Recipient Steps

The Final Mile of Lead Delivery

Recipient steps are where all your hard work pays off - literally. They deliver your validated, enhanced, perfectly-formatted leads to buyers, CRMs, dialers, and any other system that needs them. This is where leads become revenue, where data becomes action, and where your operation proves its value.

📍 You are here: Mastering the art and science of lead delivery
📮 What you'll master: Delivery configuration, error handling, and optimization
💰 The outcome: Reliable delivery that maximizes acceptance and revenue

Understanding Recipient Steps

What Makes Recipient Steps Special

Recipient steps:

Send leads to external systems
Handle various formats and protocols
Process acceptance/rejection responses
Track delivery success and revenue
Manage retries and failures

They're the shipping department of your lead operation.

The Delivery Flow

Lead Data → Format/Map → Send to Recipient → Parse Response → Update Lead
     ↓           ↓              ↓                 ↓              ↓
Enhanced    Match buyer    HTTP POST         Accept/Reject   Revenue
& filtered  requirements   JSON/XML/Form     Lead ID         tracked

Delivery Economics

Every delivery has financial implications:

Successful Delivery:
  Revenue: $45.00
  Cost: $15.00
  Margin: $30.00
  
Failed Delivery:
  Revenue: $0.00
  Cost: $15.00 (still paid)
  Margin: -$15.00
  
Impact: Every 1% improvement in delivery rate = $X more profit

Types of Recipients

Lead Buyers

The most common recipient type:

Direct Buyer Integration:

Recipient: "ABC Insurance Buyers"
Type: Custom Integration
Settings:
  Endpoint: https://api.abcinsurance.com/leads
  Method: POST
  Format: JSON
  Auth: Bearer token
  
Field Mapping:
  firstName: {{lead.first_name}}
  lastName: {{lead.last_name}}
  phoneNumber: {{format lead.phone_1 "##########"}}
  stateCode: {{lead.state}}
  
Response Parsing:
  Success: status = "accepted"
  Lead ID: response.leadId
  Price: response.price

CRM Systems

Your internal sales platforms:

Salesforce Integration:

Recipient: "Salesforce Production"
Type: salesforce.create_lead
Settings:
  Instance: na152.salesforce.com
  Object: Lead
  
Field Mapping:
  FirstName: {{lead.first_name}}
  LastName: {{lead.last_name}}
  Email: {{lead.email}}
  Phone: {{lead.phone_1}}
  LeadSource: {{source.name}}
  Lead_Score__c: {{lead.score}}
  
Options:
  Assignment Rules: true
  Duplicate Check: true
  Trigger Workflows: true

Dialers

Direct to calling systems:

Dialer Integration:

Recipient: "Five9 Dialer"
Type: webhook.post
Settings:
  URL: https://api.five9.com/campaigns/{{campaign_id}}/leads
  
Field Mapping:
  number1: {{lead.phone_1}}
  number2: {{lead.phone_2}}
  first_name: {{lead.first_name}}
  account_number: {{lead.id}}
  priority: {{#if lead.score > 80}}1{{else}}2{{/if}}
  
Options:
  Call Window: 9am-8pm
  Max Attempts: 3
  Timezone: {{lead.timezone}}

Marketing Automation

Nurture and email systems:

Marketing Platform:

Recipient: "HubSpot Marketing"
Type: hubspot.create_or_update_contact
Settings:
  Portal ID: 12345678
  
Field Mapping:
  email: {{lead.email}}
  firstname: {{lead.first_name}}
  lastname: {{lead.last_name}}
  phone: {{lead.phone_1}}
  lead_score: {{lead.score}}
  lead_source: {{source.name}}
  
Lists:
  Add to: "New Leads - {{lead.product_interest}}"
  Workflow: "Welcome Series - {{lead.state}}"

Delivery Configuration

Field Mapping Mastery

Transform your data to match any format:

Simple Mapping:

# Direct field to field
their_field: {{our_field}}
contactEmail: {{lead.email}}
primaryPhone: {{lead.phone_1}}

Transformed Mapping:

# Format adjustments
phoneFormatted: {{format lead.phone_1 "(###) ###-####"}}
fullName: {{lead.first_name}} {{lead.last_name}}
stateFullName: {{#compare lead.state "==" "CA"}}California{{/compare}}
submittedDate: {{format lead.timestamp "YYYY-MM-DD"}}

Conditional Mapping:

# Include fields conditionally
{{#if lead.phone_2}}
  secondaryPhone: {{lead.phone_2}}
{{/if}}

{{#if lead.score > 70}}
  priority: "HIGH"
{{else}}
  priority: "NORMAL"  
{{/if}}

Nested Object Mapping:

# Build complex structures
applicant:
  name:
    first: {{lead.first_name}}
    last: {{lead.last_name}}
  contact:
    email: {{lead.email}}
    phone: 
      primary: {{lead.phone_1}}
      {{#if lead.phone_2}}
      secondary: {{lead.phone_2}}
      {{/if}}
  address:
    street: {{lead.address_1}}
    city: {{lead.city}}
    state: {{lead.state}}
    zip: {{lead.postal_code}}

Authentication Methods

Secure your deliveries:

API Key:

Headers:
  X-API-Key: ${BUYER_API_KEY}
  Content-Type: application/json

Bearer Token:

Headers:
  Authorization: Bearer ${BUYER_TOKEN}
  Accept: application/json

Basic Auth:

Auth:
  Username: ${BUYER_USERNAME}
  Password: ${BUYER_PASSWORD}

Custom Headers:

Headers:
  X-Partner-ID: "LC-12345"
  X-Campaign-ID: {{source.campaign_id}}
  X-Request-ID: {{lead.id}}
  X-Timestamp: {{now}}

Response Handling

Parse any response format:

JSON Response:

Expected Response:
{
  "status": "success",
  "leadId": "ABC123",
  "price": 45.00,
  "message": "Lead accepted"
}

Parsing:
  Success: status = "success"
  Lead ID: leadId
  Revenue: price
  Message: message

XML Response:

Expected Response:
<response>
  <result>accepted</result>
  <id>12345</id>
  <amount>45.00</amount>
</response>

Parsing:
  Success: //result = "accepted"
  Lead ID: //id
  Revenue: //amount

Custom Logic:

Response Codes:
  200 + "OK" in body: Success
  200 + "DUP" in body: Duplicate (no revenue)
  400: Invalid data (check message)
  401: Auth failed (pause delivery)
  429: Rate limited (retry with backoff)
  500: Server error (retry 3x)

Delivery Patterns

Single Buyer Delivery

The simplest pattern:

Lead → Format → Deliver to Buyer → Track Result

Configuration:

Recipient: "Primary Buyer"
Delivery: Immediate
Timeout: 10 seconds
Retries: 3 with exponential backoff

Multi-Buyer Distribution

Maximize revenue through competition:

Exclusive Window:

Hour 0-24: Exclusive Buyer ($75)
  ↓ (if rejected)
Hour 24-48: Premium Buyers ($45)
  ↓ (if rejected)  
Hour 48+: Bulk Buyers ($15)

Simultaneous Post:

Send to all buyers at once:
├── Buyer A
├── Buyer B  
├── Buyer C
└── Accept first responder

Waterfall:

Try Buyer A ($50)
  ↓ (if rejected/error)
Try Buyer B ($40)
  ↓ (if rejected/error)
Try Buyer C ($30)
  ↓ (if rejected/error)
Send to Remediation Pool

Ping/Post Pattern

For real-time bidding:

Ping Phase:

Step 1: Send partial data to buyers
Fields: state, loan_amount, credit_range

Step 2: Collect bids
Buyer A: $45
Buyer B: $52 ← Winner
Buyer C: $38

Step 3: Accept highest bid

Post Phase:

Step 4: Send full data to winner
All fields to Buyer B

Step 5: Handle response
If accepted: Revenue = $52
If rejected: Try next highest bidder

Batch Delivery

For high-volume efficiency:

Accumulate: 100 leads or 5 minutes
Format: CSV or JSON array
Deliver: Single HTTP POST
Parse: Bulk response

Benefits:
- Reduced API calls
- Better throughput
- Lower overhead

Error Handling & Retries

Smart Retry Logic

Not all errors are equal:

Retry Strategy:

Timeout Errors:
  Retry: 3 times
  Backoff: 1s, 2s, 4s
  Increase timeout each retry

Rate Limit (429):
  Retry: After specified time
  Honor: Retry-After header
  Max wait: 5 minutes

Server Errors (5xx):
  Retry: 3 times
  Backoff: Exponential
  Alert: If all fail

Client Errors (4xx):
  400 Bad Request: Don't retry (our fault)
  401 Unauthorized: Don't retry, alert
  409 Conflict: Don't retry (duplicate)

Fallback Strategies

Always have Plan B:

Primary → Secondary:

Try: Production endpoint
If fail: Backup endpoint
If fail: Queue for manual review

Format Degradation:

Try: Custom JSON integration
If fail: Standard webhook
If fail: Email notification

Circuit Breakers

Protect against cascading failures:

If error rate > 50% in last 100 attempts:
  Open circuit (stop trying)
  Wait 5 minutes
  Try 1 test request
  If success: Close circuit
  If fail: Wait longer

Performance Optimization

Speed Techniques

Make delivery fast:

Connection Pooling:

Keep alive: true
Pool size: 10 connections
Reuse for: 300 seconds

Compression:

Request:
  Content-Encoding: gzip
  Body: Compressed JSON

Response:
  Accept-Encoding: gzip
  Process: Decompress automatically

Regional Endpoints:

If buyer_region = "west":
  Use: https://west.api.buyer.com
Else:
  Use: https://east.api.buyer.com

Reliability Techniques

Ensure delivery success:

Idempotency:

Headers:
  X-Idempotency-Key: {{lead.id}}-{{delivery_attempt}}
  
Prevents: Duplicate delivery on retry

Acknowledgment:

Delivery confirmed when:
  1. HTTP 200 received
  2. Response parsed successfully
  3. Buyer lead ID captured
  4. Revenue recorded

Monitoring:

Track per recipient:
  - Success rate
  - Average response time
  - Error types
  - Revenue per lead
  
Alert when:
  - Success rate < 90%
  - Response time > 2s
  - Errors spike

Testing Deliveries

Test Mode

Safe testing without real delivery:

Test Settings:
  Mode: Test/Sandbox
  Endpoint: https://sandbox.buyer.com/leads
  Responses: Simulated success/failure
  Revenue: Not recorded

Test Cases

Cover all scenarios:

Success Path:

{
  "email": "test@example.com",
  "phone_1": "5555551234",
  "state": "CA"
}
// Expect: 200 OK, lead ID returned

Validation Failures:

{
  "email": "invalid-email",
  "phone_1": "123",
  "state": "XX"
}
// Expect: 400 Bad Request, specific errors

Edge Cases:

Maximum field lengths
Special characters
Missing optional fields
Timezone boundaries

Load Testing

Ensure scalability:

Test Plan:
  Ramp: 0 to 1000 leads/minute
  Duration: 30 minutes
  Monitor: Response times, error rates
  
Success Criteria:
  - 95% success rate
  - p95 latency < 2 seconds
  - No memory leaks
  - Graceful degradation

Common Delivery Issues

Authentication Problems

Symptoms: 401/403 errors
Solutions:

Verify credentials
Check token expiration
Confirm IP whitelist
Review permissions

Mapping Errors

Symptoms: 400 errors, "missing field"
Solutions:

Verify field names exactly
Check required vs optional
Confirm data types
Test with minimal payload

Timeout Issues

Symptoms: Sporadic failures
Solutions:

Increase timeout gradually
Check recipient capacity
Implement retries
Consider async delivery

Revenue Tracking

Symptoms: Missing revenue data
Solutions:

Verify response parsing
Check field mapping
Confirm buyer returns price
Audit delivery events

Best Practices

Delivery Design

Map Thoughtfully
- Match buyer expectations exactly
- Document special requirements
- Test edge cases
- Version mappings
Handle Errors Gracefully
- Specific error messages
- Smart retry logic
- Clear alerts
- Fallback options
Monitor Everything
- Success rates by buyer
- Revenue by source/buyer
- Response times
- Error patterns
Optimize Continuously
- A/B test formats
- Negotiate better rates
- Improve acceptance
- Reduce latency

Buyer Relations

Communication:

Share delivery specs
Provide test leads
Monitor quality together
Regular reviews

Documentation:

Buyer: ABC Insurance
Contact: John Doe
Endpoint: https://api.abc.com/leads
Format: JSON (see schema)
Auth: Bearer token (rotate monthly)
Special Requirements:
  - Phone must be mobile
  - Include TrustedForm
  - Business hours only

Your Next Steps

Essential Reading

Custom Integrations - Beyond standard delivery
Mappings Deep Dive - Advanced transformation
Integration Reference - Available recipients

Quick Wins

Add delivery monitoring
Implement smart retries
Test all error paths
Document buyer requirements

Advanced Topics

Multi-Buyer Strategy - Maximize revenue
Delivery Analytics - Track performance
Custom Recipients - Build your own

💰 Remember: Recipient steps are where leads become revenue. Every failed delivery is money lost. Invest in reliable, well-tested delivery configuration and watch your margins improve.

Next: Continue your journey with Lead Events to understand the complete audit trail of your deliveries.