_price": 2950,
      "price_on_application": false,
      "has_finance_information": false
    },
    "finance": null,
    "cartell_checked": true,
    "aa_approved": false
  },
  "vehicle": {
    "registration_year": 2012,
    "registration_period": null,
    "colour": "Brown",
    "mileage": {
      "mileage": 168999,
      "unit": null,
      "mileage_km": 271978
    },
    "owners": 4,
    "ie_year_half_year": "2012",
    "used_approved": false,
    "registration": "12D23753",
    "registration_date": "2012-05-01",
    "mot_date": "2026-09-01",
    "tax_band": "€280 (Band B2)",
    "tax_band_code": "B2",
    "tax_band_price": 280,
    "manufacturer_colour": "",
    "condition": "used",
    "features": [
      "Central Locking",
      "Electric Windows",
      "Airbag",
      "Fog Lamps",
      "Privacy Glass",
      "Centre Armrest",
      "Multi-function steering wheel",
      "Roof Rails",
      "Satellite Navigation",
      "Traction Control",
      "Anti-Theft System",
      "Parking Sensors",
      "Bluetooth",
      "EBD",
      "Isofix",
      "Panoramic Sunroof",
      "Active Safety Braking / City Brake / Collision Alert",
      "External Devices Connectivity",
      "Cup holders",
      "Stability control"
    ]
  },
  "has_vehicle_spin": false,
  "franchise_listing": null,
  "engine_size": "1.5",
  "engine_size_cc": null,
  "is_premium_listing": true,
  "volteras": null,
  "has_video": false,
  "has360_exterior": false,
  "has360_interior": false,
  "from_url": "https://www.carsireland.ie/search?keywords=suv&sort=PriceAsc&start=30"
}
]

Usage Guide

Option 1: Scraping with URLs

To effectively use the CarsIreland.ie scraper with URLs, start by constructing targeted search URLs on CarsIreland.ie matching your research criteria. Navigate to the website, configure your search using filters for make/model, price range, year, mileage, and location, then copy the resulting URL into the urls array.

Configure your JSON input with appropriate retry limits and proxy settings. Set reasonable max_items_per_url limits to balance collection speed with system stability. Enable ignore_url_failures to ensure one problematic URL doesn't stop your entire scraping job.

Best practices for URL-based scraping:

• Test URLs individually before batch processing to verify they work correctly
• Monitor extraction progress for blocked requests or access issues
• Use Irish or UK proxies for optimal CarsIreland.ie access
• Keep backup lists of working URLs as site structure may change
• Organize URLs by vehicle category or price range for systematic collection

Common troubleshooting:

• Adjust proxy settings if encountering access restrictions
• Reduce retry counts if experiencing frequent timeouts
• Verify URL formats include all necessary parameters
• Check for URL encoding issues with special characters in searches

Option 2: Scraping with Search Filters

Setting Up Search Criteria

Use search filters to automatically generate vehicle searches without manually creating URLs. This method is ideal for systematic market research and inventory monitoring.

Step 1: Define Search Keyword

Enter a keyword parameter to search for specific vehicle types or features:

• Vehicle types: "SUV", "sedan", "hatchback", "estate", "coupe"
• Fuel types: "diesel", "petrol", "hybrid", "electric", "plug-in"
• Transmission: "automatic", "manual"
• Features: "leather", "sunroof", "navigation", "4x4"
• Conditions: "low mileage", "one owner", "full service history"

Step 2: Configure Sorting

Select appropriate sort_by parameter based on your analysis needs:

Price-Based Sorting:

• "PriceAsc" - Find best deals and entry-level pricing
• "PriceDesc" - Identify premium inventory and market ceiling prices

Recency Sorting:

• "Recent" - Track new listings and market activity
• Useful for monitoring fresh inventory and market velocity

Mileage Sorting:

• "MileageAsc" - Find lowest mileage vehicles
• "MileageDesc" - Identify high-mileage vehicles for budget segments

Age Sorting:

• "Year" - Newest vehicles first for latest models
• "YearAsc" - Older vehicles for classic or budget markets

Technical Sorting:

• "EngineSizeAsc" - Compare by engine displacement
• "Make" - Alphabetical organization by manufacturer

Geographic Sorting:

• "CountyAsc" - Organize by location for regional analysis

Step 3: Set Pagination

Configure the page parameter:

• Start at page 1 for complete coverage
• Use higher page numbers to resume interrupted scrapes
• Plan pagination strategy based on total expected results

Best Practices for Filter-Based Scraping

Keyword Strategy:

• Use specific automotive terminology for targeted results
• Combine vehicle type with features for refined searches
• Test keywords on CarsIreland.ie directly first to validate results
• Consider Irish market-specific terms and preferences

Sorting for Different Use Cases:

• Market Analysis: Use "Recent" to track new listings and market activity
• Pricing Research: Use "PriceAsc" and "PriceDesc" to understand price ranges
• Value Hunting: Combine "MileageAsc" with "PriceAsc" for best value
• Premium Segment: Use "PriceDesc" with "Year" for high-end inventory

Systematic Coverage:

1. Start with broad keyword searches to understand market size
2. Refine with specific make/model combinations
3. Use different sorting methods to capture diverse listings
4. Track pagination to ensure complete data coverage

Data Validation and Quality Control

After extraction, verify:

• Vehicle specifications are complete and accurate
• Pricing information is current and properly formatted
• Dealer information matches expected data structure
• Multimedia content URLs are valid and accessible
• No duplicate listings appear in dataset
• All required fields are populated

Common Issue Resolution

Empty Results:

• Broaden keyword search if too specific
• Verify keyword spelling and automotive terminology
• Test search parameters on CarsIreland.ie website first
• Consider seasonal inventory variations

Incomplete Data:

• Some listings may have limited information from dealers
• Premium listings typically have more complete data
• Franchise dealers often provide more comprehensive details
• Private sellers may have minimal information

Pagination Issues:

• Verify starting page number is valid
• Check total available pages for your search
• Adjust max_items_per_url if hitting limits
• Monitor for end-of-results to avoid empty pages

Proxy and Access:

• Use Irish or UK proxies for best results
• Rotate proxies if encountering rate limiting
• Adjust retry settings for network stability
• Monitor for temporary site accessibility issues

Advanced Search Techniques

Multi-Faceted Analysis:

• Run parallel searches with different sort orders
• Compare same make/model across price ranges
• Track inventory changes over time with recurring scrapes
• Build comprehensive market databases combining multiple searches

Competitive Intelligence:

• Monitor specific dealer inventory by location
• Track pricing strategies across franchise vs. independent dealers
• Identify premium listing adoption rates
• Analyze multimedia content investment by dealer type

Market Segmentation:

• Separate searches by vehicle categories
• Analyze luxury vs. budget segments independently
• Track electric/hybrid market separately from traditional fuel
• Compare new vs. used market dynamics

Proxy Configuration Best Practices

Location Strategy:

• Use Irish (IE) proxies for optimal CarsIreland.ie access
• UK proxies work well as fallback option
• Residential proxies recommended for large-scale scraping
• Rotate proxies to avoid detection during high-volume extraction

Performance Optimization:

• Match proxy location to target market for faster response
• Use high-quality residential proxies for reliability
• Monitor proxy performance and switch if encountering issues
• Balance cost vs. performance based on scraping volume

Benefits and Applications

The CarsIreland.ie Car Search Scraper delivers substantial time savings compared to manual data collection. What would require days of manual research across thousands of listings is reduced to hours of automated extraction, enabling automotive professionals to focus on analysis and strategic decision-making.

Primary Applications:

Competitive Pricing Analysis: Dealerships can monitor competitor pricing strategies across similar makes and models, identify pricing opportunities, and optimize their own inventory pricing based on real-time market data.

Market Research and Trend Analysis: Automotive analysts can track inventory trends, identify popular vehicle features, analyze price movements over time, and understand supply-demand dynamics in the Irish market.

Inventory Management: Dealers can monitor market availability of specific models, identify sourcing opportunities, track competitive inventory levels, and make data-driven purchasing decisions.

Lead Generation for Automotive Services: Service providers, financing companies, and automotive businesses can identify potential customers based on vehicle age, mileage, and dealer type for targeted marketing campaigns.

Investment and Valuation: Automotive investors and appraisers can build comprehensive pricing databases, track depreciation trends, and perform accurate vehicle valuations based on current market data.

The scraper provides competitive advantages through:

• Access to comprehensive vehicle specifications and pricing data
• Dealer information for B2B relationship development
• Multimedia content indicators showing dealer marketing investment
• Premium listing flags identifying market leaders
• Real-time market intelligence for strategic decision-making
• Scalable data collection supporting both spot checks and ongoing monitoring

The structured output integrates seamlessly with automotive CRM systems, pricing analytics platforms, inventory management tools, and business intelligence applications, enabling immediate activation of collected data for competitive analysis, market research, and strategic planning.

Conclusion

The CarsIreland.ie Car Search Scraper transforms time-consuming manual automotive market research into efficient automated data collection. By providing structured access to Ireland's premier automotive marketplace, it empowers dealers, analysts, and automotive professionals to make data-driven decisions about pricing, inventory, and market positioning.

Whether you're monitoring competitive pricing across specific vehicle segments, conducting comprehensive market analysis of the Irish automotive landscape, or building databases for ongoing market intelligence, this scraper provides the systematic data extraction capabilities needed to accelerate your automotive business intelligence.

Ready to streamline your Irish automotive market research? Start extracting valuable vehicle data from CarsIreland.ie today and transform your competitive analysis and market intelligence capabilities.

Your feedback

We are always working to improve Actors' performance. So, if you have any technical feedback about carsireland.ie Cars Search Scraper or simply found a bug, please create an issue on the Actor's Issues tab in Apify Console.