Guide · Updated 16 October 2026
Lead routing strategies: waterfall, weighted, round robin and bidding
Short answer
Lead routing decides which buyer gets each lead. The main strategies are waterfall (fixed order), weighted (percentage split), round robin (rotate evenly) and bidding (highest bid wins). Most lead sellers combine them.
The four strategies
| Strategy | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Waterfall (ping tree) | Offer to buyers in a fixed order until one accepts | Buyers with set prices, where you want your best payer first |
| Weighted | Split leads between buyers by percentage | Sharing volume, or testing a new buyer on a small share |
| Round robin | Rotate leads evenly between buyers | Fairness between equal buyers, such as franchise networks |
| Bidding (ping/post) | Buyers bid, highest bid wins | Lead value that varies a lot from lead to lead |
How to choose
- Start with a waterfall if you have a few buyers with agreed prices.
- Use weighted splits to test a new buyer without risking all your volume.
- Add bidding when buyers want to price each lead.
- Always add caps and a fallback, whichever strategy you use.
Beyond the strategy
The strategy matters less than the rules around it: which leads qualify for which buyer, how fast buyers respond, how many leads come back as returns, and what happens when everyone says no. Reports on unsold leads, timing and cap pressure show where a strategy is losing money.
Questions
Which routing strategies does pingtype support?
Waterfall and weighted cascades, plus ping/post bidding. You can mix fixed-price buyers and bidding buyers in the same cascade.
Is round robin good for lead sellers?
It suits equal buyers who want an even share. If buyers pay different prices, a waterfall or bidding usually earns more.