Types of Searches

Last updated: September 23, 2026

To ensure your campaign reaches the right target audience, you need to include a specific search. In this article, we will explore the different types of searches available.

When setting up a campaign, one of the key steps is adding a search. To do this, go to Campaigns > Create New Campaign > Choose Campaign Type > + Add Search.

Once you click + Add Search, you will be prompted to select a search type.

Let's break down each search type and its functionality:

After adding your search, enable the campaign toggle so the system can start retrieving prospects from your list. Click Save in the top-right corner of the campaign page to apply your changes.

Important: If your search results include people who are already your LinkedIn connections, the campaign will still reach out to them unless there has been prior outreach through Buzz campaigns. Campaigns automatically pause outreach only to prospects with previous Buzz conversation history, not to all existing LinkedIn connections. To avoid messaging existing connections, ensure they are not included in your search criteria or manually exclude them before starting the campaign.

Search URL

This search requires a Social URL, where parameters are already defined within the link you have generated.

You can use Search URL to specifically target your first-degree connections. In LinkedIn, navigate to My Network > Connections > Search with filters, then copy the resulting URL, which includes network=%5B%22F%22%5D in its parameters, and paste it into the Search URL field in your campaign.

The link must follow one of these formats:

1) social-platform.com/sales/search/people

2) social-platform.com/search/results/people

3) social-platform.com/talent/hire

If you're using the Sales Navigator search (except for the Sales Navigator list, which is a different type of search in Buzz), the system checks whether profiles are open at the moment of adding them to the campaign. In this case, a separate Perform Action step to check openness isn't necessary, as the filtering happens upfront.

Important performance consideration: When using Sales Navigator searches with Perform Action steps, such as Like last 3 posts, these actions can significantly reduce your daily sending limits. Each like requires multiple profile views, including visiting the profile and viewing posts, which consumes a substantial portion of your Profile Views limit and may leave fewer views available for sending connection requests.

If your sending volume is lower than expected, consider the following options:

  • Remove the Perform Action step entirely.

  • Disable likes and keep only View Profile.

  • Move warming actions to a separate campaign.

Keep this limitation in mind when planning your campaign strategy and setting expectations for daily outreach volumes.

❗Something to keep in mind when using the Sales Navigator type of search:

On the Social Platform, your Sales Navigator subscription may include multiple Contracts. When performing a search, Buzz will always use the first Contract from the list by default.

If you generated your search link using a different Contract, the search won’t run, since our system automatically selects the first one.

Please keep this in mind if you have multiple Contracts within your Sales Navigator subscription.

Post URL

Enter a link to a specific Social post, and the search will focus on profiles that have liked the post.

The link must follow the social-platform.com/posts/<text>-ugcPost-<post_id>-<suffix> format.

Event URL

Provide a public Social Event link.

The link must follow this format:

  • social-platform.com/events/<event_id>/

Example:

  • social-platform.com/events/7450538961833357314/

How to find a public event link:

  1. Open the event on Social

  2. Copy the URL from your browser’s address bar

  3. Make sure the link follows the format above and does not include extra parameters (e.g., tracking or session data)

Note: Event searches do not allow you to send messages without sending connection requests first. Make sure you set Send Connection Request as the initial step when using this type of search.

Group URL

Insert a Social group link to interact with group members.

This type also allows message sending without connection requests.

You can send up to 15 free 1-on-1 group messages each month, making it possible to add a Send connection request as the first step in the campaign. Once the limit for sending group messages is used up, further group messages can only be sent after you have connected with the prospect.

The link must follow the social-platform.com/groups/<group_id>/ format.

To use this type of search, you need to be a member of the group. If you're not, the system will automatically request to join on your behalf. Keep in mind that if the request is denied, the search won't be able to run and you'll receive a "Could not join group or event" notification.

Navigator List URL

Paste a URL of a list search generated through your Sales Navigator subscription.

The link must follow the social-platform.com/sales/lists/people format.

Important: Navigator List URL accepts Sales Navigator people lists only. Company or account list URLs, which use the accounts/dashboard format, are not compatible with this search type and will cause an error.

Prerequisite: You must have an active Sales Navigator subscription on your Social Platform account. Sales Navigator search URLs cannot be accessed with a basic Social Platform account and will generate errors.

To target specific companies, you can:

  1. Create a people list from companies: In Sales Navigator, search for employees at the companies in your company list, then use the resulting people list URL.

  2. Use CSV File: Export your company data and upload it with the CSV File search type, including the required prospect information.

  3. Create a manual search: Use the Search URL type with a Sales Navigator search targeting employees at your desired companies.

Recruiter Project URL

Requires a social-platform.com/recruiter/projects link created using the Social Recruiter tool.

Recruiter Search

This search type differs from the previous one as it generates a different kind of link. Recruiter Search specifically requires a social-platform.com/talent/search link type.

❗Something to keep in mind when using this type of search:

On the Social Platform, your Recruiter subscription may include multiple Contracts. When performing a search, Buzz will always use the first Contract from the list by default.

If you generated your search link using a different Contract, the search won’t run, since our system automatically selects the first one.

Please keep this in mind if you have multiple Contracts within your Recruiter subscription.

Additionally, when our system is running a Recruiter Search, logging in to your Recruiter account from another device can cause our system to be logged out, which will stop the search. This limitation comes from the Social Platform itself.

However, if you have workspace admin rights, you can safely log into your Social account through our Browser without interrupting the ongoing search. You’ll stay logged in, and your campaign will continue running smoothly.

⬇ To download the Buzz Browser, please contact our Customer Support team.

CSV File

Upload a CSV file that contains the list of prospects you want to target in your campaign.

For LinkedIn-based campaigns: Your CSV file must include a column with LinkedIn profile URLs, also known as person social URLs. Without these URLs, you will receive a "could not upload CSV File" error.

If your CSV does not include LinkedIn profile URLs:

  1. Add LinkedIn profile URLs to your CSV file before uploading it.

  2. Change your campaign type to Email Only in the campaign settings under the outreach type.

For Email Only campaigns: LinkedIn profile URLs are not required, making this option suitable when you only have contact information and no social media profiles.

Understanding which columns are required for each campaign type helps prevent CSV upload errors and ensures that your campaign can target prospects through the intended outreach channels.

Important CSV File Upload Limitations

Blacklist exclusions: If prospects in your CSV are on your blacklist, they may be automatically moved to Excluded status after upload. They will not appear in your campaign reports or prospect counts.

To resolve this:

  1. Go to the Prospects tab and filter by Excluded status.

  2. Select all affected prospects using the top-left checkbox.

  3. Click Action > Remove from blacklist.

To prevent this issue, ensure your blacklist is empty before uploading CSV files, or review your blacklist settings to avoid unintended exclusions.

Add with API

Integrate searches using API connections for seamless prospect addition.

To do so, follow the instructions:

Keep in mind that for each search type, you have the option to specify the maximum number of individuals to be included in the search.

👀 What happens if you use a search link with more than 1,000 or 2,500 results?

The Social Platform limits search results to 100 pages. With a basic subscription, that’s 10 profiles per page, and with Sales Navigator, it’s 25 profiles per page. In other words, a single search can return a maximum of 1,000 or 2,500 profiles.

This restriction is set by the Social Platform, not by Buzz. If your link generates more than 100 pages, Buzz will process results up to page 100 and then mark the search as complete. Any profiles beyond that point won’t be retrieved.

Once a search finishes processing all available profiles, up to the maximum you specified or the platform limit, it will be marked as finished. If new prospects are added to the source, such as new members joining a LinkedIn group or new profiles matching your Sales Navigator search criteria, you can rerun the search to fetch them. To rerun a search, navigate to your campaign, locate the finished search, and click the rerun option to retrieve newly available profiles.

Intent Data

This feature is only available in select subscription plans.

It's a new kind of search in Buzz that uses anonymous, privacy-safe data from across the web (like search habits, article views, social posts, and tech usage) combined with Buzz’s AI to find people who are ready to buy.

Find out more about Intent Data and how to use it in this article.

Web Visitors (Beta)

This feature is only available in select subscription plans.

Web Visitors is both a feature and a search type that lets you identify prospects who are actively engaging with your website. By adding a small snippet of tracking code to your site, Buzz can match visitors to our internal prospect database and automatically add them to your campaigns.

To learn more, please check out this collection: Web Visitors.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to get in touch with our Customer Support team.