How to use and interpret Cognism location filters to target prospects by company or contact location and refine search results.
Here is a breakdown of how location filters work in Cognism and how to interpret the results when searching for companies or contacts.
The Cognism Sales Intelligence web app includes three different location filters, each searching a different type of location data. These filters help you target prospects based on where a company operates or where a contact is located.
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.
| Filter | Searches |
|---|---|
| Office Location | All office locations where a company has a presence. |
| HQ Location | The company's headquarters only. |
| Contact Location | The individual contact's working location. |
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.
Office Location
The Office Location filter searches every office associated with a company.
This includes:
- Headquarters
- Regional offices
- Branch offices
- Subsidiary locations
For example, if Cognism has offices in:
- London
- Skopje
- Zadar
- New York
Searching for Office Location = Skopje returns Cognism because the company has an office there, even though its headquarters are in London.
Use this filter when you want to find companies that operate in a particular location, regardless of where they are headquartered.
Tip: When exporting companies to a CSV file, the export includes all office locations associated with each company, not just the headquarters.
HQ Location
The HQ Location filter searches only a company's registered headquarters.
For example:
Cognism Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
Searching for HQ Location = London returns Cognism.
Searching for HQ Location = Skopje does not return Cognism because Skopje is an office location rather than the company's headquarters.
Use this filter when the company's headquarters location is important for your search or territory planning.
Apply a company location filter
- Go to Search > Companies > Company Location
- Select HQ Location or Office Location
- HQ Location includes only the company headquarters
- Office Location includes all locations where the company is present
- Select one or more:
- Region
- Country
- State
- City
- Zip Code
- Review the updated results
Results update automatically as you apply filters.
Contact Location
The Contact Location filter searches where an individual works rather than where their company is headquartered.
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.
For example:
- Company Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
- Contact Location: Zurich, Switzerland
Searching for Contact Location = Zurich returns that contact, even though the company's headquarters are located in London.
Use this filter when targeting prospects who work in a specific country, region, state, or city.
Apply a contact location filter
- Go to Search > Contacts > Location
- Select one or more:
- Region
- Country
- State
- City
- 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:
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I see contacts outside my selected company location?
Company location filters search company data, while Contact Location searches where an individual works.
For example, a company may have an office in Berlin while one of its employees works remotely from Munich.
If you want contacts who work in a specific location, apply both a company location filter and the Contact Location filter.
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
Why doesn't a company appear when I search by HQ Location?
The company may have an office in the selected location, but its headquarters are registered elsewhere.
Try using the Office Location filter instead.
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