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How do I use AI Search to find leads in plain English?

Written by Bourhan Sbalbal

THIS ARTICLE IS FOR: ✅ Self-Serve

Stage: Trial / Onboarding / Live

Owner: CS

Last updated: 2026-7-27


TL;DR

  • AI Search lets you describe your ideal company in plain English instead of stacking manual filters.

  • ListKit's AI interprets your prompt and matches it against real company data.

  • Keep prompts short (6–9 words), specific, and written in your market's language.

  • Use ListKit's Custom GPT Prompt Builder to generate optimized prompts from any company URL.


When you'd use this / Why it matters

Use AI Search when you want to quickly generate a targeted company list without manually building out Keywords, Industry, and other filters one by one. A well-written prompt can unlock a larger, more relevant list faster than filter-stacking alone.


Step-by-step: Where to use AI Search

  1. Go to Search

  2. Click Companies

  3. Open Filters

  4. Select Context → AI Company Search

  5. Paste your prompt and run the search


What a good prompt looks like

Your prompt should tell the AI three things:

  • What type of company this is

  • Who they serve

  • What problem they solve

Example:

❌ "Marketing companies"

✅ "Marketing agencies helping dentists get more patients"


Core principles of a strong prompt

1. Be specific

Niche prompts outperform broad ones.

✅ "Software companies selling to dentists"
❌ "Software companies in the US"

2. Keep it short (6–9 words)

Long prompts reduce accuracy.

✅ "Software helping eCommerce brands grow"
❌ "Software companies that help eCommerce stores increase revenue through automated marketing"

3. Match your target market's language

Use words companies actually use about themselves — "Software," "Marketing agency," "Consulting firm" — not internal jargon like "SaaS" or "Solutions provider."

4. Test multiple variations

Small wording changes can produce very different volumes. Run 3–5 variations before settling on one.

5. Follow the formula

Company Type + Service/Product + Target Market (+ Outcome)

Example: "Agencies helping contractors get more clients"

6. Think like your buyer

Use outcome-based language: "get more leads," "book more appointments," "close more deals."


Use the Custom GPT Prompt Builder (recommended)

ListKit built a Custom GPT that takes a company website URL and instantly generates 5 optimized prompts, based on patterns proven across thousands of searches.

Example input: Calendly.com

Example outputs:

  • "Software that helps businesses schedule meetings automatically"

  • "AI tools that streamline team scheduling"

  • "Platforms for automating client appointments"

Paste any of these directly into AI Company Search.


What NOT to include in your prompt

Don't add filters inside the prompt itself:

  • ❌ Locations ("in the US")

  • ❌ Funding stage ("Series A")

  • ❌ Job titles ("CMOs")

  • ❌ Company size ("10+ employees")

These already exist as separate filters. Prompting is for company identity — not attributes.


Expected outcome

You should now be able to:

  • Write high-performing AI prompts confidently

  • Generate larger, cleaner, more relevant company lists

  • Skip manual keyword and industry filtering

  • Build repeatable outbound workflows faster


Troubleshooting / FAQs

My results feel too broad. What should I do?
Make your prompt more specific — add who the company serves or what outcome they deliver.

Should I still use filters after prompting?
Yes. Layer Job Titles, Location, and other filters on top of your AI-generated list.

Where do I find the Custom GPT?
Use the ListKit Prompt Builder: https://www.tella.tv/video/how-to-prompt-like-a-pro-gspi (video walkthrough available as well).

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