If you’re getting bombarded with generic market news, you’re not alone. Most email digests are noisy, full of fluff, and make it hard to spot what actually matters to your business. If you use Owler for company tracking, the good news is you can turn those daily emails into something you’ll actually want to read. The catch? You have to know how to tune the settings, and Owler’s defaults aren’t always your friend.
This guide is for anyone who wants to spend less time sifting through useless updates and more time catching real, actionable market moves—whether you’re on the sales team, in strategy, or just trying to keep tabs on competitors.
Step 1: Know What You Want From Your Digest
Before you even log in, ask yourself: What do I actually care about? Don’t just track everything because you can.
- Who matters most? Customers, competitors, partners, or your own company?
- What’s actionable? Funding rounds, leadership changes, product launches, financial updates, or press mentions?
- How often do you really need an update? Daily might be overkill for some companies.
Write down your “must-see” info. This list will save you from over-customizing later and getting more noise.
Step 2: Log In and Find Your Digest Settings
Owler buries the good stuff in its settings menus, so here’s how to get there:
- Log in to your Owler account.
- Click your profile icon (top right) and select Settings or Email Preferences. If you don’t see that, poke around under “Account” or “Notifications.”
- Look for “Daily Snapshot” or “Email Digest”. This is the core daily email Owler sends out.
Pro tip: If you’re using Owler’s free tier, your options will be limited. The paid plans open up more controls, but the basics are the same.
Step 3: Clean Up Your Tracked Companies
Owler’s digests are only as useful as the companies you track. If you’re following dozens of random firms “just in case,” your digest will be a mess.
- Review your “My Companies” list. Unfollow anything you don’t care about—seriously, be ruthless.
- Prioritize. Owler lets you “favorite” or rank companies. Use this to highlight your true priorities.
- Group companies. Some plans let you use lists or segments (e.g., “Competitors,” “Customers”). If you have access, do it. Otherwise, keep your main list tidy.
What doesn’t work: Don’t try to use Owler to track every company in your industry. The platform isn’t built for that, and your inbox will explode.
Step 4: Choose What Types of Updates You Actually Want
Owler loves sending everything—press mentions, funding, leadership changes, social chatter, and more. This is where most users go wrong.
- Find the section for “What’s included in your digest.”
- Deselect updates you don’t care about. If you only want funding and exec moves, uncheck the rest.
- Be honest. It’s easy to think you need to see every move a competitor makes, but most news isn’t actionable.
Some update types you’ll see: - Funding rounds – Good for sales/recruiting triggers. - Leadership changes – Useful, but only if you act on them. - Product launches – Hit or miss; often just PR. - Press mentions – Can be pure noise unless you need to monitor reputation. - General news – Usually not worth a daily ping.
Ignore categories that never lead to action for you. You can always turn them back on later.
Step 5: Tune Your Frequency and Timing
You don’t have to get a daily blast. In fact, for most people, daily is too much.
- Set it to “Weekly” if that’s enough. You’ll get a digest that’s easier to scan, with less clutter.
- If you have to do daily, at least set a time when you’ll actually read it. Some plans let you pick morning or afternoon. Pick what fits your workflow.
What doesn’t work: Don’t try to batch read five days’ worth of daily digests on Friday. You’ll just delete them all.
Step 6: Filter for Keywords or Topics (If Available)
On some paid plans, you can filter by keywords—handy if you only care about certain products, regions, or news types.
- Add keywords or phrases you want flagged in your digests (e.g., “acquisition,” “IPO,” or a competitor’s product name).
- Be picky. Too many keywords = more noise.
- Test and adjust. If you find you’re still getting junk, narrow your keywords or cut back.
Pro tip: If you’re on a free plan, you can’t do this in-app. But you can set up inbox rules in your email client to highlight or sort Owler digests with certain words.
Step 7: Don’t Be Afraid to Unsubscribe or Pause
If Owler’s digests aren’t helping you take action, pause them for a week. See if you actually miss anything. Sometimes, less is more.
- Use the “Pause” or “Unsubscribe” link at the bottom of a digest. You can always re-enable later.
- Trim your tracked companies even further if you’re seeing repeat news.
- Supplement with manual checks. Sometimes, just visiting Owler’s dashboard once a week is more efficient than email.
What doesn’t work: Don’t feel guilty about missing “breaking” competitor news. If it’s really big, you’ll hear about it elsewhere.
Step 8: Review and Adjust Every Few Months
Markets change, your focus changes, and so should your digest setup.
- Set a quarterly calendar reminder to review your digest settings.
- Prune companies, add new ones, tweak update types.
- Ask yourself: Is this email helping me spot real opportunities or threats? If not, change it.
A Quick Word on Limitations
Owler is great for surface-level alerts, but it’s not a crystal ball. A few things to remember:
- Coverage is spotty for smaller companies. Don’t expect every move from niche players to show up.
- Some news is delayed or missed. It happens. Use Owler as a supplement, not your only source.
- Don’t pay for features you won’t use. If the free plan works, stick with it.
If you want deep, real-time alerts with context, you’ll need to layer in other tools or manual research.
Keep It Simple—And Iterate
The goal isn’t “the perfect digest”—it’s a daily (or weekly) email you actually open, scan, and use. Start with the basics: track what matters, cut what doesn’t, and review every so often. Don’t get sucked in by the promise of “total market intelligence”—no tool can deliver that.
Customize a little, see what works, and tweak as you go. That’s how you cut through the noise and get real, actionable market insights—without drowning in email.