Unlimited Data.
Infinite Possibilities.

Looking for B2B data? Download Unlimited data using our Chrome extension at just $79/month.

Lifetime access to 200 email views and 100 export credits every single month

Best Practice | Marketing

MODIFIED ON

02/23/2026

What Is Clay? Data Enrichment and Workflow Automation Explained

Article

Best Practice > Marketing
> Article

Best Tips on Lead Generation for Technology Companies

Clay is a B2B data enrichment and workflow automation platform that connects to 150+ data providers and uses AI to help go-to-market teams research prospects, fill in missing contact details, and automate repetitive tasks—all from one workspace.

If you searched “what is clay” expecting information about pottery or soil, this isn’t that. This guide covers how the software platform works, what teams use it for, its pricing structure, and how it compares to alternatives like ReachStream.

What Is Clay?

Clay (clay.com) is a B2B data enrichment and workflow automation platform built for go-to-market teams. If you searched “what is clay” expecting information about the natural soil material used in pottery, you’re in the wrong place—this Clay is software that helps sales, marketing, and operations teams find prospect data, fill in missing details, and automate repetitive tasks.

The platform connects to over 150 data providers and pulls information into one workspace. Instead of jumping between tools to piece together a prospect’s email, company size, and tech stack, you query everything from Clay. Then you can set up automated workflows that clean the data, push it to your CRM, or trigger outreach sequences.

How Clay Works?

Clay operates through three connected mechanics. Each one builds on the last, so understanding the sequence helps you see how the platform fits together.

Data Aggregation from Multiple Providers

Clay connects to data providers like Clearbit, Hunter, Apollo, and dozens of others. When you search for a prospect or company, Clay queries multiple sources at once and returns whatever information it finds.

This saves time because you’re not logging into five different tools to assemble a complete picture. You run one search, and Clay handles the rest. The tradeoff is that you pay credits per enrichment—so you’re charged when you actually pull data, not for access alone.

AI-Powered Research and Enrichment

Here’s where Clay gets more interesting. The platform includes AI agents that perform custom research tasks based on prompts you write. You might ask an agent to “summarize what this company does” or “find this prospect’s recent LinkedIn posts.”

Enrichment, in this context, means adding missing information to records you already have. If your CRM contains a contact’s name and company but no email address, Clay can fill that gap automatically by querying its connected providers.

Workflow Builder and Automation Engine

Clay’s visual workflow builder lets you create automated sequences using drag-and-drop logic. You set conditions, create branching paths, and trigger actions—all without writing code.

For example, you might build a workflow that enriches new leads as they enter your system, scores them based on company size, and routes high-value prospects to your enterprise sales team. The whole process runs automatically once you set it up—and according to McKinsey, early adopters of sales automation report efficiency gains of 10 to 15 percent.

What Data Sources Does Clay Access?

Clay pulls from several categories of data, which makes it flexible across different use cases.

Contact data: Emails, phone numbers, job titles, LinkedIn profiles.
Firmographic data:Company size, revenue, industry, headquarters location.
Technographic data: Tools and technologies a company uses.
Intent data: Hiring trends, funding signals, website activity.

The breadth of sources is one of Clay’s main advantages. However, data quality varies depending on which underlying provider supplies the information. Some providers are more accurate than others, so verification before outreach is still a good practice.

How Clay Uses AI for Data Enrichment

Clay’s AI capabilities extend beyond simple database lookups. The platform uses contextual agents that interpret prompts and return structured results.

Contextual AI Agents

You can ask Clay’s AI to perform specific tasks. For instance, “find competitors mentioned on this company’s website” or “identify the decision-makers in the marketing department.” The agents scrape public information, process it, and return results in a usable format.

This approach is particularly useful for personalization at scale. Rather than manually researching each prospect before outreach, you let the AI handle the legwork and focus your time on actual conversations.

Automated Data Cleaning and Formatting

Messy data is a persistent problem in B2B databases, costing organizations $12.9 million annually according to Gartner. Names appear in different formats, phone numbers lack country codes, and job titles vary wildly. Clay’s AI can standardize formatting, deduplicate records, and correct inconsistencies automatically.

Clay Workflow Automation

Clay moves beyond static enrichment into automated action. Once you’ve enriched a record, you can trigger downstream steps without manual intervention.

Conditional Logic and Action Steps

The workflow builder supports if/then logic, so you can route records differently based on their attributes. This is where Clay starts to feel less like a database and more like an automation platform.

Real-Time CRM and Tool Updates

Clay pushes enriched data directly to your CRM, email sequencer, or other tools through native integrations and webhooks. This keeps your systems in sync without manual exports or imports.

When a workflow completes, the updated record appears in Salesforce, HubSpot, or wherever you’ve connected. You’re not downloading CSVs and uploading them elsewhere.

What Is Clay Used For?

Different teams use Clay for different purposes. The platform’s flexibility means it fits into various GTM workflows depending on what you’re trying to accomplish.

Outbound Prospecting and Lead Generation

Sales teams use Clay to build targeted prospect lists with contact data pulled from multiple sources. The workflow automation helps reps—who spend only 28–30% of time selling—spend less time researching and more time closing with actionable sales data.

Account-Based Marketing Campaigns

Marketers use Clay to identify decision-makers within target accounts and enrich records with firmographic and technographic data. This supports personalized outreach at scale.

RevOps Data Hygiene and Enrichment

Operations teams use Clay to maintain CRM data quality through automated enrichment, deduplication, and standardization. Clean data means better reporting and fewer bounced emails.

Recruitment and Talent Sourcing

Recruiters can use Clay to find and verify candidate contact information, though this is a less common use case than sales and marketing applications.

Clay Pricing and Plans

Clay uses credit-based pricing, where each enrichment or action consumes credits. The platform offers several tiers:

Free: Limited credits for testing
Starter:Entry-level paid plan for small teams
Explorer: Mid-tier with more credits and features
Pro: Higher volume for growing teams
Enterprise: Custom pricing for large organizations

Credits are consumed per enrichment, so costs scale with usage. If you’re enriching thousands of records monthly, the math can add up quickly. A free trial is available for testing before you commit.

Clay Integrations and CRM Connections

Clay connects with major tools in the GTM stack, which means it fits into existing workflows rather than requiring you to rebuild everything.

The flexibility here is a strength. You’re not locked into a specific ecosystem.

Clay Security and Compliance

For enterprise buyers evaluating the platform, Clay maintains several compliance certifications: SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, CCPA, and ISO 27001.

Limitations of Clay

Clay is powerful, but it’s not the right fit for every team. A few friction points come up regularly.

Complexity and Learning Curve

The platform’s flexibility comes with a steeper learning curve. Building effective workflows takes time, and teams without technical resources may struggle to extract full value. This isn’t a tool you’ll master in an afternoon.

Cost at Scale

Credit-based pricing can become expensive for high-volume users. If you’re running large prospecting campaigns or enriching thousands of records monthly, costs accumulate.

Data Accuracy Variability

Because Clay aggregates from multiple providers, data quality depends on the underlying sources. Some providers are more reliable than others, so verification before outreach remains important.

Clay Alternatives for B2B Data Enrichment

If Clay’s complexity or pricing doesn’t fit your situation, several alternatives are worth considering.

ReachStream

ReachStream offers a simpler approach to B2B data with pre-verified emails and direct dials. The platform delivers 90% email deliverability and 95% data accuracy without requiring you to build complex workflows. If you prioritize data quality over automation flexibility, explore ReachStream’s free plan to test the difference.

Apollo.io

Apollo combines data with built-in email sequencing, making it an all-in-one option for teams that want prospecting and outreach in one tool.

ZoomInfo

ZoomInfo is the enterprise-grade option with extensive firmographic and intent data—though pricing reflects that positioning.

Lusha

Lusha focuses on quick contact lookups through a browser extension, making it lightweight for individual reps who want fast access to contact details.

How to Choose the Right Data Enrichment Platform

Selecting the right platform depends on your team’s specific situation. A few questions help clarify the decision:

Data accuracy requirements: Do you want pre-verified contacts, or can you verify downstream?
Workflow complexity: Do you want advanced automation, or is simple enrichment enough?
Budget and scale: How does credit-based pricing compare to flat-rate models for your volume?
Integration requirements: Which tools require native connections?
Team technical skill: Can your team build workflows, or do you prefer turnkey solutions?

If verified data and simplicity matter more than complex workflows, get started with ReachStream free.

Get 100 Free Contacts to Compare Data Quality

FAQs

Is Clay the same as clay the natural material?

No. Clay (clay.com) is a B2B data enrichment and workflow automation platform. The natural material—fine-grained soil used in pottery and construction—is unrelated.

Does Clay offer a free plan?

Yes. Clay offers a free tier with limited credits so you can test the platform before committing to a paid plan.

How long does it take to set up a Clay workflow?

Setup time varies. Simple enrichment workflows can be built in minutes, while advanced multi-step automations may take hours to configure and test.

Can Clay replace a standalone B2B contact database?

Clay aggregates data from multiple providers but doesn’t maintain its own proprietary database. Teams often pair it with a dedicated data platform like ReachStream for verified contacts.

What is the difference between Clay and a traditional sales intelligence platform?

Traditional platforms provide static databases you search and export. Clay focuses on dynamic enrichment and workflow automation that pulls data on-demand from multiple sources.

Access 200M+ verified business emails and grow your sales pipeline effortlessly.

Claim Your 100 Free Export Credits Today!

Power Your Sales with Targeted Data