Understanding Enrich's Two Industry Sections: Primary and Derived

Nathan P. · 2025-12-17T01:16:33.543Z

in the company enrich... their is two different industry sections one that is technically "primary" and then other one that is in derived datapoints that is usally one or two

Understanding Enrich's Two Industry Sections: Primary and Derived | Clay

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You're seeing multiple industry classifications because Clay pulls from different data sources and classification systems. [1]
The "primary" industry is typically from standard systems like NAICS or SIC codes, while the derived datapoints show additional industry categories that may come from sources like HG Insights or other enrichment providers. [2]
This gives you more granular industry insights - for example, a company might be classified as "Retail" in the primary field but show more specific categories like "Food & Beverage" in derived datapoints. [3]
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Nathan P.
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so how do u differentiate ?
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The key difference is the classification system and data source:
Primary Industry: Uses standardized codes like NAICS or SIC from official classification systems. [1]
Derived Datapoints Industry: Comes from specific enrichment providers (like HG Insights) with their own industry categorizations. [2]
For example, People Data Labs returns both "Industry" (general) and "NAICS/SIC" arrays (standardized codes), while HG Insights provides "HG Industry" (their proprietary classification). [3]
Use primary for standard industry matching, derived for more granular or provider-specific insights.
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Nathan P.
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i thought primary and then subindustry for other enrichments
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You're thinking of it more like a hierarchy, but it's actually different data sources with their own classification systems. [1]
The "primary" industry isn't necessarily the main category with sub-industries underneath. Instead, you get:
Primary field: Standard classification (NAICS/SIC codes)
Derived datapoints: Separate provider-specific categories (like HG Insights' proprietary classifications) [2]
Each enrichment provider has their own industry taxonomy, so you might see completely different categorizations rather than sub-categories of the primary one. [3]
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If you still need help understanding the difference between primary and derived industry data, I’m here to assist. Would you like to provide more details about what you’re trying to resolve or understand?
Nathan P.
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is it better to do find people search with compnay data.. with the companies linkedin URL? or their domain... whats the best pull?
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Company profile URLs are better for highest accuracy. [1] Use domains as a fallback if profile URLs aren't available. [2]
The sources consistently recommend profile URLs as the preferred identifier for more accurate people search results. [3] [4]
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Nathan P.
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wow, really? why is that ?
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LinkedIn URLs provide more precise company matching than domains. [1] Domains can be ambiguous - multiple companies might share similar domains or have subsidiaries with different URLs, while LinkedIn company profiles are unique identifiers. [2] This leads to higher accuracy in people search results. [3]
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