# Copart Public Search Scraper (`parseforge/copart-public-search-scraper`) Actor

Scrapes vehicle listings from Copart public search URLs and single lot pages. Returns each lot as a flat row with optional VIN enrichment for manufacturer and country of origin.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/parseforge/copart-public-search-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [ParseForge](https://apify.com/parseforge) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, Automation, Other
- **Stats:** 478 total users, 36 monthly users, 97.7% runs succeeded, 4 bookmarks
- **User rating**: 5.00 out of 5 stars

## Pricing

from $16.00 / 1,000 records

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

[![ParseForge](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ParseForge/apify-assets/main/banner.jpg)](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp)

### Copart Public Search Scraper

**Scrape vehicle listings from any Copart public search URL, including VIN-decoded manufacturer and country of origin.** Every lot returns with its title, odometer, damage, current bid, and sale date. No login required. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

Copart's public search pages show thousands of salvage and used vehicles, but copying details by hand is slow and error-prone. This actor reads any Copart search results page or single lot URL you provide and extracts every listing into a structured dataset. It also decodes the first 11 characters of each VIN to tell you the manufacturer and country of origin, even when Copart masks the full number.

| Who uses it | What they scrape Copart for |
|---|---|
| Auto dealers | Build a daily feed of fresh salvage inventory matching specific makes and damage types. |
| Salvage buyers | Identify undervalued lots by filtering on odometer readings, primary damage, and sale date. |
| Market analysts | Track pricing trends and inventory volumes across different Copart locations and vehicle categories. |
| Exporters | Find vehicles from specific manufacturers and countries of origin for overseas markets. |

### What it does

This Actor collects vehicle listings from a Copart public search URL or single lot URL and returns each one as a flat row with optional VIN enrichment.

- 🔍 **Search URL input:** Paste any Copart search URL with your filters already applied and scrape every matching lot.
- 🚗 **Single lot scraping:** Drop in a direct lot URL to extract full details for one vehicle.
- 🧠 **VIN enrichment:** Decode the first 11 characters of every VIN to get the manufacturer, country of origin, possible model years, and plant code, even on masked listings.
- 📦 **Flat row output:** Each lot becomes one row with a fixed schema, ready for spreadsheets or databases.

Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.

### What you can do with Copart data

**📊 Monitor daily inventory.**

A dealer runs the actor each morning on a saved search URL for Toyota and Honda vehicles with under 100,000 miles to decide which auctions to bid on.

**🌍 Identify export candidates.**

An exporter scrapes a search filtered by country of origin enrichment to find Japanese and German vehicles available at US Copart locations.

**💰 Track market prices.**

An analyst scrapes sold listings for a specific model and damage type over a month to calculate average final bid values.

**🔎 Inspect a single vehicle.**

A buyer drops a lot URL into the actor to pull the full listing details and decoded VIN into a spreadsheet before placing a bid.

### Why choose this scraper

|  | What you get |
|---|---|
| **No login or API key** | Reads the public Copart search pages directly. |
| **VIN decoding built in** | Identifies the make and country for every lot, even when the VIN is partially hidden. |
| **Flexible input** | Works with any filtered search URL or a single lot page. |
| **Structured export** | Returns a clean dataset in CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML. |

### How it compares

This actor scrapes any public Copart search URL with built-in VIN decoding. The Copart Vehicle Auction Scraper targets live auction listings with price monitoring.

| Feature | ParseForge | Copart Vehicle Auction Scraper 🚗 |
|---|---|---|
| Scrapes any public search URL | Yes | Not listed |
| Built-in VIN decoding | Yes, manufacturer and country of origin | Not listed |
| Single lot URL scraping | Yes | Not listed |
| Live auction monitoring | Not listed | Yes |
| No login required | Yes | Not listed |

### Configure the run

Drive the Actor from a single Copart search URL or lot URL, set a maximum item count, and optionally enrich every VIN with manufacturer and country of origin. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

```json
{
  "startUrl": "https://www.copart.com/lotSearchResults/?free=true&query=",
  "maxItems": 10
}
```

A larger pull:

```json
{
  "startUrl": "https://www.copart.com/lotSearchResults/?free=true&query=",
  "maxItems": 200
}
```

### Pricing

Pay-per-result: **$0.026 per result** collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.

| Results collected | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| 100 results | $2.60 |
| 1,000 results | $26.00 |
| 10,000 results | $260.00 |

New Apify accounts start with $5 in free credit.

### Free users

Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. [Upgrade your Apify plan](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp) to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.

### Run it

1. [Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=vmoqkp).
2. Open the [Copart Public Search Scraper](https://apify.com/parseforge/copart-public-search-scraper?fpr=vmoqkp).
3. Set your inputs and any filters, then click **Start**.
4. Export the results as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML from the **Dataset** tab.

Run it programmatically through the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2) (`run-sync-get-dataset-items`) or the [ApifyClient](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js) for JavaScript and Python.

### Use with AI agents (MCP)

Give an AI agent live access to Copart through the Model Context Protocol. Add the Actor to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=parseforge/copart-public-search-scraper"
```

Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.

### Troubleshooting

**Why am I getting no results?**

Check that your start URL begins with https://www.copart.com/ and is a valid search results page or lot URL. Open the URL in a private browser window to confirm it shows listings without a login.

**The actor returns fewer items than I see on the website.**

Make sure your Maximum Items setting is high enough. Also, Copart sometimes lazy-loads results; the actor scrapes what is initially present on the page.

**VIN enrichment is not adding manufacturer or country data.**

Confirm the Enrich Output toggle is switched on. If it is on and still missing, the VIN may be too short or malformed for the decoder to process. Try a listing with a full 11-character prefix.

**I get an error about the URL pattern.**

The start URL must match the pattern ^https://www.copart.com/.\*. Remove any extra parameters or tracking codes that break this format, and ensure the URL is copied exactly from your browser.

**The actor runs but stops after 10 items.**

Free Apify accounts are limited to 10 items. Upgrade to a paid plan and set your desired Maximum Items value to scrape more.

### FAQ

| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do I need a Copart account or API key? | No. This actor reads the public search pages that anyone can view without logging in. You only need the URL from your browser address bar after performing a search on copart.com. |
| Can it scrape Copart auctions that require a membership? | No. It only accesses the public search results and public lot pages. Listings behind a Copart membership login are not available. |
| How does VIN enrichment work on masked VINs? | Copart often shows only the first 11 characters of a VIN. The actor sends those 11 characters to a free VIN decoding service, which returns the manufacturer, country of origin, possible model years, and plant code. Full specs are added only when a complete 17-character VIN is available. |
| What is the maximum number of listings I can scrape? | Free Apify users are limited to 10 items as a preview. Paid users can scrape up to 1,000,000 listings per run by adjusting the Maximum Items setting. |
| Can I use my own VIN decoding service? | Yes. The optional Enrichment Connector field lets you point to your own MCP-compatible VIN server instead of the default public endpoint. |
| What format does the data export to? | You can export your dataset in CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML from the Apify platform. |
| Does it scrape sold listings? | If your Copart search URL includes sold listings, the actor will scrape whatever the public page displays. The actor itself does not filter by sale status. |
| Can I scrape multiple search URLs in one run? | Each run takes one start URL. To scrape multiple searches, run the actor multiple times with different URLs, or use Apify's scheduler to run them in sequence. |
| Is the VIN decoding cached? | Yes. Decoded VINs are cached per run so repeated lookups of the same VIN do not slow down the scrape. |

### Related actors

Browse the full [ParseForge collection](https://apify.com/parseforge?fpr=vmoqkp) for more scrapers.

🆘 **Need help?** Email parseforge@protonmail.com with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.

⚠️ **Disclaimer.** This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Copart, Inc. It collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using the collected data in compliance with the source's terms of service and applicable data-protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL. Do not use it to collect personal data unlawfully.

# Actor input Schema

## `startUrl` (type: `string`):

Copart search URL or single lot URL to scrape. For search URLs: 1) Go to copart.com, 2) Perform your search with desired filters, 3) Copy the URL from your browser address bar. For single lot URLs: Use the direct lot URL (e.g., https://www.copart.com/lot/12345678/...). URL must start with https://www.copart.com/

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Free users: Limited to 10 items (preview). Paid users: Optional, max 1,000,000

## `enrichOutput` (type: `boolean`):

Toggle on to decode every VIN: manufacturer (e.g. Honda, Toyota), country of origin (e.g. Japan, USA), possible model years from the year code, plant code. Works even when Copart masks the last 6 chars of the VIN — only the first 11 chars are needed. Full vehicle + engine + transmission specs are added when a complete unmasked VIN is available. Uses mcp.vin (free, no auth required). Cached per VIN.

## `enrichConnector` (type: `string`):

Leave blank to use the public mcp.vin endpoint (recommended). Or pick a connector here to use your own VIN MCP-compatible server.

## `mcpProxyUrlOverride` (type: `string`):

Diagnostic only.

## `mcpTokenOverride` (type: `string`):

Diagnostic only.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "startUrl": "https://www.copart.com/lotSearchResults/?free=true&query=",
  "maxItems": 10,
  "enrichOutput": false
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `vehicles` (type: `string`):

Complete vehicle dataset with all fields including lot details, build sheets, damage reports, pricing data, and auction status

## `overview` (type: `string`):

Overview view of vehicles with key fields displayed in a table format

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "startUrl": "https://www.copart.com/lotSearchResults/?free=true&query=",
    "maxItems": 10
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("parseforge/copart-public-search-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "startUrl": "https://www.copart.com/lotSearchResults/?free=true&query=",
    "maxItems": 10,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("parseforge/copart-public-search-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "startUrl": "https://www.copart.com/lotSearchResults/?free=true&query=",
  "maxItems": 10
}' |
apify call parseforge/copart-public-search-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,parseforge/copart-public-search-scraper"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/gbTCcvLIEYLA86fpJ/builds/zmfQ93SXnjQkVH7Gd/openapi.json