Looking for a way to keep tabs on your competitors, customers, or entire industries—without manually sifting through mountains of data? This guide is for B2B folks who want real, usable market intelligence with less busywork. We’ll walk through how to set up alerts in Coresignal, so you actually get notified about things that matter, not just every blip on the radar.
No fluff, no hype—just clear steps and honest advice on what works (and what doesn’t).
Why Bother With Alerts in Coresignal?
For B2B, timing and context matter. Changes in company headcount, funding rounds, new execs, or even mass layoffs can signal an opportunity—or a threat. Coresignal taps into public web data, tracking millions of companies in near real-time.
But here’s the catch: data is only valuable if you can turn it into action. That’s where alerts come in. They cut through the noise and surface insights you can actually use—if you set them up right.
Step 1: Get Access to Coresignal’s Alert Features
First, make sure you actually have access. Coresignal’s alerting isn’t available on every plan, and their APIs are mostly aimed at teams with some technical chops. If you’re not sure, check:
- Your contract or subscription level (alerts might be an add-on)
- That you have access to the dashboard, or at least API documentation
- If you’re working through a data warehouse or integration partner, ask if they support Coresignal’s alerting. Not all do.
Pro tip: If your company has a Coresignal account but you’re lost, reach out to their support or customer success folks. They’re pretty responsive, but don’t expect hand-holding on complex setups.
Step 2: Figure Out What You Actually Want To Track
This is where most people go wrong. If you set up alerts for “any company update,” you’ll drown in irrelevant notifications. Instead, ask yourself:
- Which companies or sectors matter most to you? (Competitors, prospects, suppliers, etc.)
- What signals would actually make you take action?
- Examples: Funding events, leadership changes, job postings spikes, layoffs, HQ moves, etc.
- How often do you want to be notified? (Instantly? Daily digest? Weekly?)
Don’t overthink it. Start with 2-3 signals that would make you actually pick up the phone or send an email.
Common B2B Signals Worth Tracking
- New funding rounds (potential buying signals, or threats)
- Sudden headcount growth or shrinkage (could signal expansion, churn, layoffs)
- New C-level hires (great for outreach)
- Tech stack changes (if you’re in SaaS or IT services)
- Company location changes or new offices
What to ignore: Most minor PR updates, generic press releases, and low-level job postings are noise for B2B. Stay focused.
Step 3: Build Your Target List
Coresignal lets you filter by industry, geography, company size, and more. You can chase the whole market, but unless you’re a data scientist with time to burn, start small:
- Upload a list: Most B2B teams already have a list of accounts or competitors they care about. If you do, upload it into Coresignal (CSV or via their dashboard).
- Use filters: No list? Use Coresignal’s filters to zero in on the segments you care about—think “US fintech companies with 50-500 employees.”
- Save your segment: Once you’ve got your companies picked out, save the segment. You’ll use this to set up your alerts.
Pro tip: Don’t try to boil the ocean. Alerts work best when you’re specific—think “top 100 target accounts,” not “every company in Europe.”
Step 4: Set Up Your Alerts
Now the fun part. Here’s how to actually get notified when something important happens.
Option A: Use Coresignal’s Dashboard (If Available)
If you have dashboard access, setting up alerts is pretty straightforward:
- Go to the “Alerts” or “Notifications” section.
- Click “Create Alert” or similar.
- Choose your saved segment or upload a new list.
- Pick the signal types you want (see Step 2).
- Choose frequency (immediate, daily, weekly).
- Set up where alerts should go (email, Slack, webhook, etc.).
- Save and test it—yes, actually test it.
Option B: Use the API (For Technical Teams)
If you’re more technical (or have a dev on hand):
- Use the API to set up “webhooks” for specific triggers (e.g., new funding announcements for companies on your list).
- You may need to write a lightweight script or use a workflow tool like Zapier or Make, depending on your stack.
- Output can go to Slack, Teams, or whatever you actually check.
Honest take: The dashboard is easier for most teams, but the API gives you more control—especially if you want to push data into your CRM or combine Coresignal alerts with other sources.
Step 5: Tune Out The Noise
This is where most alert systems fall apart. If you get pinged for every minor company update, you’ll start ignoring alerts altogether. A few ways to keep things sane:
- Start narrow: Fewer, more targeted alerts are better than a flood of generic ones.
- Refine as you go: If you find yourself ignoring certain alerts, turn them off or adjust the filters.
- Use digest mode: For most B2B teams, a daily or weekly digest (summarizing all relevant events) is more actionable than instant notifications.
Pro tip: If you’re getting too much noise, revisit your company lists and signal types. Ruthlessly cut anything you don’t care about.
Step 6: Integrate With Your Workflow
An alert is only useful if you actually act on it. Here’s how to make sure they don’t just collect dust:
- Connect to Slack or Teams: Most teams live here. Pipe alerts into a dedicated channel.
- Sync with CRM: If a big prospect announces a funding round or new exec, log it in Salesforce/HubSpot so your sales team can jump on it.
- Assign owners: Make it clear who’s supposed to act on alerts. Otherwise, everyone will assume “someone else” is watching.
What doesn’t work: Email-only alerts quickly get buried. Try to connect alerts to the tools your team actually uses every day.
Step 7: Review and Iterate
No alert setup is perfect out of the box. Every few weeks, ask:
- Which alerts led to real action or insights?
- Which ones did we ignore or snooze?
- Are we missing signals we care about?
Tweak your lists, signal types, or delivery channels as needed. Don’t be afraid to kill alerts that aren’t pulling their weight.
What To Watch Out For
A few honest warnings before you go all-in:
- Data delays: “Real time” is relative. Coresignal updates aren’t always instant—sometimes there’s a lag of several hours or even a day for certain signals. Good enough for most B2B use cases, but not for high-frequency trading.
- False positives: Not every funding round or exec change matters. Some updates are just noise, no matter how you slice it.
- Integration quirks: If you’re using the API, expect some trial and error. Documentation is decent, but not flawless.
Keep It Simple—And Tweak As You Go
Setting up alerts in Coresignal can seriously sharpen your market intelligence—if you keep things simple, relevant, and actionable. Don’t try to track everything at once. Start with a few high-impact signals, make sure they reach the right people, and tune out the rest. It’s better to miss a minor update than to drown in emails you never read.
Start small, review what’s actually helping, and tweak your setup as you learn. Market intelligence is a marathon, not a sprint—make your alerts work for you, not the other way around.