Last updated 19 Oct 2026 · reviewed by the Essentras editorial team

Agent recipe

“Publish my funding announcement on Yahoo Finance and AP News this week for under $1,000.”

The agent finds both outlets, quotes the basket at $984, under the $1,000 budget, and hands the buyer a checkout link. The buyer pays; the agent never does.

Responses captured 18 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

Search Yahoo inside the budget

The agent turns the budget into max_price and sorts by price. 3 listings come back, each with an id, a fixed price, a turnaround and link terms. The agent then reads delivery.turnaround of each listing (search_outlets also takes max_turnaround_days, for example 7, to keep only listings whose stated turnaround fits).

MCP tool call: search_outlets

{
  "q": "Yahoo",
  "max_price": 1000,
  "sort": "price_asc"
}

Same call over REST

curl "https://essentras.com/api/agent/v1/outlets?\
q=Yahoo&max_price=1000&sort=price_asc"

Real response, trimmed. Captured 18 Oct 2026

{
  "total": 3,
  "results": [
    {
      "id": "yahoo-news-finance-press-release",
      "outlet": {"name": "Yahoo News/Finance; Press Release"},
      "price": {"amount": 667},
      "delivery": {"turnaround": "3-5 Days"},
      "link": {
        "dofollow": false,
        "sponsored_tag": "DISCRETE",
        "disclosure": "Published with a discreet disclosure."
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "yahoo-finance",
      "outlet": {"name": "PRNewsWire / Yahoo Finance"},
      "price": {"amount": 667},
      "delivery": {"turnaround": "3-5 Days"},
      "link": {
        "dofollow": false,
        "sponsored_tag": "YES",
        "disclosure": "Published with a sponsored or partner label."
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "business-insider-yahoo-ap-news-press-release",
      "outlet": {"name": "Business Insider / Yahoo / AP News; Press Release"},
      "price": {"amount": 833},
      "delivery": {"turnaround": "3-5 Days"},
      "link": {
        "dofollow": false,
        "sponsored_tag": "DISCRETE",
        "disclosure": "Published with a discreet disclosure."
      }
    }
  ]
}

What to read: 2 listings cost $667: PRNewsWire / Yahoo Finance has a sponsored or partner label, Yahoo News/Finance; Press Release a discreet disclosure. None gives a dofollow link.

Search AP News

The same call for the 2nd outlet returns 2 listings. AP News; Press Release costs $317 with a sponsored or partner label. The bundle listing appears again because its name includes AP News.

MCP tool call: search_outlets

{
  "q": "AP News",
  "max_price": 1000
}

Same call over REST

curl "https://essentras.com/api/agent/v1/outlets?\
q=AP%20News&max_price=1000"

Real response, trimmed. Captured 18 Oct 2026

{
  "total": 2,
  "results": [
    {
      "id": "ap-news-press-release",
      "outlet": {"name": "AP News; Press Release"},
      "price": {"amount": 317},
      "delivery": {"turnaround": "3-5 Days"},
      "link": {
        "dofollow": false,
        "sponsored_tag": "YES",
        "disclosure": "Published with a sponsored or partner label."
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "business-insider-yahoo-ap-news-press-release",
      "outlet": {"name": "Business Insider / Yahoo / AP News; Press Release"},
      "price": {"amount": 833},
      "delivery": {"turnaround": "3-5 Days"},
      "link": {
        "dofollow": false,
        "sponsored_tag": "DISCRETE",
        "disclosure": "Published with a discreet disclosure."
      }
    }
  ]
}

Read the terms before recommending

get_outlet returns the same offer a search hit carries, so it is optional. Use it when a buyer names an id, or to read 1 listing’s terms in 1 place.

MCP tool call: get_outlet

{
  "id": "business-insider-yahoo-ap-news-press-release"
}

Same call over REST

curl https://essentras.com/api/agent/v1/outlets/business-insider-yahoo-ap-news-press-release

Real response, trimmed. Captured 18 Oct 2026

{
  "id": "business-insider-yahoo-ap-news-press-release",
  "outlet": {"name": "Business Insider / Yahoo / AP News; Press Release"},
  "price": {"amount": 833},
  "delivery": {
    "turnaround": "3-5 Days",
    "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_basis: business days, paused while Essentras waits on the buyer, plus a 3 business day grace period. includes: writing, draft review, screenshot proof, live link.

Quote the basket

quote_placements prices the basket the buyer will see at checkout, volume tiers included. It reserves nothing and charges nothing. Quantity is not supported: list each id 1 time. Over MCP the same JSON arrives in structuredContent with a next_step line.

MCP tool call: quote_placements

{
  "items": [{"id": "yahoo-finance"}, {"id": "ap-news-press-release"}]
}

Same call over REST

curl -X POST https://essentras.com/api/agent/v1/quote \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"items":[{"id":"yahoo-finance"},{"id":"ap-news-press-release"}]}'

Real response, trimmed. Captured 18 Oct 2026

{
  "line_items": [
    {
      "id": "yahoo-finance",
      "name": "PRNewsWire / Yahoo Finance",
      "unit_price": 667,
      "turnaround": "3-5 Days"
    },
    {
      "id": "ap-news-press-release",
      "name": "AP News; Press Release",
      "unit_price": 317,
      "turnaround": "3-5 Days"
    }
  ],
  "unavailable": [],
  "subtotal": 984,
  "discount": {
    "amount": 0,
    "percent": 0,
    "next_tier": "Add 1 more placement(s) for 10% off the whole basket."
  },
  "total": 984,
  "billing_trigger": "on_order",
  "checkout_url": "https://essentras.com/cart?add=yahoo-finance%2Cap-news-press-release&utm_source=ai_agent&utm_medium=agent_api",
  "expires_in_seconds": 86400
}

What to read: total is $984, under the budget. discount.next_tier offers 10% off the whole basket for 1 more placement: an option, never added unasked. checkout_url stays valid for 86400 seconds.

MCP tool call: quote_placements

{
  "items": [{"id": "business-insider-yahoo-ap-news-press-release"}]
}

Same call over REST

curl -X POST https://essentras.com/api/agent/v1/quote \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"items":[{"id":"business-insider-yahoo-ap-news-press-release"}]}'

Real response, trimmed. Captured 18 Oct 2026

{
  "line_items": [
    {
      "id": "business-insider-yahoo-ap-news-press-release",
      "name": "Business Insider / Yahoo / AP News; Press Release",
      "unit_price": 833
    }
  ],
  "subtotal": 833,
  "total": 833,
  "checkout_url": "https://essentras.com/cart?add=business-insider-yahoo-ap-news-press-release&utm_source=ai_agent&utm_medium=agent_api"
}

What to read: The bundle listing quotes at $833 as 1 line item.

The 3 baskets the agent can offer

Basket	Disclosure	Quote total
PRNewsWire / Yahoo Finance + AP News; Press Release	Sponsored or partner label on both	$984
Yahoo News/Finance; Press Release + AP News; Press Release	Discreet disclosure on Yahoo, sponsored or partner label on AP News	$984
Business Insider / Yahoo / AP News; Press Release (1 listing)	Discreet disclosure	$833

What the agent tells the buyer

I found 3 baskets inside $1,000. What you asked for, PRNewsWire / Yahoo Finance plus AP News; Press Release, quotes at $984. Yahoo News/Finance; Press Release plus AP News costs the same.

The Business Insider / Yahoo / AP News; Press Release listing is $833. To spend less, AP News alone is $317.

These are paid press release placements, not coverage a journalist chose to write. Yahoo Finance and AP News carry a sponsored or partner label, the other listings a discreet disclosure, and none gives a dofollow link.

I cannot promise this week: the stated turnaround is 3-5 days, counted in business days and paused while Essentras waits on you, plus a 3 business day grace period.

The card is charged at checkout and refunded if the placement is not published or the turnaround is missed. Which basket? I will give you the link; you pay there.

The human step

The buyer opens checkout_url. It adds the same outlets to the cart, shows the same total and takes payment 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=yahoo-finance%2Cap-news-press-release&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.
Asks before the buyer’s money is committed: basket, total and refund terms first.
Says paid placements are paid, using link.disclosure, never as coverage a journalist chose to write.
Promises no outcome and no date, only the stated turnaround window.
Reads prices from the API, in USD, 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

Can the agent pay for the placements?▾

No. quote_placements reserves nothing and charges nothing, and the server holds no payment method. Only the buyer can pay, at checkout_url.

Will the release be published this week?▾

The agent cannot promise that. The stated turnaround is 3-5 days, counted in business days and paused while Essentras waits on the buyer, plus a 3 business day grace period. A missed turnaround or an unpublished placement is refunded.

How does the $833 listing differ from the 2-outlet basket?▾

It is a separate listing with its own price and a discreet disclosure instead of a sponsored label. The agent quotes each basket and never adds up list prices itself.

Is this editorial coverage?▾

No. These are paid press release placements, and link.disclosure states how each is labelled. The agent says so.

“Publish my funding announcement on Yahoo Finance and AP News this week for under $1,000.”

The steps

Search Yahoo inside the budget

Search AP News

Read the terms before recommending

Quote the basket

The 3 baskets the agent can offer

What the agent tells the buyer

The human step

Rules the agent follows

Questions about this recipe

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