Clay is a credit-based data enrichment platform used to transform raw, sparse prospect lists into actionable contact records. The core mechanic is a waterfall lookup: Clay queries multiple data sources in sequence, stopping as soon as it finds a result. You only pay a credit when data is actually returned — failed lookups across intermediate sources don't consume credits.
This makes Clay well-suited for enriching lists that come in with minimal information (e.g., company name, address, and segment only) and need to be made usable for HubSpot imports, LinkedIn outreach, or Sales Navigator campaigns.
See also: [1] for the client context where this workflow was first applied.
Starting from a raw list, Clay attempts to find the company's web domain. Multiple sources are queried in sequence. If the first source doesn't find a match, the next runs automatically. The first successful result is used and no further credits are consumed for that row.
Output: Company domain (e.g., wcholinesupply.com)
Using the resolved domain, Clay confirms and records the full company website URL.
Clay queries for people associated with the company. A single company may return multiple contacts (e.g., 50 people at a larger organization). These contacts are exported to a separate "people" table for individual-level enrichment.
For each contact, Clay attempts to find a verified business email address by matching the person's name against the company domain. The waterfall runs through multiple email-finding providers until a match is confirmed.
Output: Verified business email (e.g., j.smith@wcholinesupply.com)
Clay queries multiple sources for direct mobile numbers. In practice, the second source in the waterfall tends to return the highest hit rate. Any gaps are filled by subsequent sources.
Output: Direct mobile phone number
Clay retrieves professional profile URLs for each contact, enabling LinkedIn connection requests or Sales Navigator import.
Output: LinkedIn profile URL
Clay can also pull recent company news (funding rounds, acquisitions, leadership changes) to support personalized outreach. This is configured as an additional enrichment column on the company table.
The enriched dataset is exported as a clean spreadsheet and can be routed to:
Before importing into HubSpot, run the list through a list hygiene / deliverability check to catch stale addresses. Even high-quality sources like ZoomInfo carry a ~5% bounce rate due to job turnover. Bounced emails degrade sender reputation and reduce deliverability for all campaigns.
Clay uses a monthly subscription + credit model:
| Tier | Monthly Fee | Credits Included |
|---|---|---|
| Base | ~$149/mo | 2,000 credits |
| Add-on credits | — | $600 per 6,000 credits |
Credit consumption notes:
- Credits are only charged when data is successfully returned
- Different enrichment actions cost different amounts (1–2+ credits each)
- Test your enrichment configuration on 10 rows before running a full list — this lets you validate output quality and estimate total credit cost before committing
Recommended approach for new lists: Run a 1,000-contact test batch to evaluate match rates and cost before committing to full enrichment.