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    Technical GuideFebruary 1, 20268 min read

    How Filters Work(Internals Explained Simply)

    Filters help you narrow down the lead database to match your use case. This page explains what filters do, what they do not do, and why results change as you apply them.

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    Precise
    Matching
    Stackable
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    Real
    Data Only
    Instant
    Results

    What Filters Include

    Filters include only data that has been detected and stored.

    When you apply a filter, RangeLead returns:

    • Businesses where that attribute is present
    • Businesses that match the selected condition

    Examples:

    Has Website= only businesses with a detected website
    Has Email= only businesses where an email was found
    Category= businesses classified under that category
    Location= businesses within the selected area

    Filters never guess or infer missing data.

    What Filters Exclude

    Filters automatically exclude:

    • Businesses without the selected attribute
    • Businesses where the data is unknown or missing
    • Businesses that do not meet the exact condition

    Important:

    • Missing data is not treated as false
    • Unknown is excluded when filtering for true

    This prevents incorrect assumptions.

    Why Counts Change When You Stack Filters

    Each filter reduces the result set.

    This happens because:

    • Filters are applied together, not separately
    • Each additional filter removes businesses that do not match

    This is expected behavior.

    Example:

    Start with100k businesses
    Has Website40k
    Has Email15k
    Has LinkedIn4k

    Why Some Combinations Return Zero Results

    Zero results usually mean:

    • The combination is too restrictive
    • Required attributes rarely coexist
    • One filter eliminates all remaining records

    Common examples:

    • • Very small location + many attributes
    • • Rare ownership flags + niche category
    • • Multiple social networks + small dataset

    Zero results do not mean the system is broken.

    How to Use Filters Correctly

    Best practice:

    1. 1Start broad
    2. 2Apply one filter at a time
    3. 3Observe how counts change
    4. 4Stop when results meet your needs

    If results drop too fast:

    • Remove the last filter
    • Re-evaluate what is essential

    Important Clarification About Boolean Filters

    Boolean filters show only:

    TRUEvalues

    They do not show:

    FALSEvalues
    UNKNOWNvalues

    This avoids misleading results.

    Filters Reflect Stored Data, Not Reality Guarantees

    Filters represent:

    • What was detected
    • What was publicly visible
    • What was stored

    They do not guarantee:

    • Current accuracy
    • Future availability
    • Completeness

    Summary

    Filters include only detected data

    Missing data is excluded, not assumed

    More filters mean fewer results

    Zero results mean over-filtering

    Use filters as a precision tool, not a wish list

    Try Filters NowData Structure

    Data Structure

    View all columns and field definitions

    Sample vs Full

    Understand the difference between file types

    FAQ

    Frequently asked questions