How to Automate the Collection of Automotive Data with CapMonster Cloud

Automotive data is a critical foundation for analytics, valuation, and digital services. Some use it to check a car before purchase, others to build marketing reports, and some handle thousands of VIN numbers daily. Manual processing of such volumes is impractical. Even basic automation can hit technical limitations on websites.

In this article, we explore where automotive data comes from, why businesses need it, and how to work with it carefully and legally using CapMonster Cloud.

Why Businesses Need Automotive Data

Today, automotive data is more than just information. It’s a tool for decision-making, pricing, and shaping product offerings. It’s used by:

• car dealers — for vehicle valuation and competitor comparison;
• car selection services — to offer clients up-to-date options;
• insurers and banks — to assess a vehicle’s condition for product issuance.

Manual data collection in today’s market is simply inefficient. There’s too much information, it updates frequently, and it’s presented in various formats across different platforms. Automation is a necessity — especially when dealing with large volumes.

Where Automotive Data Comes From

There are plenty of sources for automotive information. Most commonly, these are:

• popular classified websites — where you can find VINs, configurations, mileage, photos, and prices;
• online VIN decoding services — which provide information based on the code, including production date, engine type, and other parameters.

Many of these sources don’t require authorization. The data is publicly available and used by millions daily. However, accessing them too frequently can trigger a response — like a captcha or a temporary access block.

Why Manual Collection Doesn’t Work

Imagine you have a list of 5,000 VIN numbers. For each, you need to find the page, enter the data, wait for it to load, copy the information, and move to the next. Even with a team of operators, this would take days. A single website glitch could reset the entire session.

Moreover, websites can detect automated behavior. They may:

• slow down or delay loading;
• display a verification form;
• temporarily block access from a suspicious IP.

This isn’t protection against users — it’s protection against excessive traffic. To bypass it, you need to act carefully.

How CapMonster Cloud Works

CapMonster Cloud solves the issue with verifications. It’s a cloud-based service that automatically handles verification forms — the ones that stop bots and scripts from working.

You don’t enter anything manually. The script sends the image or task parameters to CapMonster Cloud, receives the result, and continues working. This takes fractions of a second and requires no involvement from you.

Setting up CapMonster Cloud takes about 15 minutes. It works via API, supports popular programming languages and automation tools. Most importantly, it enables large-scale data collection without the risk of stopping due to a single captcha.

How to Collect Data by VIN

If you have a list of VIN numbers, it’s quite simple:

• the parser opens the required page and enters the VIN;
• if a verification appears, it’s sent to CapMonster Cloud;
• the result is returned, and the script continues;
• the data is extracted and saved in the desired format.

You can use Python, Puppeteer, Selenium, or any other tool. CapMonster Cloud works on top — as a reliable layer protecting your parsing from disruptions.

Is It Legal?

Yes, if you act honestly and transparently. Here’s what to keep in mind:

• use only publicly accessible pages, don’t hack or bypass authorization;
• don’t collect users’ personal data;
• maintain reasonable frequency and load on the service;
• don’t interfere with platform operations.

Conclusion

Collecting automotive data manually is a dead end. Simply running a script isn’t always enough either. For a system to work reliably, you need to bypass technical limitations. CapMonster Cloud is an indispensable helper in this.

It doesn’t replace the parser but makes it resilient. It enables collecting data on VIN numbers or vehicle listings in large volumes without interruptions. It’s legal, transparent, and genuinely saves time and resources.

If you work with cars and data, give it a try. Even in test mode, CapMonster Cloud will show how much easier life can be.
 

NB: Please note, the product is intended for automating tests on your own websites and sites you have legal access to.