This article will cover:
Why Send Test Leads?
Once you are successfully posting leads into CAKE, and have set up your buyer’s posting document in the Delivery Method of the Buyer Contract, we recommend that you send your buyer a test lead—a lead with fake data that will not be sold to the buyer.
This is a crucial step in the setup process and should be done prior to routing live traffic through the system. Sending test leads will enable you to verify the lead fields, verify buyer responses, and ensure post-authentication methods are mapped correctly.
Note:
As a general best practice, be sure to follow any buyer testing requirements specified in their posting document. In some cases, this will include a unique testing URL or an identifier passed on the lead. For example, in a CAKE to CAKE scenario, passing “ckmtest” as the first name, last name, or address of the lead will mark it as a test in the system.
How to Send a Test Post
To send a test post, open the Send a Test Post wizard from the Buyer Contract card, and follow these steps:
Click on the Delivery Method tab
Click on the Send Test Post button
Enter an existing *Lead ID from your system
Click Next
Review the Post Request and click Finish
If you’re not already on the Buyer Contract card, you can also open the Send a Test Post wizard by following these steps:
Click on the Action Menu icon on the top right of your window
Click Manually Send Lead
Select the Buyer Contract from the dropdown
Click Next
Enter an existing Lead ID from your system
Click Next
Review the request and click Finish
Note:
*The Lead ID you choose must be under the same Vertical as the Buyer Contract you are testing.
In some testing scenarios, you may need to override existing lead field data before sending the lead to your buyer. You will have the option to do this from Step 2 of the Send a Test Post wizard. In the field called First Name, for example, if the lead’s first name is John, typing the name Jim will override the existing value for the purpose of the test.
The list of available fields on this step will be determined by the Vertical Lead Fields; the default fields will be as follows:
Ping Session ID
Campaign ID
Offer ID
Vertical ID
Offer Name
First Name
Last Name
Address
After finishing the steps in the Send a Test Post wizard, CAKE will post the lead data to the buyer and the buyer’s system response will show in the Response Text card. This response can also be located by navigating to the Consumer History section on the Lead card that was used for the test.
The section at the bottom of the Response Text card will indicate any matches on the Buyer Response Tokens, the parameters are:
- Buyer Lead ID
- Buyer Redirect URL
- Buyer Price
If you configured buyer response tokens and your buyer’s system response included those tokens, the values will be shown in the associated fields. The value of "No Match" indicates there was no value sent by the buyer or that the Response Token mapping is incorrect.
How to Send a Test Ping
To send a test ping, follow these steps from the Buyer Contract card:
Click on the Ping Delivery Method tab
Click on the Send Test Ping button
Enter an existing Lead ID
Click Next
Review the Ping Request and click Finish
If the buyer requires an authentication key, OAuth, you will need to capture their session ID parameter returned in the ping response and include it in the Ping Session ID field during the Send a Test Post step.
Note:
You are not able to override existing lead data when sending a test ping like you can on a test post. If you need to manipulate the data, you can do so directly on the Lead card.
How to Send a Test Lead via Email
To email a test lead to your buyer, follow these steps from the Buyer Contract card:
Click on the Delivery Method tab
Navigate to the Emails to Send Leads To section
Click on the Add button and enter your buyer’s email address
Click Update
Click on the Send Test Post button to open the Send a Test Post wizard
Enter an existing Lead ID
Click Next
Click Finish
Note:
Step 3 of the Send a Test Post wizard will be blank since the lead will be delivered via email. The Response Text on the final step of the wizard will say "Email" to indicate that the lead email was sent to the buyer’s email address for delivery.
FAQ
Can I send a test post and test email lead at the same time?
Yes, if a Post URL and Email Address are in place, CAKE will deliver the test lead to both locations.
How can I update the email template used for sending leads to my buyers?
You can modify Email Templates within the Email Templates tab of Setup.