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Setup Wizard

Walk through Lead Distro AI's campaign setup wizard — Draft state, step-by-step buyer and supplier configuration, test ingestion, and activation. Quickstart for new campaigns.

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What is the Setup Wizard?

The Setup Wizard is a step-by-step flow that walks you through creating a new campaign — adding suppliers, mapping delivery, running a test ingestion, and activating. New campaigns start in Draft state until you complete the wizard or manually activate; drafts don't accept live traffic.

The Draft → Active Lifecycle

StateBehavior
DraftCampaign exists but ingest API rejects leads with `inactive_campaign`. Suppliers can't send live traffic. Visible in dashboard with 'Continue Setup' banner.
ActiveCampaign accepts ingest API calls. Suppliers send live leads. Distribution to buyers runs normally.
PausedManually paused. Ingest API rejects leads with `inactive_campaign`. Buyers and suppliers stay configured; un-pause to resume.

Wizard Steps

  • Step 1 — Campaign Basics: Name, vertical, campaign type (Direct Post vs Ping-Post), distribution method default.
  • Step 2 — Field Mapping: Define system fields required, add custom fields for the vertical.
  • Step 3 — Add Suppliers: Configure at least one supplier with API key, cost mode, and (optionally) Test Mode for onboarding.
  • Step 4 — Add Buyers: Configure at least one buyer with delivery method, price, caps, and filters.
  • Step 5 — Test Ingestion: Run a Test Send through the full path — supplier ingest → distribution → buyer delivery.
  • Step 6 — Activate: Switch campaign from Draft to Active. Live traffic starts flowing.

Validation Gates

Each wizard step validates before letting you proceed:

  • Field Mapping requires at least the system fields enabled.
  • Adding a supplier generates the API key — store it securely before proceeding.
  • Adding a buyer requires a delivery method config (URL for webhook, sheet for Google Sheet, email for email delivery).
  • Test Ingestion requires at least one successful end-to-end test before the Activate button enables.

Drafts persist until you activate. You can return to a draft any time from the campaign list page — the 'Continue Setup' banner takes you back to whichever step you left off on. Use drafts to stage campaigns ahead of a launch date without exposing them to live traffic.

Skipping the Wizard

Experienced users can skip the wizard and manually configure each step on the campaign page directly. Click Activate in the campaign settings to flip from Draft to Active without going through the wizard — useful when migrating a campaign config from an external source or duplicating an existing campaign.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my campaign rejecting leads with 'inactive_campaign'?
The campaign is in Draft or Paused state. New campaigns default to Draft until you complete the Setup Wizard or manually activate them. Open the campaign page — if you see a 'Continue Setup' banner, the campaign is in Draft. Click Activate when ready, or work through the wizard to validate the full flow before activating.
Can I activate a campaign without running a test ingestion?
Yes — the Test Ingestion step in the wizard is recommended but not strictly required. Click Activate from the campaign settings to skip the wizard's validation gates. This is appropriate when you're migrating a known-working config (e.g., duplicating an existing campaign) but risky for net-new campaigns where field mapping and delivery aren't yet validated.
How do I return to a Draft campaign I started but didn't finish?
Open the campaign list page in the dashboard. Drafts have a Continue Setup banner at the top of each row. Click it to resume the wizard at the step you left off on. Drafts persist indefinitely — no auto-expiry — so you can stage campaigns ahead of a launch date.
Can I edit a campaign after activating it?
Yes — all settings (field mapping, filters, distribution method, buyer/supplier list, caps) can be edited on Active campaigns. Changes take effect on the next ingested lead. Be careful with field mapping changes on a high-volume Active campaign — adding a required custom field that suppliers don't yet send will start rejecting leads immediately.
Does duplicating a campaign also copy its Draft state?
Yes — duplicated campaigns start in Draft regardless of the source campaign's state. The duplicate copies field mapping, inbound filters, buyer slots (with no buyers attached), and routing settings — but buyers and suppliers must be re-added to the duplicate before activation. This ensures you intentionally re-validate the buyer/supplier setup on the new campaign.
Can I have multiple Draft campaigns at once?
Yes — no limit on Draft campaigns. Use this to stage seasonal campaigns (e.g., a Q1 vertical launching January 1) ahead of activation, prepare A/B test variants without exposing them to traffic, or build templates for future use. Drafts don't consume plan-tier capacity since they don't ingest leads.

Related Articles

Campaign Basics
Create and configure lead distribution campaigns in Lead Distro AI. Choose your routing method, set daily caps, map custom fields, and assign buyers with priority rules for every pipeline.
Quickstart
Set up your Lead Distro AI account, configure your first campaign, add buyers and suppliers, and start distributing leads in real time. Step-by-step quickstart guide for pay-per-lead and pay-per-call agencies.
Test Mode
Use Test Mode on suppliers to validate campaign setup before going live. Test leads flow through the full distribution path with is_test flag, excluded from billing and Meta CAPI.

If you have any questions, send us an email at support@leaddistro.ai

Test ModeDuplicating Campaigns