“Compare the main wire services for a 400-word US release and give me the order link.”

The steps

1. 1

   Search the wire names the buyer means

   q matches the listing name as written, so the agent searches a distinctive word: Newswire covers PR Newswire, GlobeNewswire and every other name spelled with it, and Presswire covers EIN Presswire. A name that returns nothing is not sold here.

   MCP tool call: search_outlets

   Copy

   {
     "q": "Newswire"
   }

   Same call over REST

   Copy

   curl "https://essentras.com/api/agent/v1/outlets?\
   q=Newswire"

   Real response, trimmed. Captured 19 Oct 2026

   Copy

   {
     "total": 1,
     "results": [
       {
         "id": "yahoo-finance",
         "outlet": {"name": "PRNewsWire / Yahoo Finance"},
         "price": {"amount": 667},
         "delivery": {"turnaround": "3-5 Days"},
         "link": {"dofollow": false, "indexed": "YES", "sponsored_tag": "YES"}
       }
     ]
   }

   What to read: 1 listing: PRNewsWire / Yahoo Finance at $667. “PR Newswire” with a space returns 0, because the listing spells it as 1 word, and no GlobeNewswire listing comes back.

   MCP tool call: search_outlets

   Copy

   {
     "q": "Presswire"
   }

   Same call over REST

   Copy

   curl "https://essentras.com/api/agent/v1/outlets?\
   q=Presswire"

   Real response, trimmed. Captured 19 Oct 2026

   Copy

   {
     "total": 1,
     "results": [
       {
         "id": "einpresswire-com",
         "outlet": {"name": "EIN Presswire"},
         "price": {"amount": 433},
         "delivery": {"turnaround": "120 hours"},
         "link": {"dofollow": false, "indexed": "MAYBE", "sponsored_tag": "YES"}
       }
     ]
   }

   What to read: EIN Presswire at $433, with a sponsored or partner label.

   MCP tool call: search_outlets

   Copy

   {
     "q": "Business Wire"
   }

   Same call over REST

   Copy

   curl "https://essentras.com/api/agent/v1/outlets?\
   q=Business%20Wire"

   Real response, trimmed. Captured 19 Oct 2026

   Copy

   {
     "total": 0,
     "results": []
   }

   What to read: total is 0: Business Wire is not sold here. A search for GlobeNewswire also returns 0.

2. 2

   List every press release listing, cheapest first

   A buyer may not know which name is a wire, so the agent also lists the listings named Press Release, sorted by price: 46 match, and the 5 cheapest come back first.

   MCP tool call: search_outlets

   Copy

   {
     "q": "Press Release",
     "sort": "price_asc",
     "limit": 5
   }

   Same call over REST

   Copy

   curl "https://essentras.com/api/agent/v1/outlets?\
   q=Press%20Release&sort=price_asc&limit=5"

   Real response, trimmed. Captured 19 Oct 2026

   Copy

   {
     "total": 46,
     "has_more": true,
     "results": [
       {
         "id": "24-7pressrelease-com",
         "outlet": {"name": "24-7 Press Release"},
         "price": {"amount": 213, "unit": "per_placement"},
         "link": {"dofollow": false, "sponsored_tag": "NO"}
       },
       {
         "id": "ap-news-press-release",
         "outlet": {"name": "AP News; Press Release"},
         "price": {"amount": 317, "unit": "per_placement"},
         "link": {"dofollow": false, "sponsored_tag": "YES"}
       },
       {
         "id": "yahoo-news-finance-press-release",
         "outlet": {"name": "Yahoo News/Finance; Press Release"},
         "price": {"amount": 667, "unit": "per_placement"},
         "link": {"dofollow": false, "sponsored_tag": "DISCRETE"}
       },
       {
         "id": "business-insider-yahoo-ap-news-press-release",
         "outlet": {"name": "Business Insider / Yahoo / AP News; Press Release"},
         "price": {"amount": 833, "unit": "per_placement"},
         "link": {"dofollow": false, "sponsored_tag": "DISCRETE"}
       },
       {
         "id": "barchart-press-release",
         "outlet": {"name": "Barchart; Press Release"},
         "price": {"amount": 867, "unit": "per_placement"},
         "link": {"dofollow": false, "sponsored_tag": "NO"}
       }
     ]
   }

   What to read: The cheapest is 24-7 Press Release at $213, then AP News; Press Release at $317. price.unit is per_placement: 1 price per release, not per word.

3. 3

   Read the cheapest listing in full

   get_outlet returns the whole offer. It has no word-count field, so the agent tells the buyer it cannot confirm the length fits instead of assuming it does.

   MCP tool call: get_outlet

   Copy

   {
     "id": "24-7pressrelease-com"
   }

   Same call over REST

   Copy

   curl https://essentras.com/api/agent/v1/outlets/24-7pressrelease-com

   Real response, trimmed. Captured 19 Oct 2026

   Copy

   {
     "id": "24-7pressrelease-com",
     "outlet": {"name": "24-7 Press Release"},
     "price": {"amount": 213},
     "delivery": {
       "turnaround": "240 hours",
       "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": "NO",
       "disclosure": "Published as a standard editorial article, with no sponsored label."
     },
     "includes": {
       "writing_available": true,
       "draft_review": true,
       "screenshot_proof": true,
       "live_link": true
     }
   }

   What to read: turnaround is 240 hours; turnaround_basis adds that it counts business days, pauses while Essentras waits on the buyer and has a 3 business day grace period. link.dofollow is false. includes lists writing, draft review, screenshot proof and a live link.

4. 4

   Quote the pick and hand over the link

   quote_placements prices what the buyer picks and returns checkout_url, the order link. It reserves nothing and charges nothing.

   MCP tool call: quote_placements

   Copy

   {
     "items": [{"id": "24-7pressrelease-com"}]
   }

   Same call over REST

   Copy

   curl -X POST https://essentras.com/api/agent/v1/quote \
     -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
     -d '{"items":[{"id":"24-7pressrelease-com"}]}'

   Real response, trimmed. Captured 19 Oct 2026

   Copy

   {
     "line_items": [
       {
         "id": "24-7pressrelease-com",
         "name": "24-7 Press Release",
         "unit_price": 213,
         "turnaround": "240 hours"
       }
     ],
     "unavailable": [],
     "subtotal": 213,
     "discount": {
       "amount": 0,
       "percent": 0,
       "next_tier": "Add 2 more placement(s) for 10% off the whole basket."
     },
     "total": 213,
     "billing_trigger": "on_order",
     "checkout_url": "https://essentras.com/cart?add=24-7pressrelease-com&utm_source=ai_agent&utm_medium=agent_api",
     "expires_in_seconds": 86400
   }

   What to read: total is $213. discount.next_tier: 3 placements, for example the same release on 2 more outlets, would take 10% off the whole basket. An option, never added unasked.