essentras

Last updated · reviewed by the Essentras editorial team

Agent recipe

“My CEO wants a feature in Forbes (or TechCrunch, Inc.com, HuffPost). Who sells it legitimately and what does it cost?”

The agent searches each name and says plainly what is not sold: Forbes US, Inc.com and HuffPost outside Italy. It shows the 10 regional Forbes editions from $5,000, TechCrunch as a labelled partner listing at $23,333, and US outlets of comparable authority.

Responses captured 19 Oct 2026. Prices change, so the agent must re-quote before it shows a total.

Tools usedsearch_outletsget_outletquote_placements

Connect the MCP server or REST API first: no account, no key. Rules: agent briefing.

The steps

  1. Search Forbes, then try the id a buyer would guess

    search_outlets matches the publication name. q Forbes returns 10 listings with has_more false, so that is all of them, and none is the US edition on forbes.com: each is a regional edition on its own domain. get_outlet with the id forbes confirms it.

    MCP tool call: search_outlets
    {
  "q": "Forbes"
}
    Same call over REST
    curl "https://essentras.com/api/agent/v1/outlets?\
q=Forbes"
    Real response, trimmed. Captured 19 Oct 2026
    {
  "total": 10,
  "has_more": false,
  "results": [
    {"id": "forbes-colombia", "outlet": {"country": "CO"}, "price": {"amount": 5000}},
    {"id": "forbes-romania-q-a", "outlet": {"country": "RO"}, "price": {"amount": 6021}},
    {"id": "forbes-pl", "outlet": {"country": "PL"}, "price": {"amount": 9479}},
    {"id": "forbes-italy-staff", "outlet": {"country": "IT"}, "price": {"amount": 50154}},
    {"id": "forbesmiddleeast-com", "outlet": {"country": "AE"}, "price": {"amount": 85750}},
    {"id": "forbes-ukraine", "outlet": {"country": null}, "price": {"amount": 8333}},
    {"id": "forbes-tuerkiye", "outlet": {"country": "TR"}, "price": {"amount": 5000}},
    {"id": "forbes-israel", "outlet": {"country": "IL"}, "price": {"amount": 17348}},
    {"id": "forbes-mexico", "outlet": {"country": "MX"}, "price": {"amount": 5000}},
    {"id": "forbes-australia", "outlet": {"country": "AU"}, "price": {"amount": 11667}}
  ]
}

    What to read: The cheapest editions cost $5,000 (Forbes Colombia, Forbes (Türkiye), Forbes Mexico). The 2 in English are Forbes Australia at $11,667 and Forbes Middle East at $85,750. Each edition states its own link.disclosure.

    MCP tool call: get_outlet
    {
  "id": "forbes"
}
    Same call over REST
    curl https://essentras.com/api/agent/v1/outlets/forbes
    Real response, trimmed. Captured 19 Oct 2026
    {
  "object": "error",
  "code": "not_found",
  "message": "No buyable outlet with id \"forbes\"."
}

    What to read: REST answers 404 with code not_found; over MCP, get_outlet returns an error result. Either way the agent reports “not sold here” and never guesses a price.

  2. TechCrunch: a 2nd spelling before saying no

    q matches the name as the listing writes it. TechCrunch as 1 word returns nothing, so the agent tries the name with a space before it tells the buyer the outlet is not sold, as the agent briefing asks.

    MCP tool call: search_outlets
    {
  "q": "TechCrunch"
}
    Same call over REST
    curl "https://essentras.com/api/agent/v1/outlets?\
q=TechCrunch"
    Real response, trimmed. Captured 19 Oct 2026
    {
  "total": 0,
  "results": []
}
    MCP tool call: search_outlets
    {
  "q": "Tech Crunch"
}
    Same call over REST
    curl "https://essentras.com/api/agent/v1/outlets?\
q=Tech%20Crunch"
    Real response, trimmed. Captured 19 Oct 2026
    {
  "total": 1,
  "results": [
    {
      "id": "tech-crunch-includes-social-posts",
      "outlet": {"name": "Tech Crunch; Includes Social Posts"},
      "price": {"amount": 23333},
      "delivery": {"turnaround": "2-3 Weeks"},
      "link": {
        "dofollow": false,
        "sponsored_tag": "YES",
        "disclosure": "Published with a sponsored or partner label."
      }
    }
  ]
}

    What to read: 1 listing at $23,333, social posts included, with a sponsored or partner label: a paid partner placement, not a staff story.

  3. Inc.com and HuffPost

    The same check for the other 2 names. A name that returns nothing under both spellings is not sold here, and the agent says so instead of offering a lookalike.

    MCP tool call: search_outlets
    {
  "q": "Inc.com"
}
    Same call over REST
    curl "https://essentras.com/api/agent/v1/outlets?\
q=Inc.com"
    Real response, trimmed. Captured 19 Oct 2026
    {
  "total": 0,
  "results": []
}

    What to read: total is 0, and “Inc Magazine” returns 0 too: Inc.com is not sold here.

    MCP tool call: search_outlets
    {
  "q": "HuffPost"
}
    Same call over REST
    curl "https://essentras.com/api/agent/v1/outlets?\
q=HuffPost"
    Real response, trimmed. Captured 19 Oct 2026
    {
  "total": 1,
  "results": [
    {
      "id": "huffingtonpost-it",
      "outlet": {"name": "HuffPost Italia", "country": "IT", "languages": ["Italian"]},
      "price": {"amount": 39588},
      "link": {"sponsored_tag": "YES"}
    }
  ]
}

    What to read: Only HuffPost Italia, in Italian, at $39,588, and “Huffington” returns 0: the US edition is not sold here.

  4. Offer outlets of comparable authority

    When the named outlet is not sold, the agent offers what the API does sell: US outlets with a Domain Authority of 90 or more, cheapest first. 75 match.

    MCP tool call: search_outlets
    {
  "country": "US",
  "min_da": 90,
  "sort": "price_asc",
  "limit": 10
}
    Same call over REST
    curl "https://essentras.com/api/agent/v1/outlets?\
country=US&min_da=90&sort=price_asc&limit=10"
    Real response, trimmed. Captured 19 Oct 2026
    {
  "total": 75,
  "results": [
    {
      "id": "coinmarketcap-com",
      "outlet": {"domain_authority": 90, "domain_rating": 90},
      "price": {"amount": 390}
    },
    {
      "id": "business-insider",
      "outlet": {"domain_authority": 94, "domain_rating": 92},
      "price": {"amount": 420}
    },
    {
      "id": "patch-com",
      "outlet": {"domain_authority": 91, "domain_rating": 90},
      "price": {"amount": 433}
    },
    {
      "id": "dreniq-com",
      "outlet": {"domain_authority": 91, "domain_rating": 24},
      "price": {"amount": 563}
    },
    {
      "id": "msn",
      "outlet": {"domain_authority": 94, "domain_rating": 92},
      "price": {"amount": 833}
    }
  ]
}

    What to read: 5 of 10 results shown. Domain Authority and Domain Rating are third-party scores, not prestige, so the agent reads each name and both scores. Business Insider costs $420, and its listing states no sponsored label. A search for Entrepreneur returns its main listing at $6,500.

  5. Quote what the buyer picks

    The agent quotes only what the buyer chooses; here, the English-language Forbes edition plus Business Insider. The quote reserves nothing and charges nothing.

    MCP tool call: quote_placements
    {
  "items": [{"id": "forbes-australia"}, {"id": "business-insider"}]
}
    Same call over REST
    curl -X POST https://essentras.com/api/agent/v1/quote \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"items":[{"id":"forbes-australia"},{"id":"business-insider"}]}'
    Real response, trimmed. Captured 19 Oct 2026
    {
  "line_items": [
    {
      "id": "forbes-australia",
      "name": "Forbes Australia",
      "unit_price": 11667,
      "turnaround": "3-4 Weeks"
    },
    {
      "id": "business-insider",
      "name": "Business Insider",
      "unit_price": 420,
      "turnaround": "3-5 Days"
    }
  ],
  "unavailable": [],
  "subtotal": 12087,
  "discount": {
    "amount": 0,
    "percent": 0,
    "next_tier": "Add 1 more placement(s) for 10% off the whole basket."
  },
  "total": 12087,
  "billing_trigger": "on_order",
  "checkout_url": "https://essentras.com/cart?add=forbes-australia%2Cbusiness-insider&utm_source=ai_agent&utm_medium=agent_api",
  "expires_in_seconds": 86400
}

    What to read: total is $12,087. discount.next_tier offers 10% off the whole basket for 1 more placement: an option, never added unasked.

What the API returned for each name

Asked forWhat the API sellsPriceLabel, as the listing states
Forbes10 regional editions, none on forbes.comfrom $5,000Varies by edition
TechCrunchTech Crunch; Includes Social Posts$23,333Sponsored or partner label
Inc.comNothing: not sold hereNo listingNo listing
HuffPostHuffPost Italia only$39,588Sponsored or partner label
Comparable: Business InsiderDomain Authority 94$420No sponsored label
Comparable: EntrepreneurDomain Authority 92$6,500No sponsored label

What the agent tells the buyer

A staff or contributor story on forbes.com has no legitimate price: Forbes journalists decide what they cover, and a fee for a mention is a red flag.

Forbes’s own paid routes are Councils, a fee-based membership, and BrandVoice, labelled Paid Program. Essentras sells neither and is not affiliated with Forbes.

What I can buy for you here: 10 regional Forbes editions from $5,000, each a separate publication on its own domain; in English, Forbes Australia at $11,667 or Forbes Middle East at $85,750.

TechCrunch is sold only as a partner listing with social posts and a sponsored label, at $23,333. Inc.com is not sold here, and HuffPost only as HuffPost Italia, at $39,588.

If what matters is a top-authority US business outlet rather than the Forbes name, Business Insider is $420 and Entrepreneur $6,500; both listings state no sponsored label, and both are still paid. Forbes Australia plus Business Insider quotes at $12,087.

Every option is a paid placement, not coverage a journalist chose to write, whatever label the outlet adds. The card is charged at checkout and refunded if the placement is not published or the turnaround is missed. Which one should I quote for you?

The human step

The buyer opens checkout_url, sees the same 2 outlets and the same total, and pays on essentras.com. The quote is valid for 24 hours; the agent re-quotes after a few minutes.

checkout_url, returned by quote_placements
https://essentras.com/cart?add=forbes-australia%2Cbusiness-insider&utm_source=ai_agent&utm_medium=agent_api
Open this basket on essentras.com

Also useful

Rules the agent follows

  • Never pays and never collects card data. The job ends at checkout_url.
  • Searches every name, and a 2nd spelling, before saying an outlet is not sold.
  • Says what is not sold, and never offers a lookalike as the outlet the buyer named.
  • Says paid placements are paid, using link.disclosure, never as coverage a journalist chose to write.
  • Quotes only what the buyer picks, and re-quotes if time passed or the basket changed.
  • Never suggests placements as a route to Wikipedia notability or a Meta verified badge.

FAQ

Questions about this recipe

Does Essentras sell Forbes US?▾

No. A search for Forbes returns 10 regional editions and none is on forbes.com, and get_outlet with the id forbes answers not_found. The editions are separate publications on their own domains.

Can anyone sell a staff-written Forbes article?▾

Not on forbes.com: Forbes journalists decide what they cover, and a fee for a mention is a red flag. The paid routes Forbes runs itself are Councils, a fee-based membership, and BrandVoice, labelled Paid Program. The contributor guide covers the unpaid routes.

Why did TechCrunch return nothing at first?▾

q matches the name as the listing writes it, which is “Tech Crunch”, with a space. The agent tries a 2nd spelling before it tells a buyer that an outlet is not sold.

Is a regional Forbes edition the same as a Forbes feature?▾

No. It is a paid placement on a separate publication with its own domain, audience and disclosure. The agent says so and never presents it as a forbes.com story.

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