Backstop Custom Links are awesome. With zero coding efforts, you can pass Backstop context (e.g. company name) to websites such as AngelList, LinkedIn, or Google. For instance, you are viewing ACME Venture Partners in Backstop and would like to run a Preqin search. In the Stone Age, you would open another browser, log into Preqin, copy and paste the company name, and hit search.

Backstop Custom Links

Using Custom Links, you automate all those several steps into one click. Refer to Backstop Support (registration required) for the exact mechanics. The objective here is to share field-tested, time-saving recipes. Feel free to build upon these and share your own variations. You’re very welcome!

We are covering recipes for the following sites, listed alphabetically for simplicity. Backstop makes a distinction between Organization and Person and determines which context is available. The recipes reflect that logic, whenever applicable.

Backstop Custom Links - Edit

  • AngelList
  • Bloomberg
  • Google
  • LinkedIn
  • Preqin (subscription required)
  • Twitter

AngelList

Organization

https://angel.co/search?q={Organization.Name}&type=companies

Bloomberg

Organization

https://www.bloomberg.com/search?query=%27{Organization.Name}%27

Google

Organization

https://www.google.com/search?q=%27{Organization.Name}%27

Person

https://www.google.com/search?q=%27{Person.FirstName}+{Person.LastName}%27+%27{Person.CompanyName}%27

LinkedIn

Organization

https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/companies/?keywords={Organization.Name}

Person

https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/people/?firstName={Person.FirstName}&lastName={Person.LastName}

Preqin

Organization

https://www.preqin.com/user/my/Universal_Search.aspx?q={Organization.Name}

Twitter

Organization

https://twitter.com/search?q=%27{Organization.Name}%27

Person

https://twitter.com/search?q=%27{Person.FirstName}+{Person.LastName}%27

Takeaway

Backstop Custom Links enable passing CRM context to other external websites. This comes up utterly handy during the research or prospecting efforts. With some basic understanding of HTML query strings, you can readily whip up a bunch of shortcuts. Hello, free time!