The question of how to get started on an agentic marketplace is different from the same question on a DSP. The process is more structured around deal terms and approval flows than around audience targeting and bidding strategy. What to prepare, and what to expect, differs in ways that are worth understanding before your first campaign.

What do you need before you start?

Before your first agent-negotiated deal, you need three things in place: a clear brief in a format the buying agent can read, defined boundaries for what the agent is authorised to agree to, and a named approver who will review the deal before it activates.

The brief needs to specify campaign objectives, budget parameters, target placement criteria, and any exclusions. The boundaries tell the agent what it is permitted to negotiate: the floor price it cannot go below, the inventory types it can accept, and the deal structures it is authorised to propose. The approver is the person who confirms the agent-negotiated deal before the campaign runs.

How does the first campaign briefing work?

The buying agent receives the brief as structured input, not as a freeform document. On a platform like Alkimi, the brief is translated into a set of parameters the agent uses when approaching sellers. This is a more structured process than uploading a media plan into a DSP: the terms need to be explicit because the agent will negotiate against them, not interpret them.

For a first campaign, it is worth spending time on the brief. Vague parameters produce deals that meet the letter of the brief but not the intent. Specificity at the briefing stage reduces the risk of a negotiated deal that requires significant human correction.

What does the negotiation step look like?

Once the buying agent has the brief, it approaches selling agents on behalf of the buyer. The negotiation involves an exchange of structured offers: the buying agent proposes terms, the selling agent responds, and the two systems work through the negotiation within the boundaries each has been given.

This exchange happens faster than a human-managed negotiation but follows the same logic: proposal, counter-proposal, and agreement. The buyer does not need to be present during the negotiation itself. The agent logs each step, so the full negotiation history is available for review.

Where do humans stay in the loop?

On Alkimi, human approval is required before any campaign activates. Once the buying and selling agents reach agreement, the proposed deal is presented to a named approver for review. The approver sees the full deal terms: what was agreed, which inventory is involved, what the price is, and what the seller committed to. They confirm or decline before anything goes live.

This is not a rubber-stamp step. The approver has the authority to reject a deal the agent negotiated, even if the terms fall within the defined parameters. The agent's job is to find a deal that meets the brief; the approver's job is to confirm it meets the intent.

What should you check after your first agent-negotiated deal?

After the first deal, review the negotiation log against the brief. Check whether the agent negotiated within its boundaries, whether the terms agreed match what you would have agreed manually, and whether the deal record held by both parties is complete and consistent. The DealSheet is the canonical record: if there is a discrepancy between what the seller reports and what the DealSheet says, the DealSheet is the reference.

The first campaign is also a test of your brief quality. If the agent negotiated terms you would not have chosen, the brief is where to look first.

How long does the first deal take?

The negotiation itself is fast, typically minutes rather than days. The time cost sits in the setup: defining the brief, configuring the agent's parameters, and establishing the approval workflow. For most organisations, the first deal takes longer than subsequent deals because the setup work is done once and reused.

From a second deal onward, the process is significantly faster: the agent uses the existing parameters, runs the negotiation, and surfaces the deal for approval. The reduction in coordination overhead is where agentic buying shows its practical advantage.

Alkimi's onboarding process is structured around the DealSheet. Buyer and seller define terms before the agent negotiates, and human approval is required before any campaign activates. The setup work is front-loaded so that subsequent deals run faster and with less manual intervention at each step.