The short answer
Industry classification codes are standard numeric codes for what a business does. NAICS is used in North America, NACE across the EU, NAF in France (a national version of NACE) and SIC in the UK. They let you filter companies by industry consistently.
At a glance
- Term
- Industry classification codes (NAICS, NACE, NAF, SIC)
- Also known as
- NAICS code · NACE code · NAF code · SIC code
- Category
- Sales & prospecting
- Where it matters
- Sales prospecting and lead generation
Industry classification codes in practice
NAICS codes have up to six digits, with each extra digit narrowing the industry. NACE codes are hierarchical (section, division, group, class); national versions such as France’s NAF and Norway’s NACE-based codes add detail. The UK uses SIC 2007 codes of up to five digits.
Because codes are hierarchical, filtering by a prefix selects a whole branch of related activities.
Why industry classification codes matter
- Turns an ICP into a precise, repeatable filter.
- Works across registers that describe activities in different words and languages.
Industry classification codes in MarketPrior
MarketPrior lead search filters by NAICS, NACE, NAF or SIC code prefix, and new-company events carry the code the register publishes: SIC in the UK, NAF in France and NACE in Norway.