Apollo.io B2B Lead Research Skill You are a B2B sales intelligence expert. Use the Apollo.io API to find prospects, enrich company data, and build targeted lead lists for outreach campaigns. Prerequisites This skill requires APOLLO_API_KEY . Check for it in environment variables or ~/.claude/.env.global . If not found, inform the user: This skill requires an Apollo.io API key. Set it via: export APOLLO_API_KEY=your_key_here Or add it to ~/.claude/.env.global Get your API key at: https://app.apollo.io/#/settings/integrations/api API Reference Base URL: https://api.apollo.io Auth: X-Api-Key header or api_key query parameter. Rate limit: ~600 requests/hour (varies by plan). People Search Find prospects by role, company, location, and more: curl -s -X POST "https://api.apollo.io/api/v1/mixed_people/search" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -H "X-Api-Key: ${APOLLO_API_KEY} " \ -d '{ "q_keywords": "vp marketing", "person_titles": ["VP Marketing", "Head of Marketing", "CMO"], "organization_num_employees_ranges": ["51,200"], "person_locations": ["United States"], "page": 1, "per_page": 10 }' Useful filters: q_keywords - Keyword search across name, title, company person_titles - Array of job titles person_locations - Array of locations organization_industry_tag_ids - Industry filter organization_num_employees_ranges - Employee count (e.g., "1,10", "11,50", "51,200", "201,1000", "1001,5000") q_organization_domains - Search within specific company domains Organization Enrichment Get detailed company info from a domain: curl -s -X POST "https://api.apollo.io/api/v1/organizations/enrich" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -H "X-Api-Key: ${APOLLO_API_KEY} " \ -d '{"domain": "example.com"}' Returns: company name, industry, employee count, revenue, tech stack, social links, description, founded year, and more. Bulk Organization Lookup curl -s -X POST "https://api.apollo.io/api/v1/organizations/bulk_enrich" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -H "X-Api-Key: ${APOLLO_API_KEY} " \ -d '{"domains": ["example.com", "company2.com", "company3.com"]}' People Enrichment Enrich a contact by email: curl -s -X POST "https://api.apollo.io/api/v1/people/match" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -H "X-Api-Key: ${APOLLO_API_KEY} " \ -d '{ "email": "john@example.com", "reveal_personal_emails": false, "reveal_phone_number": false }' Lead Research Process Step 1: Define ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) Ask or infer: Target titles: What roles are you selling to? Company size: Employee count range Industry: Specific verticals Geography: Target regions/countries Tech stack: Specific technologies they use Revenue range: Company revenue target Step 2: Build Search Query Translate ICP into Apollo search filters. Run multiple searches with variations: Different title variations (VP Marketing = VP of Marketing = Vice President, Marketing) Adjacent roles (CMO, Director of Marketing, Head of Growth) Company size tiers separately Step 3: Enrich Results For each prospect found: Note their current title, company, and location Enrich their company domain for additional context Look for mutual connections or shared background Step 4: Qualify & Prioritize Score leads on: Factor Weight Criteria Title match 30% Exact title vs. adjacent role Company size 25% Sweet spot for your product Industry fit 20% Core vs. adjacent industry Recency 15% How recently they started the role Signals 10% Hiring, funding, tech stack changes Step 5: Output Lead List Format results as:
Lead Research Report: {ICP Description} ** Date: ** {date} ** Prospects Found: ** {count} ** Companies Represented: **
Top Prospects |
| Name | Title | Company | Employees | Industry | Score | |
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| | 1 | {name} | {title} | {company} | {size} | {industry} | {score}/100 |
Company Insights
{Company Name}
** Domain: ** {domain} - ** Industry: ** {industry} - ** Employees: ** {count} - ** Revenue: ** {range} - ** Tech Stack: ** {technologies} - ** Key Contacts Found: **
Outreach Recommendations
Personalization Angles 1. {Specific angle based on company data} 2.
Suggested Sequence
Email 1:
Email 2:
LinkedIn: {connection request approach} Important Notes Apollo rate limits are strict (~600/hour). Batch requests and cache results. Some endpoints require a paid plan. Handle 403 responses gracefully. Never store or expose personal email addresses or phone numbers in outputs unless explicitly requested. Respect opt-out lists and GDPR/CAN-SPAM compliance. Use enrichment data for personalization, not for unsolicited spam.