We Need PingPost Now (and Not in a Month)

So, a buyer says they have to use ping-post. You don't have months to plan that out

Here's what you actually need:

• A format for what your vendors are sending.
• A vendor thingy that takes pings and posts.
• A buyer setup that puts the right stuff in the correct spots.
• Rules so Standard Information knows when a sale is made.
• A tested spot for your buyer to send their data.

Standard Information is made for situations like this.

Here's the fast way to get going with a ping-post buyer.

Step 0: Ping-Post, Really?

Standard Information can do a couple things:

• Ping-Post – Use this when you're getting leads from other people and want to send leads to buyers in real-time. (That's what we're talking about here).
• Direct Post – The vendor sends the full lead with a price. No bidding happens.
• Capture / SIT-BAC Capture – For leads your company makes. Good for keeping track of leads.

If a buyer wants:

• A ping with some data (location, what they want)
• A bid with price
• A post with the full data (if the ping is a go)

Then, yeah, ping-post is what you need.

Step 1 – Buyer's Info

Have the buyer's info ready before you touch Standard Information:

• Ping and Post URLs
• Data format(either JSON or XML)
• Fields to ping and post
• Payload Examples
• Response format (what comes back, good result examples)
• Headers
• Test URLs
• Test-only values

Step 2 – Pick/Make Your Format

Your format defines the fields Standard Information is getting from vendor.

Here's your options:

• Standard Information Template – Quickest.
• Old Template – Keep vendor details the same.
• Make From Scratch – If you need to.

Fast Method:

• Go to Verticals → Add Vertical
• First, try the templates.
• Next, check legacy templates
• If nothing works create from scratch.

Keep in mind:

• Field Name – has to match
• Ping / Post checkboxes – required stuff on ping vs post.
• Default Values – to prevent problems.
• Options – fixed lists for values.

Double-check everything. This is key.

Step 3 – Set Up Vendor Info

Tell Standard Information where leads are coming from.

• Make a Legal Entity(if needed) - Presets → Entities.
• Add a Vendor - Vendors → Add Vendor
• Make a Vendor Set-up - Pick Ping-Post at the end.

All set-ups start as Pending. Put them to Active later.

Step 4 – Buyer Setup (The Good Part)

How Standard Information communicates with the buyer.

Settings

• Pick the right Vertical.
• Data Format(JSON or XML).
• Copy buyer URL into Integration Spec

Mapping Fields

Buyer Integration is how you connect your buyer to your vertical's field.

• Type the Buyer Field name.
• Pick the standard fields.
• Confirm Vertical/Buyer Field
• Set a Fixed value?
• Pick Required: Ping/Post?
• Important: ACCEPTED is not accepted

Transformations

If the buyer wants: cities, date format, 1/0 instead of true/false?

• Simple Transformations

• String / number / switches
• Date formats
• Money stuff
• Phone / zip
• 10001 becomes New York City.

2. AI Smart Match

Pair values

• Vertical Fields: roof type and bill price.
• Buyer Field: Premium, Standard, etc.

3. AI Assisted List Match

Corrects the values:

• Vertical Field: city Vendors mess up Seattle.
• Buyer Field: New York, Seattle, Chicago.

Standard Information does the matching

Step 5 – Ping/Post Success Mapping

How does Standard Information know a deal is done?

Ping Response Mapping

• Price
• State
• ID
• Have the buyer's info
• Map Buyer's Field in the internal fields
• Required to run?
• Accepted values?

Step 7– Headers

Content, types, Authorization?

• Select data format.
• Add Authorization if asked.

Testing

Set-up Test URLs

Go to a testing area. Test data only

1. Make a Payload

2. Fill data(zip code)

3. Transform Buyer setup

4. Send

Check Buyer is responding.

Flipping the switch

Vendor status is to active. Check and double-check the data.

And that’s it! That’s how you setup a ping post fast.

FAQs

What is ping-post and when should I use it?
Ping-post is bidding where data is sent first. Buyers bid. data is sent to only a bidder.

Do I need a developer to set up ping-post in Standard Information?
Specs? Setup. tests? Configure in UI

How long does it usually take to stand up a ping-post buyer in Standard Information?
Got the right set-up and format? Test and set-up in less than one hour.

What are the most common reasons a ping or post fails?

Mismatches, or not all fill, incorrect value response or missing HTTP headers.

Can Standard Information handle both ping-post and direct post campaigns?

Standard Information handles both. Along with vendors and leads.