generated: '2026-09-01' method: derived source: >- https://thecarapi.com/docs/sources + https://thecarapi.com/docs/schema + https://thecarapi.com/docs/authentication + openapi/thecarapi-openapi.json note: >- TheCarApi publishes closed, named vocabularies in prose across its reference — the site slug set, the scope groups, the price-event types, the response-envelope keys. This artifact collects them into one structured document. Every term and definition below is transcribed from the provider's own documentation; nothing is coined here. The provider's own instruction is to read the live sets from /api/sites and /api/contract rather than hardcoding them, so this is a snapshot for reference, not a substitute for runtime discovery. runtime_sources: - operationId: get_api_sites path: /api/sites provides: the live site slug set and per-source counts - operationId: get_api_contract path: /api/contract provides: required/optional response keys per shape, pagination limits, live-price capability vocabularies: - name: site description: Identifies which auction source a listing came from. Closed set; an unknown slug is a 400 naming the offender. used_in: - '/api/search?site=' - '/api/auction/{site}/{id}' - '/api/car-details?site=' - 'POST /api/calculator/calculate {site_name}' case_sensitive: false terms: - term: auto1 label: Auto1 (EU) inventory: live auctions detail: Full + normalized vehicle_details - term: openlane label: OpenLane (EU) inventory: live auctions detail: Full + normalized vehicle_details live_price: true - term: ecarstrade label: eCarsTrade (EU) inventory: live auctions detail: Full + normalized vehicle_details live_price: true - term: schadeautos label: Schadeautos (NL) inventory: live listings detail: Full - term: copart label: Copart Germany inventory: live auctions detail: Full - term: encar label: Encar (South Korea) origin: KR inventory: live listings detail: Full - term: japanauction label: Japanese auctions — USS, ARAI, AUCNET, BAYAUC, CAA origin: JP inventory: live listings detail: Full, plus the graded auction sheet not_a_term: - term: theparking reason: >- The European classifieds network is a scope name, not a source name. It never appears in /api/sites and passing it as a site value returns 400. - name: scope description: Permission groups attached to an API key, gating routes. Detail in scopes/thecarapi-scopes.yml. terms: - term: search - term: catalog - term: seo - term: auctions - term: details - term: top-offers - term: theparking - term: market - term: calculator - term: ops - term: '*' note: Grants every route. - term: public note: Legacy compatibility bundle, preserved for older integrations. - name: price_history_event_type description: The event_type value on a price-history row. Exactly three values, oldest first, capped at 5,000 events. source_note: >- The 2026-08-29 changelog entry records that the documentation previously printed a fourth value, "price_change", which never existed — a client matching on it discarded every event. terms: - term: initial - term: baseline - term: change - name: envelope_metadata description: The four contract fields merged into primary response bodies. terms: - term: contract_version type: string - term: request_id type: string - term: server_time type: timestamp - term: data_updated_at type: timestamp - name: co2_field_set description: Emissions fields. The measured and derived figures must never be merged. terms: - term: co2 meaning: Measured. - term: co2_estimated meaning: Derived. - term: co2_estimated_standard meaning: The NEDC/WLTP test cycle the estimate is stated against. - name: country_filter description: Origin filter on the vehicle facets. terms: - term: europe meaning: >- An exclusion, not a list — every origin that is not overseas. Currently excludes KR and JP. Rows with no recorded country are treated as European and are included. Pass explicit ISO codes for strict membership. spelling_caveat: The import calculator spells the United Kingdom UK where the vehicle facets spell it GB. - name: image_status description: Gallery entry state. Referenced on gallery entries and on search-row image annotations. terms: - term: pending meaning: The photo has not been vaulted yet. Reported as a shortfall count rather than an error. - name: boolean_state_flags description: Two booleans that answer questions the rest of the payload cannot. terms: - term: is_blind meaning: >- The auction house publishes no bid at all, by design. The one case where current_price null is a final answer rather than missing data. Most eCarsTrade auctions are blind. - term: details_pending meaning: >- The listing's full detail payload has not been fetched from the source yet. vehicle_details is omitted while it is true. Not an error. - term: live_price_pending meaning: The upstream live-price refresh missed the request budget and is still running. Read once more after ~2s. - name: vehicle_details_keys description: The normalized detail block that reconciles differently-named source payloads. terms: - term: documents - term: inspection_reports - term: option_reports - term: car_reports - term: service_history - term: service_history_summary - term: technical_inspection - term: paperwork - term: condition - term: damages - term: damage_comment - term: technical_issues - term: remarks - term: is_damaged - term: has_technical_issues - term: estimated_repair_costs - name: inspection_report_type description: Types found in inspection_reports. terms: - term: auction_sheet meaning: The graded Japanese auction-house sheet — the one substantial detail record japanauction publishes. - name: openapi_tags description: The eleven capability groups the OpenAPI document organises operations under. terms: - term: Search & discovery - term: Filter facets - term: Catalog - term: SEO helpers - term: Auctions & history - term: Vehicle details - term: Top offers - term: European classifieds - term: Market intelligence - term: Import calculator - term: Health & contract