Waterfall Enrichment

Cleanlist.ai uses waterfall enrichment to find contact data — automatically querying multiple data providers in sequence until verified information is found.

How does waterfall enrichment work?

The Waterfall Process

Request Email Enrichment
    ↓
Cache Hit? → Return Email ✓ (0 credits)
    ↓ No
Hunter.io → Found? → Verify → Return Email ✓
    ↓ Not Found
FindyMail → Found? → Verify → Return Email ✓
    ↓ Not Found
Datagma → Found? → Verify → Return Email ✓
    ↓ Not Found
IcyPeas → Found? → Verify → Return Email ✓
    ↓ Not Found
Prospeo → Found? → Verify → Return Email ✓
    ↓ Not Found
AnyMailFinder → Found? → Verify → Return Email ✓
    ↓ Not Found
Mark as Not Found (0 credits charged)

Why is waterfall enrichment better than single-provider lookup?

1. Higher Match Rates: Querying 6+ email providers in sequence finds significantly more contacts than any single provider
2. Verified Data: Every result passes through ZeroBounce or Emailable verification before delivery
3. Pay Once: 1 credit per successful email, regardless of how many providers were queried
4. Automatic Fallback: No manual provider switching — the system cascades automatically

Enrichment Types

Email Enrichment (1 credit)

When you request an email address:

1. Checks cached database first (instant, no additional credit)
2. Cascades through email finding providers: Hunter.io → FindyMail → Datagma → IcyPeas → Prospeo → AnyMailFinder
3. Validates found email through ZeroBounce / Emailable
4. Returns the verified result with a confidence status (reliable, risky, or unknown)

Phone Enrichment (10 credits)

When you request a phone number:

1. Checks cached database first
2. Queries ProxyCurl and Wiza for phone data
3. Validates phone number format (E.164) and type (mobile, landline, VoIP)
4. Returns the best match with metadata

Full Enrichment (11 credits)

Request both email and phone together. Both waterfall processes run, and you get:

• Business email with deliverability status
• Phone number with line type
• Full LinkedIn profile data (name, headline, location, experience, education)
• Company data (name, domain, industry, employee count)

Data Validation

Every result goes through validation before delivery:

Email Validation (via ZeroBounce / Emailable)

• Format verification (RFC 5322)
• Domain and MX record checks
• Disposable email detection
• Catch-all domain detection
• Deliverability scoring

Phone Validation

• Format standardization (E.164)
• Country code verification
• Line type detection (mobile, landline, VoIP)
• Carrier identification

Smart Caching

• Instant Results: Previously verified data returned immediately
• No Extra Cost: Cached results use standard credit pricing
• Data Freshness: Cache refreshed periodically
• Re-verification: Even cached emails re-verified on delivery

What happens when enrichment fails?

If the waterfall can't find the requested data after all providers:

1. No Charge: Failed enrichments cost 0 credits
2. Partial Results: You may get email even if phone fails (or vice versa)
3. Retry Later: New data becomes available as providers update
4. Status Tracking: Lead lists show which enrichments succeeded or failed

Comparison: Single Provider vs. Waterfall

Best Practices

1. Provide Accurate Input: Full name + company domain gives the best match rates. LinkedIn URL improves accuracy further.
2. Use Full Enrichment: Enriching email + phone together provides more context for matching
3. Bulk Enrichment: Larger batches benefit from parallel processing across providers
4. Monitor Results: Review match rates in your lead lists to spot input data quality issues

Learn More

• View our enrichment providers
• Credit pricing details
• API reference for developers
• Waterfall enrichment product page (opens in a new tab)