What is Waterfall Enrichment?
A data enrichment strategy that queries multiple data providers in sequence, using the best result from each.
Definition
Waterfall enrichment (sometimes called data waterfalling or cascade enrichment) queries multiple B2B data providers in a prioritized sequence for each record. Instead of relying on a single provider, the system checks Provider A first. If Provider A doesn't return a result (or returns low-confidence data), it falls through to Provider B, then Provider C, and so on. The first high-quality match is used, combining coverage from multiple sources without paying for redundant lookups.
Why It Matters
No single B2B data provider covers every contact accurately. ZoomInfo might have strong coverage for enterprise tech companies but weaker data for SMBs. Apollo might fill the SMB gap. Waterfalling across both gives you better overall coverage than either alone. Teams using waterfall enrichment typically see 20-40% improvement in match rates compared to single-provider approaches.
Example
You have 5,000 leads that need email enrichment. Your waterfall: query ZoomInfo first (matches 3,200). Send the remaining 1,800 to Apollo (matches 1,100). Send the remaining 700 to Clearbit (matches 400). Final result: 4,700 enriched records (94%) vs. 3,200 (64%) from ZoomInfo alone. Clay automates this entire process in a single workflow.