How do stock feeds work out of Dealer Studio?

Dealer Studio can push your vehicle stock to third-party platforms using file-based feeds (FTP/SFTP) and API-based feeds (webhooks/native APIs).
This article explains who we export to, how exports are sent, and how long updates usually take.

1) Who can Dealer Studio export stock to?

We integrate with multiple third parties, including: 

• Autogate / Carsales / Boatsales / Caravan sales etc 
• Autotrader
• Drive
• Facebook
• Commonwealth Bank
• iAppraise
• Impel
• Xcite
• Matador
• Autoplay
• YouX
• Facebook
• Googel Adwords
• Several website suppliers: 
  • Adtorque Edge
  • iMotor
  • Digital Dealer
  • Dealer Solutions / Cox / Indicator
  • Mattaki
  • Tbone
• Among thers

2) What export methods are available?

FTP

• CSV file pushed to the destination FTP server.
• Optional photo export via FTP.

SFTP

• Same concept as FTP, but over SFTP.
• Supported for CSV and photo uploads where configured.

Webhook / API export

• Vehicle payload sent as JSON over HTTPS.
• Supports authentication options:
  • Basic auth
  • Bearer token
  • API key headers
  • Optional HMAC signature

URL-only feeds

• Dealer Studio provides feed data at a URL for external systems to pull.

3) How often do exports run?

Dealer Studio is mainly event-driven (runs when stock changes), with scheduled jobs as a safety net.

Event-driven exports (usual flow)

When a car is created/updated and relevant stock fields change:

• Dealer Studio queues an export job.
• If the same feed has run in the last 5 minutes, Dealer Studio delays that feed by 5 minutes to avoid duplicate rapid runs.

Scheduled jobs (backup/synchronisation)

• Bulk export feeds run daily at: 6:00, 9:00, 11:00, 13:00, 16:00, 19:00, 23:00 (Australia/Brisbane).
• Webhook full export job runs daily at 1:00 AM (Australia/Brisbane).

4) After a car is updated, how long does export usually take?

Under normal conditions:

• FTP/SFTP feed export: usually ~1 to 5 minutes
  (can be longer if feed was just run, due to the 5-minute throttle, or if queues are busy)
• Webhook/API export: usually ~1 to 3 minutes
  (includes an intentional ~1 minute delay before dispatch)
• Autotrader export: usually ~1 to 6 minutes
  (1-minute scheduling plus the same anti-spam delay logic if recently run)

In short: most stock updates appear externally within a few minutes in usual circumstances.

5) Why might it take longer sometimes?

Common reasons:

• High Sidekiq queue volume
• Feed recently ran (5-minute delay protection)
• Large feed/photo uploads
• Endpoint authentication or server errors at destination
• Filters exclude the vehicle from that feed (stock type, location, status, stock rules)

6) Quick troubleshooting checklist

If a vehicle has not exported after ~15 minutes:

1. Confirm the feed is Active
2. Confirm the vehicle matches feed filters (location/stock type/status/rules)
3. Check latest Feed Runs and logs
4. For API feeds, check API call response codes
5. Verify FTP/SFTP/API credentials and endpoint availability