Waterfall Routing: Multi-Buyer Lead Distribution with Fallback
Send a lead to the first buyer on your list. If they reject it or do not reply in time, try the next buyer. You set the order and how long to wait. You can also add a backup buyer. Each attempt is saved on the lead record.
Real-Time
Buyer checks
Configurable
Per-step timeout
Full
Audit trail
The Basics
What waterfall routing is
The standard way to deliver leads when each lead sells to only one buyer.
Three buyers. One accepted delivery.
A California lead comes in. Three buyers have contracts on the offer. Lead Router checks them before trying delivery.
Buyer check
Filtered outBuyer A · Outside the territory
The contract does not cover California. It never receives the full lead.
Delivery attempt 1
RejectedBuyer B · Qualifies, but declines
The first qualifying buyer rejects the lead. The waterfall continues.
Delivery attempt 2
AcceptedBuyer C · Qualifies and accepts
The next qualifying buyer accepts. Exclusive delivery stops here.
A timeout also moves delivery to the next qualifying buyer. If every attempt fails, the fallback set on the offer applies. If there is no fallback, or it also fails, the lead stays unsold.
Inspect these outcomes on the lead record ↓The Flow
How Lead Router's waterfall works
Six steps from lead arrival to sale or DQ fallback. Every check is logged.
Lead arrives on an offer
A partner sends a lead through a campaign linked to an offer. The offer lists buyer contracts and routing rules. For an exclusive sale, Lead Router tries buyers one at a time until one accepts.
Every contract is checked at the same time
First, Lead Router checks the active buyer contracts at the same time. It checks filters, lead limits, funds, open hours and duplicate leads. Contracts that fail a check are left out. The rest enter the buyer list.
Qualifying buyers are ranked by the offer strategy
Pick one of eight ways to rank buyers: price, priority, weighted, round robin, quality tier, scarcity-weighted, revenue per lead, or weighted revenue per lead. Price puts the highest bid first. Priority uses a number you set. Weight sets each buyer’s share. Round robin takes turns. The other choices use quality, buyer capacity or past revenue.
Lead Router calls buyer #1
Lead Router sends the full lead to the first buyer. Each contract sets how long to wait, from 1 to 120 seconds. The default is 30 seconds. The buyer accepts or rejects the lead. The Delivery Log stores the request, response and wait time. The Posting Log stores the request from the partner.
Accept stops the waterfall, reject falls to the next
If the buyer accepts, Lead Router records the sale and updates the lead limits and balances. The exclusive sale stops there. If the buyer rejects the lead or does not reply in time, Lead Router tries the next buyer.
Every step logged on the lead record
The lead record shows each buyer checked, their bid and the result. You can see who was skipped, who rejected the lead and who bought it. Buyer returns stay linked to the same lead.
Inspect the outcome
See why the lead landed here
- A reason for each result
- The distribution view shows each buyer and contract that was checked, along with its result.
- Settings and results stay separate
- Offer settings set the strategy. The lead record shows what happened to this lead.
Configuration
Four settings that control the waterfall
Set the buyer order and backup on the offer. Set wait times on each contract. Manage these choices in the admin tools.
Ordering strategy
Choose how buyers are ranked. Price puts the highest bid first. Priority uses a number you set on each contract. Weight gives each buyer a share of leads. Round robin lets buyers take turns. You can rank buyers within priority groups.
Per-step timeout
Set how long to wait for each buyer, from 1 to 120 seconds. The default is 30 seconds. Pick a wait time that fits the buyer’s own checks. If no reply arrives in time, Lead Router tries the next buyer. The Delivery Log shows how long each attempt took.
DQ fallback
If all buyers reject the lead or fail to reply, Lead Router can try a DQ fallback. This is a backup contract you choose on the offer. If no backup is set, or it fails too, the lead stays unsold. You can still see every attempt on the lead record.
Auto-return handling
Buyers can mark a delivered lead as bad later (bad phone, duplicate, outside their criteria) through the returns API. Lead Router credits the buyer and adjusts cap counts and billing on its own. An operator can then send the returned lead again or pick a different buyer for it. Return reasons are tracked per buyer, so you can see who returns leads and how often.
Waterfall vs Ping-Post
When to run a waterfall, when to run an auction
Each model fits a different buyer mix. Pick the right one for each offer.
Waterfall tries buyers one at a time. In an exclusive sale, one buyer gets the lead. Use this when buyers need the first chance to contact a lead. Each failed attempt adds to the total wait time.
Ping-post asks buyers for bids before sending the full lead. Buyers can bid at the same time. Your offer decides how many buyers can win. Use this when several buyers compete for the same leads.
Lead Router uses the same engine for both. Contracts, caps, filters, and duplicate checks still apply. Set the buyer count on the offer: exclusive allows one, multisell allows several, and hybrid applies your buyer limit. The ranking rule sets the order for delivery. See ping-post software for auctions that check buyers at the same time.
Choose how qualifying buyers are ranked
Rank buyers after they pass checks for filters, funds, open hours, duplicate leads, and lead limits.
Revenue-based ranking
Revenue per lead (RPL) and revenue per call (RPC) rank buyers by past results. You choose the time period and whether to measure leads or calls. A buyer who earns more over time can rank above one who bids more but closes fewer sales.
Weighted and scarcity-aware choices
Revenue Weighted shares leads based on past revenue. Scarcity pacing saves room for buyers with tight limits. Quality Tier uses your quality settings. These choices rank buyers. A separate offer setting controls how many can win.
Cold starts and fallback
New buyers have little history. Set rules for how to rank them until enough results are in. You can also rank by price or by a priority number you choose.
Inspect the decision
Use the effective-order preview, distribution attempts, and buyer outcomes to see why a buyer was skipped, chosen, rejected, or timed out. Strong past revenue never overrides a hard rule like a filter or a cap.
Frequently Asked
FAQ
The questions operators ask before running waterfall volume on a platform.
What is waterfall routing?
Waterfall routing tries buyers one at a time. The first buyer gets the lead. If they accept, the exclusive sale is done. If they reject it or do not reply in time, Lead Router tries the next buyer. This continues until a buyer accepts or the list ends.
How does Lead Router order buyers in the waterfall?
Each offer sets how buyers are ranked. Price puts the highest bid first. Priority uses a number you set on each contract. Weight gives each buyer a share of the leads. Round robin gives buyers turns. You can use priority groups and rank buyers within each group.
What happens if all buyers reject the lead?
Lead Router can try the offer’s DQ fallback, if you set one. DQ means disqualified. The fallback is a backup buyer for leads the main list did not take. If the backup is missing or also fails, the lead stays unsold. Every attempt stays on the lead record.
Can I mix waterfall and ping-post on the same platform?
Yes. Lead Router can check buyers and collect bids at the same time, then deliver the full lead to buyers in order. Your offer sets the winner count. Exclusive selects one buyer. Hybrid selects up to the buyer limit you set.
What is the timeout per waterfall step?
Set a wait time for each contract, from 1 to 120 seconds. The default is 30 seconds. If a buyer does not reply in time, Lead Router tries the next one. The Delivery Log shows each wait time and response.
Run the Waterfall
Put your exclusive sales on one engine
Set up your buyer contracts, choose their order and set how long to wait. Add a backup buyer if needed. Each delivery attempt stays on the lead record. You can use ping-post auctions on the same platform.
Every module included at no extra license fee.