Resolving Email Mismatches in Waterfall Enrichment Process

Joe H. · 2025-10-31T22:12:30.016Z

What's the best way to solve the following issue with Waterfall Email (Find Business Email) in a table: Waterfall enrichment finds a valid email via the first provider, but the email address does not match the identity of the person. For example: Full Name: Thomas Jones Company: Goldman Sachs Valid Email: thomas.jonson@goldmansachs.com (mailto:thomas.jonson@goldmansachs.com) I can't run the next provider to override this inaccurate email, Clay's waterfall blocks it because it already found a valid email, even though the email is incorrect for the lead

Resolving Email Mismatches in Waterfall Enrichment Process | Clay

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Clay Support
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The waterfall stops when it finds a "valid" email (one that passes technical validation), even if it's incorrect for the person.
Solutions:
1.
Use Custom Waterfall: Create a custom waterfall where you can manually control which providers run and in what order. [1]
2.
Toggle Off Providers: In your waterfall settings, use the toggle switch to temporarily disable the first provider that's returning incorrect emails, then re-run. [2]
3.
Reorder Providers: Access Waterfall Settings > Full Configuration to reorder providers, moving more accurate ones to the top. [3]
The standard waterfall logic only triggers the next provider when no email is found or the email is technically invalid - it can't detect when an email belongs to the wrong person.
Clay Support
APP
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Did that answer your question?
Clay Support
APP
·
·
If you need any more help with the Waterfall Email issue or want to explore other ways to improve accuracy, I’m here to assist. Would you like to provide more details about what you’re trying to achieve or any other challenges you’re facing?
Kabeer A.
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That’s a common frustration with Clay’s Waterfall Email enrichment — once a provider returns a “valid” email, the flow stops even if it’s the wrong person. There’s no native override yet, but a practical workaround is to add a validation layer before accepting the email:
1.
Use a formula or Claygent check like “Does this email match the contact’s name?” (first/last).
2.
If it fails, clear the email cell or flag it (e.g., Mismatch = TRUE).
3.
Then rerun the enrichment manually or trigger the next provider conditionally (Run If Mismatch = TRUE).
This gives you better control over data accuracy without breaking the waterfall logic.
Clay Support
APP
·
·
That's exactly right! The waterfall stops when it finds a technically valid email, even if it belongs to the wrong person.
Your validation layer approach is smart. You can add a formula column to check name matching, then use conditional logic to flag mismatches and trigger additional providers when needed. [1]
Another option is enabling "Only mark 'Safe to Send' emails as valid" in your waterfall settings, which excludes catch-all emails that might be less accurate. [2]
Clay Support
APP
·
·
Did that answer your question?
Clay Support
APP
·
·
If you still need help refining your Waterfall Email setup or have other questions, I’m here to assist. Would you like to share more about what you’re trying to resolve or any specific challenges you’re facing?

Clay Support
APP
·
·
The waterfall stops when it finds a "valid" email (one that passes technical validation), even if it's incorrect for the person.
Solutions:
1.
Use Custom Waterfall: Create a custom waterfall where you can manually control which providers run and in what order. [1]
2.
Toggle Off Providers: In your waterfall settings, use the toggle switch to temporarily disable the first provider that's returning incorrect emails, then re-run. [2]
3.
Reorder Providers: Access Waterfall Settings > Full Configuration to reorder providers, moving more accurate ones to the top. [3]
The standard waterfall logic only triggers the next provider when no email is found or the email is technically invalid - it can't detect when an email belongs to the wrong person.
Clay Support
APP
·
·
Did that answer your question?
Clay Support
APP
·
·
If you need any more help with the Waterfall Email issue or want to explore other ways to improve accuracy, I’m here to assist. Would you like to provide more details about what you’re trying to achieve or any other challenges you’re facing?
Kabeer A.
·
·
That’s a common frustration with Clay’s Waterfall Email enrichment — once a provider returns a “valid” email, the flow stops even if it’s the wrong person. There’s no native override yet, but a practical workaround is to add a validation layer before accepting the email:
1.
Use a formula or Claygent check like “Does this email match the contact’s name?” (first/last).
2.
If it fails, clear the email cell or flag it (e.g., Mismatch = TRUE).
3.
Then rerun the enrichment manually or trigger the next provider conditionally (Run If Mismatch = TRUE).
This gives you better control over data accuracy without breaking the waterfall logic.
Clay Support
APP
·
·
That's exactly right! The waterfall stops when it finds a technically valid email, even if it belongs to the wrong person.
Your validation layer approach is smart. You can add a formula column to check name matching, then use conditional logic to flag mismatches and trigger additional providers when needed. [1]
Another option is enabling "Only mark 'Safe to Send' emails as valid" in your waterfall settings, which excludes catch-all emails that might be less accurate. [2]
Clay Support
APP
·
·
Did that answer your question?
Clay Support
APP
·
·
If you still need help refining your Waterfall Email setup or have other questions, I’m here to assist. Would you like to share more about what you’re trying to resolve or any specific challenges you’re facing?