Using 'LIKE' for Advanced Row Lookup in SQL Queries

Clark G. · 2025-10-23T20:11:43.013Z

I want to lookup rows in another table but not use the contains or equals parameters, I need more paramaters, like 'like'. Is this possible?

Using 'LIKE' for Advanced Row Lookup in SQL Queries | Clay

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Clay Support
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The Lookup Rows feature uses a Filter Operator parameter that supports various comparison operators beyond just "contains" and "equals". [1]
Available string comparison operators include:
- Equal To (==) - exact matches
- Not Equal To (!=) - excludes exact matches
- Contains - includes specified substring
- Contains Any Of - matches any value from a list
- Does Not Contain - excludes specified substring [2]
While the sources don't specifically mention a "like" operator, the Contains operator provides similar functionality for partial text matching.
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Clark G.
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how do we implement, there is a dropdown option or a text with tokens option
Clay Support
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For the Filter Operator parameter in Lookup Rows, you'll see a dropdown menu with the available comparison operators (Equal To, Not Equal To, Contains, etc.). [1]
The Row Value field is where you specify what to search for - this can be entered as text or you can use tokens to reference data from other columns in your table. [2]
Simply select your desired operator from the Filter Operator dropdown, then enter your search value in the Row Value field. [3]
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Clark G.
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I get that, can I switch the operator though?
Clay Support
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Yes, you can switch the operator. In the Filter Operator dropdown, you can select from available comparison operators like Equal To, Not Equal To, Contains, Contains Any Of, and Does Not Contain. [1] Simply choose your desired operator from the dropdown menu. [2]
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Clark G.
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the drop down only has equal and contains
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I understand this is frustrating. I’m routing you to one of our human agents who can assist you further.
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Yash M.
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Hi Clark - at the moment there is no way to switch the operator to anything other than equal or contains for the lookup enrichment.
What is the goal/ workflow you're trying to achieve here? Happy to think of any workarounds!
Clay Support
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We haven't heard back from you here, so we're going to go ahead and close this thread out.
Still need help here? Reply back and someone will jump back in.
Have a question thats not related to this thread? We recommend kicking off a new ticket in the support channel!

Clay Support
APP
·
·
The Lookup Rows feature uses a Filter Operator parameter that supports various comparison operators beyond just "contains" and "equals". [1]
Available string comparison operators include:
- Equal To (==) - exact matches
- Not Equal To (!=) - excludes exact matches
- Contains - includes specified substring
- Contains Any Of - matches any value from a list
- Does Not Contain - excludes specified substring [2]
While the sources don't specifically mention a "like" operator, the Contains operator provides similar functionality for partial text matching.
Clay Support
APP
·
·
Did that answer your question?
Clark G.
·
·
how do we implement, there is a dropdown option or a text with tokens option
Clay Support
APP
·
·
For the Filter Operator parameter in Lookup Rows, you'll see a dropdown menu with the available comparison operators (Equal To, Not Equal To, Contains, etc.). [1]
The Row Value field is where you specify what to search for - this can be entered as text or you can use tokens to reference data from other columns in your table. [2]
Simply select your desired operator from the Filter Operator dropdown, then enter your search value in the Row Value field. [3]
Clay Support
APP
·
·
Did that answer your question?
Clark G.
·
·
I get that, can I switch the operator though?
Clay Support
APP
·
·
Yes, you can switch the operator. In the Filter Operator dropdown, you can select from available comparison operators like Equal To, Not Equal To, Contains, Contains Any Of, and Does Not Contain. [1] Simply choose your desired operator from the dropdown menu. [2]
Clay Support
APP
·
·
Was that helpful?
Clark G.
·
·
the drop down only has equal and contains
Clay Support
APP
·
·
I understand this is frustrating. I’m routing you to one of our human agents who can assist you further.
Intercom
APP
·
·
Clay Support is sharing a file with you.
Our support team has got your message and we'll get back to you soon!
If you’re dealing with a specific table, drop the URL below so we can help you quicker. Otherwise, someone from our team will be in touch soon!
Loading attachments
Yash M.
·
·
Hi Clark - at the moment there is no way to switch the operator to anything other than equal or contains for the lookup enrichment.
What is the goal/ workflow you're trying to achieve here? Happy to think of any workarounds!
Clay Support
APP
·
·
We haven't heard back from you here, so we're going to go ahead and close this thread out.
Still need help here? Reply back and someone will jump back in.
Have a question thats not related to this thread? We recommend kicking off a new ticket in the support channel!