Bid.cars Scraper

Extract Bid.cars vehicle listings with pricing, lot details, seller information, sale documents, damage notes, and media links in a structured dataset. It is suited for auction monitoring, sourcing research, market analysis, and inventory tracking.

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Features

• Flexible starting points — Use a Bid.cars search URL or broad filters with optional keyword and location narrowing.
• Rich vehicle records — Capture lot identifiers, VINs, pricing, location, seller signals, damage notes, and sale document details.
• Clean output — Empty fields are removed and duplicate listings are skipped within each run.
• Useful media fields — Collect image links, video links, and 360-view links when available.
• Fast collection flow — Gather multiple pages of search results in one run with a simple result limit.

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Use Cases

Auction Monitoring

Track fresh vehicle listings from Bid.cars for a make, model, or broader search. This helps buyers and brokers spot relevant inventory early.

Market Research

Build datasets for pricing and damage analysis across locations, sellers, and sale document types. This is useful for sourcing strategy and trend tracking.

Inventory Sourcing

Filter large result sets down to the terms and locations that matter to your buying workflow. That makes it easier to review only the lots that match your criteria.

Media Collection

Collect image, video, and 360-view links alongside listing metadata. This is useful when you want to enrich internal tools or create review queues.

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Input Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
url	String	No	—	Bid.cars search results URL. When provided, its filters drive the collection.
keyword	String	No	—	Optional text filter matched against vehicle title, VIN, lot, seller, damage, and sale document fields.
location	String	No	—	Optional location filter such as Long Island, Cleveland, or Jacksonville (FL).
results_wanted	Integer	No	20	Maximum number of listings to save in the dataset.
max_pages	Integer	No	2	Safety limit for how many result pages to process.
proxyConfiguration	Object	No	—	Optional proxy settings for runs that need additional request stability.

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Output Data

Each item in the dataset contains cleaned listing data such as:

Field	Type	Description
title	String	Full vehicle title shown on the listing.
title_short	String	Shorter vehicle title when available.
url	String	Direct listing URL.
lot	String	Bid.cars lot identifier.
tag	String	Listing tag used in the lot URL.
vin	String	Vehicle identification number.
year	Number	Model year parsed from the listing title.
location	String	Sale location text.
seller	String	Seller name shown on the listing.
seller_code	String	Seller code or short seller value.
seller_trusted	Boolean	Whether the seller is flagged as trusted.
search_status	String	Listing status within the search results.
status_code	Number	Numeric listing status code.
sold_before	Boolean	Indicates whether the lot was sold previously.
loss_type	String	Loss type label.
primary_damage	String	Primary damage information.
start_code	String	Start condition text.
start_code_color	String	Start condition color marker.
odometer	Number	Odometer value.
odometer_label	String	Odometer display label.
odometer_km_label	String	Kilometer display label.
sale_document	String	Sale document label shown to users.
sale_document_raw	String	Raw sale document value.
sale_document_state	String	Sale document state or region code.
sale_document_status	String	Sale document status label.
sale_document_split	Array	Additional sale document parts when present.
title_has_lien	Boolean	Indicates whether a lien flag is present.
title_has_lien_code	Number	Original lien code value.
prebid_close_time	String	Pre-bid close time text.
buy_now_close_time	String	Buy-now close time text.
time_left_seconds	Number	Remaining time in seconds.
time_left_formatted	String	Remaining time as formatted text.
prebid_price	String	Pre-bid price.
final_bid	String	Final bid as displayed text.
final_bid_raw	String	Raw final bid value.
buy_now_price	String	Buy-now price.
estimated_min	Number	Minimum estimated value.
estimated_max	Number	Maximum estimated value.
has_video	Boolean	Whether a video link is available.
video_url	String	Video URL when present.
has_360_view	Boolean	Whether a 360-view link is available.
view_360_url	String	360-view URL when present.
image_count	Number	Count of collected image URLs.
images	Array	Listing image URLs.
specs	Object	Key vehicle specifications such as engine and drivetrain codes.

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Usage Examples

Broad Collection

{
	"results_wanted": 20,
	"max_pages": 2
}

Search URL Input

{
	"url": "https://bid.cars/en/search/results?search-type=filters&status=All&type=Automobile&make=Toyota&model=Camry&year-from=2018&year-to=2026&auction-type=All",
	"results_wanted": 20,
	"max_pages": 2
}

Keyword And Location Narrowing

{
	"keyword": "Toyota Camry",
	"location": "Long Island",
	"results_wanted": 20,
	"max_pages": 3
}

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Sample Output

{
	"title": "2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee, L Laredo",
	"title_short": "2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee",
	"url": "https://bid.cars/en/lot/1-72412935/2024-Jeep-Grand-Cherokee-1C4RJKAG8R8507951",
	"lot": "1-72412935",
	"tag": "2024-Jeep-Grand-Cherokee-1C4RJKAG8R8507951",
	"vin": "1C4RJKAG8R8507951",
	"year": 2024,
	"location": "San Diego (CA)",
	"seller": "Insurance Company",
	"seller_trusted": true,
	"search_status": "active",
	"primary_damage": "Front end",
	"start_code": "Run / Drive",
	"odometer": 43427,
	"sale_document": "SALVAGE CERTIFICATE (CA)",
	"prebid_close_time": "Tue 21 Apr, 13:00 GMT+2",
	"prebid_price": "$0",
	"estimated_min": 11160,
	"estimated_max": 17270,
	"has_video": true,
	"video_url": "https://cs.copart.com/v1/AUTH_svc.pdoc00001/ids-c-prod-lpp/0126/example.mp4",
	"has_360_view": true,
	"view_360_url": "https://bid.cars/app/lot/1-72412935/three-sixty-view",
	"image_count": 21,
	"images": [
		"https://pluto.bid.car/1-72412935/example-1.jpg",
		"https://images.bid.cars/172412935_example/example-2.jpg"
	],
	"specs": {
		"key_info": "Present",
		"transmission_code": 0,
		"fuel_type_code": "0",
		"drive_type_code": 2,
		"engine": "3.6L, V6, 293HP"
	}
}

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Tips For Best Results

Use A Working Search URL

• Start from a Bid.cars search results page you already trust.
• Keep the filters in the URL when you want precise collection.

Keep Initial Runs Small

• Use results_wanted: 20 while testing.
• Increase limits after you confirm the dataset shape you need.

Narrow With Keyword Or Location

• Use keyword to focus on a model, VIN fragment, seller, or damage term.
• Use location when you only care about certain auction locations.

Add Proxy Support When Needed

• If your environment becomes less stable, provide proxyConfiguration.
• Leave it empty when direct runs work well for your use case.

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Proxy Configuration

{
	"proxyConfiguration": {
		"useApifyProxy": true,
		"apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"]
	}
}

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Integrations

• Google Sheets — Review auction data in spreadsheets.
• Airtable — Build searchable vehicle databases.
• Make — Trigger downstream automation.
• Zapier — Connect listing data to business workflows.
• Webhooks — Send fresh results into internal systems.

Export Formats

• JSON — Structured data for applications and scripts.
• CSV — Flat exports for spreadsheets and reports.
• Excel — Business review and stakeholder sharing.
• XML — Integration with legacy systems.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a search URL from Bid.cars?

Yes. A Bid.cars search results URL is the easiest way to carry over the exact filters you already use on the site.

Can I collect by keyword without a URL?

Yes. Leave url empty and use keyword or location to narrow broad result collection.

Are duplicate listings removed?

Yes. Listings are deduplicated within each run before they are stored.

What happens to empty values?

Empty or placeholder values are removed so the dataset stays cleaner and easier to use.

Do I need proxies for every run?

No. Proxy settings are optional and should be used only when your runs need additional stability.

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Support

For issues or feature requests, use the Apify Console issue and support channels.

Resources

• Apify Documentation
• Apify API Reference
• Apify Scheduling

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Legal Notice

Use this actor responsibly and ensure your data collection complies with applicable laws and platform terms.