Sources

Your Lead Entry Points

Sources are the front doors of your lead operation. They define how external systems - vendors, web forms, partners - send leads into your LeadConduit flows. Every lead's journey begins at a source, making this one of the most critical configurations you'll manage.

📍 You are here: Learning to configure and optimize lead sources
🔌 What you'll build: Reliable connections that accept good leads and reject bad ones
💡 Key insight: One well-configured source can save thousands in bad lead costs

Understanding Sources

What Is a Source?

A source is a configured connection point that:

Accepts incoming lead data
Authenticates the sender
Maps fields to your standards
Applies initial quality gates
Provides submission feedback

Think of it as a smart reception desk that knows exactly who's allowed in and what they should bring.

Source Types

LeadConduit offers four source categories:

1. Default Source

Created automatically with your account
Perfect for testing and manual entry
No configuration required
Always available

2. Standard Sources
Pre-built integrations for major platforms:

Facebook Lead Ads
Google Ads
TikTok Lead Generation
Major lead aggregators
Common CRM systems

3. Custom Sources
Build your own for unique needs:

Proprietary vendor APIs
Internal lead generation
Custom web forms
Legacy system integration

4. Account Sources
Connect with other LeadConduit users:

Instant compatibility
Built-in authentication
Automatic field mapping
Real-time delivery

Configuring Sources

Basic Configuration

Every source needs fundamental settings:

1. Identity

Name: "Facebook - Auto Insurance - California"
Description: "FB lead gen campaign for CA auto insurance"
Tags: ["facebook", "auto", "california", "tier-1"]

💡 Naming Best Practice: Include platform, vertical, and geography. You'll thank yourself when you have 50+ sources.

2. Authentication
Secure your sources appropriately:

Open (Testing only):

No authentication required
Use only for internal testing
Never in production

API Key:

Method: API Key
Key Location: Header
Key Name: X-API-Key
Key Value: abc123def456

Whitelist + API Key:

IP Whitelist: 
  - 192.168.1.100
  - 10.0.0.0/24
API Key: Required

3. Field Configuration
Define what data you expect:

Required Fields:
  - first_name (text)
  - last_name (text)
  - email (email)
  - phone (phone)
  - state (us_state)

Optional Fields:
  - phone_2 (phone)
  - city (text)
  - zip_code (postal_code)
  - opted_in_at (date)

Advanced Configuration

Response Format
Control what sources receive back:

Success Response:
  - Status: 201 Created
  - Body: {
      "result": "success",
      "lead_id": "{{lead.id}}",
      "price": {{lead.price}}
    }

Failure Response:
  - Status: 400 Bad Request
  - Body: {
      "result": "failure",
      "reason": "{{lead.rejection_reason}}",
      "errors": {{lead.validation_errors}}
    }

Rate Limiting
Protect your system:

Rate Limits:
  - 100 requests per minute
  - 5000 requests per hour
  - 50000 requests per day

Custom Headers
Add metadata to every lead:

Capture Headers:
  - User-Agent → lead.source_system
  - X-Campaign-ID → lead.campaign_id
  - X-Source-ID → lead.vendor_id

Source Integration Patterns

Web Form Integration

The simplest pattern - direct POST submission:

Source Type: Inbound Field
Configuration:

Endpoint: https://app.leadconduit.com/v2/sources/ABC123/submit
Method: POST
Content-Type: application/json
Fields: Defined in UI

Integration Code (example):

// Your website form
const submitLead = async (formData) => {
  const response = await fetch('YOUR_SOURCE_URL', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
      'X-API-Key': 'YOUR_API_KEY'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify(formData)
  });
  
  const result = await response.json();
  if (result.result === 'success') {
    // Show success message
  } else {
    // Handle rejection
  }
};

Vendor API Integration

For professional lead vendors:

Source Type: Custom or Standard Integration
Configuration:

Authentication: OAuth 2.0
Polling Interval: Every 5 minutes
Batch Size: 100 leads
Field Mapping: Vendor → LeadConduit
Error Handling: Retry 3x with backoff

Key Features:

Automatic polling or webhook
Bulk lead processing
Error recovery
Detailed logging

Real-Time Streaming

For high-volume, low-latency needs:

Source Type: Webhook or WebSocket
Configuration:

Connection: Persistent WebSocket
Heartbeat: Every 30 seconds
Reconnect: Automatic with backoff
Buffer: 1000 messages
Acknowledgment: Per message

Managing Multiple Sources

Source Organization

Structure sources logically:

By Platform:

Facebook Sources/
├── FB - Auto Insurance - National
├── FB - Home Insurance - CA
└── FB - Life Insurance - Seniors

Google Sources/
├── Google - Search - Auto
├── Google - Display - Home
└── Google - YouTube - Life

By Partner:

Vendor A/
├── Vendor A - Exclusive Leads
├── Vendor A - Shared Leads
└── Vendor A - Aged Leads

Vendor B/
├── Vendor B - Real-time
├── Vendor B - Batch
└── Vendor B - Test

Source Performance Tracking

Monitor key metrics:

Volume Metrics:

Leads per hour/day/month
Peak submission times
Batch sizes and frequency

Quality Metrics:

Acceptance rate
Common rejection reasons
Field completion rates
Type validation success

Technical Metrics:

Response times
Error rates
Timeout frequency
Authentication failures

Source Optimization

Improve source performance:

1. Acceptance Rate Optimization

Current: 60% acceptance
Analysis: 
  - 25% fail phone validation
  - 15% missing required fields
  
Solutions:
  - Add phone formatting guide
  - Highlight required fields
  - Pre-validate on vendor side
  
Result: 85% acceptance

2. Speed Optimization

Use connection pooling
Enable HTTP/2
Implement batch submission
Optimize field parsing

3. Error Reduction

Add client-side validation
Implement retry logic
Use idempotency keys
Monitor timeout patterns

Testing Sources

Test Methodology

Always test thoroughly:

1. Single Lead Test

Submit one perfect lead
Verify acceptance
Check field mapping
Confirm response format

2. Validation Testing

Submit invalid email
Submit invalid phone
Miss required fields
Exceed field lengths

3. Load Testing

Submit 100 leads rapidly
Test rate limiting
Verify queue handling
Monitor performance

4. Error Testing

Test auth failure
Test network timeout
Test malformed data
Test cap exceeded

Test Tools

Built-in Tester:

Available on every source
Pre-fills sample data
Shows real-time results
Captures full response

API Testing Tools:

Postman collections
cURL commands
Automated test suites
Load testing tools

Common Source Issues

Authentication Problems

Symptoms: 401/403 errors
Common Causes:

Incorrect API key
IP not whitelisted
Certificate expired
OAuth token invalid

Solutions:

Verify credentials
Check IP whitelist
Regenerate tokens
Test from allowed IPs

Field Mapping Issues

Symptoms: Data in wrong fields
Common Causes:

Mismatched field names
Wrong data types
Nested vs flat structure
Array handling

Solutions:

Review field mappings
Check sample payloads
Use explicit paths
Test with real data

Performance Problems

Symptoms: Slow processing, timeouts
Common Causes:

No connection pooling
Serial processing
Large payloads
Network latency

Solutions:

Enable keep-alive
Implement batching
Compress payloads
Use regional endpoints

Source Security

Best Practices

Protect your sources:

1. Always Use HTTPS

Encrypted transmission
Certificate validation
No HTTP fallback

2. Implement Authentication

API keys minimum
IP whitelisting for fixed sources
OAuth for user-based sources
Rotate credentials regularly

3. Validate Input

Check data types
Enforce field lengths
Sanitize content
Block malicious payloads

4. Monitor Activity

Track submission patterns
Alert on anomalies
Log security events
Review access regularly

Compliance Considerations

Ensure sources support compliance:

Consent Tracking:

Capture opt-in timestamp
Record consent language
Store TrustedForm certificates
Track opt-in source

Data Privacy:

Minimal data collection
Secure transmission
Audit trail maintenance
Right to deletion support

Advanced Source Features

Conditional Acceptance

Accept leads based on real-time conditions:

Accept When:
  - Time: Business hours only
  - Volume: Under daily cap
  - Quality: Score > 50
  - Capacity: Buyers available

Dynamic Pricing

Adjust source costs dynamically:

Base Price: $5
Adjustments:
  - If exclusive: +$10
  - If state = "CA": +$2
  - If age < 35: +$3
  - If weekend: -$1

Source Chaining

Connect sources in sequence:

Source A → Enhancement → Source B → Final Flow

Use cases:

Pre-process before flow
Aggregate multiple sources
Add required data
Normalize formats

Your Next Steps

Essential Reading

Field Mappings - Transform any data format
Acceptance Criteria - Set quality standards
Testing Guide - Verify everything works

Quick Wins

Configure your first test source
Submit a sample lead
Check the field mapping
Verify the response

Advanced Topics

Batch Processing - Handle bulk submissions
Webhook Sources - Real-time integration
Custom Authentication - Advanced security

🎯 Pro Tip: The best source configuration is invisible - it just works. Invest time in proper setup, and your sources will run smoothly for years.

Next up: Field Mappings - Learn how to transform any vendor's format into your standard fields.