Guides
How to filter the signals you get
dist0 leans toward showing you more, not less. That means a few pains and leads won't fit your product. Here's why that's on purpose, and how to cut them with a filtering rule.
Last updated June 17, 2026
On this page
Why do I see pains and leads that don't fit my product?
Because dist0 is built to show you more, not less.
When someone on Reddit describes a problem that looks like something you could help with, dist0 surfaces it as a pain or a lead — even when, on a closer look, it isn't something your product actually does. That's on purpose. A missed lead costs you a real customer. A signal that doesn't fit costs you a few seconds to skip. So dist0 errs toward showing it to you and letting you decide.
The trade-off is that some signals land near your product without being a real match. For example, if your product lives in the marketing world, you might see:
- Someone whose Meta ads have stopped working, even though you don't touch ads.
- Someone with very few Google clicks, even though you don't help with search rankings.
These look relevant — they're the right kind of person, in the right kind of conversation — but they're not problems your product solves. Filtering rules are how you tell dist0 to stop showing you that kind.
What is a filtering rule?
A filtering rule is a standing instruction that tells dist0 what to skip. Once you set one, dist0 applies it to every future pain and lead before it ever reaches your email or Slack summary.
A rule is just a plain sentence describing what isn't a fit — no settings page, no categories to pick from. You write it the way you'd tell a teammate "don't bother me with that kind of thing."
How do I add a filtering rule?
Message the dist0 Slack bot in plain words, the same way you'd message a coworker. Name the kind of signal you don't want. For example:
Stop showing me people who just want a free tool — we only sell to paying teams.
Or:
Skip anything about paid ads or Google rankings. We don't help with either.
The bot confirms what it understood and saves the rule to your project. From then on, signals that match it are left out before they reach you.
What makes a good filtering rule?
The clearest rules point at a kind of person or a kind of problem, and say what's wrong with the fit:
- A kind of person who isn't a buyer: "Skip students and hobbyists — we sell to agencies."
- A problem you don't solve: "We don't do email deliverability, so skip posts about emails landing in spam."
- A topic that's nearby but off: "Ignore anything about hiring or recruiting. We're a marketing tool."
Avoid rules that are so broad they hide real opportunities. "Skip anything about marketing" would mute most of what you want when you're a marketing tool. Aim a rule at the exact mismatch you keep seeing, not the whole neighborhood.
What happens after I add a rule?
The rule takes effect going forward. The next time dist0 reads Reddit for you, it checks every pain and lead against your rules and leaves out the ones that match. Your summaries get tighter, and the signals that remain are the ones worth your time.
Rules add up. You can set several, and each one narrows things a little more. Most people add a rule or two after their first couple of summaries, once they've seen which off-target signals keep showing up.
Can I change or remove a rule?
Yes. Tell the Slack bot in plain words:
- Remove one: "Drop the rule about skipping students — I do want those now."
- Change one: "Loosen the ad rule — keep posts about ad creative, just skip ad budgets."
- See what's set: "What filtering rules do I have?"
Nothing is permanent. If a rule turns out to be too strict and you worry you're missing things, relax it and dist0 goes back to showing you more.
FAQ
Why doesn't dist0 just hide the signals that don't fit automatically?
Because the line between "doesn't fit" and "almost fits" is yours to draw, not ours. dist0 would rather show you a few extra than quietly hide a lead you'd have wanted. Filtering rules let you set that line yourself.
Do I need to know my exact customer to write a rule?
No. You write rules as you go, when you notice the same off-target signal twice. There's nothing to set up in advance — you react to what you see.
Will a rule remove signals I've already received?
No. A rule changes what you get from now on. Signals already in your past summaries stay as they were.
What if I set a rule and then miss something because of it?
Just relax or remove it. Tell the bot the rule was too strict, and dist0 goes back to showing you that kind of signal. Rules are meant to be adjusted as you learn what's worth seeing.