Ping / Post
A two-step lead-distribution protocol: first a "ping" with non-identifying data to poll buyer interest/price, then a "post" delivering the full lead to the winning buyer.
Full Definition
Ping/Post is a real-time auction protocol common in auto, home, health, and Medicare lead networks. Step 1 (Ping): the vendor sends a short, non-identifying payload (state, age, product, loose demographics) to multiple potential buyers, who respond with a bid price and accept/reject. Step 2 (Post): the vendor selects the highest-bidding accepting buyer (or applies waterfall logic) and sends the full lead — name, phone, email — only to that buyer. Ping/Post maximizes publisher revenue per lead by finding the highest buyer willing to accept on that profile, and it reduces unnecessary PII exposure to buyers who would reject. Networks like LeadCloud, Boberdoo, LeadConduit, and Integrate implement ping/post at scale.
Example
A 58-year-old Florida consumer fills out a health insurance form. The vendor pings 18 buyers; 12 respond with bids ranging $8–$26; the winning buyer at $26 receives the full post. The remaining 11 receive no data on this lead.
Related Terms
- API Posting — Real-time lead delivery from vendor to buyer over HTTPS — typically POST requests to the buyer's receiving endpoint.
- Webhook — An HTTP callback where one system notifies another of an event by POSTing data to a pre-registered URL.
- Real-Time Delivery — Lead delivery within seconds of form submission — the operational foundation for winning speed-to-contact.
- Exclusive Lead — A lead sold to only one agent, never resold, resulting in higher contact and close rates than shared leads.
- Shared Lead — A lead sold simultaneously to 3–8 agents, priced lower than exclusive but with lower contact and close rates due to competition.