Description of Business, Company History and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | NOTE 1. Description of Business, Company History and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Description of Business. Cars.com is a leading digital marketplace and solutions provider for the automotive industry that connects car shoppers with sellers. Through a portfolio of brands including Cars.com, Dealer Inspire and DealerRater, in addition to Auto.com, PickupTrucks.com and NewCars.com, the Company empowers shoppers with the data, resources and digital tools needed to make informed buying decisions and seamlessly connect with automotive retailers. In a rapidly changing market, Cars.com enables dealerships and manufacturers (“OEMs”) with innovative technical solutions and data-driven intelligence to better reach and influence ready-to-buy shoppers, increase inventory turn and gain market share. Company History. In May 2017, the Company separated from its former parent company, TEGNA Inc. (“TEGNA”) by means of a spin-off of a newly formed company, Cars.com Inc., which now owns TEGNA’s former digital automotive marketplace business (the “Separation”). On May 31, 2017, the Company made a $650.0 million cash transfer to TEGNA and TEGNA completed the Separation through a pro rata distribution to its stockholders of all of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock. The Company’s common stock began trading “regular way” on the New York Stock Exchange on June 1, 2017. In February 2018, the Company acquired all of the outstanding stock of Dealer Inspire Inc., an innovative technology leader providing progressive dealer websites, digital retailing and messaging platform products, and substantially all of the net assets of Launch Digital Marketing LLC, a provider of digital marketing services, including paid, organic, social and creative services (collectively, the “Acquisition”). The post-Acquisition business related to Dealer Inspire, Inc. and Launch Digital Marketing LLC is referred to collectively as “Dealer Inspire”. Basis of Presentation . These accompanying unaudited interim Consolidated Financial Statements (“Consolidated Financial Statements”) have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) and the rules and regulations of the SEC for interim financial statements. Accordingly, certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC. These Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated and Combined Financial Statements and the notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2018, which are included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K dated February 28, 2019 (the “December 31, 2018 Financial Statements”). The significant accounting policies used in preparing these Consolidated Financial Statements were applied on a basis consistent with those reflected in the December 31, 2018 Financial Statements. In the opinion of management, the Consolidated Financial Statements contain all adjustments (consisting of a normal, recurring nature) necessary to present fairly the Company's financial position, results of operations, cash flows and changes in stockholders' equity as of the dates and for the periods indicated. The unaudited results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2019. Use of Estimates. The preparation of the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect amounts reported in the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying disclosures. Although these estimates are based on management’s best knowledge of current events and actions that the Company may undertake in the future, actual results may differ from those estimates. Principles of Consolidation . The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Cars.com Inc. and its 100% owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and accounts are eliminated in consolidation. Reclassifications . Historically, certain costs related to severance, transformation and other exit costs; costs associated with the stockholder activist campaign; transaction-related costs and the write-off of long-lived assets were reflected in various operating expense line items in the Consolidated Statements of (Loss) Income. Beginning on January 1, 2019, these costs are reflected within General and administrative expenses. Therefore, certain prior year balances have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation and are summarized in the table below (in thousands). There is no change to Operating income (loss) as a result of these reclassifications. Three Months Ended June 30, 2018 As Reported Adjustments As Adjusted Cost of revenue and operations $ 22,804 $ (304 ) $ 22,500 Product and technology 17,951 (260 ) 17,691 Marketing and sales 59,527 (591 ) 58,936 General and administrative 13,148 1,155 14,303 Affiliate revenue share 3,813 — 3,813 Depreciation and amortization 26,712 — 26,712 Total operating expenses $ 143,955 $ — $ 143,955 Six Months Ended June 30, 2018 As Reported Adjustments As Adjusted Cost of revenue and operations $ 41,890 $ (1,405 ) $ 40,485 Product and technology 40,284 (4,685 ) 35,599 Marketing and sales 125,562 (1,219 ) 124,343 General and administrative 31,264 7,309 38,573 Affiliate revenue share 7,096 — 7,096 Depreciation and amortization 50,650 — 50,650 Total operating expenses $ 296,746 $ — $ 296,746 |