If you’re tired of the mind-numbing grind of hunting for emails and figuring out who actually calls the shots at a company, you’re not alone. This guide is for anyone who needs to reach out to decision makers—think sales, partnerships, recruiting, or just about any kind of outreach. I’ll walk you through using Hunter to automate domain searches and zero in on the right people, without wasting hours on LinkedIn rabbit holes.
Here’s the straight talk: Hunter saves time, but it’s not magic. You still need to know what you’re after, and you can’t just fire off spammy emails and expect results. But if you want a streamlined way to find contacts and make your outreach less painful, let’s get into it.
Why Automate Domain Search in the First Place?
Let’s be blunt: Manually digging through company websites or LinkedIn to find contacts is slow, error-prone, and not how you want to spend your afternoon. Automating the process means:
- Less grunt work: No more copying and pasting names and emails into spreadsheets.
- More consistency: Automated tools don’t miss steps or get bored.
- Scalability: You can target dozens or hundreds of companies, not just a handful.
But don’t expect perfection. Automation gets you most of the way there, but sometimes the data is out of date or incomplete. It’s a tool, not a silver bullet.
Step 1: Get Set Up With Hunter
Before you start, you’ll need a Hunter account. There’s a free tier, but if you’re doing heavy outreach, you’ll bump up against its limits. Paid plans unlock more searches and features.
What you’ll need: - A Hunter account (free or paid) - A list of company domains (e.g., “company.com”) or at least a target industry
Pro tip: Don’t pay for a big plan until you’ve tested the tool. Most people overestimate how many searches they’ll actually do at first.
Step 2: The Domain Search—Hunter’s Core Feature
The Domain Search is where Hunter shines. Plug in a domain, and you get a list of email addresses found publicly on the web for that company. Here’s how to use it efficiently:
- Log in to Hunter.
- Navigate to “Domain Search.”
- Enter the domain name (like “acme.com”).
- Review the results. You’ll see a list of emails, their sources, and sometimes the person’s role or department.
What You’ll Actually Get
- Verified emails: These have a green checkmark. They’re the gold standard.
- Pattern-based guesses: Sometimes Hunter predicts emails based on common formats (like john@company.com), but these aren’t always reliable.
- Job titles: Occasionally, you’ll see “CEO,” “Marketing Director,” etc. Don’t expect this for every contact.
What to ignore: Don’t waste time on “info@” or “support@” addresses. They rarely reach decision makers.
Step 3: Finding Decision Makers (Not Just Any Email)
The real value isn’t just grabbing emails—it’s finding the right ones. Here’s how to focus your search:
1. Use Filters
- Department: Filter contacts by department—Management, IT, HR, etc.
- Seniority: Hunter sometimes tags seniority (e.g., “Owner,” “Director”). Start here.
- Pro tip: If you don’t see a filter that helps, you can always export the list and filter in Excel or Google Sheets.
2. Look Up Specific Roles
If you know you want, say, the Head of Marketing, use the “Find Email Address” feature. Enter their name and domain, and Hunter will try to find or guess their email.
3. Don’t Trust Everything Blindly
- Double-check key contacts. If you’re about to email a founder, make sure the info is current—people move around.
- LinkedIn cross-check: A quick search on LinkedIn can confirm if someone still works at the company.
Step 4: Automate Bulk Searches (If You Have a List)
If you’re targeting multiple companies, you don’t want to search one by one. Hunter lets you upload a list of domains and get results in bulk:
- Prepare your CSV file: One column with company domains.
- Go to “Bulk Domain Search.”
- Upload your file.
- Wait for processing. Larger lists can take a while.
- Download your results. You’ll get a spreadsheet with emails, names, sources, and more.
What works: This is a huge time-saver if you have a long list. The bulk tool is surprisingly reliable for small to medium lists.
What to watch out for: On really big lists, expect some duds—outdated info, missing names, or generic addresses.
Step 5: Verify Emails Before Sending
Hunter includes an “Email Verifier” for a reason. Even emails marked as “found” can bounce if people have left the company or changed addresses.
- Paste the email into the verifier.
- Check for a green “valid” status.
- Still not sure? If it’s borderline, try another tool (like NeverBounce or ZeroBounce) for a second opinion.
Why bother? Sending to a lot of invalid emails can get your domain flagged as spam. It’s not worth the risk.
Step 6: Integrate With Your Workflow
Hunter isn’t just a standalone tool. Here’s how to get more out of it:
- Chrome Extension: Find emails while browsing LinkedIn or company sites.
- Integrations: Connect to HubSpot, Salesforce, or other CRMs to push contacts directly.
- API: If you’re technical, you can automate searches from your own scripts or apps.
Be careful: Automating too aggressively (especially with the API) can violate Hunter’s terms or run up your bill. Start small, see what works.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
What works: - Fast, reliable results for many mid-sized or well-known companies. - Filters and bulk tools save serious time. - Integrations help keep your outreach organized.
What doesn’t: - Data for small/startup companies is often spotty. - Job titles aren’t always correct or up to date. - Pattern-based email guesses can be wrong—don’t rely on them for critical contacts.
Ignore these: - Generic emails (“info@,” “contact@”) unless you have no other choice. - Over-automating. It’s tempting, but you still need to personalize your outreach.
Pro Tips for Better Results
- Keep your lists targeted. Don’t just blast every email you find. Focus on relevant companies and roles.
- Personalize, personalize, personalize. Even the best tool can’t make up for lazy outreach.
- Test, then ramp up. Try a small batch first—see what works before scaling.
- Stay compliant. Laws like GDPR or CAN-SPAM exist for a reason. Don’t be “that guy” flooding inboxes.
Keep It Simple—and Iterate
Don’t get lost in the weeds or chase every feature. Start with the basics: find good domains, target real decision makers, verify emails, and keep your outreach personal. Hunter is a solid tool to automate the boring parts, but successful outreach still comes down to clear intent and a little human touch.
Experiment, see what works for your workflow, and don’t be afraid to tweak as you go. You’ll save hours—and maybe even land a reply from that hard-to-reach exec.