These terms apply specifically to developers, AI platforms, and agent operators ("Developers") accessing LotCast's API — they supplement, and don't replace, our general Terms of Service. If anything here conflicts with the general Terms on an API-specific point, these terms control.
This applies to anyone building against api.lotcast.ai — including AI assistants connecting via the Model Context Protocol (MCP), custom integrations, and any client authenticating with an API key or OAuth/JWT token.
API access is authenticated either by an lc_-prefixed API key or by a JWT issued through our identity provider (Auth0), scoped to one or both of:
inventory:read — search and browse dealer inventory (list_inventory, search_inventory, get_vehicle_by_id, check_availability)leads:write — submit a buyer lead to a dealer (submit_lead)You're responsible for keeping credentials confidential. Don't embed API keys in client-side code, public repositories, or anywhere a third party could extract and reuse them. Notify us at [email protected] immediately if you believe a credential has been exposed.
API clients are assigned a tier (e.g. free, base, partner) with an associated requests-per-minute limit. We may throttle or reject requests that exceed your tier's limit. If your use case needs a higher limit than your current tier provides, contact us — we're generally happy to accommodate legitimate, growing usage.
Access to the API is for genuine inventory discovery and lead submission on behalf of an actual prospective buyer. You agree not to:
If your integration uses leads:write, you're responsible for ensuring the buyer is aware their information (name, email, phone, and vehicle interest) is being submitted to a specific dealer. Don't submit a person's information as a lead without their knowledge — this applies however your agent or platform gathers that information during a conversation.
Inventory data returned by the API belongs to the enrolled dealer, not to LotCast or to you. You may display it to the end user you're assisting as part of a normal shopping interaction, but you may not store it long-term to build a separate product, resell it, or use it to train a model without the relevant dealer's separate consent.
We aim to keep the API stable, but endpoints, response shapes, and scopes may change as LotCast evolves. We'll make a reasonable effort to communicate breaking changes in advance where practical, but the API is provided without uptime guarantees at this stage.
We may suspend or revoke a Developer's API access, with or without notice, for violating these terms, abusing the platform, or any conduct we reasonably believe harms dealers, buyers, or the Service.
Questions about API access or these terms? Email [email protected].