# What candidate sourcing actually is

Canonical: https://metix.ai/blog/what-is-candidate-sourcing

Sourcing finds people who have not applied. Recruiting finishes the hire. Most tools stop at a list. Ask what lands on the calendar.
C2 explainer: candidate sourcing is finding people who have not applied. Distinct from recruiting, screening, and the ATS. A sourcing tool usually returns a list. Metix AI books a first interview after approved outreach and a delivery-lead review. 860M+ profiles, 190+ countries, from $49/mo. Do not copy Pin unpublished 5x or 14-day fill claims.
## FAQ

**What is candidate sourcing?**

Sourcing is the work of finding and opening a conversation with people who have not applied. It sits before screening, interviews, and the ATS record. A job post waits. Sourcing goes out and looks.

**How is sourcing different from recruiting?**

Recruiting is the whole hire: bar, search, outreach, screen, interview, offer. Sourcing is the search-and-first-contact slice. Many tools sell sourcing and call it recruiting. Ask what lands on your calendar when the week ends.

**Does a sourcing tool book interviews?**

Most do not. They return profiles, emails, and sometimes sequences. You still qualify interest, keep the thread alive, and book the slot. That split is the subject of the AI sourcing tool versus AI recruiter page on this site.

**Where do Metix AI candidates come from?**

Sourcing runs across 860M+ public professional profiles in more than 190 countries. Outreach goes out only after you approve the message. A delivery lead reviews every candidate before a credit is spent.

**What does a sourcing search cost on Metix AI?**

Published plans run $49 to $299 a month for 3 to 75 interview-ready candidates. A credit moves only when a qualified, interested candidate is booked. Free 14-day trial with 3 New Roles and 12 Credits, no card.