API became a very popular word that is in everyone’s mouth. API stands for “application programming interfaces” and are mechanisms that allow two software components to communicate among them. There are APIs for anything you are looking for: YouTube API to integrate videos on your website, creating chat bots on a message application, automating workflows, among many others. And lately, more and more companies are providing car data APIs. You may wonder what these API offers and how they can be relevant. Let’s analyze this over the article.
What is a car data API?
A car data API is a mechanism that will connect your website or mobile application to a huge database with tons of data on cars, including antique vehicles. There are different types of car information API, and therefore different data you can access to, including:
- OCR: scan and extract VIN numbers and license plates directly from the car or from documents, titles, images, and more.
- VIN Decoder: get accurate details on the year, make, model, trim, engine and style of any car.
- Car specifications: access to basic details but also more specific data such as equipment, colors, interior and exterior details, technical specifications and more.
- Car market value: get access to trade-in, retail, private party and vehicle’s current market value, based on its condition.
- Services and repairs: get information on the services and repairs to make to any vehicle, including recalls, repair pricing, vehicle parts, among others.
- Car history: with this car information API you will be able to uncover the car’s past, including information on accidents, mileage, title records, sales history, auction history, and many more.
- Car images: get images to include in your listings, marketing or anything. Visuals are key!
- Window stickers for cars: you can get every manufacturer’s build sheet and generate window stickers, also known as Monroney labels, which are mandatory in every vehicle for sale in the USA.
This gives an overview of the number of things that can be done when you integrate a car data API with your website or mobile app.
Why are car APIs important?
Car data APIs are useful for many purposes: to avoid frauded vehicles with reversed odometers and fake mileage, to prevent you from getting a vehicle that has theft records or to know if any of your vehicles on stock have been classified as junk. If you can analyze potential vehicles for your business before you get them, you will be able to save you some headaches and a lot of money.
What is more, by integrating any of these vehicle API with your mobile app or website, you can provide a unique service to your customers, increasing your incomes and leveling up your business. Customers of used cars are always happy to receive accurate information on the vehicle they are about to purchase, to make them feel confident about their choice. Users are more likely to purchase a vehicle if they receive guarantees that the vehicle they are interested in is the one, and you can easily convince them with the help of these APIs, by showing the history of the car or by attaching a nice window sticker in the windshield of your vehicles in stock, opening them a window to all the information they want to know.
In the days of information, when everything is one click away, it is important that companies and businesses keep up to date with the most modern technologies to catch their customers’ attention. APIs are great for this, since they open doors to a new and sometimes unknown world of information. Give your company a chance, and book a demo with us to see how our APIs work and how you can benefit from them.
