Copart Auction Lot Finder by Search URL: MCP config, n8n workflow and API

Turn a Copart search or lot URL into vehicle records covering VIN, specifications, odometer readings, damage, title details and current pricing. A vehicle sourcing agent reviewing BMW auction candidates can assemble a comparison of condition, mileage and bids.

Fastest route, in Claude Code:

claude mcp add --transport http copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,dataspryva/copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url"

One click, signs in with Apify on first use:

Any other client, one command (writes the config for 25+ agents, including Windsurf, Zed, Cline and Goose):

npx add-mcp "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,dataspryva/copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url" --name copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url

Every file on this page is generated from the Actor's published schema: 51 of 51 checks pass (validated, not run)
  • MCP configs: 7 of 7 (Uses Apify's hosted MCP endpoint over HTTPS; The tools parameter lists exactly the chosen Actors as owner/name; JSON configs parse and use the client's top-level key and the same URL; Codex TOML has a [mcp_servers.<name>] table with url and bearer_token_env_var; CLI commands quote the same URL and use the streamable HTTP transport; One-click install links decode back to the same URL and carry no token; Only placeholders, no real token)
  • n8n workflow: 11 of 11 (It has a nodes array and a connections object; Every node has a name, type, typeVersion, position and parameters; Node names are unique; Every node type is a known n8n core node (or the Apify node); Every node uses a typeVersion that n8n ships; Every connection points at an existing node; At least one trigger starts the workflow; Every working node is reachable from a trigger; Apify calls use POST and a credential for the token; Actor input matches the Actor's published input schema; No token or credential value is embedded)
  • long-run workflow: 11 of 11 (It has a nodes array and a connections object; Every node has a name, type, typeVersion, position and parameters; Node names are unique; Every node type is a known n8n core node (or the Apify node); Every node uses a typeVersion that n8n ships; Every connection points at an existing node; At least one trigger starts the workflow; Every working node is reachable from a trigger; Apify calls use POST and a credential for the token; Actor input matches the Actor's published input schema; No token or credential value is embedded)
  • example input: 5 of 5 (The schema has no required fields; Every input key exists in the published input schema; Every value has the type the schema declares; Every choice field uses one of its published options; Numbers respect the published minimum and maximum)
  • code snippets: 4 of 4 (curl calls the documented run-sync-get-dataset-items endpoint for this Actor; Python (apify-client 3.x typed Run) and JavaScript use the official apify-client call() then read the run's dataset; Multi-line shell commands continue every line with a backslash; Token read from APIFY_TOKEN, none embedded)
  • SKILL.md: 13 of 13 (SKILL.md starts with YAML front matter; name is 1-64 lowercase letters, digits and single hyphens; name matches the skill folder name; description is present, at most 1024 characters and has no angle brackets; front matter uses only spec fields; compatibility is at most 500 characters; body has instructions; field descriptions end on whole sentences; no credential values are embedded; the token is read from APIFY_TOKEN; the run command calls this Actor's run-sync endpoint; the example input is valid JSON; the example input matches the published input schema)

What the checks cover

Good jobs for this Actor

  • Build a vehicle comparison using make, model, trim, engine, transmission and drive.
  • Flag lots for closer review using primary_damage, secondary_damage, title_description and odometer_reading_type.
  • Prepare a pricing worksheet with current_bid, buy_it_now_price, acv and estimated_retail_value.
  • Retain lot_number and vin when passing shortlisted vehicles to another workflow.

Prompts to try

  • Using Copart Auction Lot Finder by Search URL, find auction vehicles for search and give me the results as a table with site, lot_number, vin.
  • Compare vehicle condition for search with Copart Auction Lot Finder by Search URL, keep the first run to a few results, and tell me what it cost.

What a run costs

Every run pays a start fee plus a price per result. On the Free plan this Actor's start fee is $0.40 (the start event, $0.10 per GB, times its default 4 GB of memory), $0.12 on Business; results cost $0.99 per 1,000 results (pay per event). Checked 2026-11-13.

Run cost by number of results
Results in one runStartResultsRun total
10$0.40$0.010$0.41
100$0.40$0.10$0.50
1,000$0.40$0.99$1.39

Plus Apify platform usage for the run, which the caller pays. A smaller memory setting lowers the start fee if the Actor still finishes. Prices can change; the Store pricing tab is the source of truth.

MCP config

One URL works in every client: https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,dataspryva/copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url. It exposes this Actor as a tool, plus fetch-actor-details so the agent can read the input schema before calling it. Pick your client:

Claude Code configterminal or .mcp.json

claude mcp add --transport http copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,dataspryva/copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url"

Run the command in your project folder. Add --scope user to make it available in every project. Full Claude Code setup

Tools your agent gets

Listed by Apify's MCP server 0.21.9 for this exact URL on 2026-11-12 (a tools/list call; nothing was run).

  • fetch-actor-detailsreads the input schema
  • dataspryva--copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-urlruns the Actor and returns its results
  • get-actor-runchecks a run's status
  • get-dataset-itemsreads a run's results
  • get-key-value-store-recordreads a stored record such as a file or summary
  • abort-actor-runstops a run that is still going

n8n workflow

A manual and a daily trigger call the Actor through the HTTP Request node with your Apify token, then hand each record to the destination you pick. The Actor input sits in the request body, already filled with the example below.

Send the records to
  • Run by hand
  • Every day
  • Run Apify Actor

n8n workflowcopart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url.n8n.json

Actor on Apify
{
  "name": "Copart Auction Lot Finder by Search URL to n8n only",
  "nodes": [
    {
      "id": "72c7ca5a-25f8-4444-a120-3a911e1b5c9f",
      "name": "Run by hand",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.manualTrigger",
      "typeVersion": 1,
      "position": [
        0,
        0
      ],
      "parameters": {}
    },
    {
      "id": "5195049a-c3ad-44b6-a4e8-f763f70ce757",
      "name": "Every day",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.scheduleTrigger",
      "typeVersion": 1.2,
      "position": [
        0,
        200
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "rule": {
          "interval": [
            {
              "triggerAtHour": 8
            }
          ]
        }
      },
      "notes": "Activate the workflow to run on this schedule."
    },
    {
      "id": "4ed3e036-a83d-4d7b-a95a-66a661e4af7b",
      "name": "Run Apify Actor",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest",
      "typeVersion": 4.2,
      "position": [
        260,
        100
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "method": "POST",
        "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/dataspryva~copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url/run-sync-get-dataset-items",
        "authentication": "genericCredentialType",
        "genericAuthType": "httpHeaderAuth",
        "sendBody": true,
        "specifyBody": "json",
        "jsonBody": "{\n  \"mode\": \"search\",\n  \"searchUrl\": \"https://www.copart.com/lotSearchResults?free=true&query=BMW\",\n  \"buyItNowOnly\": false,\n  \"newlyAddedDays\": \"0\",\n  \"sort\": \"sale_date\",\n  \"maxItems\": 3,\n  \"includeDetails\": false,\n  \"includeImages\": true,\n  \"site\": \"us\"\n}",
        "options": {
          "timeout": 310000
        }
      },
      "notes": "Actor: dataspryva/copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url. Select a Header Auth credential: name Authorization, value Bearer + your Apify token. Edit the JSON body to change the input.",
      "notesInFlow": false
    },
    {
      "id": "94c2bf42-4add-49e2-a382-083314ad1bdb",
      "name": "Setup",
      "type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
      "typeVersion": 1,
      "position": [
        0,
        -370
      ],
      "parameters": {
        "content": "## Copart Auction Lot Finder by Search URL\n\nSource: [dataspryva/copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url](https://apify.com/dataspryva/copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url) on Apify.\n\n1. In **Run Apify Actor**, create a Header Auth credential: name `Authorization`, value `Bearer YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN` with your token.\n2. Click **Execute workflow**. Each record arrives as one n8n item.\n3. Edit the JSON body of **Run Apify Actor** to change the input.\n\nGenerated by recipeforagents.com. Validated, not executed: runs are billed to your Apify account.",
        "height": 340,
        "width": 460,
        "color": 6
      }
    }
  ],
  "connections": {
    "Run by hand": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Run Apify Actor",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    },
    "Every day": {
      "main": [
        [
          {
            "node": "Run Apify Actor",
            "type": "main",
            "index": 0
          }
        ]
      ]
    }
  },
  "pinData": {},
  "active": false,
  "settings": {
    "executionOrder": "v1"
  },
  "meta": {
    "templateCredsSetupCompleted": false
  },
  "tags": []
}

Import with Workflows, Import from file, or paste into the canvas. Credentials are not included: you select them after import.

All 7 destination variants pass the same checks at build time. Built-in nodes only, at versions n8n has shipped since 1.80: they import on n8n Cloud and older self-hosted instances without community nodes. Prefer Apify's own node? The verified community node @apify/n8n-nodes-apify runs the same Actor with OAuth sign-in on n8n Cloud.

Runs longer than 5 minutes? The synchronous endpoint answers HTTP 408 after 300 seconds. The long-run variant starts the run, checks it every minute until it ends, then reads its dataset (HTTP Request, If and Stop and Error nodes only).

Download the long-run workflow11 of 11 checks pass, not executed

Call it from code

Run the Actor from a script or your own agent framework with the Apify API. The call waits for the run to finish and returns the records. The input is the example below.

curl

API docs on Apify
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/dataspryva~copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url/run-sync-get-dataset-items" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"mode":"search","searchUrl":"https://www.copart.com/lotSearchResults?free=true&query=BMW","buyItNowOnly":false,"newlyAddedDays":"0","sort":"sale_date","maxItems":3,"includeDetails":false,"includeImages":true,"site":"us"}'

In an agent framework

The same Actor and input in the frameworks Apify documents: as a LangChain or CrewAI tool, a LlamaIndex document loader, or through the scoped MCP URL in the OpenAI Agents SDK and Mastra. Each snippet is run against the current package before it is shown (stub API, nothing billed). Framework guides

Install: pip install langchain-apify

LangChain

# Reads APIFY_TOKEN from the environment.
from langchain_apify import ApifyActorsTool

tool = ApifyActorsTool("dataspryva/copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url")
items = tool.invoke({"run_input": {
    "mode": "search",
    "searchUrl": "https://www.copart.com/lotSearchResults?free=true&query=BMW",
    "buyItNowOnly": False,
    "newlyAddedDays": "0",
    "sort": "sale_date",
    "maxItems": 3,
    "includeDetails": False,
    "includeImages": True,
    "site": "us",
}})
print(len(items), "records", items[:1])

# Give the same tool to an agent (pip install langchain langchain-openai):
# from langchain.agents import create_agent
# agent = create_agent(ChatOpenAI(model="gpt-5.4-mini"), [tool])

Example input

These values come from the Actor's Store prefill and required defaults. Change the search, URL or limit before your first run.

Actor inputinput.json

{
  "mode": "search",
  "searchUrl": "https://www.copart.com/lotSearchResults?free=true&query=BMW",
  "buyItNowOnly": false,
  "newlyAddedDays": "0",
  "sort": "sale_date",
  "maxItems": 3,
  "includeDetails": false,
  "includeImages": true,
  "site": "us"
}

Input fields of the example
FieldTypeWhat it does
mode string (2 options) Choose Search to find lots, or Details to fetch specific lot numbers or lot URLs.
searchUrl string A Copart search results URL, for example https://www.copart.com/lotSearchResults?free=true&query=BMW. Filters you set on Copart are preserved. A /lot/<number> URL fetches that single lot.
buyItNowOnly boolean Only lots that have a Buy It Now price.
newlyAddedDays string (3 options) Only lots added to Copart in the selected window.
sort string (8 options) Order of the search results.
maxItems integer Maximum number of lot records to return.
includeDetails boolean For search results, fetch each lot's full detail page and condition report. This adds one request per lot.
includeImages boolean Fetch the full photo gallery for lots in Details mode, or for search results when Include full details is on.
site string (3 options) Country site used for keyword searches. A pasted URL overrides this setting.

18 more optional fields on the Store input tab.

What your agent receives

Each run returns a list of records. The Actor publishes 80 fields, starting with site, lot_number, vin, year.

Output fields
FieldWhat it holdsFormat
siteCopart site: us, uk or meastring
lot_numberLot #text
vinVIN, partially masked by Copart for anonymous visitorsstring
yearYearnumber
makeMaketext
modelModeltext
trimTrimtext
model_groupCopart model groupstring
body_styleBody stylestring
colorExterior colorstring
30 more fields
More output fields
FieldWhat it holdsFormat
exterior_colorExterior color from the detail pagestring
interior_colorInterior color from the detail pagestring
engineEngine descriptionstring
cylindersCylinder countinteger
fuel_typeFuel typestring
transmissionTransmission typestring
driveDrive trainstring
keysWhether keys are availablestring
odometerOdometernumber
odometer_unitOdometer unit (MI, KM or EXEMPT)string
odometer_reading_typeOdometer reading type (ACTUAL, EXEMPT, etc.)string
primary_damagePrimary Damagetext
secondary_damageSecondary damage typestring
damage_type_codeCopart damage type codestring
title_group_codeTitle group codestring
title_groupTitle group descriptionstring
title_descriptionFull title document descriptionstring
title_stateState that issued the titlestring
title_typeTitle type codestring
title_tracking_urlTitle tracking URL when Copart publishes onestring
lot_conditionLot condition descriptionstring
lot_condition_codeLot condition codestring
sale_statusSale Statustext
bid_statusCurrent bid statusstring
current_bidCurrent Bidnumber
buy_it_now_priceBuy It Nownumber
buy_it_now_availableWhether the lot has a Buy It Now optionboolean
acvActual Cash Valuenumber
estimated_retail_valueCopart estimated retail valuenumber
currencyCurrency of the price fieldsstring

40 more fields in the full output.

Agent skill

A SKILL.md in the open Agent Skills format. It teaches Claude Code, Codex and other skill-aware agents when to call this Actor, how to build the input and how to read the result, using the API directly.

SKILL.mdcopart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url/SKILL.md

---
name: copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url
description: "Copart auction lots with vehicle specs, damage, title, bids, sale dates, yard location, seller and photo galleries. Runs the Apify Actor dataspryva/copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url. Use when the user needs Copart Auction Lot data with fields such as site, lot_number, vin, year, make, model and an Apify token is available."
compatibility: "Needs network access, curl, and an APIFY_TOKEN environment variable. Runs are billed to the token owner's Apify account."
metadata:
  actor: "dataspryva/copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url"
  store-url: "https://apify.com/dataspryva/copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url"
---

# Copart Auction Lot Finder by Search URL

Use this skill to fetch Copart Auction Lot data with the Apify Actor `dataspryva/copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url` and work with the returned rows.

## Before running

1. Check that `APIFY_TOKEN` is set in the environment. Never print it or write it to a file.
2. Build `input.json` from the user's request using the fields below. Keep limits small for a first run.
3. Confirm the search terms or URLs with the user if the request is ambiguous.

## Input fields

| Field | Type | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `mode` | one of `search`, `details` | Choose Search to find lots, or Details to fetch specific lot numbers or lot URLs. |
| `searchUrl` | string | A Copart search results URL, for example https://www.copart.com/lotSearchResults?free=true&query=BMW. Filters you set on Copart are preserved. A /lot/number URL fetches that single lot. |
| `buyItNowOnly` | boolean | Only lots that have a Buy It Now price. |
| `newlyAddedDays` | one of `0`, `1`, `7` | Only lots added to Copart in the selected window. |
| `sort` | one of `sale_date`, `year_desc`, `year_asc`, `odometer_asc`, `odometer_desc`, `make_asc`, `model_asc`, `auction_date_asc` | Order of the search results. |
| `maxItems` | integer | Maximum number of lot records to return. |
| `includeDetails` | boolean | For search results, fetch each lot's full detail page and condition report. This adds one request per lot. |
| `includeImages` | boolean | Fetch the full photo gallery for lots in Details mode, or for search results when Include full details is on. |
| `site` | one of `us`, `uk`, `mea` | Country site used for keyword searches. A pasted URL overrides this setting. |

Example `input.json` (the Actor's published prefill):

```json
{
  "mode": "search",
  "searchUrl": "https://www.copart.com/lotSearchResults?free=true&query=BMW",
  "buyItNowOnly": false,
  "newlyAddedDays": "0",
  "sort": "sale_date",
  "maxItems": 3,
  "includeDetails": false,
  "includeImages": true,
  "site": "us"
}
```

## Run

```bash
curl -sS -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/dataspryva~copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url/run-sync-get-dataset-items" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d @input.json > results.json
```

The call waits for the run to finish and returns the dataset items as a JSON array. If the run needs more than 300 seconds the API answers with HTTP 408; then start the run with `POST /v2/acts/dataspryva~copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url/runs`, poll `GET /v2/actor-runs/{runId}` until `SUCCEEDED`, and read `GET /v2/datasets/{defaultDatasetId}/items`.

## Output

Each item is one record. Published fields include: `site`, `lot_number`, `vin`, `year`, `make`, `model`, `trim`, `model_group`, `body_style`, `color`, `exterior_color`, `interior_color`, `engine`, `cylinders`, `fuel_type`, `transmission`, `drive`, `keys`, `odometer`, `odometer_unit`.

Summarise what was found, cite the record URLs when present, and say how many items came back. Do not invent values for empty fields.

  • Claude Code: save it as ~/.claude/skills/copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url/SKILL.md, or .claude/skills/copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url/SKILL.md in a project.
  • Codex and other agents: ~/.agents/skills/copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url/SKILL.md, or .agents/skills/copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url/ in a project.
  • Or let the skills CLI place it for your agent: npx skills add https://recipeforagents.com --skill copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url
  • Set APIFY_TOKEN in the agent's environment.

Troubleshooting

Why does the client say Unauthorized or invalid token?

Every Apify Actor tool needs a signed-in Apify account. Reconnect the server so the OAuth sign-in runs again, or switch to the token variant: an Authorization: Bearer header with an API token from Apify Console, Settings, API and integrations. For a local server the token must be in the server's own env block, not only in your shell.

Source: Apify MCP server README. This fix on its own page

Why did my agent's tool list change after an update?

Without a tools parameter Apify's server loads its default tool set, which changes between releases. The URLs on this site pin the tools with ?tools=, so the agent always gets the same Actor tool plus fetch-actor-details. Apify's README gives the same advice for production.

Source: Apify MCP server README. This fix on its own page

What happens when the agent sends input the Actor rejects?

The server answers with the Actor's input schema, so the agent can fix the arguments and call again. The fetch-actor-details tool in every scoped URL lets it read that schema before the first call.

Source: Apify MCP server README. This fix on its own page

Questions

Can I collect a single vehicle instead of a search?

Pass the lot URL to retrieve that vehicle's listing details.

How are odometer readings represented?

The published schema separates odometer, odometer_unit and odometer_reading_type. Retain all of them when comparing mileage so the unit and reading classification stay visible.

How do I connect Copart Auction Lot Finder by Search URL to Claude?

In Claude Code run: claude mcp add --transport http copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,dataspryva/copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url". In Claude Desktop or claude.ai add a custom connector with the URL https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,dataspryva/copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url and sign in to Apify. The agent then gets one tool for this Actor plus a tool that reads its input schema.

What input does Copart Auction Lot Finder by Search URL need?

No field is required by the published input schema. The example on this page uses the Actor's own Store prefill, so it is a sensible first run.

What does Copart Auction Lot Finder by Search URL cost to run?

The Apify Store lists $0.99 per 1,000 results (pay per event) for this Actor, checked 2026-11-13. Runs are billed to the Apify account whose token or sign-in the agent uses; Apify platform usage can add to that.

Which tools does the MCP config give my agent?

6 tools: fetch-actor-details, dataspryva--copart-auction-lot-finder-by-search-url, get-actor-run, get-dataset-items, get-key-value-store-record, abort-actor-run. Apify's MCP server listed them for this exact URL on 2026-11-12.

Made this Actor? Show it is listed

A small badge for your README, docs or Store page that links back here. It is a plain SVG file: no script, no tracking.

Listed on Recipe for AgentsListed on Recipe for Agents, dark version