Step 1: How to Start Using AI Signals
Where to begin:
First, open your Target Account List (TAL) - this is your main page with all your companies
Look for the Smart Column button.
When the menu opens, click on the "Signals" button.
Before the changes
After the changes
This picture shows the pop-up window with three choices: Signals (showing 200+ available), Tech Stack (showing 17K+ options), and Custom Column
What each option means:
Signals: These are AI-powered searches that find specific business information signals
Tech Stack: Shows what technology companies use, present on TAL after user configures them.
Custom Column: Make your own column with any data you want.
Step 2: The New Search Screen
What appears next:
A big search box at the top of the screen
Inside the box, it says: "Research Anything"
Two tabs below: "Create a custom Signal" (for making your own) or “Library” from a Predefined list of signals (ready-made options)
Before the changes
How to search:
Just type what you want to know
You can type single words like "competitor" or "funding"
You can type phrases like "revenue growth" or "new leadership"
You can even type full questions like "Which companies are hiring?"
What happens when you search:
The system checks if we already have a predefined signal that matches what you want. Then one of two things happens:
Option A: We Have Matching Signals
A dropdown list appears immediately under the search box
Shows the top 5-7 signals that match what you typed
You have three choices:
Click on any signal in the list to use it
Click "create a custom signal" to make your own with autofilled query in the custom signal configuration flow.
Option B: No Matches Found
You'll see a message saying "No matching predefined signals found"
A button appears saying "Proceed with Custom Signal"
Click this button to create exactly what you need
Step 3A: Using a Signal That Already Exists (Predefined Signals)
When you pick a predefined signal:
The signal name appears at the top so you know what you selected
You go straight to the settings screen (Step 4)
No need to write anything - it's ready to use
This picture shows all available signals organized in categories, with numbers showing how many people use each one
The categories you can browse:
Leadership Changes: Find when companies get new CEOs, executives leave, or boards change
Compliance Risks: Spot legal problems, regulatory issues, or compliance failures
Mergers and Acquisitions: Know when companies buy, sell, or merge with others
Product Development: Track new products, features, or service launches
And many more..
Step 3B: Creating Your Own Signal (Custom Signals)
When you need something specific:
Sometimes our 200+ signals don't have exactly what you need. That's when you create your own.
This picture shows the custom signal screen with a text box for your question and a Suggestions button
How to create a custom signal:
Write your question:
If you already typed something in the search, it appears here automatically
Otherwise, type your question in the query refiner part.
Get help from suggestions:
Click the "Suggestions" button
Two improved versions of your question appear
These suggestions are written to get better results
Click any suggestion to use it instantly
You can still edit it after selecting
Click "Next" when your question is ready
Even if the query is not refined and is valid, the system will itself refine the query and carry the intent forward.
Step 4: Setting Up Your Signal (Configuration)
Now you tell the system exactly how to search:
Before the changes
After the changes
This picture shows the settings screen with fields for Column Name, Date Range dropdown showing "6 months", and Location selector showing "USA"
Settings you need to fill out:
Column Name (Required - you must fill this):
This is the title that appears at the top of your column in TAL
Maximum 50 characters.
Date Range (How far back to search):
1 month: Only very recent information (last 30 days)
3 months: Recent quarter (last 90 days)
6 months: Half year of data (this is the default)
12 months: Full year of information
Anytime: All available data, no matter how old
Tip: Shorter ranges find more recent, relevant news. Longer ranges find more information but it might be outdated.
Location (Where to search):
Global: Search everywhere in the world (default)
Specific countries: Type to find countries like UK, India, Germany
You can select multiple locations
This filters the results to only show information from those places
Example: If you select "UK", you'll only get news about UK operations, not global activities
What happens if you don't fill these out:
Column Name: System will ask you to add one before continuing
Date Range: Uses 6 months automatically
Location: Uses Global automatically
Step 5: Preview Before You Spend Credits
The preview screen is your safety check:
Before the system searches all your accounts (which costs credits), it shows you a free preview using first 5 accounts from your list.
Before the changes
After the changes
What the preview shows:
5 real accounts from your list - not fake data, actual results
The actual information found - exactly what will appear in your TAL
Whether the signal is working - you can see if it's finding useful information
How to use the preview:
Read all 5 samples carefully:
Is this the information you wanted?
Is it detailed enough?
Is it too detailed?
Is it finding information for most accounts?
If you're happy with results:
Click "Generate" to run it on all your accounts
This will spend credits
If you're not happy:
Click back to change your settings
Try a different date range
Adjust your question (for custom signals)
Click "Regenerate" to see a new preview
Keep adjusting until it looks right
Important: Preview is always free - test as many times as you want!
Step 6: Choose Which Accounts to Enrich
Now decide how many accounts to process:
Your options:
Enrich first X accounts: Starts from the top of your list
Example: "Enrich first 50 accounts" processes accounts 1-50
Enrich selected X accounts: Only the ones you specifically chose
Example: If you checked 20 boxes, it only processes those 20
Click "Generate" to start:
A loading bar appears
Multiple accounts process at the same time (parallel processing)
Step 7: See Your Results in TAL
What happens after processing:
This picture shows your TAL with the new Signals column added, filled with information for each account
Your enriched data appears:
You automatically return to your TAL page
A new column appears with the name you chose
Each row shows the information found for that account
Step 8: View Full Details
Get more information about any result:
Click on any cell in your Signals column to see:
Full response: The complete information found (no cut off)
Source URLs: Links to where the information came from
Click these to verify the information yourself
See the original articles or websites
Signal Status:
Direct: Exactly matches what you asked for
Related: Somewhat related to your question
No Signal: No relevant information found
Feature 2: Semantic Search - Find the Right Signal No Matter How You Ask
What Is Semantic Search?
Semantic search helps you find the right predefined signal from our 300+ library, even when you don't know its exact name. The system understands what you mean, not just the exact words you type.
How It Works:
When you type in the search bar, the system looks through all 300+ predefined signals and finds matches based on meaning, not just keywords.
Real Examples:
Example 1: Looking for Merger & Acquisition Signals
Our predefined signal is called: "Mergers and Acquisitions"
But you might type any of these:
"Which companies are buying other companies?"
"M&A activity"
"Company acquisitions"
"Who acquired who"
"Buyout news"
"Companies merging together"
Result: All these different searches will find the same "Mergers and Acquisitions" signal!
Example 2: Looking for Leadership Change Signals
Our predefined signal is called: "Leadership Changes"
But you might type any of these:
"New CEO"
"Executive departures"
"Boss changed"
"Management turnover"
"Who left the company"
"Board of directors updates"
Result: All these searches show you the "Leadership Changes" signal!
Important: How Credits Work
When Credits Are Used:
3 credits = 1 account enriched successfully with Predefined Signal.
5 credits = 1 account enriched successfully with Custom Signal.
3 or 5 credits - When we found no Relevant information after we scraped certain URL’s and they are present in the final response.
When Credits Are NOT Used:
Preview is always free - test as much as you want
Failed enrichments - if the system crashes or has an error
No results found - when there's no URL/source in the response
Example: If we search but find zero information about a company
The response has no source URLs to verify
You don't get charged because we found nothing useful
Credit Examples:
You enrich 100 accounts:
70 find information with source URLs = 70 credits used
20 find no information (no URLs) = 0 credits used
10 fail due to errors = 0 credits used
Total cost: 70 credits
Quick Start Guide
Your First Signal in 5 Minutes:
Open TAL → Your account list page
Click Smart Column
Select AI Signal → From the menu
Type what you want → "companies hiring" or "new funding"
Pick a signal → From suggestions or create custom
Name your column → "Hiring News"
Set date range → Last 6 months
Preview 5 accounts → Check if it looks good
Click Generate → Run on all accounts
View results → See your new column in TAL
Pro Tips:
Always preview first - it's free
Start with predefined signals - they're tested and work well
Ask questions in semantic search - it really works