If you’re in sales or marketing and tired of wading through endless lists of “target accounts,” this is for you. Maybe you’re using Scrab to find your ideal customers, but the basic filters aren’t cutting it. You want to get laser-focused—skip the noise and work smarter. This guide breaks down how to use advanced filters in Scrab to actually segment accounts in a way that’s useful, not just impressive on a slide deck.
Let’s keep it simple, actionable, and honest about what works and what’s just buzzwords.
Why Bother With Advanced Filters?
Let’s get real: most “target account lists” are either too broad (“every SaaS company in the US”) or so niche you’ll run out of leads in a week. Advanced filters are how you find a happy medium. They help you:
- Prioritize accounts that actually fit your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile)
- Cut down on wasted outreach
- Spot hidden opportunities (not just the same old logos)
- Keep your team sane
But, don’t expect filters to do your thinking for you. Garbage in, garbage out.
Step 1: Get Your ICP Straight—Don’t Skip This
Before you even touch Scrab’s filters, nail down what makes a good account for you. Not just industry and size—think deeper:
- Firmographics: Industry, company size, location, revenue. Basic, but necessary.
- Technographics: What tech do they use? (Scrab can help here)
- Intent: Any signs they’re in the market? (Website visits, hiring patterns, etc.)
- Pain points: What problems do they actually have that you solve?
Pro tip: If your team can’t agree on what a “good fit” looks like, your filters won’t save you. Spend an hour hashing this out—it’ll save you weeks later.
Step 2: Find the Advanced Filters in Scrab
Scrab’s interface is pretty straightforward, but advanced filters can hide in plain sight if you’re used to basic search. Here’s where to look:
- Start with the main Search or List view.
- Look for the “Advanced Filters” button or dropdown. Usually near the top or sidebar.
- Open it up. You’ll see way more options than just industry or location.
You’ll probably see filters like:
- Revenue range
- Employee count (with ranges, not just “over 100”)
- Tech stack (which tools/platforms the company uses)
- Funding (recent rounds, amounts)
- Hiring velocity (are they growing, shrinking?)
- Geography (down to city or region)
- Keywords in company description or website
If you’re not seeing these, double-check your plan level—some features might be paywalled. Don’t pay more unless you actually need them.
Step 3: Build Your First Real Segment
Now for the fun part: mixing and matching filters to carve out a segment that’s actually useful.
Example: Targeting Growing SaaS Companies Using Stripe
Let’s say you sell financial automation software. Your best customers are:
- SaaS companies
- 50–500 employees
- Using Stripe
- Recently raised Series A or B funding
- Based in North America or Western Europe
Here’s how you’d set that up:
- Industry: SaaS or “Software”
- Employee count: 50–500
- Tech used: Stripe
- Funding: Series A or B in past 12–18 months
- Location: US, Canada, UK, Germany, France, etc.
Set these filters one by one in Scrab. Don’t be afraid to get specific. The tighter your filters, the more relevant your list.
What to watch out for:
- If your segment returns 30,000 companies, it’s too broad—tighten up.
- If you get 12, you might’ve gone too far. Loosen a filter or two.
Pro tip: Save your filter set. In Scrab, you can usually name and save segments for future use. This is a lifesaver.
Step 4: Experiment With Overlapping Filters
Here’s where advanced filters really pay off. Try combining less obvious criteria to find hidden gems. For example:
- Tech stack + hiring: Companies adding HubSpot and hiring for marketing roles.
- Industry + funding + layoffs: Companies in healthcare that raised money but had layoffs—maybe they need efficiency tools.
- Location + intent signals: Companies in your region with recent website activity or tech upgrades.
Don’t get carried away with “clever” combinations though. If you can’t explain why a filter matters, dump it.
Step 5: Exclude the Junk
Advanced filters aren’t just about narrowing in—they’re also about kicking out what doesn’t matter. Use exclusion filters to save yourself a ton of manual cleanup.
- Exclude competitors: Filter out companies in your own company’s industry or using your product.
- Exclude irrelevant verticals: If you never close deals in government or education, just cut them out.
- Exclude tiny or massive companies: If 3-person agencies or Fortune 50s are not your buyers, filter accordingly.
Pro tip: Exclusion filters are your best friend for keeping lists clean. Don’t skip them.
Step 6: Export, Test, and Iterate
Once you’ve built a segment, don’t just export and blast emails. Take a minute to spot-check:
- Are these companies actually a fit? Randomly Google a few.
- Any obvious junk? (Holding companies, shell corporations, etc.—delete these)
- Missing any big names that should be there? If so, tweak your filters.
Export your list—Scrab usually lets you do this as a CSV or direct CRM sync.
Then, test your outreach on a small batch. See what sticks before you scale up.
What Works and What Doesn’t
What works: - Combining 2–4 meaningful filters (industry, size, tech, recent activity) - Excluding junk early and often - Saving and naming filter sets for future campaigns - Spot-checking for quality before using the list
What doesn’t: - Relying on a single filter (“just SaaS companies”) - Overcomplicating with 10+ filters—too narrow and you’ll get nothing - Blindly trusting output—Scrab’s data is good, but not perfect - Assuming every segment will work the first time (they won’t)
Ignore the urge to make things “perfect.” Segmentation is trial and error.
Pro Tips for Power Users
- Use keyword filters creatively: Scrab often lets you filter by keywords in company descriptions. Try searching for niche phrases your ideal customers might use.
- Stack intent signals: Some versions of Scrab let you filter by things like recent job postings, tech installs, or content downloads. These are gold—but don’t rely on them alone.
- Document your segments: Keep a simple spreadsheet of what filters you used, what worked, and what didn’t. Saves headaches later.
- Don’t pay for extra data unless you’ll actually use it: Fancy filters look cool, but if you’re not using them, skip the upsell.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
You don’t need to build the ultimate segment on your first try. Start simple, see what comes back, and adjust. Advanced filters in Scrab are powerful, but only if you know what you’re looking for. Don’t chase perfection—chase usefulness.
Try a segment, see what works, tweak, repeat. That’s how the pros do it.