# CarMax Intelligence Scraper (`lokki/carmax-intelligence-scraper`) Actor Scrape CarMax inventory and enrich vehicles with deal scoring, price/mileage intelligence, transfer friction, feature signals, and risk flags. - **URL**: https://apify.com/lokki/carmax-intelligence-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Ian Dikhtiar](https://apify.com/lokki) (community) - **Categories:** Agents, Automation, E-commerce - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $5.00 / 1,000 results This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## CarMax Intelligence Scraper 🚗 Find the CarMax listings worth looking at first. This actor is a CarMax scraper, used car scraper, car deal finder, vehicle inventory API, and automotive market research tool in one. It extracts CarMax vehicle inventory, then adds buyer-focused intelligence so you can rank opportunities instead of staring at endless listings. Use it to answer: - Which CarMax cars look underpriced for their make/model? - Which listings have unusually low mileage? - Which vehicles are feature-rich versus basic? - Which deals are weakened by shipping fees, prior use, reservation status, or transfer delays? - Which cars should go into alerts, watchlists, dashboards, or lead workflows? ### Why this is not just another car scraper Most vehicle scrapers return raw rows. That is useful, but it still leaves you doing the real work. This actor adds a decision layer: - `dealScore` and `dealGrade` for quick prioritization - Price and mileage rank within the same make/model comparison set - Price and mileage deltas from make/model averages - Transfer-adjusted cost - High-value feature detection and feature category counts - Availability guidance with buyer actions - Transfer friction scoring - Reliability and prior-use signals when available - Buyer tags such as `low_price_for_model`, `low_mileage_for_model`, `feature_rich`, `new_arrival` - Risk flags such as `high_transfer_fee`, `prior_use_disclosed`, `reserved_inventory`, `thin_review_sample` - Plain-English `opportunitySummary` Example output signal: ```json { "dealScore": 79, "dealGrade": "B", "priceIntelligence": { "valueScore": 58, "transferAdjustedPrice": 29647, "averagePriceForMakeModel": 27198, "priceDeltaFromMakeModelAverage": 1800, "mileageDeltaFromMakeModelAverage": -28999 }, "featureIntelligence": { "highValueFeatures": ["Apple CarPlay / Android Auto", "Blind spot monitor", "Rear view camera"], "strongestFeatureCategory": "safety" }, "buyerSignalTags": ["low_mileage_for_model", "feature_rich"], "riskFlags": ["prior_use_disclosed"], "opportunitySummary": "mileage is favorable; strong feature package; watch: prior_use_disclosed" } ```` ### Best use cases #### Deal hunting Run searches like `toyota camry`, `honda cr-v`, or `awd suv under 30000`, then sort the dataset by `dealScore`. #### Used car flipping research Find listings with strong price position, low mileage, good features, and low transfer friction. #### Automotive market research Compare price ranges, mileage ranges, stores, models, trims, feature demand signals, and risk patterns across CarMax inventory. #### Inventory monitoring and alerts Schedule runs and trigger alerts when a vehicle appears with `dealScore >= 80`, `price_drop`, `free_transfer`, or `low_price_for_model`. #### Vehicle inventory API feed Export structured rows through the Apify dataset API for dashboards, CRMs, spreadsheets, BI tools, or downstream AI workflows. ### What data is extracted? Each dataset row can include: - Stock number and VIN - Year, make, model, trim, body - Current price, original price, and price drop amount - Mileage - Exterior and interior color - Transmission, drivetrain, engine, fuel type, cylinders, horsepower, MPG - Store name, city, state, distance - Transfer fee, transfer type, transfer text, estimated transfer timing - Saleable, reserved, coming soon, and available-to-transact status - New arrival flag - Features, highlighted features, packages, and vehicle type - Prior-use disclosures - Average rating and review count - Repair/reliability hints when CarMax detail data provides them - Hero image URL - CarMax listing URL - Source search query, result position, page, and offset - Deal intelligence fields when enabled ### Output views included This actor defines Apify presentation schemas so results are easier to inspect in Console: - **Deal radar** — best view for deciding which cars to inspect first - **Market pricing** — price/mileage ranks, averages, deltas, and comparison set data - **Feature and risk** — feature strength, availability, transfer friction, prior use, and risk flags - **Raw export** — clean operational fields for spreadsheets and APIs It also writes a `SUMMARY` key-value-store record with: - Best deals found - Cheapest vehicles - Lowest-mileage vehicles - Make/model intelligence - Store intelligence - Price and mileage market ranges - Feature demand signals - Risk flag counts - Input filters used - Warnings, if any ### Input guide #### Quick start ```json { "queries": ["toyota camry", "honda cr-v", "awd suv under 30000"], "maxItems": 100, "includeVehicleDetails": true, "includeIntelligence": true } ``` #### Strong-deal filter ```json { "queries": ["toyota camry"], "maxItems": 250, "minDealScore": 75, "priceMax": 30000, "mileageMax": 60000, "modelYearMin": 2020, "requiredFeatures": ["Apple CarPlay"] } ``` #### Use a CarMax URL directly ```json { "startUrls": [ { "url": "https://www.carmax.com/cars/toyota/camry" } ], "maxItems": 100 } ``` #### Recommended cloud proxy settings CarMax can block datacenter traffic. For Apify Cloud, residential proxy is recommended: ```json { "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "groups": ["RESIDENTIAL"] } } ``` ### Fields to sort/filter first If you want fast decisions, start with: - `dealScore` - `dealGrade` - `basePrice` - `mileage` - `priceIntelligence.valueScore` - `priceIntelligence.transferAdjustedPrice` - `priceRankWithinMakeModel` - `mileageRankWithinMakeModel` - `featureIntelligence.highValueFeatureCount` - `availabilityIntelligence.buyerAction` - `transferIntelligence.transferScore` - `buyerSignalTags` - `riskFlags` - `opportunitySummary` - `detailUrl` ### Notes and limitations - CarMax inventory changes quickly. Vehicles can be reserved, sold, repriced, moved, or updated between runs. - For monitoring, dedupe by `stockNumber` or `vin` and compare snapshots over time. - Detail enrichment is slower but recommended for richer reliability, image, and prior-use fields. - This actor is not affiliated with CarMax. It extracts publicly available inventory data and adds analysis to help prioritize research. # Actor input Schema ## `queries` (type: `array`): Free-text CarMax searches. Examples: toyota camry, honda cr-v, ford f-150, tesla model 3, awd suv under 30000. ## `startUrls` (type: `array`): Optional. Paste CarMax search/category URLs when you already have filtered searches from carmax.com. Example: https://www.carmax.com/cars/toyota/camry. ## `zipCode` (type: `string`): Optional ZIP code for location-aware inventory, distance, and transfer estimates. ## `radius` (type: `integer`): Optional radius around the ZIP code. Leave blank for nationwide/default CarMax results. ## `sort` (type: `string`): CarMax search sort. Best match is recommended for broad discovery; price/mileage sorts are useful for narrow comparison runs. ## `maxItems` (type: `integer`): Maximum unique vehicles to save across all searches after deduping by VIN/stock number. Default is intentionally small so Apify's automated QA run finishes quickly; increase it for production runs. ## `pageSize` (type: `integer`): How many vehicles to request from each CarMax page. Default is smoke-test friendly; increase to 24-100 for larger runs. ## `maxPages` (type: `integer`): Pagination safety cap per search. Default is one page so marketplace automated QA finishes under 5 minutes. ## `includeVehicleDetails` (type: `boolean`): Adds detail endpoint fields such as RepairPal/reliability hints, richer images, prior use, and extra vehicle metadata. Slower; enable for buyer research after the smoke test passes. ## `includeIntelligence` (type: `boolean`): Adds dealScore, dealGrade, priceIntelligence, featureIntelligence, availabilityIntelligence, transferIntelligence, buyerSignalTags, riskFlags, and opportunitySummary. ## `minDealScore` (type: `integer`): Optional post-filter. Use 75+ for strong opportunities or 85+ for only standout deals. ## `priceMax` (type: `integer`): Optional post-filter on basePrice. ## `mileageMax` (type: `integer`): Optional post-filter on mileage. ## `modelYearMin` (type: `integer`): Optional post-filter on vehicle year. ## `modelYearMax` (type: `integer`): Optional post-filter on vehicle year. ## `requiredFeatures` (type: `array`): Optional post-filter. Every keyword must appear in features or highlights. Examples: leather, awd, apple carplay, panoramic sunroof. ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Use Apify Residential Proxy if you see CarMax/Akamai 403s or timeouts. ## Actor input object example ```json { "queries": [ "toyota camry" ], "sort": "bestmatch", "maxItems": 5, "pageSize": 12, "maxPages": 1, "includeVehicleDetails": false, "includeIntelligence": true, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "groups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `items` (type: `string`): Default dataset containing one CarMax vehicle per row with extracted fields and optional intelligence fields. ## `dealRadar` (type: `string`): Console view sorted for buyer decisions: deal score, price, mileage, buyer tags, risk flags, transfer friction, and listing URL. ## `marketPricing` (type: `string`): Console view focused on price/mileage ranks, comparison set size, average price, average mileage, and deltas. ## `featureAndRisk` (type: `string`): Console view focused on high-value features, availability, transfer friction, prior use, and risk flags. ## `summary` (type: `string`): Machine-readable SUMMARY record containing best deals, price/mileage markets, make/model intelligence, stores, features, and risk counts. # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "queries": [ "toyota camry" ] }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("lokki/carmax-intelligence-scraper").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "queries": ["toyota camry"] } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("lokki/carmax-intelligence-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "queries": [ "toyota camry" ] }' | apify call lokki/carmax-intelligence-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=lokki/carmax-intelligence-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "CarMax Intelligence Scraper", "description": "Scrape CarMax inventory and enrich vehicles with deal scoring, price/mileage intelligence, transfer friction, feature signals, and risk flags.", "version": "1.0", "x-build-id": "flHd2yFsDU94dvrT7" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/lokki~carmax-intelligence-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-lokki-carmax-intelligence-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/lokki~carmax-intelligence-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-lokki-carmax-intelligence-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/lokki~carmax-intelligence-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-lokki-carmax-intelligence-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "queries": { "title": "Search queries", "type": "array", "description": "Free-text CarMax searches. Examples: toyota camry, honda cr-v, ford f-150, tesla model 3, awd suv under 30000.", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "startUrls": { "title": "CarMax search URLs", "type": "array", "description": "Optional. Paste CarMax search/category URLs when you already have filtered searches from carmax.com. Example: https://www.carmax.com/cars/toyota/camry.", "items": { "type": "object", "required": [ "url" ], "properties": { "url": { "type": "string", "title": "URL of a web page", "format": "uri" } } } }, "zipCode": { "title": "ZIP code", "type": "string", "description": "Optional ZIP code for location-aware inventory, distance, and transfer estimates." }, "radius": { "title": "Radius in miles", "minimum": 10, "maximum": 500, "type": "integer", "description": "Optional radius around the ZIP code. Leave blank for nationwide/default CarMax results." }, "sort": { "title": "Sort order", "enum": [ "bestmatch", "distance-asc", "price-asc", "price-desc", "mileage-asc", "mileage-desc", "year-desc", "year-asc", "newarrival" ], "type": "string", "description": "CarMax search sort. Best match is recommended for broad discovery; price/mileage sorts are useful for narrow comparison runs.", "default": "bestmatch" }, "maxItems": { "title": "Maximum vehicles", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 10000, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum unique vehicles to save across all searches after deduping by VIN/stock number. Default is intentionally small so Apify's automated QA run finishes quickly; increase it for production runs.", "default": 5 }, "pageSize": { "title": "Vehicles per API page", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 100, "type": "integer", "description": "How many vehicles to request from each CarMax page. Default is smoke-test friendly; increase to 24-100 for larger runs.", "default": 12 }, "maxPages": { "title": "Maximum pages per search", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 100, "type": "integer", "description": "Pagination safety cap per search. Default is one page so marketplace automated QA finishes under 5 minutes.", "default": 1 }, "includeVehicleDetails": { "title": "Fetch vehicle detail data", "type": "boolean", "description": "Adds detail endpoint fields such as RepairPal/reliability hints, richer images, prior use, and extra vehicle metadata. Slower; enable for buyer research after the smoke test passes.", "default": false }, "includeIntelligence": { "title": "Add deal intelligence", "type": "boolean", "description": "Adds dealScore, dealGrade, priceIntelligence, featureIntelligence, availabilityIntelligence, transferIntelligence, buyerSignalTags, riskFlags, and opportunitySummary.", "default": true }, "minDealScore": { "title": "Minimum deal score", "minimum": 0, "maximum": 100, "type": "integer", "description": "Optional post-filter. Use 75+ for strong opportunities or 85+ for only standout deals." }, "priceMax": { "title": "Maximum price", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 1000000, "type": "integer", "description": "Optional post-filter on basePrice." }, "mileageMax": { "title": "Maximum mileage", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 1000000, "type": "integer", "description": "Optional post-filter on mileage." }, "modelYearMin": { "title": "Minimum model year", "minimum": 1900, "maximum": 2100, "type": "integer", "description": "Optional post-filter on vehicle year." }, "modelYearMax": { "title": "Maximum model year", "minimum": 1900, "maximum": 2100, "type": "integer", "description": "Optional post-filter on vehicle year." }, "requiredFeatures": { "title": "Required feature keywords", "type": "array", "description": "Optional post-filter. Every keyword must appear in features or highlights. Examples: leather, awd, apple carplay, panoramic sunroof.", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "proxyConfiguration": { "title": "Proxy settings", "type": "object", "description": "Use Apify Residential Proxy if you see CarMax/Akamai 403s or timeouts.", "default": { "useApifyProxy": true, "groups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```