Direct post and ping/post
This article compares direct post and ping/post as operator choices for how buyers receive leads. It stays at the conceptual level so you can pick a method without reading API schemas.
Choose the model that matches how your buyers actually decide to purchase. Then configure delivery on each buyer.
What is direct post vs ping/post?
Both are ways a winning or candidate buyer can receive lead data. They differ in whether the buyer gets a chance to bid or pre-qualify before the full sale post.
| Model | Operator summary | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| Direct post | Send the lead to the buyer in one delivery step | One buyer, fixed price, simple integrations |
| Ping/post | Ask eligible buyers first, then post the full lead to the winner | Buyers compete on price or must pre-qualify |
Other delivery options such as email and store exist for simpler or internal workflows. See Buyer delivery methods.
How this relates to distribution
Distribution chooses which eligible buyer should win. Delivery is how that buyer receives the lead.
| Distribution | Common delivery pairing |
|---|---|
| Waterfall | Often direct post, tried in order |
| Highest Bidder | Often ping/post so buyers can bid |
| Weighted | Either, depending on whether buyers bid |
You can mix buyers with different delivery methods in one campaign when the business needs it, but keep day one simple.
Prerequisites
- Buyer users created in Manage Users
- Campaign exists with fields defined
- Clarity on whether buyers will bid or take a fixed post
Choose and configure
- Decide whether buyers need a bid or pre-qualification step.
- Open the campaign Buyers tab and add or edit the buyer.
- Set Delivery Method to direct post or ping/post.
- Complete the delivery settings the form shows for that method.
- Set price or bid-related expectations the UI asks for.
- Click Save.
- Run Test Buyer Integration.
- Send a campaign-level test lead and confirm the timeline matches the model you chose.
Decision guide
| Question | If yes | Prefer |
|---|---|---|
| Is there one primary buyer at a fixed price? | Yes | Direct post |
| Do buyers need to bid per lead? | Yes | Ping/post |
| Must the buyer refuse before seeing full delivery details your process requires? | Yes | Ping/post |
| Do you want the fewest moving parts on day one? | Yes | Direct post |
Tips and gotchas
- Ping/post adds response mapping and timeout considerations. Budget test time for it.
- Direct post failures are usually endpoint or mapping issues. Use Test Buyer Integration first.
- Switching a live buyer from direct post to ping/post changes behavior immediately. Re-test.
- Distribution method and delivery method are related but not identical settings. Set both deliberately.
- Do not document or guess payload formats here. Configure in the buyer UI and verify with tests.
Expected result
Each launching buyer has a delivery method that matches how they buy, tests pass, and the lead timeline shows either a straightforward post path or a ping-then-post path you can explain.
Frequently asked questions
Can I start on direct post and move to ping/post later? Yes. Many programs do. Change the buyer delivery method, complete the new settings, and re-test before scaling.
Does Highest Bidder require ping/post? In practice, bidding needs a ping-style exchange. If buyers cannot bid, Highest Bidder is the wrong starting point.
Is ping/post always higher revenue? Not automatically. It can improve match quality and price discovery when buyers are set up for it. It can also add rejects and complexity.
Where do I see who won a ping? Open the lead timeline. It shows who was tried and who won.
Do suppliers change their posts for ping/post buyers? Suppliers still submit into the campaign through supplier credentials. Buyer delivery mode is primarily a demand-side configuration. Confirm any campaign feature toggles your workspace uses for ping/post.
What about email or store instead? Use those when the buyer should receive leads by email or when you want to record a sale without an outbound buyer HTTP post. See Buyer delivery methods.
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