Running Your First Search

Your first search is the moment Leadscraper goes to work for you. Unlike a purchased lead list or a database filter, Leadscraper searches the current web and German industry sources anew on every run, plans a search strategy beforehand, and then evaluates each individual company. The result is a small, vetted selection instead of a large, unfiltered list.

This article shows you how to set up your search, what happens behind the scenes during a run, and how to get good results from the start.

What a search actually does

A search run is not a database query. Leadscraper works in three steps: first think, then search, then evaluate.

• First think: before anything is searched, Leadscraper builds a plan from your query. Which industry directories, chambers, and associations fit? Which search queries make sense? What's the strategy if the first round delivers too little?
• Then search: based on this plan, the open web, company directories, association registers, and candidate websites are searched and read.
• Then evaluate: every company found is checked individually against your query. Does the industry fit? The region? The size? The contact's role? Only what really fits ends up in your results.

The goal is deliberately quality over quantity: you get up to 10 vetted companies per search, not hundreds of unfiltered hits.

Step 1: Filling in the search query

A search consists of a few fields. Only the first is required.

Company type (required)

The most important field. Describe what kind of company you're looking for — as specifically as possible. Instead of "industry," go for "folding carton manufacturer" or "electroplating shop." The more precise the company type, the better the plan can target the right sources.

Region (optional)

Narrow it down geographically — a state (e.g. "NRW," "Bavaria"), a city, or a larger area. Leadscraper specializes in the DACH region and supports Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. If you leave the field empty, the search goes broader.

Contact (optional)

Which role do you want to reach? For example "head of purchasing," "managing director," or "marketing manager." Leadscraper then tries to find exactly that person along with a way to contact them, instead of just a general company address.

Further constraints (optional)

Here you can add additional criteria, such as a rough company size or specific characteristics. You can also simply phrase your query as a full sentence, e.g. "folding carton manufacturer with a die-cutter in NRW, contact in purchasing." Leadscraper reads that and derives industry, region, and role from it.

Step 2: The quick plausibility check before the start

When you submit a search, a quick check runs in the background to see whether your query, in its current form, promises good results. Very broad queries like "IT service providers Germany" often lead to weak runs, because then mainly portals and associations are found instead of real operating companies.

If the check detects a query that's too broad, you get a hint with concrete suggestions to tighten it. You can adopt the suggestions or deliberately keep searching as you planned. Both ways are fine — the check is a recommendation, not a requirement.

Tip for getting started: start a bit more specific and watch the results. You can always go broader or narrower afterward.

Step 3: What happens during the run

After the start, Leadscraper works through the search on its own. You don't have to wait or click anything — a run usually takes about 5 minutes, depending on the complexity of the query.

In the activity stream you can follow live what's happening. Leadscraper makes its reasoning visible instead of just spitting out a result. Typical steps that appear there:

• Loading profile and previous ratings — so your earlier feedback flows in.
• Goal — what this search should concretely achieve.
• Strategy — how it will proceed.
• Reasoning — why exactly this path was chosen.
• Sources — which directories, associations, and registers are targeted. Curated industry sources are marked with a star, its own suggestions with a lightbulb.

In the background, candidates are then found, their websites read (legal notice, contact, and about pages), duplicates against earlier runs sorted out, and each remaining candidate evaluated individually. Once up to 10 fitting companies are together, the run ends.

Step 4: Your results

You get up to 10 companies per search. Each result card shows, among other things:

• Company with industry classification, city, size estimate and — where available — year founded.
• Rationale: a short paragraph on why this company fits your query.
• Contact including role and contact channels, as far as they can be determined.
• Uncertainty note: some companies probably fit but aren't 100% confirmed. Such hits get a yellow note with a short explanation of why some residual uncertainty remains. So you know exactly what you're relying on.

Accepting is implicit — moving a lead further through the pipeline (e.g. finding contacts) signals it fits. Reject non-matching leads with "Not a fit" and choose a structured reason (e.g. wrong industry, wrong role, wrong region). You can optionally add a free comment. This is exactly where the most important part begins.

Credits: what a search costs

A search run costs one credit per delivered lead. Since a search delivers up to 10 companies, a full run usually costs 10 credits.

Credits come from your plan or from purchased credit packages. Purchased packages and trial credits don't expire. When your balance is used up, you can refill it via your plan or a credit package.

You'll find more on this in the article Credits and Billing.

How Leadscraper gets better with every search

Leadscraper learns from your ratings. The more you reject with reasons and move good leads forward, the more precisely it hits your taste. Progress happens in stages:

• At the start (the first ratings), the hit rate is typically around 60–70%.
• From about 25 ratings, it rises to roughly 85–90%.
• From around 50 ratings, it's usually above 90%.

From 10 ratings, personalization becomes active: Leadscraper recognizes patterns in your feedback — such as which industries, sizes, regions, or roles you regularly reject — and automatically takes them into account in the next run. In the activity stream you then see how many ratings have been collected and which patterns are already actively thinking along.

In practice this means: start broad, rate diligently, then get more targeted. You don't have to phrase the perfect query from the start. The first runs are also there to train Leadscraper.

Repeating searches automatically

You can have a search repeat on a schedule instead of starting it manually every time. Leadscraper makes sure not to deliver companies twice that you already got in earlier runs — so every run brings new candidates. That's how you continuously expand an audience over time.

Trying different phrasings

One of the best habits: try different phrasings and compare the results. "Packaging manufacturer" delivers different companies than "folding carton manufacturer." Sometimes a broader query is better, sometimes a narrower one. Each variant is its own search — and each rating in it makes the system smarter.

Frequently asked questions

How many leads do I get per search?
Up to 10 vetted companies — 10 is the guideline per run.

How long does a run take?
Usually about 5 minutes, depending on the complexity of the query.

What does a search cost?
One credit per delivered lead — a full run usually 10 credits.

Do I have to fill in all fields?
No. Only the company type is required. Region, contact, and further constraints are optional and help you search more precisely.

Which countries are supported?
Leadscraper specializes in the DACH region: Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Why do I get a hint that my query is too broad?
Very general queries find portals and associations rather than real companies. The hint suggests a more concrete phrasing. You can adopt it or deliberately keep searching as planned.

What does the yellow note on some companies mean?
That company probably fits but isn't 100% confirmed. The note briefly explains why some residual uncertainty remains — you decide whether to use it.

How quickly does Leadscraper get better?
With every rating. From 10 ratings, patterns become active; from about 25, the hit rate rises noticeably; from around 50, it's usually above 90%.

Updated on: 23/06/2026