Choosing Your Lead Type During Campaign Setup

Overview

When creating a Cold Email campaign, you'll reach the "Select Your Leads" page where you choose how to source your target contacts. This guide explains the three available options, their differences, and how to decide which one fits your needs.

The Three Lead Type Options

AI Generated Leads

The AI Generated option uses your campaign description to automatically find and verify leads. You provide a simple niche description (like "HVAC companies in Canada"), select locations, job titles, and company headcount ranges, then set how many leads you want (minimum 500).

Credit cost: The default cost is 2,500 credits, but actual usage may range from 500 credits (minimum) to 5,000 credits or more.

Best for: Getting started quickly when you have a clear target audience but don't want to manually configure filters or already have a list.

Upload Your Own

This option lets you import existing lead lists from a CSV file. You'll upload your file in the next step, where the system helps you map columns (email, name, company) and validates the data. No credits are consumed for uploaded leads.

Credit cost: Free (no credits required)

Best for: When you already have a curated list from another source, event attendees, or previous campaigns.

Manual Filters

Manual Filters gives you advanced search capabilities with precise control over targeting criteria. You can filter by industry groups, departments, seniority levels, company revenue, recent news, funding rounds, and more. A live preview shows estimated lead counts as you refine filters.

Credit cost: Varies based on the number of leads requested (1 credit per lead), with a minimum of 500 leads.

Best for: Highly specific targeting requirements, like "Series A funded SaaS companies with 50-200 employees in the United States that recently expanded offices."

Comparing the Options

Similarities Across All Three

• All options require a minimum of 500 leads per campaign

• Leads integrate with external sources for verification and enrichment

• All leads appear in your campaign's Leads tab with name, email, company, and status

• Processing takes 5-15 minutes after selection (you'll see a "Finding and Verifying Leads" progress screen)

Key Differences

How to Choose the Right Option

Choose AI Generated Leads If:

• You're launching your first campaign and want a quick start

• You have a clear niche but don't know exactly which filters to use

• You have credits available and prefer speed over granular control

• You trust AI to interpret your targeting description accurately

Choose Upload Your Own If:

• You already have a lead list from another tool, event, or database

• You want to preserve credits for other campaigns

• You've manually vetted your contacts and don't need additional filtering

• Your list is formatted correctly with email addresses and ideally includes names and companies

Choose Manual Filters If:

• You need very specific targeting (e.g., "CTOs at healthcare startups with recent funding")

• You've tried AI Generated and want more precise results

• You're comfortable navigating advanced search interfaces

• You want to see a live preview of lead counts before committing

Accessing the Lead Selection Page

You'll see the "Select Your Leads" modal during campaign creation:

1. Go to Dashboard > Cold Email Agent > New Campaign

2. Enter your campaign name and click Next

3. The "Select Your Leads" page appears as Step 2 of 4

4. Click one of the three cards to choose your lead type

5. Click Next to proceed to the configuration form

After Making Your Selection

Once you click Next, you'll proceed to the configuration form specific to your chosen option:

• AI Generated: Fill in your niche description, select locations/job titles/headcount, and set lead count

• Upload Your Own: Upload your CSV file and map columns (email, name, company)

• Manual Filters: Configure advanced filters across industry, department, seniority, revenue, and more

After configuration, the system processes your request with a progress screen. This typically takes 5-15 minutes. Your leads will then appear in the campaign's Leads tab.

Credit Requirements

Before selecting AI Generated or Manual Filters, check your credit balance in the top-right corner. The modal displays your remaining lead limit (e.g., "500/1000 leads remaining").

• AI Generated: Requires 2,500 credits upfront regardless of final lead count

• Manual Filters: Consumes 1 credit per lead based on your requested count

• Upload Your Own: No credits needed

If you're low on credits, consider uploading your own list or learn how lead scraping credits work to plan your usage.

Common Questions

Can I use multiple lead types in the same campaign?

Yes. After your initial selection, you can return to the Leads tab and click "Add Leads" to choose a different option and append more contacts to the same campaign.

What if I don't see the AI Generated option?

The AI Generated card may not appear if your account lacks sufficient credits or doesn't meet plan requirements. Check your credit balance and ensure your Instantly or Acquisity account is connected.

Can I edit my lead selection after clicking Next?

Once the campaign is created and leads are processing, you can add more leads but cannot remove the initial batch.

Related Resources

• How to Create a New Cold Email Campaign - Full campaign creation workflow

• Creating a Campaign with Manually Uploaded Leads - Detailed CSV upload instructions

• How Lead Scraping Credits Work - Understanding credit costs and usage