Universal Import Reference

This document is a reference for the Universal Import screen of the ADP Car Market Hub plugin (CMH Center → Universal Import). It is the central place where every data source is connected and where all API credentials are stored — AutoScout24, carcuro, an automatic feed, an e-mail inbox, or a one-off file upload.

When to use this document

Use this reference when you want to bring vehicles into the plugin, when you need to enter or change the API credentials for a data source, or when you want to check whether a source is connected. Whatever the source, every vehicle ends up in the same inventory and is processed by the same import pipeline.

Overview

Universal Import presents your data sources as a single, tidy accordion. Each row is one source with its connection status shown on the right:

• a green Connected pill (AutoScout24, carcuro) or Active pill (feed, e-mail) when the source is set up, or
• a Configure call to action when it is not.

Click a row to expand it and configure that source; opening one row collapses the others, so only the source you are working on is visible. After you save a source — or run an import for it — its row stays open so you can see the result.

The five sources are:

1. AutoScout24 — live inventory sync via the AutoScout24 API.
2. carcuro — live inventory sync via your carcuro company token.
3. Automatic import (feed) — a scheduled pull from an https:// URL, an FTP/SFTP location, a server folder, or a cloud share link.
4. E-mail import — collect the inventory export from a mailbox automatically.
5. Import a file from your dealer software (DMS) — a one-off upload of a CSV, XML, Excel or JSON file (or a ZIP bundle with images).

All live and scheduled sources run on the plugin's central import schedule, configured under Import & Limits (see Import And Limits Reference). You enter the credentials once here; the plugin handles the rest on the schedule you set centrally.

Where did the API credentials go? In earlier versions the AutoScout24 API connection was configured under Settings. All data-source credentials now live here on the Universal Import page, in one place, with a visible connection status. The Settings screen keeps only general options (such as the default currency) and a Data sources & API connections card that links here.

Requirements or prerequisites

• Access to CMH Center → Universal Import (requires the plugin's management capability).
• A valid plugin licence — imports and scheduled synchronisation require an active licence (see Settings Reference).
• Credentials for whichever source you use: AutoScout24 API credentials, a carcuro company token, feed/FTP/SFTP credentials, or IMAP mailbox credentials. These are issued by your provider, not by the plugin.
• For e-mail import: the PHP imap extension on the server.

Step by step instructions

1. Open CMH Center → Universal Import.
2. Click the row for the source you want to connect.
3. Enter that source's details (see the per-source reference below) and save. The status pill on the right turns to Connected / Active.
4. Set how often the plugin imports under CMH Center → Import & Limits — this single schedule drives every connected source.
5. To import immediately, use the source's run button (for example Import from carcuro now) or run a manual import from Import & Limits.
6. Check the result in CMH Center → Car Importer and in the CMH Cars inventory.

Configuration reference

AutoScout24

Connect your live AutoScout24 inventory directly through the API.

When the credentials are present the row shows Connected, and an Open Car Importer link appears so you can run or manage the sync. Saving new credentials clears the cached access token and the cached API connection status so the next request uses the new values.

carcuro

If your inventory lives in carcuro, connect it directly — exactly like AutoScout24. You only provide a token; the columns are mapped for you automatically, so there is nothing to map manually.

Enable Import and sync automatically to let the plugin pull carcuro on the central import schedule. Use Import from carcuro now to run an import immediately. New vehicles appear, vehicles removed at carcuro are removed here — it makes no difference whether you use AutoScout24 or carcuro.

Automatic import (feed)

Instead of uploading a file every time, let the plugin fetch your inventory automatically.

The file format (CSV, XML or Excel) is detected automatically, and the column mapping you saved on the file-upload step is reused. Upload a file and save the mapping once before enabling the feed.

E-mail import

If your dealer software e-mails the inventory export, the plugin can collect it automatically. It connects to a mailbox, takes the newest matching message with a CSV, XML, Excel or JSON attachment, and imports it using the saved column mapping.

E-mail import requires the PHP imap extension. If it is not installed, the card shows a notice and you can use an https:// / FTP / SFTP feed or a server folder instead.

Import a file from your dealer software (DMS)

A one-off upload for any dealer software (DMS) export.

• Accepted formats: CSV, TXT, TSV, XML, Excel (.xlsx) and JSON — or a ZIP bundle that contains the data file together with the vehicle images (reference each image by its filename in your image column).
• Map columns once. After upload you map each plugin field to a column from your file. Only Make/Model (or version) and a stock number or VIN are required; leave anything your export does not contain on "not mapped". An optional Auto-map with AI step can suggest the mapping for you to review.
• Preview before importing. A dry run shows how many rows are valid, which would be new or updated, and any rows with problems — nothing is written until you choose Import now.
• The mapping is saved and reused for the next upload and for the automatic feed and e-mail sources.
• Encoding is handled for you: Windows-1252 files are converted to UTF-8 (Swiss umlauts and similar characters are preserved), and multi-line cells in CSV files are read correctly.

Operational notes

• One schedule for everything. AutoScout24 and carcuro have no schedule of their own — they run on the central import schedule under Import & Limits. The feed and e-mail sources additionally offer their own interval. A manual import can always be triggered.
• One pipeline for everything. No matter the source, every vehicle goes through the same downstream processing: VIN-based re-listing detection, the soft-delete grace period for vehicles that disappear, value normalization, image import, slug generation and team assignment. Every setting applies to the whole inventory regardless of which source a vehicle came from.
• Secrets are encrypted at rest. The AutoScout24 Client Secret, the carcuro token and the feed/mailbox passwords are stored encrypted in the database via the plugin's secret store, not as plain text.
• Demo data is available from the Tools page for trying things out, and can be removed again at any time.

Troubleshooting

• A source shows "Configure" instead of "Connected". The credentials are missing or incomplete. Open the row and re-enter them. For AutoScout24 you need at least a Client ID and Client Secret; for carcuro you need the company token.
• carcuro responded with an HTTP error / rejected the request. The company token is probably wrong. Copy it again from carcuro under Webseite › Fahrzeugliste › Integration.
• The feed or e-mail source says no column mapping is saved. Upload a file once on the file-upload step and save the mapping first — the feed and e-mail sources reuse that mapping.
• E-mail import is unavailable. The server is missing the PHP imap extension. Use a feed or server-folder source instead, or ask your host to enable imap.
• Nothing imports on schedule. Confirm the source is enabled, that a valid licence is active, and that the central schedule under Import & Limits is running (see Cron And Background Processing).

Related documents

• Settings Reference
• Car Importer Reference
• Import And Limits Reference
• Mapping Reference
• Vehicle Import Workflow
• External API Credentials