Building a high-quality prospect list should feel like assembling LEGO blocks: every piece is simple, transparent, clicks into place, shows its own price, and updates your live total instantly. No hidden fees, no opaque contracts, and no complicated menus that give you a headache.
This guide walks through the four steps of the StackShortlist order builder. Using a real-world ecommerce scenario, we target United States companies running Shopify with either Klaviyo or Facebook Pixel, showing how each selection shapes your final deliverable and exact price.
What you’ll be able to do
- Order flow starts with location, moves to decision-maker contacts, applies targeting, and selects quantity.
- Every country is included in the base price; state or region narrowing is just +$0.02 per company.
- Owner or administrator contacts with their own work email are included free; specific roles and phones are optional add-ons.
- Targeting uses an intuitive three-way switch: Must have (AND), One of these (OR), and Optional (free context).
- The first targeting piece is included in the $0.19 base rate; an extra One of these group is just +$0.03 per company.
Step 1: Location first
Every lead list starts with geography. On StackShortlist, every country is included in the base rate with zero surcharge. Whether you are targeting companies in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, or Australia, the country selection is completely free.
If your sales territory or service delivery requires narrower geographic focus, you can optionally enter a specific state or region (such as California, Texas, Bavaria, or Greater London). Narrowing to a state or region adds an optional $0.02 per company ($2 per 100 companies). If country-level targeting is sufficient, leave the state field blank and pay nothing extra.
Step 2: Who should we reach?
A useful lead must connect to a real person. Every completed new lead on StackShortlist includes a named administrator or founder by default at no extra charge. Email addresses belong to the person, never shared inboxes like info@ or sales@.
As an added bonus, we sometimes discover and deliver more than one administrator or executive for a company. These extra contacts come free and are never billed as separate leads.
If your campaign specifically requires a specialized executive role such as Chief Technology Officer, VP of Sales, or Head of Marketing, you can request that role for an optional +$0.03 per company ($3 per 100 companies).
Phone numbers are available for approximately 50% of contacts. If your outreach process depends on phone conversations, turn on the 'Contact must have a phone number' option for +$0.05 per company ($5 per 100 companies). Every lead delivered will then include a verified telephone number alongside their work email.
Step 3: Who do you sell to? (Tech stack or industry)
Right above the selector, a prominent two-way toggle lets you choose between 'By tech stack' (default) and 'By industry'. Tech sellers can target across 3,500+ web technologies, while traditional service providers can select specific trades and verticals like dry cleaners, dentists, or roofing contractors.
When you select a technology or industry, it appears as a chip with an intuitive three-way switch:
1. Must have: The company must use this tool (AND logic). Each extra Must have technology or custom item adds +$0.03 per company ($3 per 100).
2. One of these: The company must use at least one tool marked this way (OR logic). A One of these group counts as a single targeting piece, costing +$0.03 per company ($3 per 100) if not the included first piece.
3. Optional: Nice-to-have context. Companies using optional tools are ranked higher in fit scoring, but never filtered out. Optional chips are completely free ($0).
Directly below the selector, a Custom input box and '+ Add custom' button let you add any niche tool or requirement not found in the search. Custom chips receive the exact same three-way switch and transparent pricing.
Worked example: Shopify + Klaviyo or Facebook Pixel
Let us build a common ecommerce targeting brief: United States stores using Shopify, plus either Klaviyo for email or Facebook Pixel for advertising.
1. In Step 1 (Where?), select United States. Country cost: $0.00.
2. In Step 2 (Contacts), keep the default owner or administrator contact. Email addresses belong to the person. Contact add-on cost: $0.00.
3. In Step 3 (Who do you sell to?), choose 'By tech stack'. Search and select Shopify, then set its switch to 'Must have'. Because this is your first targeting piece, it is included in the base rate ($0.00).
4. Search and select Klaviyo, keeping its default switch 'One of these'. Then search and select Meta Pixel (Facebook Pixel) and keep its switch 'One of these'.
Under the chips, the plain English summary updates automatically: 'Uses Shopify, and Klaviyo or Meta Pixel'.
Because Klaviyo and Meta Pixel share the 'One of these' setting, they form a single OR group. The entire group costs just +$0.03 per company ($3 per 100).
Total unit price: Base ($0.19) + Targeting group ($0.03) = $0.22 per company ($22.00 per 100 companies). Every calculation is visible right on the chips and summary.
| Item | Selection | Logic switch | Rate per lead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base package | 100 Stack leads | Included | $0.19 |
| Country | United States | Included | $0.00 |
| Contact role | Owner or administrator | Included | $0.00 |
| Technology 1 | Shopify | Must have | Included (1st piece) |
| Technology 2 | Klaviyo | One of these | +$0.03 (Group rate) |
| Technology 3 | Meta Pixel | One of these | Included in group |
| Total | 100 targeted leads | Live update | $0.22 / lead ($22 total) |
Step 4: Quantity and checkout
In Step 4, choose the quantity of companies you need, starting from 100 companies up to 50,000. We are always generous with our amounts on every order.
Delivery times are clear and predictable: up to 1,000 companies within 12 hours (uncovered new industries up to 48 hours), up to 5,000 within 24 hours, up to 10,000 within 48 hours, and larger packages within 3 to 5 days.
Clicking 'Review order' opens a concise modal detailing every item in your package. Submitting takes you straight to Stripe for secure checkout. Once payment is confirmed, research starts immediately and your completed CSV is delivered straight to your inbox.
Common questions
How many technologies can I select in One of these?
As many as you want. A One of these group counts as a single targeting piece (+$0.03 per company, or included free if it is your very first piece), regardless of whether you have two, five, or ten alternative tools in the group.
What if a tool I need is not in the 3,500+ catalogue?
Use the Custom field directly beneath the technology list. Type the name or requirement, click '+ Add custom', and toggle its switch between Must have, One of these, or Optional. It receives the exact same transparent rates as standard catalogue tools.
Do I need a recurring subscription to order?
No. StackShortlist is 100% pay-as-you-go. You pay only for the exact list you build, with no recurring monthly commitments or hidden platform fees.
How are email addresses verified?
Every contact includes the person's own work email address attributed to a named administrator or founder. Generic inboxes like info@ or support@ are never counted as completed leads.
Sources & further reading
Primary references support the technical details. Worked examples are illustrative; workflows and checklists are practical methods to adapt to your own process.
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