Publicly available web data is an untapped goldmine for modern go-to-market teams. Whether it's a job post hinting at expansion, a LinkedIn update revealing a new tool, or funding news pointing to a prospect's growth — online signals are everywhere. Yet, most companies lack a system to spot and use them.
In this guide, we'll show you how to build a modular, automation-friendly tech stack that captures, enriches, and routes scrapeable online signals to the right people at the right time.
What Are Online Signals?
Definition: Publicly Available Web Data Turned Into Triggers
Online signals are digital breadcrumbs — external data points that suggest a change, need or opportunity at a company. They’re publicly visible and technically accessible by anyone (if you know where to look and how to extract them). Think job posts, new hires, tech stack changes, funding announcements, and more.
These signals can be turned into triggers for outreach, prioritisation, or campaign actions. The trick is making them flow into your systems automatically.
Examples – Job Listings, Funding, Tech Stack Changes, Team Expansions
Some of the most useful online signals include:
Job listings (e.g. hiring a RevOps manager)
Funding rounds (e.g. recent Series A on Crunchbase)
Tech stack updates (e.g. new adoption of HubSpot via BuiltWith)
Team changes (e.g. new VP of Sales on LinkedIn)
Website changes (e.g. added pricing page or partnership logos)
Each of these reveals a moment of change that can shape timing or message relevance in your go-to-market motion.
Why Online Signals Are Useful for Modern Teams
Signals let your team stay ahead of the curve. Instead of guessing or waiting for intent to show up in your inbox, you can:
Prioritise accounts with real-world activity
Trigger timely outreach campaigns
Enrich CRM or outbound data using a structured lead gen workflow
Alert the right reps when something important happens
Why Most Teams Don’t Capture These Signals
Manual Research Is Time-Consuming and Inconsistent
Most teams rely on manual browsing to spot company updates. Someone scrolls LinkedIn or checks Crunchbase, then pastes details into Slack or the CRM. It’s slow, error-prone, and usually doesn't scale beyond a few reps.
Signals Don’t Reach the Right People Fast Enough
Even if a signal is noticed, it often doesn’t reach the right person quickly. The data gets stuck in email threads, Slack messages or spreadsheets instead of triggering automated follow-up.
CRMs and Internal Tools Rarely Include External Data
Traditional CRMs focus on internal data: emails, calls, contacts. They rarely pull in external context, which means reps work in the dark unless they go searching manually.
Anatomy of a Signal-Capture Tech Stack
Let’s walk through the key building blocks of a modern signal system.
Signal Sources – Websites, Job Boards, Tools Like BuiltWith, Crunchbase, LinkedIn
Start with where the signals live:
Job boards (Indeed, LinkedIn Jobs)
Funding databases (Crunchbase, PitchBook)
Tech stack monitors (BuiltWith, Wappalyzer)
Company websites (career pages, blogs, changelogs)
LinkedIn (employee updates, new hires, org changes)
These are your raw material.
Enrichment + Scraping – Clay, Phantombuster, Clearbit
Next, bring in tools that can extract and structure this data:
Clay – Combine scraping, enrichment, and triggers in one no-code platform
Phantombuster – Scrape LinkedIn and web profiles
Clearbit – Company and contact enrichment
These tools give your signals shape and context.
Automation Layer – n8n, Zapier, Make
Once you have structured signal data, you need to move it around. Use low-code tools like:
n8n – Flexible, open-source automation
Zapier – Fast and easy integrations
Make (Integromat) – Powerful visual flows
These platforms help route signals, apply logic, and trigger actions.
Routing Layer – Slack, Airtable, Notion, Email, CRM
Finally, decide where the signals should go:
Slack – Notify relevant teams
Airtable/Notion – Store structured signals
CRM – Create or update records
Email – Alert reps or trigger sequences
Want to shortcut your build?
We’ve already mapped out high-performing signal workflows using tools like LinkedIn, Clay, Clearbit, and n8n— no devs required. 👇
How Online Signals Flow Through Your System
Visual Workflow: From Raw Data to Actionable Output
Imagine this:
A new job post is published
Clay scrapes the data and matches it to your ICP
n8n formats it and checks for duplicates
Signal is routed to Slack and tagged in your CRM
Use Case: Scraping Job Posts and Routing to a BDR
You're targeting fintechs hiring growth marketers. Clay scrapes LinkedIn Jobs daily, filters for company size and sector, enriches with Clearbit, and sends matches to a BDR Slack channel.
Each card includes company name, job link, tech stack, and suggested talking point.
Use Case: Detecting Tool Changes → Adding to a Campaign Segment
Say you sell analytics software. BuiltWith spots when companies add Mixpanel. That signal hits a webhook, routes through n8n, and adds matching accounts to your "Tool-Change Outreach" HubSpot segment.
Personalised messages go out within hours, not weeks.
Building Your Online Signal System Step-by-Step
Step 1 – Define Your Use Case and ICP
Start by asking:
What signal matters most to your sales or marketing motion?
What type of company would generate that signal?
Be specific. Don’t start with 10 use cases. Start with one.
Step 2 – Identify Useful Public Data Sources
Next, map where that signal exists:
LinkedIn Jobs for hiring
Crunchbase for funding
BuiltWith for tech stack
If it’s publicly visible, it’s scrapable.
Step 3 – Set Up Enrichment and Scraping via Clay
Clay can:
Scrape job boards
Match companies to Clearbit records
Score results based on your ICP
No code needed. Just drag, drop, and build logic visually.
Step 4 – Automate Routing with n8n or Zapier
Create workflows to:
Check for duplicates
Format data
Push to Slack, Airtable, or CRM
Use tags and timestamps to manage freshness.
Step 5 – Review, Optimise, and Expand
Review what signals led to replies, meetings, or pipeline. Then:
Adjust filters
Add new data sources
Expand routing to other teams
Start small. Systemise wins. Then scale.
🧩 Want a blueprint strategy and audit of your existing tech stack?
We’ll help you spot gaps, automate smarter, and turn signals into pipeline — fast. 👇
Real-World Example: How a Team Uses Online Signals to Drive Action
The Signal They Captured
A Series B SaaS firm tracked when companies added "Salesforce" to their stack using BuiltWith.
The Tools Used
BuiltWith – Detected tech change
Clay – Enriched company metadata
n8n – Routed to HubSpot campaign and Slack channel
The Outcome
Signal-triggered emails had a 2.4x higher reply rate than generic outreach. The team booked 40% more meetings from the same prospect list.
Tired of chasing dead leads?
Let signals — not spreadsheets — drive your outreach.
See Signal-Based GTM in Action 👇
Access Clay + n8n Templates for Quick Wins
We’ve put together templates for common use cases:
Job post alerts for BDRs
Tech change detection for marketers
Funding news triggers for outbound
No code required. Just plug, play, and adapt.
Your Signal-Capture System Starts Here
Online Signals Are Everywhere — You Just Need the Right Stack
The data is out there. The tools exist. You just need to stitch them together in a way that works for your team.
Small Systems → Big Impact When Done Right
A simple job post alert can book meetings. A tech stack change can trigger a well-timed ad. It doesn’t need to be perfect — just functional, consistent, and connected.
FAQs
What’s the difference between an online signal and intent data?
Online signals are publicly available, observable data points (like job posts). Intent data often comes from third-party vendors tracking behaviour behind the scenes (like web visits). Signals are often fresher and more transparent.
Do I need engineering skills to use Clay or n8n?
No. Both are built for non-developers. Clay is fully no-code. n8n has a visual interface that’s easy to follow once you’ve seen a few examples.
Are these scraping tools compliant with privacy laws?
Most tools scrape publicly available data and follow terms of service. Still, always review GDPR and scraping best practices for your jurisdiction.
What’s the easiest signal source to start with?
Job postings are great. They’re widely available, updated often, and clearly tied to business intent.
Can I route signals into my CRM or Slack?
Absolutely. Tools like Zapier and n8n make it easy to send enriched signal data directly to Slack channels, Airtable views, HubSpot contacts, or Salesforce objects.
How do I maintain signal quality at scale?
Use deduplication, timestamping, and enrichment rules to ensure clean data. Review signal performance monthly and refine sources or filters.
Ready to capture the signals your team is missing?
👉 Book a quick chat here and let’s map your stack together.
