Why did my BetterContact Lead Finder search return fewer leads?

What causes it?

1. A filter value that is not one of BetterContact's accepted values matches nothing and gives no error, so a small typo can empty a search.

   In the BetterContact help: A value that is not in the list silently matches nothing. New Lead Finder Search, read 2026-11-12.

2. Exclusions are applied after the search, so a search made only of exclusions returns no leads, as BetterContact's docs explain.

   In the BetterContact help: `exclude` is applied after the search runs, so a request built only from `exclude` values returns nothing. New Lead Finder Search, read 2026-11-12.

3. A search set to return results page by page gives one page at a time, so reading only the first page can look like fewer leads.

   In the BetterContact help: Mutually exclusive with `max_leads`: when `limit` is set, `max_leads` is ignored. New Lead Finder Search, read 2026-11-12.

How do I check it myself?

1. Compare the total number of matching leads in the summary with the leads you received, since the total ignores any page size.

   In the BetterContact help: Total number of leads matching the filters, regardless of `limit`. Get a Lead Finder Search results, read 2026-11-12.

2. Check each filter value against BetterContact's list of accepted values, since some filters only take exact values.

   In the BetterContact help: When sending values to the Lead Finder endpoint, several filters require exact values from a predefined list. Taxonomies, read 2026-11-12.

How does BetterContact work with Feder?

• Connect BetterContact to Feder and it joins your Interest apps.
• When you connect BetterContact, Feder checks the connection straight away and shows Connected only when that check passes. If a reading cannot be taken later, Feder shows it as not read, never as zero.

Some numbers are too quiet to judge daily, such as a form filled in a few times a week. Until there is enough of your own history to judge a change, Feder says it is still learning and scores nothing, rather than guessing.

See whether you can trust the numbers in BetterContact, one of your Interest apps. Feder only reads. It never changes anything in BetterContact.

What else goes wrong with these numbers?

• Why did BetterContact find fewer emails for my leads?BetterContact
• Why did my BetterContact Lead Finder search return more leads than expected?BetterContact
• Why did Google Analytics stop collecting data?Google Analytics
• Why aren't my key events showing in Google Analytics?Google Analytics
• Why does Google Analytics show (not set)?Google Analytics

See every question.

Where do these answers come from?

Every cause and check on this page comes from the BetterContact help pages, quoted above with the date we read them. Last reviewed 2026-11-12. We read them again by 2027-11-12. If one changes, this page changes or comes down.