Dealer Management System - Documentation¶
Documentation for the Dealer Management System (DMS) WordPress plugin.
This documentation always describes the current version of DMS. Keep the plugin and its extensions up to date so the features and screens here match what you see.
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.
Usage Guides¶
Dealership staff managing inventory and pages - no code required.
| Doc | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Getting Around | The admin menu map: where everything lives and where to go for a task |
| Dashboard | Your home screen: follow-up leads, updates, announcements |
| Inventory Types | What a type is, creating one, and its settings |
| Managing Listings | Adding, editing, photos, pricing, and organizing listings |
| Categories | The attributes and terms shoppers filter by |
| Statuses | Available/Sale Pending/Sold and custom lifecycle states |
| Badges | Creating, styling, and applying labels (manual or by rule) |
| Groups | Bundling related listings together |
| Fees & Discounts | Fixed/percent add-ons, type defaults, and the final price |
| Templates & Pages | Search Results Page vs Vehicle Details Page, building templates, and assigning them |
| Template Elements | Every Elementor element, where it works, and its options |
| Importing & Exporting | CSV and VIN import, column mapping, and export |
| Leads & Contacts | The built-in CRM: inquiries, contacts, and notifications |
| Stock Alerts | No-results capture & back-in-stock notifications |
| Settings | Global vs per-type settings and where each lives |
| Permissions & Roles | What each role can see and do |
| Extensions | Installing, updating, and licensing add-ons |
| Using Shortcodes | Plain-language shortcode usage and placement |
| FAQ | Common questions and tasks |
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 |
Support¶
For help beyond this documentation, contact Dealer.ms. Before reporting a problem, update DMS and its extensions to the latest version - many issues are already resolved in a newer release, and this documentation reflects the current version. If it still happens, include your DMS version and the WordPress version when you reach out.
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.