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What is Intent Data and how do I use it in my searches?

Written by Bourhan Sbalbal

THIS ARTICLE IS FOR: ✅ Self-Serve

Stage: Onboarding / Live

Owner: CS

Last updated: 2026-7-27


TL;DR

  • Intent Data surfaces leads actively researching topics related to your offer, powered by 21B+ daily intent signals.

  • Signals are U.S.-only, refreshed every 24 hours, reflecting the last 30 days of activity.

  • Use the AI Data Stream to select intent topics, then layer People and Company filters on top.

  • Intent-based targeting typically improves relevance and reply rates over standard cold outreach.


When you'd use this / Why it matters

Use Intent Data when you want higher relevance in outbound. Instead of guessing who might need your solution, you target people and companies already showing interest in related topics.


What Intent Data actually shows

Intent Data reflects buyer intent signals — topics or categories leads have recently engaged with or researched, drawn from a pool of 21B+ daily signals. ListKit uses these to surface leads actively interested in specific industries, services, or product categories.

Key details:

  • Location: U.S. only

  • Freshness: Updated every 24 hours

  • Data window: Signals from the last 30 days


Step-by-step: Accessing Intent Data

  1. Log into app.listkit.io

  2. Click Search in the left-hand menu

  3. Click Companies

  4. Under Filters, select AI Data Stream


Using the AI Data Stream

Option 1: Describe your offer (recommended)

Enter your service or offer in the input field — at least 5 words for accurate topic generation.

Example: "Cold email lead generation for SaaS companies"

ListKit automatically generates relevant intent topics based on your description.

Option 2: Add topics manually

Click Add topics manually to search and select specific categories yourself (e.g., Business Travel, Digital Marketing Tools).


Layering additional filters

After selecting Data Stream topics, refine with:

People filters: Job Title, Department, Seniority Level, Gender, Age Range, Income Range, Net Worth, Marital Status, Homeownership, State and City

Company filters: Industry, Technology, Employee Count, Revenue, SIC Code, Domain or Company Name, State and City


Exporting Intent-based leads

Same Checkout flow as standard B2B Search: select High-Value Fields (Business Email, Triple Verification, Personal Email, Mobile Numbers), Additional Fields, set exclusions, choose quantity, and export.


Expected outcome

You should now be able to:

  • Target leads based on recent intent signals

  • Layer People + Company filters to sharpen your ICP

  • Export intent-based lists with the fields you need


Troubleshooting / FAQs

Why don't I see results outside the U.S.?
Intent Data is currently U.S.-only.

Why did my results change overnight?
Signals refresh every 24 hours on a rolling 30-day window.

My counts are too low — what should I do?
Broaden your Data Stream topics or remove extra filters.

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