What is a ping tree?
A ping tree is the ordered set of buyers a lead is offered to, one tier at a time, until a buyer accepts it at or above a set price. Each tier holds buyers at a price level. The lead is pinged to the top tier first; if no buyer there accepts, it moves down the tree.
Key points
- A ping tree orders buyers into tiers, usually by price, and offers each lead to the highest tier first.
- Price floors set the lowest price a tier will sell at; a lead falls to the next tier when no bid meets the floor.
- Filters and caps decide which buyers in a tier can receive a given lead at all.
- Sellers reach ping trees by posting to a network, broker or aggregator that runs one.
How a ping tree works
A ping tree runs inside lead distribution software. When a lead arrives, the software builds the list of buyers whose filters match it, then works through them in order:
Filter
Buyers whose states, sub-types, schedules or caps do not fit the lead are removed.
Ping the top tier
A partial record (no contact details) goes to the buyers in the highest tier.
Collect responses
Each buyer returns a bid or a pass within a short time limit.
Pick a winner or fall
If a bid meets the tier’s floor, the highest bid wins. If not, the lead falls to the next tier.
Post
The full lead, with contact details and consent record, is posted to the winning buyer.
The ping and post exchange itself is explained step by step in ping post explained. A ping tree is the structure that decides the order of those exchanges.
Tiers, price floors and fallback
| Part | What it does | Who sets it |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | A group of buyers offered the lead at the same time, usually at a similar price level | The tree operator |
| Price floor | The lowest bid a tier will accept; below it, the lead moves on | The tree operator, sometimes per seller |
| Filters | Rules on what a buyer will accept: states, ZIP codes, sub-type, answers to form questions | Each buyer |
| Caps | The most leads a buyer will take per hour, day or month | Each buyer |
| Fallback | Where a lead goes when no tier buys it: a lower tier, a fixed-price buyer, or no sale | The tree operator |
| Timeout | How long a buyer has to answer a ping | The tree operator |
Tiers can also be set by type of buyer, for example exclusive buyers first and shared buyers lower down. How routing rules combine is covered in lead routing.
Ping tree vs other ways to sell a lead
| Method | How the buyer is chosen | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Ping tree | Tiers offered in order, highest bid that meets the floor wins | Set by bids at the moment |
| Direct post | The lead goes straight to one buyer by contract | Fixed in the contract |
| Round robin | Leads rotate across buyers in turn | Usually fixed |
| Batch sale | Leads are sold later in files | Agreed per file or per lead |
See ping/post vs direct post for when a fixed-price post is the simpler choice.
How to find ping trees to post to
Ping trees are run by networks, brokers and aggregators, and sellers reach them by posting leads to one of those operators. To find one that fits your leads:
- List the verticals, sub-types, states and daily volume you can supply, and how the leads are produced.
- Look for operators that buy in your vertical and publish how sellers integrate (ping/post specifications, required fields, consent record format).
- Ask each one how many buyers bid in your states, how tiers and floors are set, and how a lead that does not sell is handled.
- Ask how returns work, how long the return window is, and when you are paid.
- Start with a small test volume and compare sold rate and returns before you commit more.
For the questions to ask in detail, see how to choose a lead buyer. Summit Leads buys MVA and home improvement leads by ping/post from lead generators with their own forms (sell your leads), and runs a publisher program for traffic sent to Summit landers (publishers).
Running MVA or home improvement traffic? Publish to Summit landers and earn rev share on sold leads.
What a ping tree means for sellers and publishers
- Each lead can sell for a different price, because the price comes from the bids available when it is offered. See how ping/post affects affiliate payouts.
- Some leads will not sell when no buyer’s filters or caps fit at that moment.
- Lead details decide which buyers see the lead, so accurate form answers matter more than volume.
- Time of day and state matter, because buyers’ schedules and caps change through the day.
Common mistakes
- Confusing a ping tree with a buyer. The operator runs the tree; the buyers are the ones who bid.
- Ignoring floors. A floor that is too high sends leads to fallback; one that is too low gives away value.
- Sending incomplete pings. Missing fields mean buyers cannot apply filters, so they pass.
- Not tracking unsold leads. The share of leads that do not sell is the first sign of a filter or quality problem.
Frequently asked questions
What is a ping tree in lead generation?
An ordered set of buyers, grouped in tiers, that each lead is offered to in turn until a buyer accepts it at or above the tier’s price floor.
How do I find ping trees to post leads to?
Contact networks, brokers and aggregators that buy in your vertical, ask how their tiers, floors and returns work, and run a small test before scaling.
Is a ping tree the same as ping/post?
No. Ping/post is the two-step exchange with each buyer. A ping tree is the order in which buyers are offered the lead.
Does Summit Leads run a ping tree?
Summit routes leads by real-time ping/post to 40+ national buyer and supply partners in MVA and home improvement.
Related guides
- Ping post explained: The ping, the bid and the post, step by step.
- Lead routing: Priority, weighting, caps, filters and fallback.
- Lead distribution software: What it does and what to evaluate.
- What is a lead broker: Who runs the trees and why.
- Lead distribution explained: How leads are matched to buyers.
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Every publisher is reviewed before going live. Email us your verticals, traffic sources, states and expected volume.
Or write to team@summitleads.ai. We reply by email.
What happens next
- Step 1: You email us.
- Step 2: We reply by email.
- Step 3: Every publisher is reviewed, and return and payment terms are agreed during onboarding, before you go live.
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