UK agencies post to multiple job boards simultaneously and expect applications to arrive automatically in their ATS. The reality is more complicated: not all major UK job boards offer equivalent API access, multi-posting tools exist specifically because direct API integration with each board separately is impractical, and the most common integration failures — missing applications, duplicate candidates, delayed syncs — are predictable and largely preventable with the right setup.
The main UK job boards each have different levels of technical integration capability:
Both methods get jobs onto job boards. They differ in flexibility, stability, and setup requirements.
| Aspect | XML feed | REST/GraphQL API |
|---|---|---|
| Setup complexity | No engineering required — configure and submit | Developer setup required for authentication and endpoints |
| Update frequency | Typically every hour (batch) | Near real-time (Indeed Job Sync: 15 minutes) |
| Stability | High — XML schemas rarely change | Lower — API versioning can break integrations |
| Data fidelity | Standardised fields; less flexible | More granular — can include custom fields per board |
| Apply flow | Candidate applies on job board site | Indeed Apply: candidate applies within Indeed interface |
XML feeds use the Rightmove V3 BLM format as the UK standard (borrowed from property portals), which is accepted across job boards and estate agent software alike. For most agencies, XML feed posting is sufficient and more reliable than direct API integration with every board independently.
Broadbean, Idibu, and LogicMelon exist because maintaining direct integrations with dozens of job boards individually is impractical for most agencies. They provide a single interface from which a job is distributed to multiple boards simultaneously, with response aggregation back into the recruiter's dashboard.
Broadbean posts to 7,000+ job boards and channels. It includes internal and external CV searching, referral programme management, and social media publishing. It integrates with most major ATS platforms via API.
Idibu posts to 1,000+ job boards and social networks through standardised feeds and API support. It centralises job management across all boards from one interface.
LogicMelon focuses on ROI tracking by job board — which boards are producing applications, at what cost, and which sources lead to placements. For agencies paying per-posting fees across multiple boards, this visibility matters.
All three tools charge on a subscription basis and integrate with the major UK ATS platforms. The integration typically runs: ATS posts job → multi-posting tool distributes to selected boards → applications flow back to multi-posting tool → forwarded to ATS candidate record. Each step is a potential failure point.
The failures that agencies report most consistently are:
For agencies with specific posting workflows — different posting logic by division, client-branded career pages that feed automatically to job boards, or proprietary candidate screening steps before applications reach the recruiter — a bespoke integration layer can handle complexity that multi-posting tools do not. The same applies to agencies that have built their own candidate-facing platform and need it to connect to job board APIs on their own terms rather than through a third-party aggregator.
The cost is development and maintenance time. Job board APIs change, authentication protocols update, and new boards enter the market. A bespoke integration needs ongoing technical maintenance in a way that a subscription to Broadbean does not.