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HELP & SETUP

Get started with LotTrail.

Choose vehicles in LotTrail. Trail Buddy is the desktop Chrome extension that can save Facebook drafts or act on an explicitly approved publication request after you review the exact listing.

Getting started

Access LotTrail

Deal Builder and the product tour are open. Existing members can sign in. See access & status for connected workspace availability.

Put LotTrail on your phone

On iPhone, open LotTrail in Safari, tap Share, then Add to Home Screen. On Android, open it in Chrome and choose Install app or Add to Home Screen. Sign in to your workspace. Keep an internet connection while sending vehicles or saving work.

Connect your desktop

Install an approved Trail Buddy build in desktop Chrome and pair it with the same LotTrail workspace. Use the Chrome profile signed into the Facebook account where you want listings. Keep Chrome open while Trail Buddy works. If you need an installation or update, contact LotTrail support; keep a backup of existing local Trail Buddy records before updating.

Send listing requests from your phone

For one car, choose Publish this vehicle in Inventory or its saved listing, then Review this vehicle. Check the final details and approve the publication. You do not need to start a group. If a group review is already in progress, finish or stop it first; your selected cars stay saved.

  1. Open Inventory in LotTrail. Choose up to ten vehicles and review their prices, details and photos.
  2. Send the selection once. Keep the phone page open while LotTrail prepares the selections and confirms your requests. Return to the saved review if interrupted.
  3. Choose Save Facebook drafts, or choose Publish listings after review. For publication, inspect the exact car, price, photos and text, then explicitly approve ready listings. Trail Buddy handles one vehicle at a time in paired desktop Chrome. Return to LotTrail for each result.
  4. For a confirmed saved draft, open the Facebook app with the same account: Marketplace → Your listings → All listings → Draft → Continue. Review every field and photo, then publish in Facebook. For approved publication requests, check Queue & results in LotTrail and the matching Facebook listing before sending another group.

A prepared form is not a confirmed draft or published listing. Missing details or uncertain Facebook results pause the request. Check Your listings in Facebook before retrying; do not submit an uncertain car again without checking its existing result. Publication only follows your explicit approval of reviewed content.

Check missing dealer details before publishing

If a publication review holds a listing for a missing body style, fuel type, transmission or interior color, choose Check dealer details. Your paired Trail Buddy checks that vehicle’s dealer page. You can leave LotTrail and return to the saved review while it works. When the details are verified, LotTrail updates the saved listing and prepares a new review. Check the updated car, price, photos and wording before approving. This detail check does not send anything to Facebook. If the source cannot confirm a required detail, the listing stays held so you can review it.

Facebook shows more than one profile link

Facebook can show several profile links on the same page. Trail Buddy checks the intended account again as it moves through the publication steps. If it cannot confirm the account, the listing stays held for review; check the Facebook account in your paired desktop Chrome before trying again. A held result is not proof that the listing was posted. Check Facebook’s Your listings before resending an uncertain car.

Optional phone notifications

If enabled on your device, LotTrail can alert you when a listing is ready, published, or needs review. Track progress and check each result in Queue & results; delivery depends on browser and phone settings. On iPhone or iPad, first open LotTrail in Safari, tap Share → Add to Home Screen, then launch LotTrail from that Home Screen icon and allow notifications when prompted.

Keep your Trail Buddy records when updating

Use the same Chrome profile and installed extension folder. Export your Trail Buddy data and keep a separate copy of the program folder before an approved update. Do not remove the existing extension. Contact support if you cannot identify the installed folder or verify your saved listing count afterward.

Continue a saved LotTrail listing on desktop

Open the same workspace in desktop Chrome and find the saved listing. Review its price, photos and wording, then open it in Trail Buddy. If the dealership details changed, review and save the current version before preparing it in Facebook.

Inventory & estimates

Check inventory

Approved dealership sources are checked automatically while a supported desktop or server connection is available. LotTrail keeps the last complete inventory and its date if a check fails. Confirm a car’s price and availability before offering it or sending it to Facebook.

Build and print an estimate

Open Deal Builder to enter the selling price, down payment, trade, fees and rate, compare payment terms, then preview or print. Estimates are working figures. Confirm final pricing and terms with the dealership.

When something needs attention

LotTrail cannot find Trail Buddy

Check that the paired desktop Chrome is open in the intended profile and Trail Buddy is enabled. Refresh LotTrail after reconnecting. If it still cannot connect, contact support before reinstalling.

A vehicle or photo could not be checked

The dealership source may be temporarily unavailable. LotTrail shows the last complete inventory with its date. Confirm the vehicle on the dealership site before sending it. If the problem continues, ask the workspace administrator to review the source.

A draft is missing in Facebook

In the Facebook app, open Marketplace → Your listings → All listings → Draft. Check that you are using the same Facebook account as the paired desktop. If LotTrail cannot confirm a save, review the existing Facebook form and Your listings before retrying. You can copy the listing text and use the saved photos to finish manually.

My saved work did not appear on another device

Wait for the save confirmation before leaving a device. If another device has a newer version, review it before editing. Your Facebook drafts and LotTrail listing work have separate save states.

Still need help? Contact LotTrail support with the action and error message. Leave out private customer information.