Settings¶
DMS settings come at two levels: global settings that apply site-wide, and per-type settings that apply to a single inventory type. Knowing which is which saves a lot of hunting.
Global settings¶
Found at Dealer.ms > Settings, these apply across your whole DMS install, spread across tabs by topic:
- General - Global Variables (reusable values you can drop into WordPress and Elementor content - define a name and value, then use its code anywhere and DMS swaps in the value), Custom Sidebars (extra widget areas that appear under Appearance > Widgets), and Map Service (which mapping provider is used for location features).
- Display & Templates - the Global VDP/SRP/SRI Templates used for every inventory type unless a type overrides them (see Templates & Pages), plus the Icon Manager and modal styling.
- Pricing & Taxes - currency formatting and your tax definitions.
- Account Types - manage what different kinds of DMS users can access.
- Backend UI - how the WordPress admin menu and DMS backend look and behave for your team.
- No Results - the message shown when a search returns nothing.
- Notifications - back-in-stock email settings.
- API Keys - captcha and other third-party integration keys (shared by contact forms and stock alerts).
Per-type settings¶
Found at [Your Type] > Settings, these apply only to that one inventory type and override the global defaults where they overlap. They include:
- The Vehicle Details Page (VDP) template for this type's detail pages (overrides the Global VDP Template).
- The active menu item highlighted while viewing this type's detail pages.
- Gallery and display options.
- This type's fees and discounts defaults. See Fees & Discounts.
Global vs per-type: the rule of thumb¶
- Something that should be the same everywhere → global settings.
- Something specific to one kind of inventory → that type's settings.
- When both are set, the type's setting wins for that type.
Next: apply your template choices in Templates & Pages, or set pricing defaults in Fees & Discounts.