Use this guide to connect and validate your Hunter.io account so Satua can run Lead Discovery against your own credits.
Satua stores your Hunter API key encrypted and never shows the full key again once saved. You pay Hunter directly — no markup, no resale, and your Hunter account stays under your control.
Where To Configure
Path: Settings -> Data Connections
Hunter.io is the only data connection Satua orchestrates against. Connect once and the same connection powers every Discovery Pipeline plus Event Intelligence.
What You Need From Hunter
Before connecting, make sure your Hunter.io account has:
- An active Data Platform plan (the only Hunter tier that exposes the Discover endpoint Satua runs against — Free, Starter, Growth, and Business plans don't have it).
- A user-scoped API key generated from the Hunter dashboard.
- Enough monthly search credits for your discovery volume.
What Satua consumes from your Hunter account
Each Lead Discovery run hits three Hunter endpoints in this order:
| Step | Endpoint | Hunter cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Find candidate companies matching your ICP | Discover | Free — no credits charged |
| 2. Extract emails from each candidate company | Domain Search | 1 search credit per email returned |
| 3. Fallback when Domain Search comes up empty | Email Finder | 1 search credit on a hit, 0 on a miss |
A typical 100-lead run uses ≈100 search credits, plus a handful of Email Finder credits when fallback recovers names Domain Search missed.
Hunter plan names, pricing, and credit pools change over time. Confirm in the Hunter admin portal before signing up.
Standard Setup Flow
- Generate or locate your Hunter API key at app.hunter.io > API.
- In Satua, paste the key.
- Read Hunter's API terms through the link in the form.
- Check the acknowledgment confirming your account accepts Hunter's terms.
- Keep Test connection before save enabled — Satua probes the Discover endpoint to confirm your plan exposes it.
- Save.
- Confirm the connection status is connected.
Satua will display your remaining Hunter credits next to the connection status.
Connection Statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
connected | Satua can authenticate with Hunter and the connection can be used by Discovery Pipelines + Event Intelligence. |
invalid | The key is wrong, expired, revoked, or your Hunter plan is below the Data Platform tier. |
error | Satua could not complete the test because of a Hunter outage, network issue, or transient API failure. |
revoked | The connection has been disabled and won't be used for future runs. |
Rotation And Revocation
- Rotate Key — replace an existing key and retest the connection.
- Test — re-validate a saved connection without changing the key.
- Revoke — disable the connection immediately. Discovery Pipelines depending on it cannot run until a valid connection is restored.
All connection actions are audit-logged.
Troubleshooting Matrix
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check | Recommended fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Save fails with duplicate-connection message | An existing active Hunter connection already exists | Settings > Data Connections | Rotate the existing key or revoke it before recreating |
Status = invalid after test | Expired key, incorrect key, or Hunter plan below Data Platform | Key state in Hunter; plan tier | Generate a new key, rotate, or upgrade to Data Platform |
Status = error | Hunter outage, network issue, or transient API failure | hunter.io status page | Retry later; keep dependent pipelines paused |
| Runs fail after a previously connected status | Plan downgraded or credits exhausted | Hunter admin portal, quota, billing | Top up credits, restore plan, lower run volume, retest |
| Runs insert fewer records than requested | Narrow ICP, low credit budget, or not enough unique records matching the criteria | Discovery run history; ICP constraints | Broaden the ICP, reduce requested volume, or change cadence |
Operational Guardrails
- Keep Hunter account ownership inside your account.
- Restrict Data Connection management to account admins and managers.
- Rotate keys after team departures or security events.
- Use Satua's audit trail to document who imported, reviewed, assigned, and contacted records.