--- title: How we source buying intent data description: Learn how TheirStack detects buying intent signals from millions of job postings worldwide, classifying them into 14 keyword types to reveal what companies are actively investing in. url: https://theirstack.com/en/docs/data/buying-intent/how-we-source-buying-intent-data --- ## Detecting buying intent from job postings We source our buying intent data from the same job postings we use for [technographic data](/en/docs/data/technographic). We gather job listings from 336k+ sources across 195 countries, processing approximately 327k new positions daily. When a job mentions a non-technology term — like a regulation, a strategic initiative, or a type of equipment — it signals that the company is actively investing in that area. These mentions can appear in the: - **Title**: e.g. "EHS Compliance Manager", "M&A Analyst", "Trade Show Coordinator"... - **Description**: e.g. "Ensure OSHA compliance across all sites", "Manage our ERP implementation", "Lead our sustainability reporting initiative"... ## How we classify buying intent topics Unlike technologies, which fall into well-defined categories (languages, frameworks, databases), buying intent topics span a wide range of business activities. We classify every detected keyword into one of **14 keyword types**: | Category | What it reveals | | --- | --- | | Technology Concept | Methodologies and approaches the company is adopting | | Operational Activity | Day-to-day operations the company is scaling | | Product or Service Offered | Benefits or services the company provides (often to employees) | | Physical Equipment | Hardware and physical tools the company is purchasing | | Metric or Concept | Business metrics and KPIs the company is focused on | | Strategic Initiative | Major business transformations underway | | Software Product | Software categories the company needs (not specific vendors) | | Regulation | Compliance requirements the company must meet | | Industry Vertical | The specific industry the company operates in | | Threat or Risk | Specific risks or threats the company is addressing | | Medical Research | Research areas for pharmaceutical, biotech, and healthcare | | Event | Events the company participates in or organizes | | Commodity | Physical commodities the company deals with | | Government Body | Government entities the company works with | This classification makes it easy to filter for the type of signal most relevant to what you sell. ## From job-level signals to company-level intent A single job mentioning "OSHA" might not be a strong signal. But when multiple roles across a company consistently mention compliance regulations, that pattern reveals a clear organizational priority. We roll up all detected keywords from individual jobs to the company level: 1. **Job analysis** — Every job posting is scanned for buying intent keywords. 2. **Company aggregation** — All keywords found across a company's open roles are aggregated. 3. **Signal strength** — Companies with more jobs mentioning a topic have a stronger signal for that area. This means you can search for companies where buying intent topics appear across many roles — not just one isolated job posting. ## Measuring the strength of buying intent Our **Confidence Score** (low, medium, high) helps us estimate how strongly a company is investing in a given topic. It's calculated based on - the number of job postings mentioning the topic in the last 90 days. More mentions across different roles indicate a deeper organizational commitment — not just a single hire. - the recency of mentions. A topic appearing in jobs posted this week carries more weight than one from three months ago. The confidence levels are: - **High** — at least 4 jobs mentioning the topic in the last 90 days. This indicates sustained, cross-team investment. - **Medium** — at least 2 jobs mentioning the topic in the last 90 days. The signal is present but not yet dominant. - **Low** — 1 job mentioning the topic in the last 90 days. Worth monitoring, but the signal is early or isolated. ## Tracing signals back to evidence Just like with [technographic signals](/en/docs/data/technographic/how-we-source-tech-stack-data#tracing-technology-signals-back-to-evidence), every buying intent signal can be traced back to the original job postings where the keyword was detected. This gives you full transparency to: - Verify the signal before reaching out - Understand the context (which department, what seniority level) - Tailor your messaging based on the specific job descriptions ## FAQs #### What's the difference between technology keywords and buying intent topics? Technology keywords identify specific tools, languages, and platforms a company uses (e.g., PostgreSQL, Kubernetes, Salesforce). Buying intent topics capture everything else — regulations they must comply with, initiatives they're investing in, equipment they're buying, and more. Both come from the same job postings but serve different sales use cases. See the [comparison table](/en/docs/data/buying-intent#buying-intent-vs-technographic-data) for details. #### How often is buying intent data updated? At the **job level**, buying intent signals are updated continuously as new job postings are collected and analyzed — we process new jobs every minute from 336k+ sources. At the **company level**, keyword signals are aggregated once a day (overnight), so new buying intent topics detected in jobs will appear on the company profile within 24 hours. See our [data freshness documentation](/en/docs/data/job/freshness) for detailed update frequencies. #### Can I combine buying intent filters with technographic filters? Yes. Both data types are extracted from the same job postings and available through the same search interfaces. You can filter for companies that use a specific technology AND are investing in a specific area — for example, companies using Kubernetes that are also hiring for compliance roles.