If you’re running sales, marketing, or support and you’re sick of digging through endless lists of contacts, you’re not alone. “More leads” doesn’t mean “better leads.” It just means more noise—unless you know how to slice through it. This guide is for anyone using Contactbird who wants real, hands-on advice for separating the signal from the noise and actually doing something with lead data.
Let’s be honest: most guides on lead segmentation are either too basic (“filter by status!”) or drown you in pointless complexity. Here’s how to make advanced filters in Contactbird actually work for you—so you can spend your time on leads that matter.
Step 1: Make Sure Your Data Isn’t Garbage
Before you even open up the filters, take a hard look at your data. Advanced filters are only as useful as the info you have. If your leads are missing emails, industries, or scores, filters won’t save you.
What to check: - Do you have fields for the stuff you want to filter by? (e.g. Lead source, industry, deal size, engagement score) - Are fields filled out, or are there a bunch of blanks and typos? - Is there duplicate data? Mismatched formats? (e.g. “USA,” “U.S.,” “United States” all mixed together)
Pro tip: Run a quick export and scan for missing or messy data. Fix what you can. If you’re feeling ambitious, set up required fields for new leads so the mess doesn’t get worse.
Step 2: Define What “Good” Looks Like
Don’t just start filtering for the sake of it. Figure out what actually makes a lead worth your time. Not every business needs the same filters.
Ask yourself: - What’s a “hot” lead for you? (Industry, company size, recent activity, specific actions taken) - Who are you not interested in? (Students? Freeloaders? Companies under a certain size?) - Is timing important? (Last seen, last opened email, demo requested in last 30 days)
Write down your criteria—literally, on a sticky note if you have to. This saves you from creating overly complicated filters that look cool but don’t help you close deals.
Step 3: Get to Know Contactbird’s Advanced Filters
Contactbird’s filtering is more powerful than most CRMs, but it’s not magic. Here’s what you can actually do:
You can filter by: - Text fields (name, company, email domain, industry) - Numeric fields (lead score, deal size, number of interactions) - Date fields (created date, last contacted, last activity) - Boolean fields (Yes/No like “Has requested demo”) - Custom fields you’ve created
Combo filters: You can stack multiple filters. For example: - “Industry is SaaS” AND “Deal size > $10,000” AND “Last activity within 14 days”
Saved filters: If you build something useful, save it. Don’t rebuild it every time.
What you can’t do: - You can’t filter with fuzzy logic (e.g. “sort of interested”) - You can’t use wildcards or regex—stick to the options in the dropdowns - You can’t filter by sentiment unless you’ve set that up as a field
Honest take: Don’t get sucked into stacking 10 filters just because you can. Complicated doesn’t mean better—it usually means “nobody will use it after today.”
Step 4: Build Segments That Actually Matter
Now, create filters that map to real business priorities—not just “because you can.” Some useful examples:
A. Find Leads Ready for Outreach
- Industry: Your target industry (e.g. “Fintech”)
- Lead status: “New” or “Qualified”
- Last contacted: “Not in the last 14 days”
- Lead score: Above a certain threshold (if you use scoring)
Why this works: You catch hot leads who haven’t heard from you recently—prime for a nudge.
B. Identify High-Value Accounts
- Deal size: Greater than $X
- Company size: Above your threshold (e.g. 100 employees)
- Has requested demo: Yes
Why this works: You focus on deals worth your time, not just the squeaky wheels.
C. Spot Leads Slipping Away
- Last activity: More than 30 days ago
- Lead status: “Qualified” or “Proposal sent”
Why this works: Sometimes a quick check-in revives a dead deal.
D. Exclude Junk
- Email domain: Does not contain “gmail.com” (or whatever your low-value domains are)
- Lead status: Not “Unqualified”
Why this works: Keeps tire-kickers and spam out of your pipeline.
Step 5: Prioritize, Don’t Just Segment
Having neat little buckets is fine, but you still need to decide who gets your time first. Here’s how to use filters to actually prioritize, not just organize.
Stack your filters: Start broad, then layer on urgency or value.
- Start with “all qualified leads.”
- Add “last activity within 7 days” to find people who are engaged now.
- Sort by lead score or potential deal size.
Create a “Today” list: Use filters to make a daily call or email list. No more guessing who to follow up with.
Set up alerts or saved searches: If Contactbird lets you (depends on your plan), create saved searches you can check daily. If not, just make it part of your routine.
What to ignore: Don’t waste time on “nice-to-have” filters like “job title contains ‘manager’” unless you can prove it actually leads to wins. Stay focused on what moves the needle.
Step 6: Rinse and Repeat (But Don’t Overthink It)
Filters aren’t set-it-and-forget-it. Check your segments every couple of weeks.
- Are you seeing leads you actually want?
- Are there too many or too few?
- Did you build a filter nobody looks at? Kill it.
Pro tip: Involve your team. What makes sense to you might not work for support or marketing. Share filters, ask for feedback, and keep it simple.
Quick FAQ: Painful Truths About Filtering in Contactbird
Q: Can I automate actions based on filters?
A: Not natively. You’ll need to export or use integrations for automatic emails or tasks. Don’t expect magic workflows out of the box.
Q: Do advanced filters slow down the system?
A: If your data is huge, you might notice a lag. Most folks won’t, but don’t be surprised if you filter 100,000+ records and it’s slow.
Q: Are filters shared across teams?
A: Saved filters are usually personal unless you specifically share them. Don’t assume everyone sees what you see.
Q: Should I use tags or filters?
A: Tags are good for quick labeling (“VIP,” “Do Not Contact”). Filters are better for slicing and dicing on the fly. Use both, but don’t let your tag list grow into chaos.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
Don’t let “advanced filters” turn into another busywork project. Start with the basics—filter for what you know matters. See if it actually helps you close more deals or have better conversations. Tweak as you go. The best filters are the ones you actually use, not the ones that sound impressive in a meeting.
And remember: if your data is a mess, no filter in the world will save you. Clean up, focus on what matters, and keep moving. That’s how you win.