Last updated · reviewed by the Essentras editorial team
Agent recipe
“I run a small law firm in Texas and want to be quoted in local news and a regional business journal within 30 days.”
The agent searches Texas by name, finds Dallas outlets with q because the listings carry no city, and quotes the only Texas edition of the business journal plus a Dallas outlet at $9,167. It says a paid article is not a journalist’s quote, and promises no date.
Responses captured 19 Oct 2026. Prices change, so the agent must re-quote before it shows a total.
search_outletsget_outletquote_placementsConnect the MCP server or REST API first: no account, no key. Rules: agent briefing.
The steps
Search the state by name
The buyer gave a state, a profession and a deadline, and no budget. When these responses were captured, state matched the region only as each listing writes it, so the 2-letter code returned nothing and the agent sent the name. The API now also accepts the postal code; the name always works. Sorted by price, 31 Texas listings come back.
MCP tool call: search_outlets{ "country": "US", "state": "TX" }Same call over RESTcurl "https://essentras.com/api/agent/v1/outlets?\ country=US&state=TX"Real response, trimmed. Captured 19 Oct 2026{ "total": 0, "results": [] }What to read: total was 0 when captured: state took the name only. The postal code works now.
MCP tool call: search_outlets{ "country": "US", "state": "Texas", "sort": "price_asc", "limit": 100 }Same call over RESTcurl "https://essentras.com/api/agent/v1/outlets?\ country=US&state=Texas&sort=price_asc&limit=100"Real response, trimmed. Captured 19 Oct 2026{ "total": 31, "has_more": false, "results": [ { "id": "texas-today", "outlet": {"name": "Texas Today", "city": null}, "price": {"amount": 260}, "delivery": {"turnaround_window": "3-5 business days"}, "link": {"sponsored_tag": "DISCRETE"} }, { "id": "the-texas-developer", "outlet": {"name": "The Texas Developer", "city": null}, "price": {"amount": 417}, "delivery": {"turnaround_window": "3 business days"}, "link": {"sponsored_tag": "NO"} }, { "id": "dallas-herald", "outlet": {"name": "Dallas Herald", "city": null}, "price": {"amount": 583}, "delivery": {"turnaround_window": "3 business days"}, "link": {"sponsored_tag": "NO"} }, { "id": "dallas-observer-6-month-lifespan", "outlet": {"name": "Dallas Observer; 6 Month Lifespan", "city": null}, "price": {"amount": 1667}, "delivery": {"turnaround_window": "3 business days"}, "link": {"sponsored_tag": "YES"} }, { "id": "fort-bend-star", "outlet": {"name": "Fort Bend Star", "city": null}, "price": {"amount": 1833}, "delivery": {"turnaround_window": "3-5 business days"}, "link": {"sponsored_tag": "NO"} }, { "id": "the-leader-news", "outlet": {"name": "The Leader News", "city": null}, "price": {"amount": 1833}, "delivery": {"turnaround_window": "3-5 business days"}, "link": {"sponsored_tag": "NO"} } ] }What to read: 6 of 31 results shown. outlet.city is null on every Texas listing, so when captured a city filter found none of them (city now also matches outlet names), and delivery.turnaround_window is 2 weeks or less on all 31.
Ask the city, then search its name
The agent asks where the firm is; here, Dallas. With no city on the listings, it searches the city name with q, which matches the listing name. Since this capture, city= matches outlet names too.
MCP tool call: search_outlets{ "q": "Dallas" }Same call over RESTcurl "https://essentras.com/api/agent/v1/outlets?\ q=Dallas"Real response, trimmed. Captured 19 Oct 2026{ "total": 4, "has_more": false, "results": [ { "id": "dallas-herald", "outlet": {"name": "Dallas Herald", "state_or_region": "Texas", "domain_authority": 5}, "price": {"amount": 583}, "delivery": {"turnaround_window": "3 business days"}, "link": {"sponsored_tag": "NO"} }, { "id": "dallas-culturemap-com", "outlet": { "name": "CultureMap Dallas", "state_or_region": null, "domain_authority": 80 }, "price": {"amount": 11467}, "delivery": {"turnaround_window": "2-4 weeks"}, "link": {"sponsored_tag": "YES"} }, { "id": "bizjournals-com-dallas", "outlet": { "name": "BizJournals.com (Dallas)", "state_or_region": "Texas", "domain_authority": 92 }, "price": {"amount": 7500}, "delivery": {"turnaround_window": "1-2 weeks"}, "link": {"sponsored_tag": "DISCRETE"} }, { "id": "dallas-observer-6-month-lifespan", "outlet": { "name": "Dallas Observer; 6 Month Lifespan", "state_or_region": "Texas; United States", "domain_authority": 78 }, "price": {"amount": 1667}, "delivery": {"turnaround_window": "3 business days"}, "link": {"sponsored_tag": "YES"} } ] }What to read: CultureMap Dallas has no state_or_region, so the Texas search missed it, and its stated window is 2-4 weeks: longer than the 2 weeks the agent allows for a 30-day deadline. Dallas Observer; 6 Month Lifespan is the Dallas listing with the highest Domain Authority that fits.
Find the regional business journal
The business journal is sold by edition. q BizJournals returns 11 editions with has_more false, and 1 is in Texas. A search for Business Journal with state Texas returns 0.
MCP tool call: search_outlets{ "q": "BizJournals" }Same call over RESTcurl "https://essentras.com/api/agent/v1/outlets?\ q=BizJournals"Real response, trimmed. Captured 19 Oct 2026{ "total": 11, "has_more": false, "results": [ { "id": "bizjournals-com", "outlet": {"state_or_region": null}, "price": {"amount": 7500} }, { "id": "bizjournals-com-atlanta", "outlet": {"state_or_region": null}, "price": {"amount": 7500} }, { "id": "bizjournals-com-seattle", "outlet": {"state_or_region": null}, "price": {"amount": 7500} }, { "id": "bizjournals-com-los-angeles", "outlet": {"state_or_region": "Los Angeles"}, "price": {"amount": 7500} }, { "id": "bizjournals-com-silicon-valley", "outlet": {"state_or_region": null}, "price": {"amount": 7500} }, { "id": "bizjournals-com-dallas", "outlet": {"state_or_region": "Texas"}, "price": {"amount": 7500} }, { "id": "bizjournals-com-new-york", "outlet": {"state_or_region": "New York"}, "price": {"amount": 7500} }, { "id": "bizjournals-com-chicago", "outlet": {"state_or_region": "Illinois"}, "price": {"amount": 7500} }, { "id": "bizjournals-com-washington-dc", "outlet": {"state_or_region": null}, "price": {"amount": 7500} }, { "id": "bizjournals-com-honolulu", "outlet": {"state_or_region": null}, "price": {"amount": 7500} }, { "id": "bizjournals-com-miami", "outlet": {"state_or_region": "Florida"}, "price": {"amount": 7500} } ] }What to read: Every edition costs $7,500 with a discreet disclosure. The Texas one is BizJournals.com (Dallas), which the Texas search had already found.
Read the journal’s terms in full
get_outlet returns the whole listing: the stated window, how the turnaround is counted, the link and the label.
MCP tool call: get_outlet{ "id": "bizjournals-com-dallas" }Same call over RESTcurl https://essentras.com/api/agent/v1/outlets/bizjournals-com-dallasReal response, trimmed. Captured 19 Oct 2026{ "id": "bizjournals-com-dallas", "outlet": { "name": "BizJournals.com (Dallas)", "state_or_region": "Texas", "genres": ["News", "Business"], "domain_authority": 92, "domain_rating": 91 }, "price": {"amount": 7500}, "delivery": { "turnaround_window": "1-2 weeks", "refund_policy": "Refunded if not published, or if the turnaround is missed.", "turnaround_basis": "business days, paused while we are waiting on you, plus a 3 business day grace period" }, "link": { "dofollow": false, "indexed": "YES", "sponsored_tag": "DISCRETE", "disclosure": "Published with a discreet disclosure." }, "includes": { "writing_available": true, "draft_review": true, "screenshot_proof": true, "live_link": true } }What to read: turnaround_window is “1-2 weeks”, counted in business days, paused while Essentras waits on the buyer, plus a 3 business day grace period. link.disclosure: “Published with a discreet disclosure.”
Quote the journal and 1 local outlet
The agent states its pick rule: the Texas edition of the business journal, plus the Dallas listing with the highest Domain Authority whose stated window is 2 weeks or less. It quotes only what the buyer approves.
MCP tool call: quote_placements{ "items": [{"id": "bizjournals-com-dallas"}, {"id": "dallas-observer-6-month-lifespan"}] }Same call over RESTcurl -X POST https://essentras.com/api/agent/v1/quote \ -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \ -d '{"items":[{"id":"bizjournals-com-dallas"},{"id":"dallas-observer-6-month-lifespan"}]}'Real response, trimmed. Captured 19 Oct 2026{ "line_items": [ { "id": "bizjournals-com-dallas", "name": "BizJournals.com (Dallas)", "unit_price": 7500, "turnaround": "1-2 Weeks" }, { "id": "dallas-observer-6-month-lifespan", "name": "Dallas Observer; 6 Month Lifespan", "unit_price": 1667, "turnaround": "3 Days" } ], "unavailable": [], "subtotal": 9167, "discount": { "amount": 0, "percent": 0, "next_tier": "Add 1 more placement(s) for 10% off the whole basket." }, "total": 9167, "billing_trigger": "on_order", "checkout_url": "https://essentras.com/cart?add=bizjournals-com-dallas%2Cdallas-observer-6-month-lifespan&utm_source=ai_agent&utm_medium=agent_api", "expires_in_seconds": 86400 }What to read: total is $9,167. discount.next_tier offers 10% off the whole basket with 1 more placement: an option, never added unasked.
The Dallas listings, as the API returned them
| Listing | Price | Stated window | Domain Authority | Label, as the listing states | In the quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Herald | $583 | 3 business days | 5 | No sponsored label | No: lower Domain Authority |
| CultureMap Dallas | $11,467 | 2-4 weeks | 80 | Sponsored or partner label | No: window over 2 weeks |
| BizJournals.com (Dallas) | $7,500 | 1-2 weeks | 92 | Discreet disclosure | Yes |
| Dallas Observer; 6 Month Lifespan | $1,667 | 3 business days | 78 | Sponsored or partner label | Yes |
What the agent tells the buyer
A reporter choosing to quote you cannot be bought, and I will not present a paid article as that. What I can buy for you are paid placements: articles about your firm on Texas outlets, paid whatever label each outlet adds.
For a law firm, a paid article may count as advertising under your bar’s rules, so check them before you buy. I give no legal advice.
In Texas the API sells 31 listings, from $260 (Texas Today). The only Texas edition of the business journal is BizJournals.com (Dallas), $7,500, with a discreet disclosure and a stated window of 1-2 weeks.
For a firm in Dallas I would add Dallas Observer; 6 Month Lifespan, $1,667, the Dallas listing with the highest Domain Authority that states 2 weeks or less. Its listing name states a 6-month lifespan, so ask whether the article comes down after 6 months. Together they quote at $9,167.
Both stated windows end inside 30 days, but I cannot promise a date: each turnaround counts business days, pauses while Essentras waits on you to approve the draft, and has a 3 business day grace period. The card is charged at checkout and refunded if a placement is not published or its turnaround is missed.
The human step
The buyer opens checkout_url, sees the same 2 listings and the total, and pays on essentras.com. Approving the drafts quickly matters, because the turnaround pauses while Essentras waits on the buyer.
https://essentras.com/cart?add=bizjournals-com-dallas%2Cdallas-observer-6-month-lifespan&utm_source=ai_agent&utm_medium=agent_apiAlso useful
Rules the agent follows
- Never pays and never collects card data. The job ends at checkout_url.
- Never presents a paid placement as a journalist choosing to quote the buyer.
- Sends the state by name, and searches the city with q when the listings carry no city.
- States its pick rule and reads every stated window against the deadline, promising no date.
- Gives no legal advice: a law firm checks its own advertising rules before it buys.
- Never suggests placements as a route to Wikipedia notability or a Meta verified badge.
FAQ
Questions about this recipe
Can Essentras get my firm quoted by a journalist?▾
Nobody can sell that: a journalist decides whom to quote. Essentras sells paid placements, which are paid whatever label the outlet adds, and the agent says so.
Why did state TX return nothing?▾
state matches the region as each listing writes it, which is the full name: Texas returns 31 listings and TX returns 0. The listings carry no city either, so the agent searches the city name with q.
Will both pieces be live within 30 days?▾
The agent cannot promise that. The stated windows are 1-2 weeks and 3 business days, counted in business days, paused while Essentras waits on the buyer, plus a 3 business day grace period. A missed turnaround or an unpublished placement is refunded.
Is a paid article allowed for a law firm?▾
The agent gives no legal advice. A law firm checks its bar’s advertising rules before it pays for any placement; each listing states its label in link.disclosure.