Dealer Management System - Documentation¶
Documentation for the Dealer Management System (DMS) WordPress plugin.
Applies to DMS 0.9.20+. Individual hooks and features note the version they were added with a
Sincetag where it matters.
The plugin's PHP is distributed encoded, so this documentation is the reference for its public API, hooks, and shortcodes. Never edit encoded plugin files - all customization is done through the hooks, filters, and helper functions documented here, placed in your theme's functions.php, a child theme, or a small mu-plugin.
For Developers¶
Theme and extension developers customizing or extending DMS.
| Doc | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Getting Started | Boot phases, accessor pattern, where to safely add code |
| Listings API | dms_get_listing(), the Listing object, query & type helpers |
| Filters Reference | Value-modifying hooks, grouped by system |
| Actions Reference | Lifecycle & event hooks (create/update/delete, import, forms) |
| Shortcodes Reference | All shortcodes + Elementor elements, attributes & context |
| Building Extensions | dms_init_extension, registrar helpers, independent activation |
| Cookbook | Task-oriented recipes combining the above |
API Reference¶
Granular, per-function and per-object reference to complement the guides above.
| Reference | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Function Reference | Every public dms_* helper, grouped by domain - parameters, return types, examples |
| Object Reference | The Listing, Type, Category, Badge, Lead, Listing_Status objects - methods & properties |
For Site Owners & Admins¶
Dealership staff managing inventory and pages - no code required.
| Doc | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Using Shortcodes | Plain-language shortcode usage and placement |
| Stock Alerts | No-results capture & back-in-stock notifications |
| FAQ | Common questions and tasks |
Support¶
For help beyond this documentation, contact your DMS provider. When reporting an issue, include your DMS version (shown on the Dealer.ms settings screen) and the WordPress version.
Please note that support and help for custom integrations and custom code is limited. If you believe there is an issue with the core code or API that is preventing your custom integration from working, please feel free to open a support ticket on your DMS website under Dealer.ms > Support.