So, you’ve got a pile of leads in ScrapeLi and no clue how to keep them straight. Maybe you’re running outbound sales. Maybe you’re recruiting. Either way, if you’re not segmenting your prospects, you’re setting yourself up for a mess of duplicate messages, wasted time, and missed opportunities.
Custom tags in ScrapeLi are supposed to help you organize—but if you just slap random tags on every contact, it’ll get out of hand fast. Here’s how to actually use them so you can find who you want, when you want, and avoid the chaos.
Why Bother Segmenting with Tags?
Let’s get this out of the way: If you’re only managing a handful of prospects, you don’t need tags. But once you’re dealing with dozens or hundreds, the pain of bad organization sneaks up fast. Here’s what good tagging actually helps with:
- No more duplicate outreach: Tag who you’ve contacted, who replied, and who’s dead weight.
- Cleaner follow-up: See at a glance who’s ready for another nudge.
- Personalization: Group people by industry, location, or interest so your messages don’t feel like spam.
- Easier reporting: Slice and dice your list for management—or just to keep yourself sane.
But, let’s be honest: Over-tagging or inconsistent tagging is worse than not tagging at all. The goal is clarity, not complexity.
Step 1: Decide on Tagging Categories Before You Start
Don’t just start making up tags as you go. You’ll end up with duplicates like “followup,” “follow-up,” and “f/u” that mean the same thing, but don’t work together.
Here’s what matters:
- Keep categories tight: Think 3–6 main buckets, not 20.
- Match your real workflow: If you never filter by “company size,” don’t bother tagging it.
- Avoid personal shorthand: Use tags your teammates will understand, not your own code words.
Common buckets that usually work:
- Stage (e.g., “contacted”, “replied”, “demo-scheduled”, “closed”)
- Persona (e.g., “cto”, “founder”, “hr”)
- Geography (e.g., “us”, “uk”, “asia”)
- Priority (e.g., “high-priority”, “low-priority”)
- Source (e.g., “linkedin”, “referral”)
Pro tip: If you’re not sure a tag will be useful in two weeks, skip it for now. Less is more.
Step 2: Set Up a Tagging Convention
Everyone who touches your ScrapeLi account should use tags the same way, or you’ll get a mess. Here’s what works in real life:
- All lowercase. Prevents “CTO” and “cto” from splitting your list.
- Hyphens instead of spaces. (e.g., “in-progress” not “in progress”)
- Be literal, not clever. “ghosted” beats “🧟♂️”
- Document it. Seriously—write down your tag list somewhere everyone can see.
What to ignore: Fancy color-coding or emojis in tags. They don’t help with searching or filtering, and they get old fast.
Step 3: Tag in Batches—Don’t Overthink Every Contact
Tagging should save you time, not turn into its own part-time job. Here’s what actually works:
- Bulk tag uploads: ScrapeLi lets you select multiple prospects and tag them all at once. Do this after big imports.
- Tag when you change status. Just moved a batch to “contacted”? Tag them right then.
- Automate when possible. If you’re importing from a list, add a tag like “june-cold-list” so you know the source.
What doesn’t work: Tagging every detail (“likes coffee”, “posts memes”) unless you actually use that info. If you’re not segmenting or filtering on it, skip it.
Step 4: Use Tags to Drive Work, Not Just “Organize”
Tags aren’t about feeling organized. They’re about making your work faster.
- Power filters: In ScrapeLi, filter by tags to instantly pull up all “replied” CTOs in the US. No more scrolling.
- Bulk actions: Send a follow-up to everyone with the “demo-scheduled” tag.
- Spot gaps: Who hasn’t been touched in two weeks? Filter by “contacted” and no “replied”.
- Reporting: If your boss wants numbers, you can count by tag, not by hand.
Pro tip: Create “temporary” tags for campaigns (“q2-offer”), then remove them when you’re done. Don’t keep old, irrelevant tags hanging around.
Step 5: Audit and Clean Up Your Tags Regularly
Even with the best intentions, tags get messy. Make it a habit:
- Remove unused tags: If you haven’t filtered by “webinar-march-2023” in months, delete it.
- Merge duplicates: If you spot “followup” and “follow-up”, pick one and clean up.
- Review before importing: Don’t bring in garbage tags from outside lists.
- Limit one-off tags: If only one contact has a certain tag, it’s probably not worth keeping.
What to ignore: Obsessing over “perfect” tags. You just need “good enough” for your actual workflow.
Step 6: Don’t Rely on Tags for Everything
Tags are great, but they’re not a CRM. Here’s what you shouldn’t try to cram into tags:
- Long notes. Use the notes field for anything longer than a word or two.
- Dates. Don’t tag “2024-07-01-followup”—there are better ways to track time.
- Sensitive info. Never tag things like “problem-client” or salary expectations. That can backfire, fast.
If you outgrow what ScrapeLi’s tags can do, consider moving to a dedicated CRM. But for most people, simple tags work just fine—if you keep them simple.
Step 7: Make Tagging Part of Your Routine
This one’s easy to skip, but it’s what actually makes tags useful:
- Tag new imports right away.
- Update tags after key actions (like replies or demos).
- Clear out temporary tags after campaigns.
- Check your tag list monthly.
If you make it part of your process, it’ll stick. If you treat it as an afterthought, you’ll end up with a junk drawer of random tags.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Review Often
Tagging in ScrapeLi isn’t rocket science, but it does take a little discipline. Don’t fall for the trap of making a tag for everything. Start with a few clear categories, stick to a convention, and make cleanup a regular thing. It’s better to under-tag and actually use your segments than to over-tag and drown in clutter.
And remember: nobody gets it perfect the first time. Iterate, prune, and keep what actually makes your life easier. That’s the whole point.