Understanding Clay’s Capabilities

Clay is a flexible GTM automation platform designed to power multiple go-to-market workflows, including:

• Automated data enrichment
• Outbound list building
• Lead scoring & qualification
• AI-powered research
• Multi-step GTM automation pipelines

The tool shines because of its flexibility, but that’s also why new users get stuck. With hundreds of data sources and infinite workflow possibilities, Clay can feel like handing someone a musical instrument without a teacher.

Clay 101 solves this through structure. The two foundational frameworks used throughout Clay are:

The FETE Framework — The Backbone of Every Clay Workflow

FETE = Find → Enrich → Transform → Export
This four-step workflow structure applies to every Clay project.

Step 1 — Find (Companies, People, Local Businesses)

The Find stage helps you identify your initial dataset using:

• Clay’s native company database
• People search
• Google Maps
• Job listings
• Uploaded lists

You gather the “corner pieces”, crucial identifiers like:

• Company domain
• LinkedIn company URL
• People’s LinkedIn profiles

Step 2 — Enrich (Add Intelligence to Your Data)

Enrichment involves filling gaps using:

• Waterfalls (multi-provider lookups)
• Firmographics
• Technographics
• Contact data (email & phone)
• Job data
• AI research tools like Claygent

This is where raw data becomes meaningful intelligence.

Step 3 — Transform (Clean, Normalise, Structure)

The Transform phase uses:

• Normalisation tools (free)
• AI Formulas (rule-based deterministic transformations)

This stage turns messy data into segmented, clean, CRM-ready formats.

Step 4 — Export (Make the Data Actionable)

Finally, you export using:

• CSV
• Google Sheets real-time sync
• CRM exports (HubSpot, Salesforce, Close, etc.)

You decide whether the data is static or requires a real-time sync.

The Jigsaw Framework — How to Ensure Accurate Data

The Jigsaw Framework complements FETE by explaining what data to collect and in what order.

The 3 layers of the puzzle:

1. Corner Pieces — Identifiers
   • Domain
   • LinkedIn URL
   • Full name
   • LinkedIn profile
2. Edges — Basic attributes
   • Industry
   • Title
   • Headcount
   • Location
3. Fill the Rest — AI + specialised data
   • Signals
   • Insights
   • Website research
   • Job data

FETE = Process and Jigsaw = Data Structure
Together, they help you build accurate workflows, even as a beginner.

Clay’s Most Important Features Explained

Clay’s Company Dataset

Clay aggregates company data from 100+ providers and enhances it through internal cleaning and standardisation.
You can filter by:

• Industry
• Headcount
• Geography
• Keywords
• Founding year

Pro Tip: Start with small lists (1,000–3,000 companies) to test hypotheses.

People Search in Clay

Once you have companies, use Find People to identify job roles with filters like:

• Job title
• Seniority
• Skills
• Location
• Keywords

Clay automatically links people tables with company tables to reduce enrichment costs.

Finding Jobs in Clay

Clay lets you find roles using:

1. Jobs as a Source → Start with jobs → find companies → enrich people
2. Jobs as Enrichment → Layer job data onto companies

Great for spotting hiring signals, perfect for SDRs and marketers.

Google Maps Prospecting

Traditional B2B tools miss local businesses. Clay’s Google Maps integration helps you find:

• Dentists
• Clinics
• Contractors
• Local SMBs

This unlocks markets your competitors can’t reach.

Enriching Companies Using Waterfalls

Waterfalls work through multiple providers in a sequence until data is found.
Benefits:

• Higher accuracy
• Lower cost
• Less manual work

Example: Funding → IntelliSense → PitchBook → DealRoom.

People Enrichment (Emails, Phones, Profiles)

Clay’s email waterfall:

1. Finds email
2. Validates email via ZeroBounce

You can also enrich phones, socials, skills, education, etc.

Claygent — AI Web Scraper

Claygent solves the “last-mile data problem”:

• Reads websites
• Scrapes LinkedIn
• Summarizes content
• Extracts insights
• Answers custom prompts

Use Claygent when you need real-time, qualitative insights.

Transform Stage — Cleaning, Normalising, and Structuring Data

Clay’s Free Normalisation Tools

These fix messy data:

• Normalise company names
• Normalize whitespace
• Clean phone numbers
• Standardize locations

AI Formulas (Deterministic, Rule-Based)

Use for structured tasks like:

• Extracting companies from experience
• Formatting job titles
• Calculating tenure
• Extracting domains

AI Formulas = Free + Consistent.

Export Stage — Sending Data Out of Clay

CSV Export

Perfect for static snapshots.

Google Sheets Integration

Real-time sync using:

• Add Row
• Lookup Row
• Lookup/Add/Update Row

Best for collaborative workflows and dashboards.

CRM Integration

Clay integrates with:

• HubSpot
• Salesforce
• Close
• Pipedrive
• Copper

Always follow best practices:

• Look up before creating
• Use conditional logic
• Map fields correctly

Summary — Your Journey Through Clay 101

You now understand how to:

• Build lists
• Enrich with intelligence
• Clean and transform data
• Export into tools that matter

This is just the beginning: Clay 201, AI-powered GTM, and advanced automation can unlock even more.