Looking to pull company data from CB Insights for lead generation? You’re not alone. Whether you’re in sales, partnerships, or market research, getting a clean list of well-qualified companies is the first step. But exporting data from CB Insights can be trickier than it looks. The platform’s powerful, but it’s easy to end up with a messy spreadsheet or — worse — a pile of data you can’t actually use.
This guide is for folks who want to get real, useful leads out of their CB Insights subscription, not just tick a box. We’ll cover what works, what to skip, and how to avoid common traps that waste time.
1. Know What You Can (and Can’t) Get from CB Insights
Before you even log in, it’s worth being clear: CB Insights is fantastic for company research, but it’s not designed as a contact database. You’ll get company profiles, funding history, industry tags, and some light signals — but you won’t get verified email addresses or direct dials. Don’t expect it to replace LinkedIn Sales Navigator or ZoomInfo for direct outreach.
What you can get: - Lists of companies filtered by funding, industry, location, and more - Company size estimates, description, founding date, etc. - Investors, funding rounds, and M&A activity - Some basic contact info (main phone, generic emails if available — rare)
What you won’t get: - Direct emails or phone numbers for decision-makers - Deep org charts - CRM-ready lead/contact records
Pro tip: Use CB Insights as your source of truth for company targeting. Pair it with another tool to find people to contact.
2. Prepping Your Filters and Search
The biggest rookie mistake? Exporting a huge, unfocused list. Garbage in, garbage out. Take a few minutes to tighten up your filters before you even think about exporting.
a. Use Advanced Search
CB Insights has a solid search UI, but it’s easy to overlook the advanced filters. Here’s what actually matters:
- Industry tags: Get specific. Don’t search “Fintech” if you really want “Payments Infrastructure.”
- Geography: Narrow by country, state, or even city.
- Funding stage & amount: Seed, Series A, etc. If you only sell to established companies, skip the pre-seed folks.
- Employee count or revenue (if available): Not always precise, but helps weed out solopreneurs.
b. Save Your Search
Name it something you’ll remember. Saved searches also make it easier to update your leads later.
c. Ignore the Signals Tab (Mostly)
CB Insights likes to highlight “signals” like leadership hires or new patents. These are interesting, but not usually actionable for lead lists. Don’t get distracted unless you’re running super-targeted campaigns.
3. Exporting Your List (Without Losing Your Mind)
Exporting is limited by your CB Insights subscription. Most plans let you export a few hundred or thousand rows per month. There’s usually an “Export” button — but a few things to watch out for:
a. Choose the Right Columns
Don’t export everything “just in case.” You’ll end up with a monster file that’s a pain to clean. Stick to what you’ll actually use, like:
- Company name
- Website
- Industry tags
- Location
- Funding rounds/amount
- Employee size (if available)
- Description
Skip stuff like “Last updated” or “Logo URL” unless you have a real reason.
Pro tip: If you’re passing this list to someone else (like a BDR or VA), add a “Notes” or “Source” column so it’s clear where the list came from.
b. CSV vs. Excel
CB Insights usually gives you a choice. CSV is safest for uploading to CRMs or other tools. Excel is fine if you’re doing manual work. Either way, watch out for:
- Broken characters: Non-English names can get mangled in CSVs.
- Weird formatting: Dates and numbers sometimes come through as text.
c. Don’t Bother With Bulk Exports
If you’re tempted to export every company in a broad category (“All SaaS companies in the US”), don’t. The exports are capped, and you’ll spend hours cleaning junk you’ll never use.
4. Cleaning and Enriching Your Data
No matter how carefully you export, your list will need a scrub. CB Insights data is good, but not spotless.
a. De-duplicate
CB Insights tries to keep company records clean, but duplicates sneak in — especially if you run multiple searches. Use Excel’s “Remove Duplicates” or a Google Sheets script to catch them.
b. Standardize Key Fields
- Company names: Watch for “Inc.” vs. “Inc” vs. “LLC” — standardize for your CRM.
- Location: Some companies only list country; others list full address. You’ll want consistency.
c. Enrich Where Needed
If you need contact names, titles, or direct emails, you’ll need a second tool. Here’s what actually works:
- LinkedIn: Manual, but high-quality. Use company name + job title search.
- Email finders (Hunter, Apollo, etc.): Good for bulk, but watch for accuracy.
- Enrichment APIs: If you’re technical, Clearbit and similar tools can fill gaps.
Don’t waste time running enrichment on companies you’ll never contact.
5. Importing to Your CRM or Outreach Tool
Ready to use your data? Don’t just upload the raw export.
a. Map Fields Carefully
Match CB Insights columns (like “Company Name”) to your CRM fields. Watch for:
- Field limits (some CRMs choke on long descriptions)
- Custom fields (add “CB Insights Source” if possible)
b. Tag or Segment Your List
Add a tag (“CBI Export June 2024”) so you can track performance later. If your CRM allows, segment by industry, funding, or geography for targeted campaigns.
c. Test With a Small Batch
Before importing 1,000 companies, start with 10-20. Check for: - Mapping errors - Broken links or missing fields - Duplicates
Fix problems now, not after you’ve spammed your whole team with bad data.
6. Staying Compliant and Respectful
This shouldn’t need saying, but don’t use exported CB Insights data for mass spamming or anything dodgy. You’re responsible for following privacy laws (GDPR, CAN-SPAM, etc.), even if the platform lets you export. Always aim for targeted, relevant outreach.
7. What to Ignore (and What Actually Works)
Ignore: - Exporting huge lists “just in case.” It’ll clog your CRM and annoy your team. - Relying on CB Insights for people data. It’s a company database, not a contact finder. - Fancy signals and news alerts, unless you have a team to act on them.
What works: - Tight filters = better lists. - Combining CB Insights with LinkedIn or enrichment tools to actually reach people. - Keeping your exports small and targeted.
Wrap-Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Exporting data from CB Insights for lead gen isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to overthink. Start with crisp filters, export only what you need, clean it up, and enrich where it matters. Don’t try to build the perfect list on your first go — get a batch out, see what works, and tweak from there. The gold is in the follow-up, not the spreadsheet.