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Stock-Based Compensation (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2025
Share-Based Payment Arrangement [Abstract] |
Schedule of Stock-based Compensation Expense | Information related to stock-based compensation expense is as follows (in thousands):
|  | Year Ended December 31, |
|  | 2025 |  |  | 2024 |  |  | 2023 |
Stock-based compensation expense |  | $ | 31,327 |  |  | $ | 30,553 |  |  | $ | 28,491 |
Income tax benefit related to stock-based compensation expense |  |  | 6,563 |  |  |  | 5,138 |  |  |  | 4,505 |
Summary of Stock-based Compensation Expense by Financial Statement | Stock-based compensation expense by financial statement line item on the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income is as follows (in thousands):
|  | Year Ended December 31, |
|  | 2025 |  |  | 2024 |  |  | 2023 |
Cost of revenue and operations |  | $ | 820 |  |  | $ | 871 |  |  | $ | 1,487 |
Product and technology |  |  | 8,656 |  |  |  | 10,684 |  |  |  | 8,814 |
Marketing and sales |  |  | 6,034 |  |  |  | 5,381 |  |  |  | 5,740 |
General and administrative |  |  | 15,817 |  |  |  | 13,617 |  |  |  | 12,450 |
Total (1) |  | $ | 31,327 |  |  | $ | 30,553 |  |  | $ | 28,491 |
(1) For the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, $0.1 million, $0.3 million, and $0.3 million, respectively, of capitalized internally developed technology costs is excluded from stock-based compensation expense.
Schedule of Outstanding Stock-based Compensation Awards | Information related to outstanding stock-based compensation awards as of December 31, 2025 for restricted share units ("RSUs"), performance share units ("PSUs"), stock options and the Cars.com, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan ("ESPP") is as follows (in thousands, except for weighted-average remaining period):
|  | Unearned Compensation |  |  | Weighted-Average Remaining Period (in years) |
RSUs |  | $ | 33,301 |  |  |  | 2.0 |
PSUs |  |  | 4,111 |  |  |  | 2.5 |
Stock Options |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |
ESPP |  |  | 350 |  |  |  | 0.4 |
Total |  | $ | 37,762 |  |  |  |
Summary of RSU Activity | RSU activity for the year ended December 31, 2025 is as follows (in thousands, except for weighted-average grant date fair value):
|  | Number of RSUs |  |  | Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value |
Outstanding as of December 31, 2024 |  |  | 3,637 |  |  | $ | 16.52 |
Granted |  |  | 3,266 |  |  |  | 11.74 |
Vested and delivered |  |  | (1,582 | ) |  |  | 16.06 |
Forfeited |  |  | (721 | ) |  |  | 14.08 |
Outstanding as of December 31, 2025 (1) |  |  | 4,600 |  |  | $ | 13.67 |
(1) Includes 441 RSUs that were vested, but not yet delivered.
Summary of PSU Activity | PSU activity for the year ended December 31, 2025 is as follows (in thousands, except for weighted-average grant date fair value):
|  | Number of PSUs |  |  | Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value |
Outstanding as of December 31, 2024 |  |  | 931 |  |  | $ | 16.37 |
Granted |  |  | 698 |  |  |  | 12.91 |
Vested and delivered (1) |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |
Forfeited |  |  | (596 | ) |  |  | 14.17 |
Outstanding as of December 31, 2025 |  |  | 1,033 |  |  | $ | 15.30 |
(1) The actual amount of shares that become common shares outstanding as of the date of vesting and delivery and will vary based on the attainment percentage of the relevant performance conditions.
Summary of Stock Option Activity | Stock option activity for the year ended December 31, 2025 is as follows (in thousands, except for weighted-average grant date fair value and weighted-average remaining contractual term):
|  | Number of Options |  |  | Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value |  |  | Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term (in years) |  |  | Aggregate Intrinsic Value |
Outstanding as of December 31, 2024 |  |  | 1,067 |  |  | $ | 6.28 |  |  |  | 5.98 |  |  | $ | 7,346 |
Granted |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |
Exercised |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |
Forfeited |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | — |
Outstanding as of December 31, 2025 |  |  | 1,067 |  |  |  | 6.28 |  |  |  | 4.98 |  |  |  | 3,490 |
Exercisable as of December 31, 2025 |  |  | 1,067 |  |  |  | 6.28 |  |  |  | 4.98 |  |  |  | 3,490 |
Summary of Fair Value of Stock Options Granted are Estimated Using Black Scholes Option Pricing Model | The fair value of the stock options granted during the year ended December 31, 2023 were estimated on the grant date using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, using the following assumptions:
|  | 2023 |
Risk-free interest rate |  |  | 2.21 | %
Weighted-average volatility |  |  | 65.22 | %
Dividend yield |  |  | 0 | %
Expected years until exercise |  |  | 6.5 |
Schedule of Information Related to ESPP | Information related to the ESPP is as follows (in thousands):
|  | Year Ended December 31, |
|  | 2025 |  |  | 2024 |  |  | 2023 |
Shares issued related to the ESPP |  |  | 246 |  |  |  | 187 |  |  |  | 179 |
Stock-based compensation expense related to the ESPP |  | $ | 824 |  |  | $ | 705 |  |  | $ | 760 |

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