TL;DR
Include only the industries you want. Don't try to exclude hundreds of industries you don't want.
Vertical is the broadest grouping, Industry is narrower, Micro Industry is a niche business type, and SIC Code is the official numeric classification.
Use Vertical or Industry as your base (not both at full strictness), then add Micro Industry or SIC Code to narrow.
Start with Company Keywords, then use the industries in your results to pick the right ones.
When you'd use this
Industry decides who your offer is actually relevant for. Even great copy fails if it goes to the wrong kind of company. Use these filters to keep your list focused on companies that can realistically buy.
Where to find these filters
Open the Leads page from the sidebar (or go to next.listkit.io/leads).
Click Filters. Industry, Micro Industry, SIC Code and Vertical are all under Company Filters.
Which one to use
Filter | What it is | Use it when |
Vertical | Broad market, such as healthcare, financial services or real estate | You want a wide first look at a market |
Industry | Business category | You know the categories you serve. This is the main one for most searches. |
Micro Industry | Specific business type, such as law firm, restaurant or digital agency | Industry is too broad for your offer |
SIC Code | Official numeric code for a business activity | You know the exact classification, or nothing else is precise enough |
Use Vertical or Industry as your base, not both at full strictness, because stacking two broad filters can remove good companies. Add Micro Industry or SIC Code to narrow.
Step-by-step: Industry
Add 2 or 3 Company Keywords that describe your niche, such as "solar" or "renewable energy". See How do I use the Keyword filters for companies and people?
Look at the INDUSTRY column in your results to see which industries show up most.
Open Industry and include the ones that fit, plus adjacent ones (for example Real Estate and Property Management).
If one or two industries clearly don't fit, exclude just those. Don't exclude long lists.
Add Employee Size, company location and Job Title.
Including only what you want keeps lists clean. Excluding hundreds of industries is slow and lets odd categories slip through.
Micro Industry
Use Micro Industry when your offer is built for one specific business type. For example, legal practice software should target Micro Industry "law firm" rather than a broad professional services vertical, which would pull in accountants and consultants too. Select several related values if your offer fits more than one niche.
SIC Code
Search SIC codes by number or by a word that describes the business. Select every code that fits, because close variants often have their own codes.
Medical billing software: 8011 (offices of doctors) and 8049 (offices of other health practitioners).
Software for car dealerships: 5511 (new and used car dealers) and 5521 (used car dealers).
Expected outcome
Your list contains the kinds of companies your offer is built for, with fewer poor-fit companies wasting credits and sends.
FAQ
Should I exclude the industries I don't want?
Only one or two clear mismatches. Including only what you want works better than excluding everything else.
Industry or Vertical?
Industry for most searches. Vertical is useful for a broad first look. Pick one as your base.
Is SIC Code more reliable than Industry for niche markets?
It can be, because SIC codes are official classifications. Test it when Industry is too broad.
My niche has no clean industry. What now?
Start with Company Keywords or AI Company Search instead. See Why are there so few leads for my niche or country?
Do these filters use credits?
No. Searching, filtering and checking counts are free. Credits are only used when you export.