Connect your inventory feed to AI shoppers and your existing CRM
A setup guide for your inventory provider, website team and CRM administrator.
Who can connect vAuto inventory to personal AI agents?
Dealer Handshake connects supported vAuto, CSV and Space Auto inventory feeds to compatible AI shopping assistants, with shopper-approved inquiries delivered to your existing ADF lead inbox. Keep your website, inventory provider and CRM. Your website provider publishes the dealer connection file; Dealer Handshake handles the managed connection and validates the feed mapping.
Car Handshake is our consumer shopping product. A shopper uses its supported assistant connection to search participating inventory. Dealer setup and shopper installation are separate steps.
This is useful when a buyer starts in an AI assistant away from your website. A chatbot on your own site, a BDC follow-up tool and an SEO agency serve different parts of the journey. Ask every provider to demonstrate the exact experience you want to buy.
Which inventory feeds are supported?
| Source | Current setup | Bring to the setup review |
|---|---|---|
| vAuto | Supported mapping through guided setup. | Feed contact, export format and the rooftops included. |
| Standard CSV | Guided mapping and validation before go-live. | Sample column headers, vehicle identifiers and update process. |
| Space Auto | Express import path. | Authorized dealership identity and the intended source. |
| Another provider | Mapping must be assessed first. | Provider name and sample headers; keep credentials out of email. |
A supported feed format does not imply a partnership with the feed provider or an unrestricted connection to every account. Confirm your authorization and export arrangements during onboarding.
What happens between the feed and the CRM?
- Verify the dealership. Confirm the authorized operator, domain, rooftop identity and contact information.
- Map the inventory. Check VIN or vehicle identifier, advertised price, mileage, condition, photos, vehicle page URL and rooftop against the source. Resolve missing or ambiguous fields before launch.
- Publish the connection file. Your website team adds the agreed agent card. The card describes the running service; compatible clients still need to support and use it.
- Set the lead destination. Use the CRM's ADF lead inbox for the intended store. Your CRM administrator checks parsing, vehicle association and the lead source label.
- Choose publication channels. Managed public AI search and Car Handshake website publication are separate permissions and are off by default.
- Test the complete journey. Query your vehicles through the intended assistant, then send a consented test inquiry and confirm receipt at the correct rooftop.
Inventory comes from the approved feed. The shopper's assistant searches it through the supported connection. If the shopper asks to contact a store and confirms the details, the supported lead workflow sends the inquiry to that store. The dealership follows up through its existing process.
ADF is a lead format, not a replacement CRM. A successfully submitted inquiry is not a confirmed appointment, financing approval or vehicle reservation.
Which assistant connection should we test?
Start with the assistant your shoppers intend to use. Review the assistant capability table for ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity, then follow its current setup link. The Perplexity connection is read-only; dealer-contact tools are not enabled there.
A public web-search mention and a connected inventory search are different tests. Ask the vendor to show whether an app or custom connector is enabled, which account requirements apply, and where the returned vehicle facts came from.
Watch the recorded ChatGPT-to-CRM demonstration. It uses real listings and a fictional shopper. For your acceptance test, use your own authorized inventory and a consenting tester.
A practical acceptance test for your dealership
| Check | Evidence to retain | Resolve before rollout |
|---|---|---|
| Ten current vehicles | Source record and assistant result with matching identity, price, mileage and rooftop. | Wrong vehicle, invented detail or wrong store. |
| A price change and a sold vehicle | Feed update time and the next observed assistant result. | Stale data beyond the agreed update process; investigate the cause. |
| A search with no matching stock | The query, constraints and answer. | Invented inventory or unannounced changes to the shopper's criteria. |
| A consented inquiry | Confirmation, delivery outcome and CRM receipt for the selected vehicle. | Missing consent, wrong rooftop or an unreadable ADF message. |
| Every intended assistant | Account, connection mode, prompt, timestamp and source links. | A demonstration in one host presented as proof for another. |
Agree the update process, responsibilities and acceptance criteria with the provider before testing. The ten-VIN test guide gives your team a repeatable worksheet approach. A free website scan supplies a separate baseline of website readability.
Roll out one rooftop, then repeat the checks
For a group with different website providers, list each rooftop's domain, feed source, website contact and CRM lead destination. Keep each dealership's identity and authorization separate. Select a representative pilot, prove its inventory and lead routing, and repeat those checks at every store.
The group can coordinate the project while website vendors publish their respective connection files. Do not treat a successful pilot as proof that the other rooftops have correct data or routing. Use the dealer-group rollout checklist.
What are we buying?
Dealer Handshake provides a managed inventory connection and lead workflow. Paid plans use a flat monthly subscription per dealership location, with no per-lead charge; existing agreements retain their terms. Request pricing for your locations and feed.
Ask the proposal to identify the supported feed, assistant path, setup work, update process, lead destination, acceptance checks and ongoing responsibilities. Paid advertising, search rankings and a dealership's internal sales automation are separate purchases.
Dealer Handshake comes from the team that created Auto Agent Protocol. The independently published open standard defines the contract; the managed service supplies the connection and its operation.
Common questions
Can we keep vAuto and our existing CRM?
Yes. vAuto is a supported feed mapping, and inquiries can be delivered to your configured ADF lead inbox. Confirm the export arrangement, rooftop mapping and CRM receipt during setup.
Is every CRM brand automatically supported?
Do not infer support from a CRM logo. Verify that your intended lead inbox accepts and correctly parses a test ADF message, associates the vehicle and routes the inquiry to the right store.
Does this buy advertising inside ChatGPT?
No. The managed inventory connection lets a supported assistant query authorized stock and send a shopper-approved inquiry. Paid ChatGPT ads are purchased through a separate advertising channel.
How long does setup take?
The schedule depends on feed readiness, dealership verification, website-provider work and lead testing. Confirm those dependencies before agreeing a launch date.