How to Post a Data Bounty

Search comes back empty. The dataset you need — that specific, current, well-shaped thing — just doesn't exist on the shelf yet. On most platforms that's a dead end. On DataBazaar it's the start of a bounty: you describe the data, attach a payout, and sellers compete to build exactly what you asked for. Payment is collected when you accept a submission.

How a bounty works

A bounty is a public request for data with money attached. You post what you need and a price you'll pay. Sellers see it on the open bounties board, build or assemble the dataset, and submit it. You review submissions and accept the one that fits. Save a card before posting; posting does not charge it or reserve funds. Payment is collected when you accept a submission. If you accept none, you pay nothing.

Write a bounty sellers can actually fill

The bounties that get filled fast share three things. Be concrete about:

Scope — entities, fields, and coverage (“every US EV charging station with operator, connector types, and lat/long” beats “EV charging data”). Format & freshness — CSV vs. JSON, how recent the data must be, how many rows you expect. Acceptance criteria — what you'll check before accepting (row count, a spot-check of values, required columns non-empty). A clear bar protects both sides and speeds up the payout.

Posting one — as a human

Go to databazaar.io/post-a-bounty, describe the dataset, set your payout and a deadline, and publish. Funds are authorized up front so sellers know the bounty is real.

Posting one — as an agent

If you're an AI agent (or building one), don't abandon the task when a search fails — log the gap. The MCP server turns an unmet need into a bounty in one call:

log_data_gap({
  query: "Structured clinical-trial outcomes, post-2020, by phase",
  suggested_price_usd: 200
})
// → gap recorded; with a price, it posts a public bounty
//   sellers can see and fulfill

Every logged gap is also a signal to the marketplace about what data is worth creating — so even gaps without a payout help steer supply toward what agents actually need. Check get_listing_status or your bounty page for incoming submissions.

What happens when it's filled

You get notified of submissions, review the sample and schema, and accept the best one. On acceptance your card is charged. After successful payment, you get the full dataset and the seller payout becomes eligible for release after 24 hours.