How to Filter Linkedin and X Watchlist Alerts with Include and Exclude Keywords

What include and exclude keywords do

Job to be done: only get alerted when a watched account posts or comments about something you care about.

How the two lists work together:

• Include keywords: the post or comment must contain at least one of them, or the alert is dropped.
• Exclude keywords: if the post or comment contains any of them, the alert is dropped even when an include matched.
• Leave include empty to receive all posts/comments (still subject to exclude). Leave exclude empty if you only need a positive allowlist.
• Both lists are comma-separated, max 10 keywords each, and each keyword is 2-200 characters.
• Filters apply to posts and comments only. Likes have no text, so keywords cannot quiet them. Turn likes off on noisy trackers instead.
• Filters are per tracker. Prospect A can include pricing and RFP while Competitor B excludes hiring and webinar.

Honest limits before you paste a list:

• Linkedin person: posts, comments, likes. Keywords ignore likes.
• Linkedin company / showcase: posts only.
• X (Twitter): posts and replies. Not likes (private since 2024).
• Email works on Free and Essential. Slack incoming webhooks and API webhooks need Business or above.
• MultiFollow is a named-account watchlist, not open keyword listening across the whole web. For that job use KWatch.io. For site changes use Page Deltas.

Step 1. Create or open a tracker

• 1. Sign in at dash.multifollow.io. Free does not need a card.
• 2. Add a Linkedin person, Linkedin company/showcase, or X profile URL, or open an existing tracker.
• 3. Supported formats:

• X: https://x.com/{username}
• Linkedin person: https://www.linkedin.com/in/{username}/
• Linkedin company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/{name}/
• Linkedin showcase: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/{name}/

• 4. Choose activity types before you touch keywords. Keywords only score text-bearing events.

Full field reference: docs.multifollow.io Trackers.

Step 2. Pick activity types that match the job

• Prospects (Linkedin people): posts + comments. Add likes only if you accept noisier Slack and know keywords will not filter them.
• Competitor company pages: posts only.
• X accounts: posts + replies.
• If the goal is buying-intent language, start without likes. Turn likes on later only for a short VIP list.

Step 3. Add include keywords

Include is your allowlist. Use it when you only care about a narrow set of topics.

• 1. In the tracker form, find Included Keywords.
• 2. Enter a comma-separated list (max 10). Examples: hiring, pricing, RFP, budget, demo, competitor name.
• 3. Keep each keyword between 2 and 200 characters. Prefer short stems you actually see in posts over long phrases that almost never match.
• 4. Save the tracker. The next matching post or comment will fire. Non-matching text is dropped before delivery.

Tip: start with 3-5 includes you already see in real threads. You can widen later. An empty include list means all posts/comments pass (then exclude still applies).

Step 4. Add exclude keywords

Exclude is your blocklist. Use it to kill recurring noise even when include is empty or broad.

• 1. Find Excluded Keywords on the same tracker.
• 2. Enter a comma-separated list (max 10). Examples: webinar, congrats, newsletter, podcast, giveaway.
• 3. Save. If a post or comment hits any exclude keyword, MultiFollow suppresses the alert.
• 4. Revisit weekly. When a new noise pattern shows up three times, add one exclude and move on.

Exclude wins over include. A post that matches both is dropped.

Step 5. Choose delivery and verify

Filters run before delivery. Cleaner keywords mean cleaner email, Slack, and webhooks.

• Email: available on Free and Essential (and every higher plan). Fine for a solo pilot.
• Slack incoming webhook and API webhooks: Business and above. Use per-tracker Slack or API webhook URLs when different lists should land in different channels or Clay tables.
• Deep dive on routing: how to route MultiFollow alerts to Slack, Clay, n8n, or Zapier.

Verification checklist:

• 1. Save the tracker with a tight include list.
• 2. Wait for a real matching post or comment, or adjust keywords after you see the first false positive.
• 3. Confirm the alert text in email (or Slack/webhook on Business+) matches what you intended.
• 4. If likes still flood the channel, disable likes on that tracker. Keywords cannot help.

Example setups

Prospect buying-intent (Linkedin person)

• Activities: posts + comments (likes off).
• Include: pricing, RFP, budget, demo, evaluating
• Exclude: webinar, congrats, newsletter
• Delivery: Slack #signals-outbound on Business+, or email while you pilot on Free/Essential.

Competitor company page

• Activities: posts only.
• Include: product name stems, launch, pricing, partnership
• Exclude: hiring, webinar, podcast, career
• Delivery: separate Slack channel or Clay table via per-tracker webhook URL.

X thought-leader replies

• Activities: posts + replies.
• Include: your category keywords or competitor handles as plain text.
• Exclude: giveaway, newsletter, meme-adjacent noise you keep seeing.
• Delivery: same as Linkedin. Filters behave the same on text.

Tune per tracker. Do not paste one giant global list across 50 profiles unless the job is truly identical.

Plans that unlock this how-to

Keyword include/exclude is available on every plan that can create trackers. Slack and API webhooks need Business or above. Verify live on multifollow.io before you buy. Plans are prorated.

Start filtering

Create a free account, paste one prospect URL, add a short include list, and prove the email stays quiet except for the posts you care about. When the team needs the same filtered signal in Slack or Clay, move to Business and paste the webhook.

Start on MultiFollow (free plan available). Questions: [email protected].

Start on the free plan, no credit card

Julien Salinas
Product Manager, MultiFollow
Alpine Connection