Free resource
The Signal Library.
A catalog of B2B signals: what they look like, what they mean, and how fast to act.
Signals are everywhere. Most companies miss them because they are looking in the wrong places or looking too slowly. The Signal Library is a reference catalog of B2B signal types, organized by category, with illustrative examples of each. No form. No email required.
By Mark Tack. Last updated: October 24, 2026
A B2B buying signal is an observable change in account behavior, organization, timing, or competitive context that may indicate a relevant opportunity. It requires verification and is not proof of purchase intent.
Category 01
Intent signals.
Observed actions that may indicate a specific account is evaluating a purchase. Confirm identity, context, and repeated behavior before treating an event as buying intent.
| Signal | What it looks like | What it may mean | How fast to act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing page revisit | Economic buyer returns to the pricing page within 48 hours of a demo | They may be building a business case or comparing alternatives | Same day |
| Security doc access | Prospect downloads compliance documentation or security questionnaire | IT or legal may be involved. Confirm the evaluation stage with the account owner | Within 4 hours |
| Page depth surge | Account visits jump from 3 pages per week to 15+ including technical docs | Possible buying-committee research. Rule out bots, existing customers, and support visits | Within 24 hours |
| Trial or demo depth | A free trial user reaches a specific feature milestone associated with conversion | Possible product-led intent. Compare the milestone with your own conversion evidence | Within 4 hours |
| ROI calculator use | Prospect runs your ROI or savings calculator, especially more than once | They may be assessing financial fit. Confirm the assumptions and decision process | Same day |
Category 02
Organizational signals.
Changes inside a target company that indicate the conditions for a purchase are forming. These changes can provide early context, but do not by themselves establish budget or purchase intent.
| Signal | What it looks like | What it may mean | How fast to act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relevant job postings | Target account posts 3+ roles in the function your product serves | They may be expanding a relevant team. Check whether the roles represent growth or replacement | Within a week |
| New executive hire | A VP or C-level joins in a relevant function | A new leader may review existing tools. Confirm the mandate before assuming vendor change | Within 48 hours of hire announcement |
| Funding announcement | Series B or later, or a PE acquisition of a target | New capital may support growth, but available budget and priorities still need verification | Within 24 hours |
| Internal doc share | Champion forwards your materials internally to IT, legal, or finance | Possible internal evaluation. Confirm who received the material through authorized evidence | Immediate |
| Leadership change | CMO, CRO, or CEO change at a target account | Priorities may change. An incumbent review is possible, not established | Within 48 hours |
Category 03
Behavioral signals.
Patterns of engagement that reveal intent through accumulated action rather than a single event. Require corroborating data and attention to false positives before interpreting them as intent.
| Signal | What it looks like | What it may mean | How fast to act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Email engagement spike | Contact who stopped opening emails suddenly opens four in a row and clicks one | Possible renewed interest. Filter automated opens and confirm meaningful clicks | Within 24 hours |
| Content consumption pattern | Prospect reads three or more blog posts on the same topic in one week | Possible problem research. Consider role, topic relevance, and repeated engagement | Within 48 hours |
| Webinar registration from cold account | No previous contact at an account registers for a topically relevant webinar | Possible topic interest. Registration alone does not establish attendance or buying intent | Within 24 hours after the session |
| Return visit after long absence | Account goes dark for 90+ days then returns with new engagement | Possible new initiative, budget cycle, or routine visit. Check current account context | Within 48 hours |
Category 04
Temporal signals.
Timing and pattern-based signals that show where a deal or account stands in its own cycle. Often invisible unless you are tracking the pattern across multiple deals.
| Signal | What it looks like | What it may mean | How fast to act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stall at the same stage | Three or more deals get stuck at the same pipeline stage | Possible shared objection or process gap. Review call evidence across the deals | Investigate within a week; fix the pattern, not just the deal |
| Fiscal year end approach | Target company's fiscal year ends in 60 to 90 days | Potential budget timing. Confirm the fiscal calendar and actual purchasing constraints | Increase cadence 60 days before their fiscal close |
| Contract renewal window | Existing customer's contract comes up in 90 to 120 days | Competitor conversations may already be happening | Engage 90 days before renewal, not 30 |
| Champion goes quiet | Your internal advocate stops responding after weeks of engagement | Possible role, budget, or priority change. An absence or communication gap is also possible | Contact a second stakeholder within 48 hours |
Category 05
Competitive signals.
Movement at target accounts that reveals competitive positioning, timing, or risk. Often the signals most companies are least equipped to detect.
| Signal | What it looks like | What it may mean | How fast to act |
|---|---|---|---|
| Competitor content engagement | Target account engages with a competitor's case study, comparison page, or pricing page | Possible comparison research. Confirm the source, permissions, and account match | Within 24 hours |
| G2 or review site visit | Account visits category review pages comparing solutions in your space | Possible category comparison. A review visit does not prove an active purchase | Within 24 hours |
| Competitor job posting | A competitor posts roles in a function adjacent to yours | Possible expansion or replacement hiring. Confirm the role scope before changing strategy | Within a week; adjust positioning |
| Win at a look-alike account | You close a deal at a company that looks like another target | Potentially relevant proof. Obtain customer permission before using a reference | Reach out to the target within 48 hours while the win is fresh |
Before you act
A signal is a clue, not a conclusion.
Examples are illustrative, and interpretation is conditional. One visit rarely tells the full story. Before acting, consider who acted, what changed, whether the pattern repeated, where the account is in its journey, and what your team already knows.
Record the source, account-identity confidence, recency, and permitted use. A pricing revisit can be comparison research, a support visit, or automated traffic. A job-posting surge can be replacement hiring. Look for corroborating evidence before raising priority.
The timing in this library is a starting point, not a rule. Signal-driven marketing covers how to verify, prioritize, and route a signal to the right agent or person.
The signals exist in your data right now.
The guide walks through how work starts differently when you build for detection instead of planning.
Get the Definitive Guide to the Signal Era →