Integration
VinSolutions integration for dealer websites
Zoomshop routes leads generated on your VDPs, contact forms, and inventory pages directly to VinSolutions as standard ADF/XML — the same format VinSolutions accepts from AutoTrader, Cars.com, and every other lead source. Leads land in VinSolutions within seconds with vehicle-of-interest details, referring URL, UTM parameters, and correct source attribution — ready for your Connect Automotive Intelligence workflows.
What this integration does
VinSolutions is Cox Automotive’s CRM — where much of the franchise dealer world runs its lead management, task automation, and sales workflow. If VinSolutions is your source of truth for customer conversations, Zoomshop’s job is to feed it clean, well-attributed leads and stay out of the way.
The integration is intentionally minimal. VinSolutions has a mature intake path for ADF/XML leads — the same path AutoTrader, Cars.com, CarGurus, and every OEM lead program uses. Zoomshop delivers to the same intake with the same format. No custom API work, no proprietary connector, no maintenance surface as VinSolutions releases updates.
For franchise groups running VinSolutions with vAuto for inventory, this pairs naturally: vAuto stays your inventory source of truth, VinSolutions stays your CRM source of truth, and Zoomshop is the website presentation layer that connects them to shoppers.
What data moves
| Field | Direction | Cadence |
|---|---|---|
| Lead submissions — all form fills on Zoomshop VDPs and pages | Zoomshop → VinSolutions | On submit, within seconds |
| Shopper name, email, phone, additional form fields | Zoomshop → VinSolutions | Per lead |
| Vehicle-of-interest (VIN, year, make, model, trim, stock number) | Zoomshop → VinSolutions | Per lead |
| Referring URL (the exact VDP or page they submitted from) | Zoomshop → VinSolutions | Per lead |
| UTM parameters (source, medium, campaign, term, content) | Zoomshop → VinSolutions | Per lead |
| Source attribution (labeled as your dealership website) | Zoomshop → VinSolutions | Per lead |
| Timestamp | Zoomshop → VinSolutions | Per lead |
The direction is one-way. Zoomshop sends leads to VinSolutions; VinSolutions doesn’t need to send anything back to Zoomshop for the integration to work correctly. Your VinSolutions account remains the source of truth for lead management, communication history, and sales workflow.
Setup requirements
From your side:
- Your dealership’s ADF intake email address from VinSolutions (available in your VinSolutions account settings, or ask your VinSolutions rep)
- 15 minutes for setup and verification
From Zoomshop’s side:
- Configure the ADF endpoint in your Zoomshop admin
- Send a test lead
- Confirm receipt in VinSolutions with correct source labeling and vehicle context
Typical timeline:
- Minute 0–5: Get the ADF intake address from VinSolutions
- Minute 5–10: Configure in Zoomshop admin
- Minute 10–15: Send test lead, verify appearance in VinSolutions
For franchise groups, coordinating the specific intake address per rooftop typically adds an hour or two — each rooftop has its own VinSolutions instance and its own intake address, so we configure per-store routing at Zoomshop’s end.
How lead attribution works
Attribution matters because paid media reports depend on it. If your Google Ads and Meta campaigns are landing shoppers on your Zoomshop site, then your VinSolutions reports need to trace closed sales back to those campaigns.
Zoomshop preserves attribution end-to-end:
- Shopper clicks your Google Ad → lands on
yourdealership.com/inventory/vehicle-detail/2023-honda-crv-ex/?utm_source=google&utm_campaign=fall-sales - UTM parameters attach to the shopper’s session on your Zoomshop-powered site
- Shopper browses inventory (UTMs preserved across page loads)
- Shopper submits a form on a specific vehicle page
- Zoomshop generates ADF/XML with: source = your dealership website, referring URL = the exact VDP, UTM parameters attached to source/campaign fields, vehicle context populated
- Lead lands in VinSolutions labeled as coming from your website, with the campaign that drove them
- Your VinSolutions Connect Automotive Intelligence workflows fire (auto-response, task assignment, lead scoring)
- Your VinSolutions reports show the lead attributed correctly to the Google campaign
This is the attribution loop your paid media strategy depends on. Many dealer platforms silently break it — Zoomshop makes it a first-class capability.
Questions dealers ask
Does Zoomshop work with VinSolutions?
Yes. Zoomshop routes leads generated on your VDPs, contact forms, and inventory pages directly to VinSolutions as standard ADF/XML — the same format VinSolutions accepts from AutoTrader, Cars.com, and every other lead source. No custom integration needed; VinSolutions parses the XML automatically and creates a lead record with all fields populated.
What data lands in VinSolutions when a shopper submits a form?
Every ADF lead from Zoomshop includes: the shopper's name, email, phone, and additional form fields; the specific VIN and vehicle details (year, make, model, trim, stock number) they were viewing; the exact page URL that generated the lead; the timestamp; UTM parameters preserved from wherever the shopper originally arrived (Google Ads, Meta, direct, referral); and the lead source labeled as your dealership website.
How fast does the lead show up in VinSolutions?
Seconds. Zoomshop sends the ADF/XML to VinSolutions' intake address the moment the shopper hits submit. VinSolutions parses it and creates the lead record within a few seconds. Your VinSolutions Connect Automotive Intelligence workflows (auto-response templates, task assignment, lead scoring) fire immediately per your account's configuration.
Do UTM parameters and referring page make it into the VinSolutions lead record?
Yes. This is where a lot of dealer platforms silently break attribution. Zoomshop preserves UTM parameters through the shopper's full session — captured on the initial landing page, held across every internal navigation, and attached to the ADF/XML payload when they submit a form. VinSolutions ingests them into the lead record where they show up as source and campaign fields. You can trace a specific closed sale back to the specific campaign, ad set, and creative that generated it.
Does Zoomshop integrate with VinSolutions Connect Automotive Intelligence or use direct API calls?
Standard ADF/XML by default, which is the same intake channel that VinSolutions uses for every third-party lead source. ADF is battle-tested for two decades and works with VinSolutions' existing routing, scoring, and workflow rules without any custom configuration. If your setup has specific reasons to prefer direct API (real-time enrichment, non-standard fields), that's available as a custom integration.
What about VinSolutions inventory / vAuto integration — do we still need those?
Yes, unchanged. VinSolutions and vAuto are your existing sales workflow tools; Zoomshop is the website presentation layer. Your inventory continues to live in vAuto (or HomeNet), your CRM continues to live in VinSolutions, and Zoomshop feeds leads into VinSolutions and consumes inventory from vAuto/HomeNet exactly as they operate today.
Can we run Zoomshop alongside our current dealer website while migrating to it?
Yes. VinSolutions' ADF intake accepts leads from multiple sources concurrently — your existing website, Zoomshop, and third-party marketplaces can all feed the same VinSolutions instance simultaneously. Common pattern for dealers switching website providers: run both sites in parallel for a week or two, verify VinSolutions is receiving clean leads from Zoomshop with correct source attribution, then cut over the domain.
What's the setup process?
Simple: (1) In VinSolutions, get your dealership's ADF intake email address (available from your VinSolutions account settings or your account rep). (2) In Zoomshop admin, paste the address into the CRM configuration for your dealership. (3) Zoomshop sends a test lead. (4) You verify it appeared in VinSolutions with the correct fields, source labeling, and vehicle-of-interest context. Total time: about 15 minutes.
Ready to see how this works on your site?
Run the free grader to see how your current site scores on the criteria that matter for AI visibility, Core Web Vitals, structured data, and Google search fundamentals — or book a call to talk through your specific setup.