Administrator Handbook

This handbook documents the administrative responsibilities for the ADP Car Market Hub WordPress Plugin. It covers initial setup ownership, user permissions, import configuration, scheduled operations, system health monitoring, and support coordination.

When to use this document

Read this document if you:

• Are a WordPress administrator responsible for installing, configuring, and maintaining the plugin.
• Need to understand what permissions are required and how to manage them.
• Are responsible for ensuring imports run reliably and investigating failures.
• Coordinate with technical support or an integration partner.

For day-to-day operational tasks such as checking import status, reviewing leads, and validating the frontend, see Daily Usage Workflows.

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Overview

ADP Car Market Hub requires careful initial configuration before it can import any vehicles. The administrator is responsible for:

• Entering and maintaining valid API credentials.
• Configuring the import schedule and choosing between WP-Cron and server cron.
• Setting the correct default post status, author, image handling, and currency.
• Granting or restricting access to the plugin's admin interface.
• Maintaining the dealership sales contacts shown to customers and used for lead routing (CMH Team).
• Monitoring the plugin's health, log output, and import success.
• Coordinating with AutoScout24 or your integration partner when API issues arise.

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Requirements or prerequisites

• WordPress administrator access is required to install the plugin and manage capabilities.
• PHP 8.1 or later and WordPress 6.2 or later must be running on the server.
• Valid AutoScout24 API credentials (API Base URL, Seller ID(s), Client ID, Client Secret, Token URL, Audience) must be obtained from AutoScout24 or your integration partner before setup. The plugin cannot import vehicles without them.
• The server must allow outbound HTTPS connections to the configured API endpoint.
• If server cron is preferred over WP-Cron, the hosting environment must support scheduled tasks (crontab or equivalent).

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Permissions and capabilities

Plugin management capability

The plugin introduces a custom WordPress capability: manage_as24_imports.

• This capability is required to access the ADP Car Market Hub admin menu, run imports, change settings, view leads, and use all admin tools.
• On activation, WordPress administrators (administrator role) are automatically granted manage_as24_imports.
• Other user roles (editor, shop manager, etc.) do not receive this capability by default. A WordPress administrator must grant it explicitly using a role management plugin or custom code if access is required for non-administrator users.

WordPress post capabilities

The as24ci_car custom post type (the CMH Cars menu) uses its own dedicated WordPress capabilities (edit_as24ci_cars, publish_as24ci_cars, and so on). Vehicle records appear under CMH Cars → All Cars, not under the standard WordPress Posts screen. Access to the dedicated plugin admin pages under CMH Center and CMH Team additionally requires manage_as24_imports.

Protecting sensitive settings

API credentials (Client ID and Client Secret) are stored in the WordPress options table. Access to the Settings tab is gated by manage_as24_imports. Ensure that only trusted administrators hold this capability.

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Initial setup

Follow these steps when configuring the plugin for the first time:

1. Install and activate the plugin via WordPress Admin → Plugins → Add New or by uploading the plugin archive.
2. Navigate to ADP Car Market Hub → Settings.
3. Enter the API Base URL for your AutoScout24 environment. Common base URLs include the regional AutoScout24 API hosts (verify the correct URL with AutoScout24 or your integration partner).
4. Enter one or more Seller IDs (comma-separated) matching your AutoScout24 dealer account(s).
5. Enter the Client ID and Client Secret provided by AutoScout24.
6. Enter the Token URL and Audience if they differ from the defaults derived from the Base URL.
7. Set the Default currency to match the currency used in your listings.
8. Configure Default post status (publish to make vehicles visible immediately, draft to review before publishing).
9. Set the Default post author to the WordPress user who should be listed as the author of vehicle posts.
10. Configure image import settings: whether to import images, maximum number of images per vehicle, and WebP conversion options.
11. Check the Create default pages option to have the plugin automatically create the vehicle archive and compare pages.
12. Click Save settings.
13. Use the connection test on the System & Help or Tools tab to confirm the API credentials are working.
14. Navigate to Import & Limits and run the initial full import using the Batch-Wizard.

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Configuring the import schedule

WP-Cron (default)

WordPress has a built-in cron system (WP-Cron) that triggers on page loads. This is sufficient for many sites but may be delayed on low-traffic sites.

1. Navigate to ADP Car Market Hub → Import & Limits.
2. Enable Automatic import.
3. Choose the interval: hourly, every 6 hours, twice daily, daily, or a custom interval (minimum 15 minutes).
4. For daily and twice-daily schedules, set the preferred start time.
5. Save the automation settings.

Server cron (recommended for production)

For reliable scheduling, configure an external server cron to call the plugin's REST endpoint:

1. Navigate to ADP Car Market Hub → Import & Limits.
2. Set Cron mode to Server cron.
3. Copy the displayed cron endpoint URL (includes a security token).
4. Add a cron job on your server (for example, using crontab) to call this URL at the desired interval using curl or wget.
5. If you need to regenerate the token (for example, after a security incident), click Regenerate token on the same tab and update your server cron job with the new URL.

Import lock

The plugin uses a transient-based lock (approximately 40 minutes) to prevent overlapping import runs. If an import run is already in progress and a second trigger arrives (from WP-Cron, server cron, or a manual trigger), the second run is skipped. This is normal behaviour.

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Managing image imports

• Image queue mode: During scheduled cron imports, only the first image per vehicle is downloaded immediately. Remaining images are processed by a background queue worker approximately every 5 minutes. This prevents PHP timeout errors during large imports.
• Image queue monitoring: The System & Help tab displays the current image queue size and a warning if the queue exceeds 1,000 items.
• Manual queue processing: Use the Run image queue now button on the System & Help tab to process the queue immediately.
• Clear image queue: The Clear image queue button on the same tab removes all pending image entries without processing them. Use this with caution.
• WebP conversion: If enabled, downloaded images are converted to WebP format using GD or Imagick. The System & Help tab shows whether these extensions are available.

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Full Sync

Full Sync is a setting on the Import & Limits tab that, when enabled, permanently deletes any vehicle post in WordPress that is no longer present in the live AutoScout24 listing for the configured seller(s).

Use Full Sync only when you want WordPress to mirror the live AutoScout24 inventory exactly. When enabled:

• Any local vehicle post not found in the current remote listing is permanently deleted, including all attached images.
• This includes vehicles that were manually edited, enriched with additional content, or set to draft status.
• The deletion is logged in the plugin's log file.

Disable Full Sync if you want to retain vehicles in WordPress even after they are removed from AutoScout24.

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System health monitoring

The System & Help tab provides a comprehensive overview of the server environment and plugin status. Review this regularly to identify potential problems before they affect imports.

Key checks:

Status indicators use a traffic light system: green (OK), yellow (warning), red (problem).

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Log monitoring

The Logs tab displays the plugin's activity log.

• The log records API calls, token requests, import actions, image downloads, errors, and warnings.
• The Recent Errors and Recent Warnings panels at the top of the Logs tab highlight the latest error and warning entries from the last 2,000 log lines.
• The Log Viewer shows the last N lines of the full log file (configurable, 100–2,000 lines).
• The log file is automatically rotated when it reaches 10 MB.
• To clear the log file manually, click the Clear log file button. This is irreversible.
• Verbose logging (when enabled in settings) writes per-vehicle and per-image detail to the log. Disable verbose logging in production if the log grows too quickly.

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Diagnostics export

The Tools tab includes a Diagnostics export function. This generates a JSON file containing:

• Plugin version
• WordPress version
• PHP version
• Site URL
• Log file size and path
• System environment summary

When contacting support, export this file and share it with your support team. Do not share the raw log file publicly as it may contain API URLs and listing identifiers.

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Managing features

Most optional features are enabled or disabled from the Settings screen rather than from a dedicated "Features" tab. Open Car Market Hub → Settings and use the Frontend Features and Admin Features cards to toggle individual capabilities. Changes take effect immediately after saving. Available toggles include:

• Schema.org structured data and Open Graph meta tags
• Social sharing buttons
• Favorites / Wishlist
• Vehicle Compare
• PDF datasheet
• Sitemap integration
• Dashboard widget
• Lazy loading
• Bulk actions
• Export
• REST API
• Analytics tracking
• Financing calculator (with configurable interest rate, loan term, and down payment)
• Test Drive booking
• AI Assistant

Disabling a feature removes its functionality from both the frontend and admin without deleting any stored data. See the Settings Reference for the full list of toggles.

Outbound webhook URLs (new lead, new import) and the webhook secret are configured on the Leads screen — see the Leads Reference. The PDF datasheet feature toggle is on Settings, while its templates and branding are managed on PDF Manager (see the PDF Manager Reference).

The AI Assistant and Content Studio are not simple on/off toggles in the same way. The AI Assistant is configured on its own CMH Center → AI Assistant screen, and Content Studio is a separate CMH Center → Content Studio workspace. These operational areas may also require an active plugin licence before they can be used; while the plugin is not licensed for them, the screen is replaced with a "licence required" notice and existing data is left untouched.

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Managing the CMH Team

CMH Team is a separate top-level menu for plugin-managed dealership sales contacts. Team members are stored entirely inside the plugin (no WordPress user account is required) and can be shown on vehicle detail pages and used as the preferred recipient for leads.

The CMH Team menu provides the following screens:

How a contact is resolved for a given vehicle: a manually assigned per-car contact takes precedence, then the location/seller default, then the global default. Manual choices (manual, general, none) are never overwritten by the importer; automatic assignments may be refreshed on import. See CMH Team and Contact Routing for the full reference, and Lead Management Workflow for how CMH Team affects lead notification routing.

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Managing leads

Customer contact and test drive inquiries are stored as WordPress custom posts (as24ci_lead) and displayed in the Leads tab.

Administrator responsibilities:

• Configure the recipient email address for lead notifications (Leads tab).
• Review lead statuses periodically and update them to Contacted, Closed, or Spam as appropriate.
• Export leads to CSV for CRM import or archiving.
• Delete outdated or spam leads from the Leads tab.

Note: Lead post records are stored in WordPress. If Delete data on uninstall is enabled in Settings, these records will be permanently removed when the plugin is uninstalled.

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Uninstall and cleanup

The Settings tab includes a Delete data on uninstall option. When this is enabled:

• Uninstalling the plugin via WordPress Admin → Plugins will permanently delete all imported vehicle posts, lead posts, imported images, and plugin options.

When this option is disabled (the default), uninstalling the plugin leaves all data in WordPress. You can then reinstall the plugin and resume operation without loss of data.

Enable this option only if you intend a complete removal. It cannot be undone once uninstallation is complete.

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Support coordination

When an issue requires escalation to AutoScout24 or your integration partner:

1. Check the Logs tab for relevant error messages and note the timestamp.
2. Export the Diagnostics file from the Tools tab.
3. Note the plugin version (displayed in the plugin list and System & Help tab) and the WordPress and PHP versions.
4. Confirm whether the API connection test passes (System & Help → connection test).
5. Provide all of the above to your support contact. Do not share the raw Client Secret.

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Troubleshooting

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Related documents

• User Handbook
• Daily Usage Workflows
• Vehicle Import Workflow
• Lead Management Workflow