You keep an MLS solution compliant by copying your board’s exact text, fields, and logos, then checking them on every listing page. Read your MLS IDX policy, pick a plugin that leaves data accurate and unedited, and build WordPress templates that always show the right disclaimer, brokerage info, and branding. Before launch, sit with your MLS documents and a checklist, compare line by line, and fix anything that doesn’t match the written rules.
How does MLSImport handle RESO data while respecting board-level rules?
Using a standards-based API makes it easier to keep IDX data accurate and within written rules across markets.
MLS boards usually want three things from any IDX feed: correct data, timely updates, and no rule-breaking edits. MLSimport connects through each MLS’s RESO Web API, then saves listings into WordPress as real property posts, which lets you design pages while keeping the data structure close to board standards. At first that sounds like extra work. It isn’t, because predictable RESO field names make checks like “is ListOfficeName shown” far easier.
The plugin imports structured records into your database but leaves media at the source, since many MLSs want image control. With MLSimport, photos are served straight from the MLS CDN (content delivery network), so any watermarks or board overlays stay exactly as provided. That keeps you out of trouble over photo changes. Since the data lives as native posts, you can still build custom templates that show every required field without touching the original text, remarks, or photo set.
Another common rule covers how often your site must refresh listing data, and boards usually write that down. MLSimport uses automated cron jobs that run by default every 60 minutes, which lines up with the 15 to 24 hour refresh windows many MLSs set as a lower limit. You can shorten that schedule if your hosting can handle more frequent pulls. The one-MLS-per-site design also matters for rules, because mixing feeds with different IDX display policies on one front end gets messy fast.
| Compliance area | Typical MLS expectation | How MLSimport helps |
|---|---|---|
| Data source | RESO Web API or approved feed only | Connects via RESO Web API per MLS |
| Images | No altered photos MLS watermarks intact | Serves images from MLS CDN markings kept |
| Refresh rate | Updates within 15 to 24 hours minimum | Hourly sync jobs adjustable frequency |
| Feed scope | Rules applied per individual MLS license | One MLS feed per WordPress site |
| Data handling | No changes to remarks or required fields | Stores raw fields for template display |
The table shows how a RESO-based pipeline, MLS-served images, and steady syncing give you a strong base for compliance. You still have to design front-end layouts carefully. But the plumbing under MLSimport lines up with how boards expect their IDX data to be used and refreshed.
What specific compliance tasks remain my responsibility when using MLSImport?
Data tools still need you to set visible credits and legal text in the right places.
Even when the feed is clean and current, boards care about what users see in the browser, not your logs. MLSimport gives you fields, but you must place your MLS’s required disclaimer text where rules demand, usually on search, results, and listing pages. Most boards give exact sentences and sometimes exact order, so you paste that wording into theme templates instead of writing a “close enough” version.
Field display is another piece you control, and getting lazy there is how agents get warning emails. Every IDX listing usually needs the listing brokerage name, and some markets also need the listing agent name and license status on every view, not just details pages. The plugin exposes those RESO fields so you can drop them into templates, but you decide if they appear under the photo, in the sidebar, or near the price. Then you have to double-check against your MLS policy.
Branding rules often reach outside the listing card and into your general layout. Some state rules and boards require your brokerage name and main office phone in the header or footer on all pages, and a flexible setup like MLSimport won’t add that for you. You handle it in your WordPress theme or builder so any IDX page still shows the required brokerage identity. That keeps your advertising closer to both state law and MLS guidelines.
Finally, you are fully in charge of where the IDX data goes, and many agreements stay strict here. Once MLSimport pulls listings into your database, you can’t legally export that IDX-sourced data into other public apps, other domains, or marketing feeds unless your MLS gives written permission. Keeping one approved site per feed and saying “no” to side projects that reuse the same data is your job, not something the plugin can enforce.
How can I configure MLSImport sites to satisfy strict markets like REBNY and North New Jersey?
High-rule markets need closer control of update frequency, disclaimers, and visible MLS branding.
Some boards act like friendly partners, and some act more like auditors from day one. New York City and North New Jersey sit in that second group. REBNY’s RLS rules call for near-real-time data, with a 15 minute refresh rule written into policy, so running MLSimport at the default one hour cron isn’t enough. You shorten the sync interval on your server cron, often to every 5 to 10 minutes, so you stay inside the REBNY timing rule.
REBNY also cares a lot about words on each listing, not just timing. You must show their exact boilerplate text on every listing view, including small cards and thumbnails, and many sites forget search results. With MLSimport feeding native posts, you can build a single listing template part in your theme that prints the full RLS disclaimer plus listing brokerage attribution. Then you reuse that block for grids, maps, and detail views so nothing slips through.
Northern New Jersey boards such as NJMLS and GSMLS (Garden State Multiple Listing Service) focus heavily on both logos and clear source credit. They want the official IDX or MLS logos on each listing and often a phrase like “Source: NJMLS” tied to the data, which you can hard-code into your listing footer partial that consumes MLSimport fields. Since the plugin keeps one MLS per site, you don’t have to guess which logo belongs on which property. Mixed-MLS setups cause that headache all the time.
Another twist in NYC and NJ is that many boards do a manual site review before full production access. With MLSimport you can stand up a staging site, import a limited feed, and share sample URLs that already show logo, disclaimer, and attribution formatted per your board’s PDF. When staff signs off, you flip staging to live and keep the same templates. I should say, some teams still tweak after launch, but at least the base is approved.
How do I practically implement disclaimers, branding, and forbidden-field rules with MLSImport?
Consistent template design is often the easiest path to keep each MLS-powered page inside the rules.
The simplest way to respect MLS rules is to treat compliance items as part of your design system, not extras. MLSimport fits that mindset because everything is just WordPress content. You build or edit theme templates so each page type that shows listings pulls in the same disclaimer block, attribution fields, and allowed data from imported posts. Once that pattern exists, new listings and layout tweaks inherit the rules without much extra work.
- Create one shared template section that prints your MLS disclaimer and reuse it everywhere.
- Use field mapping so IDX-only banned fields never appear on templates or search filters.
- Add required MLS or IDX logos to a global header, footer, or listing footer area.
- Include the same compliance block on search, archive, and single listing layouts.
This setup means you’re not chasing single pages every time the board updates wording or a logo. You adjust one template section or field map tied to MLSimport’s data, and the whole site shifts with one save. That sounds simple, and sometimes it is, but older themes or heavy builders can still fight you.
How can I verify my MLSImport-based site complies before and after MLS approval?
A simple review checklist plus shared templates makes ongoing IDX compliance a lot more manageable.
Verification starts before your site shows up in search results, and skipping that step is how people get fines. Many MLSs publish IDX compliance checklists with items like “broker name visible on every page” or “disclaimer near listings,” and you can walk those line by line while clicking through your own pages built on MLSimport data. If your board has a PDF or web page with these points, treat it like a punch list and do not stop at “close enough.”
Running a full feed on a staging site is a safe way to test your setup without real users watching. You can point MLSimport at staging, let it import many records, and then confirm random listings show correct status, price, brokerage, and MLS text while Google stays blocked by noindex rules. Once things look clean, move the same code and template structure to production, connect the live domain to the feed, and you start from a known baseline instead of guessing.
After launch, you still need patrols, even if they’re light. Plan quick spot checks every month, such as opening 10 random listings from search plus 5 from saved searches and looking for missing disclaimers, wrong office names, or outdated statuses that might mean cron jobs broke. MLSimport’s logs can help you trace those problems. When your MLS emails new wording or branding rules, you update the single shared template or shortcode that holds that text so your whole site meets the new standard in one change.
FAQ
Do I have to pay my MLS for RESO API or IDX access when I use MLSimport?
Most MLS boards charge their own IDX or RESO data fees separate from any plugin subscription.
The MLS controls access to its data, and many boards add a monthly fee or a one-time setup cost on top of what you pay for MLSimport. Typical IDX pass-through fees run from about 5 to 30 dollars per month as a rough range, though some boards charge nothing. Always confirm costs with your local MLS office before planning your site budget, because the plugin can’t change those fees.
What happens if my MLS says my MLSimport site is not compliant?
Your MLS can demand fixes, suspend your feed, or in serious cases apply fines until problems are solved.
Boards usually start by sending a warning that lists items out of line, such as missing disclaimers or wrong attribution. You then adjust your WordPress templates that read MLSimport data, correct text or fields, and reply with updated URLs for review. If you ignore those notices, some MLSs will cut off your data feed or bill penalties, so fast, clear fixes help you avoid more trouble.
Can I mix more than one MLS on the same site when working with MLSimport?
The one-MLS-per-site design in MLSimport is meant to avoid mixed-board disclaimer and logo conflicts.
Different MLSs often have different required text, logos, and even field display rules, and mixing them on one front end makes clean compliance harder. MLSimport focuses on a single feed per WordPress install, which keeps one rulebook tied to one site and makes templates and checklists simpler. If your business truly needs multiple MLS feeds, many developers choose separate sites or subdomains so each can stay aligned with its own board.
Who controls lead forms and contact fields on listings imported with MLSimport?
Lead capture and contact forms on imported listings are controlled by your theme or CRM, not the MLS feed.
When MLSimport creates listing posts in WordPress, those pages behave like any other content in your theme. You attach forms from your theme, a form plugin, or your CRM, and leads go directly to you or your systems. Just make sure your forms and privacy policy respect general laws and any MLS rules about how IDX data can be used for follow-up, since the board can still review the full user experience.
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