> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.linkinlist.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Lead Scoring: How LinkInList AI Prioritizes Prospects
> Understand how LinkInList's AI assigns intent scores to your leads, what Hot, Warm, and Cold tiers mean, and how to use scores to prioritize outreach.
Not every lead in your pipeline deserves the same level of attention at the same time. LinkInList's AI scoring engine continuously evaluates each contact against a set of behavioral and firmographic signals, then assigns a score from 0 to 100 that reflects how likely that person is to engage right now. The result is a constantly updated priority queue — so instead of guessing who to follow up with, you always have a clear, data-backed answer.
## Score tiers
Every contact's score falls into one of three tiers. The tier determines how urgently you should act and what type of outreach is most appropriate.
**Score: 80 – 100**
This lead is showing strong buying signals. Reach out personally and promptly — a thoughtful, direct message or a same-day call attempt is appropriate. Hot leads convert at a significantly higher rate when contacted within 24 hours.
**Score: 50 – 79**
This lead is engaged but not yet at peak intent. Keep them in an active sequence, personalize your messages where possible, and watch for new signals that push them into the Hot tier.
**Score: 0 – 49**
This lead shows limited buying signals right now. Automated nurture sequences are the right fit. Revisit manually if their score rises or if a strong firmographic event (such as a funding round) occurs.
***
## Signals that increase a lead's score
The AI weighs dozens of signals when calculating a score. Signals span all of LinkInList's channels — LinkedIn, Email, WhatsApp, Meta Ads, and website activity — so intent is measured holistically regardless of where a prospect engages with you. The most impactful signals are listed below.
| Signal | Approximate Score Impact | Notes |
| -------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Viewed your LinkedIn profile | +10 – +15 pts | Higher impact if they viewed it multiple times in a short window |
| Multiple LinkedIn profile views in 7 days | +15 – +20 pts | Strong intent indicator; treated as a separate signal from a single view |
| Replied to your outreach message within 24 hours | +15 – +20 pts | Speed of reply is factored in alongside the reply itself |
| Opened or clicked a link in your email | +8 – +12 pts | Click carries higher weight than an open alone |
| Read your WhatsApp message (read receipt detected) | +5 – +10 pts | Indicates active engagement on the WhatsApp channel |
| Clicked a Meta Ad you are running | +10 – +15 pts | Requires Meta Ads integration — see **Settings › Channels › Meta Ads** |
| Visited your company's pricing or product page | +20 – +25 pts | Requires website integration — see **Settings › Integrations › Website Pixel** |
| Recently active on LinkedIn (posted or commented) | +5 – +10 pts | Signals the lead is actively using LinkedIn and likely to see messages |
| Company raised a funding round recently | +10 – +15 pts | Firmographic event suggesting growth mode and budget availability |
| Company had a recent leadership change | +8 – +12 pts | New leaders often evaluate and switch vendors within their first 90 days |
Score impacts are approximate ranges. The AI weighs signals relative to each other — a pricing-page visit from a VP of Engineering at a recently funded company will score higher than the same visit from an individual contributor at a stable small business.
***
## When scores are updated
LinkInList updates intent scores **in real time** as new signals arrive. There is no manual refresh needed. The moment a tracked event occurs — a profile view, a reply, a website visit — the affected contact's score recalculates and the new value appears in the Contacts tab and on the contact's detail page.
Firmographic signals (funding rounds, leadership changes) are refreshed daily from LinkInList's data partners. Behavioral signals (profile views, replies, website visits) update immediately as events are detected.
***
## Score decay
A high score at a point in time does not guarantee interest forever. If a lead goes quiet — no new signals, no replies, no profile views — their score decays gradually over time to reflect the reduced likelihood of immediate engagement.
Score decay begins **7 days** after the last positive signal. The decay rate is gradual:
* **Days 7 – 14 since last signal:** Score decreases by approximately 5 points.
* **Days 15 – 21 since last signal:** Score decreases by an additional 8 points.
* **Day 22+ since last signal:** Score continues to drift toward the baseline established by static profile signals (profile completeness, title, company size, etc.).
A lead who scored 88 (Hot) three weeks ago with no new activity may have decayed to the mid-60s (Warm). Their underlying profile signals still anchor their floor score, so they will not drop to zero unless their profile data itself is sparse.
You can always hover over a contact's score badge in the Contacts tab to see the **last signal date** and understand what is driving the current value.
Do not set-and-forget your Hot leads list. Check it regularly — a lead who was Hot last week may have decayed to Warm, while a Cold lead may have spiked to Hot after visiting your pricing page over the weekend.
***
## Using scores to prioritize outreach
The most effective way to use lead scores is to build a daily workflow around them:
1. **Start your day in the Contacts tab** filtered to **Hot (80–100)**. These contacts get personal, immediate attention — a tailored LinkedIn message or a direct connection request with a personalized note.
2. **Review Warm leads (50–79)** next. Ensure they are enrolled in an active sequence and that recent messages are personalized enough to push them toward a reply.
3. **Let Cold leads (0–49) run on automation.** Use a longer nurture sequence with lower send frequency. Revisit this segment weekly rather than daily.
When a Cold lead's score jumps 20+ points overnight, that is often the result of a high-intent signal like a pricing-page visit or a burst of profile views. Set up a **Score Spike notification** in **Settings › Notifications** to get alerted instantly when this happens so you can reach out while the lead is still warm.
***
## Filtering contacts by score
You can filter your entire Contacts list by score tier at any time:
1. Open the **Contacts** tab.
2. Click **Filters** in the top toolbar.
3. Under **Intent Score**, select **Hot**, **Warm**, or **Cold** — or enter a custom numeric range (for example, 70–100 to see the top of your Warm tier and all Hot leads together).
4. Combine score filters with **Status**, **Campaign**, and **Account** filters to get highly targeted views — for example, all Hot leads who have not yet been Contacted in any campaign.