Data layers & Intelligence

Monitor changes with Intelligence

6 min read
Intelligence keeps an eye on your data layers for you. A subscription is a standing search: when something matching it changes, such as a new company being registered, you are told and can act on it. Here you will create one, work through its matches, and watch a single record.

Before you start

At least one data layer must be switched on. Data layers are free, optional add-ons (see Turn on a data layer). Your organisation includes 10 subscription slots, and buying more needs permission to manage billing, which the Admin role has.

Open Intelligence

In the sidebar, click Intelligence. The Subscriptions list shows every standing search you and your team have set up. Some data layers add their own tabs beside it for browsing their records.

Note

If you see No data layers active, switch one on from Add-ons first. New subscription stays unavailable until you do.
The Intelligence page with the Subscriptions tab selected and CQC directory and CQC recent changes tabs beside it, the Subscriptions and Distinct searches meters, the Inbox and New subscription buttons, and a list of standing searches such as Leeds food businesses rated 0 to 2 and Winding up and administration notices, plus an entity watch.

Choose what to watch for

Click New subscription. Under When this happens, pick a signal. Signals are grouped by data layer, for example New companies registered under Companies House. Give the subscription a Name.

Then choose what to Watch:

  • Portfolio watches companies and contacts you already hold,
  • Discovery finds records that are not in your CRM yet, and
  • Both does each.

Note

Some layers only offer Portfolio. Data Protection (ICO) and Energy Performance (EPC) signals only cover companies you already hold.
The New intelligence subscription dialog with Hygiene rating changes (Food Hygiene Ratings) chosen under When this happens, a name entered, and the Watch list open showing Discovery, Portfolio and Both.

Narrow it down with filters

The Filters change with the signal you picked, such as SIC codes or Postcode areas for Companies House, or local authority and rating for other layers.

Where a layer supports it, Within distance of a point lets you centre a search on a Postcode or One of your companies, then choose a Radius.

Note

A Discovery subscription needs at least one filter, otherwise it would match everything.
The subscription filters: Leeds chosen under Local authorities, 0, 1 and 2 under Rating is, a Business types field, and Within distance of a point with Postcode and One of your companies options and a Radius.

Choose how you are told

New matches always arrive as in-app notifications. Under Email me, choose Never (in-app only), Hourly (as matches arrive), Daily digest or Weekly digest.

Switch on Share with the teamto put it in everyone’s list, then click Create subscription.

The bottom of the New intelligence subscription dialog with Email me set to Daily digest, the Share with the team switch, and the Cancel and Create subscription buttons.

Work through your matches

Click a subscription to see its matches. For a record you already hold, click View. For one you don’t, click Add as company (or View and add it from there) to create the company with its pipeline and owner set as you go.

Hide matches you don’t want with the Not interested icon, or Dismiss all. Switch on Dismissed to see and restore them. Future changes to a dismissed record still come through.

The results of a Leeds food businesses rated 0 to 2 subscription: six food businesses whose hygiene rating dropped, each with its postcode, rating, rating date, local authority and when it matched, a View button and a Not interested icon, below the Dismissed switch and Dismiss all.

Check your inbox

Click Inbox on the Intelligence page to see every notification from your data layers, with a tab per layer. Click one to open the record, or use Mark all read.

The Intelligence notifications inbox with a tab for each data layer, such as Companies House, CQC, Gazette and Food Hygiene, the Gazette tab showing two unread insolvency notice matches, and a Mark all read button.

Watch a single record

When you open a record from Intelligence, click Watch this to be told whenever anything changes on it. Not every data layer offers this. From a company linked to a data layer, you can also use Quick Actions then Watch in Intelligence.

The button changes to Watching, and the watch appears in your list as an Entity watch.

Tip

Watching a record is free. An entity watch never uses a subscription slot.
A food business opened from a subscription in Intelligence, with Add as company and Watch this under its name, above its Food hygiene panel showing its rating, scheme, local authority and postcode.

Manage your slots

The meter above the list shows how many Subscriptionsare in use. Pausing or deleting one frees its slot immediately: open the row’s menu and choose Pause (frees a slot) or Delete.

If you can manage billing, click Add 5 slots to buy a block of five more (see pricing). If you can’t, ask an Admin to add them from this page.

Note

Changing a subscription’s filters more than 48 hours after creating it counts as a new search towards your Distinct searches allowance, and it only sees new activity from then on. Renaming, pausing and delivery changes are always free.
The Subscriptions meter reading 3 of 10 in use with an Add 5 slots button, beside the Distinct searches (90 days) meter reading 3 of 30.