Key takeaways
- Intent data is a signal that a person is likely in the market for a product or service, inferred from recent behavior such as searches, articles read, and sites or ads engaged with.
- For local businesses it is filtered by topic, location, and recency, for example people in your ZIPs researching roof replacement in the last seven days.
- Intent records show interest, not permission. The people in them did not ask you to contact them.
- The best channels for intent records are direct mail, email with a working unsubscribe, and matched ad audiences. Phone calls should be manual, after a Do Not Call check. Never robocall, AI-call, or mass-text intent records.
- Shorter recency windows return fewer, warmer people. Start narrow, measure, then widen.
What is intent data?
Intent data is information that suggests someone is likely to buy something soon, based on what they have been doing online. A person who has read three articles about roof replacement, compared shingle types, and visited two roofing sites this week is showing intent. Aggregated across many people, those signals let a business find the ones who appear to be in the market.
Intent data began in business-to-business sales, where software companies watch which companies are researching a category. The same idea now applies to consumers: households researching home services, insurance, legal help, or major purchases.
Where does consumer intent data come from?
Intent providers compile behavioral signals from sources they are licensed to use: participating publishers and websites, ad interactions, search and content consumption, and data partnerships. Those signals are grouped into topics and matched to people or households through identity data. Reputable providers describe their sources in general terms and honor consumer opt-outs.
What you receive as a buyer is a record: a person, their contact details where available, their general location, and the topic and recency of the signal. You do not see their browsing history, and you should not want to.
How do local businesses use intent data?
- Contractors: homeowners in the service area researching the trade this month, reached with a postcard and an email before they collect quotes
- Insurance agents: households researching coverage in the states the agent is licensed in, worked with email first
- Law firms: awareness and retargeting for people researching a practice area in the county, using written outreach that meets attorney-advertising rules
- Agencies: always-on audiences for each client that feed an email sequence and a matched ad audience
Is intent data the same as a lead?
No, and this is the part most sellers skip. A lead is a person who asked to be contacted, usually through a form or a call, and their consent records what they agreed to. An intent record is a person whose behavior suggests interest. They have not asked anyone to call them.
That difference decides how you may reach them. Under federal rules, marketing calls that use an autodialer or an artificial or prerecorded voice, which includes AI-generated voices, need prior express written consent. Intent records do not carry it. Calls by hand are possible, but only after checking the National Do Not Call Registry, the state lists that apply, and your own do-not-call list, and only inside legal calling hours. Email is allowed with a clear sender, a physical address, and a working unsubscribe.
What does intent data cost?
Consumer intent records usually cost a small fraction of a lead because they carry no consent and no guarantee of response. Pricing is typically per record, with free counts so you can size the audience before buying. The real cost is in the follow-up: a mailer, an email sequence, or an ad budget to reach the people you bought.
Judge intent data by cost per appointment, not cost per record. A cheap record that never responds is expensive.
How do you choose the right recency window?
Most tools let you choose how recently a person must have shown intent, such as the last 3, 7, or 30 days. A three-day window returns the fewest people, closest to a decision. A thirty-day window is larger and cooler. For urgent services, start with the shortest window. For considered purchases such as remodels or legal matters, a longer window may match how long people actually research.
What should you avoid?
- Audiences built around health conditions, financial distress, children, or other sensitive topics
- Any use of intent or household data to decide credit, insurance, employment, or housing
- Robocalls, AI-voice calls, and mass texts to people who did not give written consent
- Copy that tells someone you know what they were researching. It is unsettling, and it is how a cold contact becomes a complaint
Frequently asked questions
What is intent data in simple terms?
Information that suggests a person or company is likely in the market for something, based on recent behavior such as searches and content they read. It shows interest, not permission to contact.
Can I call people from an intent data list?
By hand, after checking the Do Not Call registries and your own list, and inside legal calling hours. Not with an autodialer, a prerecorded or AI voice, or mass texting, because those need prior express written consent. This is general information, not legal advice.
How fresh is intent data?
It depends on the window you choose. Most tools offer windows from a few days to a month. Shorter windows mean fewer people who showed interest more recently.
Is intent data legal to buy?
Yes, from providers that source data lawfully and honor opt-outs. The rules apply mostly to how you use it: disclosures, contact channels, sensitive topics, and never for eligibility decisions.