The difference
| Company-level | Person-level | |
|---|---|---|
| What you learn | The company | The person, sometimes with contact details |
| How | Matching business networks to company records | Matching visitors to identity data |
| Privacy exposure | Lower | Much higher |
| UK and EU use | Common, with consent where tracking rules require it | Hard to justify |
Why company level is enough
- Sales can find the right buyer at an account in minutes.
- Outreach about a topic works better than outreach about a visit.
- The privacy risk stays proportionate.
Whatever you use
- Describe it in your privacy notice.
- Respect consent and opt-outs.
- Never mention someone's visit in outreach.
Questions to ask any identification provider
- Do you identify companies, people or both?
- What data sources do you use?
- How do you handle consent and opt-outs in the UK and EU?
- Where is data stored?
- Will you sign a data processing agreement?
Questions
Is person-level identification legal in the US?
It depends on the state and the method. It carries more risk everywhere; get legal advice before using it.
Does company level give sales enough?
Usually yes. Knowing the company and the topic lets a rep find the right person through normal prospecting.
Can we combine both?
Many UK and EU teams use company level only. US teams that add person level should keep it clearly separate and disclosed.
Why company level fits B2B buying
B2B purchases are made by groups. The person who visits your pricing page is rarely the only decision-maker and often not the one who signs. Knowing the company lets sales approach the right roles; knowing the individual adds risk without adding much.
How to explain your approach to buyers
Some buyers will ask how you knew to contact them. A good answer is honest and general: "We follow which industries and companies are researching topics we can help with, and reach out with something useful." Never describe a specific visit.
A simple policy statement
"We identify companies, not people, that visit our website, using business network data and only where our consent rules allow. We use this to send relevant business information, and we honour opt-outs." Put it in your privacy notice and your sales playbook.
Start here: Company identification from AI. More articles in Company signals.