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How do I use Search to build a lead list?

Written by Andre Haykal Jr

TL;DR

  • Use B2B Search to find companies and decision-makers that match your ICP.

  • Combine AI Company Search, People filters, and Company filters.

  • Review lead counts before export.

  • Only two export fields use credits: business email and mobile phone number. Everything else is included.
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When you’d use this / Why it matters

Use B2B Search when you want to build highly targeted outbound lists instead of guessing. The right filters save credits, improve reply rates, and reduce wasted outreach.

Step-by-step: Access the "Search"

  1. Open Companies (first icon in the left sidebar).

  2. If filters are hidden, click Filters to open the filter panel.

Pre-built filters (fastest way to start)

The first section you’ll see is Pre-Built Filters.

Examples include Roofing Companies, HVAC Services, Plumbing Companies, Marketing Agencies, Law Firms, Dentists, Solar and Accounting. One click applies a full filter set (job titles, employee ranges, US/Canada/UK), which you can then edit.

  • These are ready-made filters created by the ListKit team.

  • You can:

    • Use them as-is, or

    • Open and customize them for your ICP.
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Best for:

  • New users

  • Quick list creation

  • Testing ideas fast

Context: AI Company Search (AI filter)

AI Company Search is an AI-powered filter that builds targeting logic for you.

How to use it:

  1. Type a short description of your ideal client (at least 5 words) and click Search.

  2. ListKit’s AI analyzes:

    • Industries

    • Company traits

    • Contextual signals
      ​

  3. A tailored company filter is generated automatically.
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After this:

  • Add People filters (job titles, locations).

  • Your list is ready.
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People filters

Job titles

Target leads based on role.

You can choose:

  • Contains
    ​     Matches any job title that includes your keyword.
    ​ Example: “Chief Executive” → CEO, Founder & CEO
    ​

  • Exact Match
    ​     Matches only the exact job title entered.
    ​

Excluding job titles

To remove unwanted roles:

  1. Click Exclude.

  2. Add the title or keyword.

  3. Click Save.

Keywords

Use Keywords to refine your niche.

Examples:

  • SaaS

  • Construction

  • Real estate

Add keywords → click Save.

People location

Target where the person is located:

  • Country

  • State

  • City
    ​

Use this only if geography truly matters.

More People filters are available, including Seniority Level, Department and AI Job Titles Search. See: What search filters are available in ListKit?

Company filters

Company filters define who you sell to.

Funding

Filter companies by:

  • Funding type

  • Funding range

  • Latest funding round date

Industry

  • Include or exclude specific industries.

  • Useful for niche offers.

Technologies

Target companies using specific tools.

Examples:

  • HubSpot

  • Shopify

  • Salesforce
    ​

Employee range

Filter by company size:

Include or exclude companies

Manually control company targeting.

  • Include Companies: add company domains you want

  • Exclude Companies: remove companies you don’t want

More company filters

Keywords, SIC Code, Company Name, AI Score, Target Audience, Business Model, Revenue Model, Growth Stage, Revenue Range, Vertical and Micro Industry are also available. See: What search filters are available in ListKit? for what each one does.

Hiring status

Choose whether to target:

  • Companies that are hiring

  • Companies that are not hiring
    ​

Helpful for identifying growth-stage companies.

Company location

Target where the company is based:

  • Country

  • State

  • Region

  • City

People location vs. company location (important)

  • People Location: where employees live

  • Company Location: where the company operates or is headquartered
    ​

⚠️ Recommendation:

Use Company Location only in most cases.

If you filter both:

  • You may unintentionally exclude strong decision-makers who live abroad.
    ​

Review your lead counts

After applying filters:

  • Companies view: shows how many companies match your ICP

  • People view: shows how many individual leads match
    ​

The results also split into three tabs: Total, Net new (leads your account has never exported) and Saved (leads you have already exported). Saved is view-only, so Download Leads is disabled there. To download a past export again, use Order History.

This helps you estimate:

  • Lead volume

  • Credit usage
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Searching and filtering are free. Credits are only used when you export. Large searches can take up to a minute depending on your filters.

Download your leads

When ready:

  1. Click Download Leads (top right). It becomes clickable once at least one filter is applied. The order confirmation page that opens shows the exact credit cost before you confirm.

  2. You’ll land on Export Settings.

Select export fields

High-value fields (paid)

These are the only fields that use credits:

  • Business Email (1 credit per email, triple verification included)

  • Mobile Phone Number (3 credits, charged only when a number is found; US only)
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Free fields (included automatically)

No extra credits required:

  • Company name & domain

  • Industry

  • Employee count

  • Company location

  • First & last name

  • Job title

  • Lead location

Additional fields (no credit cost)

Optional, included at no credit cost when available:

  • Company address

  • Company LinkedIn URL

  • Tech stack

  • Funding info

  • Personal LinkedIn URL

  • Personal email
    ​

Set export limits

1. Max people per company

Controls how many leads you export per company.

Example:

  • Set to 3

  • If a company has 10 matches, only 3 are exported

2. Lead quantity

Total number of leads to export.

Example:

  • 5,000 leads

  • Credit cost depends on the number of leads and whether you add mobile phone numbers
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Exclusion options (recommended)

Before exporting, enable:

  • Exclude emails from order history
    ​     Prevents duplicate exports.
    ​

  • Exclude Do Not Call numbers
    ​     Removes DNC-listed phone numbers.
    ​

Export your leads

  1. Review:

    • Matching leads

    • Available credits

    • Estimated cost
      ​

  2. Click Confirm & Export.
    ​

  3. ListKit processes and verifies the data.
    ​
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Once complete:

  • Download your list from Order History (in the left sidebar), or import it straight into a campaign with Import from order history

  • Ready for campaigns or CRM upload
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Expected outcome

You should now be able to:

  • Build precise B2B lead lists

  • Use AI + manual filters effectively

  • Control credit usage

  • Export clean, campaign-ready data

Troubleshooting / FAQs

Why is my lead count low?

Your filters may be too restrictive. Remove People Location, widen employee ranges, or reduce exclusions.

Should I always start with AI Company Search?

Yes, it’s a strong starting point, especially for new users.

How do I avoid duplicate leads?

Enable Exclude emails from order history before exporting.

Why are phone numbers expensive?

Mobile numbers require deeper sourcing and validation.

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