Step by step guide to creating custom company watchlists in Owler

If you’re trying to keep tabs on competitors, prospects, or just those “need to watch” companies, Owler’s watchlists can save you a lot of mental juggling. The trouble is, like a lot of business tools, Owler’s custom watchlists are a bit hidden behind menus and mixed signals. This guide is for anyone who wants to actually use Owler to track companies—without wasting time, getting buried in noise, or buying into hype about “AI-powered insights.”

Let’s get you set up, step by step, and set some expectations about what works, what doesn’t, and which features are mostly just marketing fluff.

Step 1: Get Access to Owler (and Know Which Version You’re Using)

First things first: Owler isn’t a one-size-fits-all tool. There’s a free version, Owler Community, and then there’s Owler Pro and Max, which unlock extra features (including better watchlists). Here’s what you need to know:

  • Owler Community (Free): You can create one watchlist, and you’re limited in the number of companies you can add.
  • Owler Pro/Max (Paid): You can create multiple custom watchlists, track more companies, and set up better alerts.

Pro tip: If you only care about tracking a handful of companies, the free version might be enough. But if you want to organize by industry, region, or client type, you’ll outgrow it fast.

Check your version: Log in and look for “Upgrade” buttons—if you see a lot of them, you’re probably on the free plan.

Step 2: Find the Watchlist Feature (Owler Hides It)

Once you’re logged in:

  1. Navigate to “My Companies” or “Watchlist.”
  2. On desktop, you’ll usually find this in the top nav or side menu. Sometimes it’s labeled “Dashboard.”
  3. Don’t see “Watchlists”?
  4. If you’re on free, you’ll see just one list called “My Companies.”
  5. On paid, you should see an option for “New Watchlist” or a plus sign.

What to ignore: Owler loves to pitch you random “trending” companies or news. Focus on your lists, not the noise.

Step 3: Create Your First (or Next) Custom Watchlist

Here’s how to actually make a new watchlist:

  1. Click “Create Watchlist” or the plus (+) icon.
  2. Name your watchlist.
  3. Make it obvious: “Top Competitors,” “2024 Prospects,” “VC-Backed SaaS,” etc.
  4. No need to get clever—you want to find it fast later.
  5. (Optional) Add a description.
  6. This is honestly mostly for teams. If you’re solo, skip it.

Pro tip: Don’t try to build the perfect list from the start. Add a few companies, see how the alerts look, and refine as you go.

Step 4: Add Companies to Your Watchlist

This is where things can get tedious—Owler’s search isn’t always great. Here’s the fastest way:

  1. Click “Add Companies.”
  2. Type the company name. Owler will auto-suggest matches.
  3. Double-check: Some company names are ambiguous. Make sure you’re picking the right one.
  4. Annoying but true: If you can’t find a company, it might not be in Owler’s database. You can “request to add,” but don’t hold your breath—they’re slow.
  5. Add multiple companies at once if you have a list. You can usually paste in several, separated by commas.
  6. Bulk uploads: Some paid plans allow CSV uploads. If you’ve got a long list, this is worth it—but formatting has to be exact.

What doesn’t work well: Don’t expect Owler to magically track tiny startups or obscure companies. Their database is decent for mid-sized and larger businesses, but spotty for the rest.

Step 5: Organize and Edit Your Watchlists

Once you’ve added companies, here’s how to stay sane:

  • Rename watchlists anytime. If your focus changes, so should your list names.
  • Remove companies easily. Don’t let your watchlists turn into graveyards—prune often.
  • Drag and drop (on some plans): You can reorder companies for priority, but this only matters if you’re scanning lists in the dashboard.
  • Create themed lists: Instead of “everything in one,” split by goal—competitors, clients, acquisition targets, etc.

Don’t bother: Color-coding, emojis, or fancy tags—Owler doesn’t support these, and honestly, they don’t add value.

Step 6: Set Up Alerts (and Avoid Alert Fatigue)

Owler’s real value is in the alerts—when something actually happens with a company you care about. But it’s easy to get overwhelmed:

  1. Go to “Alert Settings” for your watchlist.
  2. Pick your alert types: News, funding, executive moves, acquisitions, etc.
  3. Only turn on what you’ll actually read. Don’t check every box—unless you like a crowded inbox.
  4. Set frequency: Daily, weekly, or real-time.
  5. Weekly is usually enough unless you’re in a fast-moving space.

What works: Owler’s funding and acquisition alerts are pretty reliable. News alerts can get noisy or miss things.

What doesn’t: “Trending news” or “most viewed” is mostly clickbait. Stick to concrete events.

Step 7: Actually Use Your Watchlists (Not Just Build Them)

A lot of people set up watchlists and then forget about them. Here’s how to make them useful:

  • Check your watchlists weekly. Don’t trust the alerts to catch everything.
  • Use watchlists to prep for meetings: Before a client or competitor call, scan their recent news.
  • Export your lists (if available): Some paid plans let you export to Excel or PDF. Handy for sharing with your team or keeping a backup.
  • Archive old watchlists: Don’t let unused ones pile up—archive or delete as needed.

What to ignore: Don’t waste time chasing every “news” item. Focus on material changes—funding, leadership, acquisitions, or big partnerships.

Step 8: Troubleshooting and Honest Limitations

No tool is perfect, and Owler is no exception:

Common gotchas: - Company not found: If it’s not in their database, you’re out of luck. Try adding it, but don’t expect miracles. - Slow updates: Sometimes big news takes a day or two to show up. - Duplicate companies: You might see the same company twice with slightly different names. Pick the one with the most info. - Alert overload: If you’re getting too many emails, dial back your alert settings.

Bottom line: Owler is great for tracking medium-to-large companies, especially in tech and finance. For tiny startups, you’ll need to supplement with Google, Crunchbase, or manual tracking.

Step 9: Iterate and Keep It Simple

Don’t overthink your watchlists. Start with your top five or ten companies, use the alerts, and tweak as you go. The goal is to cut down on noise and actually know when something important happens—not to build some perfect, comprehensive database. If you’re spending more than 30 minutes organizing, you’re probably making it more complicated than it needs to be.

Owler’s watchlists can be a real asset, but only if you keep things lean and relevant. Build, prune, and move on. If you outgrow the tool, you’ll know.

That’s it—no magic, just a practical way to use Owler to keep tabs on the companies that matter to you. Start small, iterate, and don’t let the marketing hype distract you from what actually works.