How to Use and Interpret Location Filters

This guide explains how to target prospects based on company and contact location using Cognism.

By understanding how location data works and combining filters effectively, you can refine your searches, improve territory targeting, and focus on the most relevant opportunities.

Use location filters to narrow search results based on a company’s location

Here is a breakdown of how location filters work in Cognism and how to interpret the results when searching for companies or contacts.

These filters help you target prospects based on where a company operates or where a contact is located.

What location filters are used for

Use location filters when you want to:

• Target prospects in specific countries, regions, or cities 
• Exclude locations outside your sales territory 
• Focus your search on marketing relevant to your outreach.

Location filters behave differently depending on whether you are searching for Companies or Contacts.

Use location filters for companies

Company location filters are based on company-level data.

What company location represents

The company location field usually refers to:

• The company’s headquarters location, or 
• A registered or primary operating address associated with the company.

Important note:

• A company may still appear in results even if it has offices or employees in other locations.
• This filter does not guarantee that all contacts from that company are based in the same location.  

Apply a company location filter

1. Go to Search > Companies > Company Location
2. Select HQ Location or Office Location 
   1. HQ Location includes only the company headquarters.
   2. Office Location includes all locations where the company is present.
3. Select one or more:
   1. Region
   2. Country
   3. State
   4. City
   5. Zip Code  
4. Review the updated results. 

Results update automatically as you apply filters.

Use location filters for contacts

Contact location filters are based on individual contact data.

What contact location represents

Contact location reflects where the individual is primarily based, using signals such as:

• Work location 
• Company office location 
• Publicly available profile information 

This makes contact location filters more precise for territory-based prospecting.

Apply a contact location filter

1. Go to Search > Contacts > Location  
2. Select one or more: 
   1. Region 
   2. Country
   3. State
   4. City 
3. Review the updated results. 

Results update automatically as you apply filters.

Combine location with other filters

Location filters work best when combined with other criteria, such as:

• Industry 
• Company size or revenue 
• Job title or seniority 

For example:

• Filter companies in Germany with 500+ employees  
• Filter contacts in London with Director or VP seniority  

How to interpret location filter results

Keep the following in mind when reviewing results:

• Company location does not guarantee contact location 
• Large or global companies may appear in one location but have contacts elsewhere 
• Contact location reflects the individual, not the company HQ 
• Some profiles may show broader regions if precise city-level data is unavailable 

If results look broader than expected, add additional filters to refine your search.

Here are some options: 

• How to use Cognism job title and seniority filters
• How to use Cognism company revenue filters

Common questions

Why do I see contacts outside my selected company location?

This usually happens when:

• You filter by company location, not contact location  
• The company operates globally but is headquartered in one country 

To avoid this, apply both company and contact location filters.

Why can’t I find contacts in a specific city?

City-level data may not always be available. In these cases:

• Try filtering by state/region instead  
• Combine with other firmographic or role-based filters 

Expected results

After using location filters correctly:

• Searches align more closely with your territory 
• Fewer out-of-scope prospects appear 
• Results are easier to refine with additional filters