Lead sourcing

Four ways to build a list, no separate scraping tool required

Pull leads straight out of LinkedIn using the filters and content you already have — whichever source you pick, the resulting list runs through the same campaign flow.

LinkedIn Search

Filter by job title, location, keywords, and connection degree — the same search LinkedIn offers, turned into a lead list in a few clicks.

Post Likers

Point at any LinkedIn post and turn the people who liked it into a warm lead list — they've already shown interest in the topic.

Post Commenters

Reach people already engaging in the comments — often a stronger signal of interest than a like alone.

Profile URLs

Already know exactly who you want to reach? Paste a list of profile URLs and HootDM builds the list for you.

Every source feeds the same pipeline

However a lead enters your list, it flows into the same campaign sequence — no separate setup per source.

Why lead sourcing is the bottleneck in most LinkedIn outreach

Most outreach tools assume you already have a clean, qualified list of people to contact. In practice, building that list is usually the slowest part of the process — manually searching LinkedIn, copying profile URLs into a spreadsheet, and cross-checking who’s already been contacted eats hours before a single message goes out. HootDM treats lead sourcing as a first-class part of the product rather than something you’re expected to solve separately, with four distinct ways to build a list depending on where your best signal comes from.

How each source works

LinkedIn Search

Search by job title, keywords, location, and connection degree — the same filters available in LinkedIn’s own search, translated into a saved, repeatable lead list. This is the right starting point when you know exactly who you’re targeting by role and geography, such as “VP of Sales” in a specific region.

Post Likers

Point HootDM at any public LinkedIn post and it pulls the people who liked it into a lead list. This works well for warm outreach: someone who liked a post about a topic you sell into has already signaled interest, which tends to produce higher acceptance rates than a cold search-based list.

Post Commenters

Similar to Post Likers, but sourced from people who left a comment — generally a stronger intent signal than a like alone, since commenting takes more effort and often reflects genuine engagement with the topic.

Profile URLs

When you already know exactly who you want to reach — from a conference list, a referral, or manual research — paste a list of LinkedIn profile URLs directly and HootDM builds the lead list from them, no search required.

Choosing the right source for your situation

Cold outbound at scale — LinkedIn Search, filtered tightly by title and location.
Warm re-engagement — Post Likers or Post Commenters on content relevant to your offer.
Targeted, high-value accounts — Profile URLs, when you already know exactly who matters.
Recruiting or candidate outreach — LinkedIn Search filtered by title and location, the same way a sales use case would target buyers.

Common questions

Can I combine multiple sources into one lead list?

Not today — each lead list is tied to one source at creation, and each campaign runs against exactly one lead list. If you want leads from different sources, build a separate list per source, each run as its own campaign.

Does sourcing leads count against my monthly quota?

Yes — leads added to a lead list count toward your plan’s monthly leads-added limit (1,000 on Starter, 5,000 on Pro), regardless of which of the four sources they came from.

How many profile URLs can I paste in at once?

Up to 50 per batch, automatically de-duplicated, and each must be a valid linkedin.com/in/ profile link.

Campaign sequences

See what happens once a lead is in your list.

Learn more →

Safety & account protection

How HootDM paces every action it takes.

Learn more →

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