# Auto Dev

> Use when working with Auto.dev APIs, vehicle data, VIN decoding, car listings, vehicle photos, specs, recalls, payments, interest rates, taxes, OEM build data, plate-to-VIN, CLI commands, MCP tools, or SDK methods for any automotive data task

- Skill: `drivly/auto-dev` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 20 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add drivly/auto-dev`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/drivly/auto-dev/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: AI & ML
- Author: drivly (https://skillmd.com/u/drivly)
- Updated: 2026-09-10
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/drivly/auto-dev

---


# Auto.dev

Automotive data for AI agents — via MCP tools, CLI commands, SDK methods, or direct API calls.

## Detect Your Surface

Check in this order. Use the first one available:

**1. MCP** — Check if `auto_decode` is in your available tools.
If yes: use `auto_*` tools for everything. Do NOT make raw HTTP calls.
To install: `npx @auto.dev/sdk mcp install` (installs globally and configures Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code Copilot, Cline, Zed).

**2. CLI** — Run `auto --version`.
If installed: authenticate once with `auto login` (OAuth — no API key needed), then use `auto` commands.
To install: `npm install -g @auto.dev/sdk` or use `npx @auto.dev/sdk <command>` without installing.

**3. SDK** — Check if `@auto.dev/sdk` is in project dependencies.
If yes: use typed SDK methods. See code-patterns.md for all methods.
To install: `npm install @auto.dev/sdk`

**4. Direct API** — Check for `AUTODEV_API_KEY` env var.
If not set: ask the user for it or direct them to https://auto.dev/pricing (the Free plan needs no card).

## MCP Tools

If MCP tools are available, this is your only section. Use `auto_docs` to look up
parameters and response shapes before calling an unfamiliar endpoint.

```
auto_docs listings      # see all listing filters
auto_docs payments      # see payment params
auto_docs vin-decode    # see VIN decode response shape
```

| Tool | Description | Plan |
|------|-------------|------|
| `auto_decode` | Decode a VIN | Free |
| `auto_listings` | Search listings with filters | Free |
| `auto_photos` | Get vehicle photos | Free |
| `auto_specs` | Vehicle specifications | Growth |
| `auto_build` | OEM build data ($0.10/call) | Growth |
| `auto_recalls` | Safety recalls | Growth |
| `auto_payments` | Payment calculations | Growth |
| `auto_apr` | Interest rates | Growth |
| `auto_tco` | Total cost of ownership | Growth |
| `auto_open_recalls` | Open/unresolved recalls | Scale |
| `auto_plate` | Plate to VIN ($0.55/call) | Scale |
| `auto_taxes` | Taxes and fees | Scale |
| `auto_docs` | Search bundled API documentation | — |
| `auto_config_set` | Set a config value (e.g. `raw: true`) | — |
| `auto_config_get` | Get a config value or list all settings | — |

API metadata is stripped from MCP tool responses by default. Use `auto_config_set` with `key: "raw"` and `value: "true"` to get full responses.

**If MCP tools are available, skip to Important Rules below.**

## CLI Quick Reference

Install: `npm install -g @auto.dev/sdk` (or use `npx @auto.dev/sdk` without installing)
Authenticate once: `auto login`

```
auto decode <vin>
auto photos <vin>
auto listings --make Toyota --year 2024 --price 10000-40000 --state CA
auto specs <vin>
auto build <vin>
auto recalls <vin>
auto open-recalls <vin>
auto payments <vin> --price 35000 --zip 90210 --down-payment 5000
auto apr <vin> --year 2024 --make Honda --model Accord --zip 90210 --credit-score 750
auto tco <vin> --zip 90210
auto taxes <vin> --price 35000 --zip 90210
auto plate <state> <plate>
auto usage
auto docs [query]        # search bundled docs
auto explore [endpoint]  # browse params and mappings
```

All commands support `--json`, `--yaml`, `--raw`, and `--api-key <key>` flags.

API metadata is stripped by default — you get clean vehicle data. Use `--raw` to see the full API response.

```
auto config set raw true    # always show full responses
auto config get raw         # check current value
auto config list            # show all settings
```
Full CLI reference: https://docs.auto.dev/v2/cli-mcp-sdk

**If CLI is available, skip to Important Rules below.**

## Direct API Quick Reference

Use these only when MCP and CLI are unavailable.

**V2** (base: `https://api.auto.dev`): `Authorization: Bearer {key}` or `?apiKey={key}`
**V1** (base: `https://auto.dev/api`): `?apikey={key}` (query string only)

| Endpoint | Plan | Required Params |
|----------|------|-----------------|
| `GET /listings?filters` | Free | See v2-listings-api.md |
| `GET /listings/{vin}` | Free | — |
| `GET /vin/{vin}` | Free | — |
| `GET /photos/{vin}` | Free | — |
| `GET /specs/{vin}` | Growth | — |
| `GET /build/{vin}` | Growth | — ($0.10/call) |
| `GET /recalls/{vin}` | Growth | — |
| `GET /tco/{vin}` | Growth | — |
| `GET /payments/{vin}` | Growth | `price`, `zip` |
| `GET /apr/{vin}` | Growth | `year`, `make`, `model`, `zip`, `creditScore` |
| `GET /openrecalls/{vin}` | Scale | — |
| `GET /plate/{state}/{plate}` | Scale | — ($0.55/call) |
| `GET /taxes/{vin}` | Scale | — |

V1 supplemental (no V2 equivalent): `/api/models`, `/api/cities`, `/api/zip/{zip}`, `/api/autosuggest/{term}`

Before making any Direct API call, read the relevant reference file for full parameter names and examples.
Full parameter reference: v2-listings-api.md | v2-vin-apis.md | v2-plate-api.md | v1-apis.md

### Common Gotchas (All Surfaces)

These parameter names do NOT exist on the Direct API — agents hallucinate them frequently:

```
make=    ← use vehicle.make
model=   ← use vehicle.model
state=   ← use retailListing.state
price=   ← use retailListing.price (on /listings), or price= (on /payments, /taxes)
rows=    ← use limit
sort=    ← no sort parameter exists
_order=  ← no sort parameter exists
```

MCP and CLI handle these mappings automatically. This only matters for Direct API calls.

## Plans & Pricing

See pricing.md for full per-call costs and upgrade links.

| Plan | Monthly | Includes |
|------|---------|----------|
| Free | $0, no card | VIN Decode, Listings, Photos (1,000 calls/mo, hard cap) |
| Growth | $299/mo + data fees | + Specs, Recalls, TCO, Payments, APR, Build |
| Scale | $599/mo + data fees | + Open Recalls, Plate-to-VIN, Taxes & Fees |

All plans charge per-call data fees on every request. Growth/Scale have no cap on volume but data fees still apply.

## Important Rules

- **Before batch operations**, call the endpoint once with a single item to see the actual response shape. Do not guess field names or nesting — inspect the real response first.
- **Include ALL fields** from the API response unless the user explicitly says to exclude some.
- **Small results** (<10 items, single VIN): Display inline as formatted table
- **Large results** (10+ listings): Ask user preference, default to CSV export
- **Always support**: CSV, JSON export when user requests
- **Chain APIs** when the query spans multiple endpoints — MCP tools and CLI commands can be called in parallel
- **Sensitive inputs**: `creditScore`, `zip`, and the price / trade-in / down-payment fields on `/apr`, `/payments`, and `/taxes` are transmitted to the Auto.dev API. Ask the user for these values rather than inferring them, send only what the endpoint requires, and don't persist or echo them beyond the answer.
- **Plate lookups** (`/plate/{state}/{plate}`) resolve a license plate to a specific vehicle and can identify its owner. Confirm the user has a legitimate purpose, and never run them in bulk against plates the user did not supply.
- **When writing exports to disk**, confirm the destination path first and don't overwrite an existing file without asking.

## Deep Reference

**MCP or CLI:** use `auto_docs [query]` or `auto docs [query]` for live parameter lookup.
Full reference: https://docs.auto.dev/v2/cli-mcp-sdk

**SDK:** see code-patterns.md for typed methods and response format.

**Direct API:**
- API Docs: v2-listings-api.md | v2-vin-apis.md | v2-plate-api.md | v1-apis.md
- Workflows: chaining-patterns.md | interactive-explorer.md | business-workflows.md
- Code Gen: code-patterns.md | app-scaffolding.md | integration-recipes.md
- Other: error-recovery.md | pricing.md | examples.md