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The architecture that’s right for you

Webhooks are the recommended way to receive real-time vehicle data from Smartcar. You can still use the REST API for retrieving data and issuing commands, but webhooks are the most scalable and reliable option for most use cases.

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Webhooks

Webhooks are the most efficient way to receive real-time vehicle data. Smartcar sends you a payload whenever a vehicle event occurs, such as a change in battery level or location. This allows you to build applications that respond instantly to vehicle changes without polling an API. Get started with Webhooks here.

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REST APIs

If you prefer to retrieve data on demand, you can use the Smartcar Vehicles API. This allows you to query vehicle data at any time, but it may not be as efficient for real-time applications. The Vehicles API provides endpoints for accessing signals, issuing commands, and retrieving vehicle attributes. The Vehicles API is designed primarily for exploration and non-frequent data retrieval. This API is not designed for continuous polling or real-time monitoring. Data is typically updated once every 24 hours unless the vehicle is actively subscribed to a webhook, which enables more frequent updates. For most use cases, you should avoid polling the Vehicles API at high frequency leverage webhooks instead.

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CSVs (coming soon)

If you need to process large amounts of historical data, Smartcar can provide vehicle data in CSV format. This is useful for analytics and reporting purposes, allowing you to analyze trends over time. To inquire about CSV data, or if you are interested in a specific integration, please contact our support team at support@smartcar.com.