Intent data: signals that someone is shopping
updated 17 October 2026
Intent data is any signal that a person or company is researching a product or is likely to buy one. It covers clicks on your own site, topic research across the web, and public posts where someone says they need what you sell.
The main types
| Type | What it is | What it tells you | Main limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-party | Activity on your own site, product and emails | This account is engaging with you | Only covers people who already found you |
| Third-party (topic surge) | Research activity across a network of publisher sites, matched to companies | An account is reading about a topic more than usual | Shows the company, rarely the person, and infers the reason |
| Review-site | Visits to category and comparison pages on review sites | An account is comparing vendors | Limited to people who use those sites |
| Stated (social) | Public posts where a person describes a need | A named person has the problem now, in their words | Only covers people who post in public |
The first three infer intent from behaviour. Stated intent is different because the person says it.
Why it matters for B2B teams
A list can't tell you when to reach out. Intent data can. A company that fits your profile but isn't looking will ignore you, and the same company in the middle of a search may reply.
Each type answers a different question. Account-level surges help you pick which companies to target this month. Stated intent helps you pick which person to answer today. Many teams use both.
How it shows up in public posts
Stated intent is the easiest kind to read. Here are sample sentences, scored 0 to 100 for buying intent the way HearBuyers scores posts:
- Sample, score 92. "We're replacing our help desk next quarter. Need SLA reporting and Slack alerts for a 12-person team. What should we look at?" It has a person, a need, a timeline and requirements.
- Sample, score 52. "Anyone else find help desk reporting useless?" This is a theme you could track. It isn't a buyer yet.
- Sample, score 0. "Hiring a help desk specialist, remote." This is a job post, and keyword-based intent tools often mistake posts like it for interest.
Common mistakes
- Treating a surge as a buyer. A topic surge says an account is reading. It doesn't say who is reading or why.
- Buying data you can't act on. The signal goes stale if no one follows up within days.
- Ignoring false positives. Job seekers, students and vendors use the same keywords as buyers.
- Skipping your own data. First-party signals cost nothing and are often the most accurate.
Related terms
- Lead scoring: turning intent signals into a ranking.
- Hot lead: what strong intent looks like.
- Sales qualified lead: where intent usually leads.
For 20 sample sentences scored for intent, read buying signals examples. To compare vendors, see the best intent data providers.
Acting on these signals is called intent-based marketing.
Website visitor identification is the first-party version, based on visits to your own site.
See who is asking for what you sell
Paste your website. Your first scored matches from X and Reddit arrive within minutes, each with a drafted reply. Free for 14 days, no card.