Help
Getting started
- 1
Say who you want to reach
Describe the kind of person on Search, or import the specific people you have in mind.
- 2
Review the people and your request
Pick who to invite, choose a call or a written answer, write your note and set what each person receives.
- 3
Send it
Send with your card on file. You're charged only if someone books a call or answers.
- 4
Take the call or read the answer
A booked call arrives as a calendar invite with a join link. Answers arrive by email and under Responses.
Find people
Find people by describing them
On Search, describe who you want in a sentence, like "heads of revenue at Series B healthcare startups in the US". Add how many you want and anyone to leave out. Review the results, then add the people you like to a request.
Reach specific people you already have in mind
Paste their LinkedIn profile URLs or email addresses, or upload a CSV. One person is fine. We find a work email for anyone who needs one when the request goes out.
Not sure who to talk to
Under the search box, open "Not sure who to talk to?" and describe your company or research question. You get a few suggested audiences, each with a ready-made search.
Keep people or companies out of every search
Add names, emails, domains or LinkedIn profiles to your exclusions, or upload your LinkedIn connections. Anyone on the list is never invited, even if they show up in a search.
Send requests
Write and send a request
A request is a paid invitation with your note. On the draft, choose a call (15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes) or a written or voice answer, write what you want to discuss, and set what each person receives. Everyone comes with a suggested amount you can change, down to $5. Set the most the batch can cost, preview the email, then send. Nothing goes out until you press send.
What happens after you send
We find each person's work email and send your invitation. They have 7 days to book a time or answer, with up to two reminders, and they don't need an account. You can follow every request on its own page.
Set the hours people can book
People book calls inside your booking hours. Set them once in Settings, and connect Google Calendar so times you're busy aren't offered.
Cancel a request
Until someone books or answers, open the request and press Cancel request. The hold on your card for it is released.
Pricing and payment
What it costs
You set what each person receives, and our fee is added on top: a $100 offer costs you $125. The fee is 20% of what you pay. Searching, importing and drafting are free.
When your card is charged
Sending places a hold on your card. A call is charged when the person books a time, and a written or voice answer when it arrives. If nobody books or answers within 7 days, you pay nothing and the hold is released. Each person who accepts is charged separately, up to the most the batch can cost, so if that's below the total for everyone, the first people to accept get the spots.
Change your card or add a promo code
Both are under Account and payment in Settings. A promo code lowers or waives the fee; the person always receives the full amount.
Calls and answers
When someone books a call
You get an email with a calendar invite at the time they picked. The invite has the link to join the video call.
Add a teammate to a call
Open the request and add their email as a guest. Each guest gets their own calendar invite and join link. Up to five guests per call.
Reschedule a call
Reply to the booking email with what works for you. We take the call off both calendars while a new time is found and send a fresh invite. The booking and payment carry over.
If the person doesn't show up
You get a full refund. You can take it right away or pick a new time with them instead, from the request page.
Read written and voice answers
Each answer arrives by email and on the request page. The newest replies and bookings are under Responses in the sidebar.
When someone asks for more money or asks a question
A counteroffer comes by email with Accept and Decline buttons, which open the request page. A question comes by email too; reply to it directly.
Teams and ongoing outreach
Share the account with your team
With team access on, anyone who signs in with an email at your company's domain uses the same account: the same searches, requests, calls, card and settings. Emails about requests still go to the account owner's address, so a teammate who wants a call invite adds themselves as a guest. We turn team access on for you; just ask.
Reach new people on a schedule
The Advisor runs standing outreach. Each play is an audience, a note and an offer, and it drafts a new batch of people on the days you choose. Each batch waits for you to review and approve it, unless you switch the play to autopilot. A Monday memo suggests one change.
Have us run outreach for you
We can set up the searches, notes and Advisor plays on your account. Everything we do shows up in your account, and nothing is sent without a card you saved yourself.
AI assistants
Use Instant Expert from Claude, Cursor or another MCP client
Connect the MCP server and your assistant can search, import people, draft requests and read replies. It can send paid requests only after you turn that on and approve the order.
Use it from ChatGPT
The ChatGPT plugin finds people and prepares drafts; you review and send them on instant.expert.
See or disconnect connected assistants
Connected assistants are listed in Settings. Teammates on a team account can't connect an assistant yet; the account owner can.
Get help
Talk to a person
Reply to any email from us, or write to team@instant.expert.