Most data tools are either expensive, inaccurate, or complicated to use.
You don’t want your team to spend a huge portion of their budget on data providers that deliver outdated contact information, which lead to high bounce rates, wasted effort, and most importantly: People pointing at each other.
But don’t worry, there is still a way to get highly accurate emails at scale, for a fraction of the cost, and without needing a PhD, → Datablist’s Waterfall Email Finder.
This guide breaks down exactly what Waterfall Email Finder is, why it's the most effective method for finding emails at scale today, and how you can start using it in minutes.
📌 Summary For Those In a Rush
This article shows how to find emails at scale using Datablist’s Waterfall Email Finder. Here is a summary:
- What it is: Waterfall Email Finder is a method that queries multiple email data providers sequentially until it finds valid emails.
- Why it matters: Traditional email finders have low success rates and are expensive, while Waterfall Email Finder delivers higher accuracy (80%+ vs. typical 55%) at lower cost.
- How it works: The system automatically checks up to 20 data sources one after another, stopping once it finds a verified email.
- Key benefits: You only pay for successful finds, can connect existing subscriptions, and can process thousands of records without technical skills.
- Step-by-step guide: Learn how to find emails at scale in just 6 simple steps using Datablist.
- Alternatives: ZoomInfo, Lusha, and other platforms are quickly reviewed
Table of Contents
- What Is Waterfall Email Finder and How Does It Work?
- A Step-By-Step Guide to Finding Emails At Scale
- Why Waterfall Email Finder Is Better Than Other Methods
- Alternatives to Waterfall Email Finder
- How Datablist's Approach Compares To Other Tools
What Is Waterfall Email Finder and How Does It Work?
Waterfall Email Finder is an approach that solves the biggest problem with traditional email finders: low finding rates. Instead of relying on a single database, it queries multiple data providers one after another until it finds the correct information.
Think of it as having a team of researchers instead of just one. If the first researcher can't find the email, the task automatically goes to the second, then the third, and so on.
How Waterfall Email Finder Works
If you’re wondering how the Waterfall Email Finder method works, here’s a simple 5-step breakdown.
1️⃣ Input: You start by providing a list of names and their company domains.
2️⃣ First Attempt: The system checks the first data provider in the sequence for a matching email.
3️⃣ Cascade Effect: If no valid email is found, it automatically moves to the next provider in the chain. This continues sequentially through the best data vendors available.
4️⃣ Persistence: The search cascades through up to 20 different data sources to maximize the chances of a successful match.
5️⃣ Result: The moment a verified email is found, the process stops, and the result is returned to you. (You only pay for successful finds).
Note: The entire process is automated, so you get the benefit without any manual work.
How To Use The Waterfall Email Finder
Getting started with Waterfall Email Finder in Datablist is incredibly straightforward.
You don’t need any technical skills to launch your first email-finding workflow. The platform is designed to be easy to use, so you can find thousands of emails in just a few minutes.
And when I say “easy to use,” I mean, Datablist’s Waterfall Email Finder is so simple that you start finding emails at scale in just 6 steps, yes, only 6.
📘 Some Context Beforehand
To start finding emails at scale with Datablist, you can choose between three options:
Option 1: Using first name, last name, and company domain or company name
Option 2: Using full name and company domain or company name to find the email address
Option 3: Finding email addresses from a LinkedIn profile URL
Additionally, if you have a subscription for one of the following tools, you can use your API key: Full Enrich, Enrow, Icypeas, Prospeo, Findymail
For simplicity, I’ll just keep the default settings. Let’s get started!
Here’s an article showing how to find email addresses from LinkedIn profile URLs 👈🏽
Step 1: Sign up for Datablist
Go to Datablist.com and create an account.
Step 2: Upload Your Data
On the Getting Started page, Upload your CSV or Excel file containing your prospects' first names, last names, and company domains.
Step 3: Select the Waterfall Email Finder
Click on Enrich in the top menu of the app
Go to the People panel
Choose the Waterfall Email Finder
Step 4: Configure Input Fields
Map the columns corresponding to the first name, last name, and company domain. This ensures Datablist has the right information to start searching for emails at scale
Step 5: Select Outputs
Now you can select the output fields and data you need. You can choose between:
- Email - The emails we found
- Email Status - Deliverability info for found email ('verified', 'unverified').
- MX provider - Email Provider. One of amazon, apple, barracuda, cisco, csc, gandi, google, ionos, microsoft, mimecast, other, ovh, proofpoint, safenames
Step 6: Run the Enrichment
Click Instant Run, then click Run enrichment on all items to start finding emails at scale.
What you'll also see after running the enrichment: Credits spent and Run Status, both designed to give you maximum clarity on costs, data quality, and any potential errors.
Why Waterfall Email Finder Is Better Than Other Methods
Now that you know what Waterfall Email Finder is, how it works, and how to use it, let me tell you why relying on a single data provider for finding emails at scale is no longer effective.
- Their databases are often outdated
- Their coverage can be weak in certain industries or regions
- The ROI is much lower than when investing in Waterfall Email Finder
Here’s how Datablist’s Waterfall Email Finder counters that:
Unmatched Accuracy and Coverage
By querying multiple vendors, you dramatically increase the chances of finding valid emails. Some vendors are great for tech companies in the US, while others excel at finding contacts in European manufacturing. Waterfall Email Finder combines their strengths, often boosting find rates from a typical 55% to over 80% which can lead to 45% more revenue
Superior Cost-Effectiveness
- With Datablist, you only pay for successfully verified emails. This success-based model means you never waste credits on bad data.
- Even better, you can connect your existing subscriptions from other email finders. If you already have an account with another provider, you can use your API key in Datablist to use your existing credits first, preventing you from paying twice.
Time & Resource Efficiency
The entire process is automated, which means you can stop wasting hours manually searching for contact details or juggling multiple tools.
Alternatives To Waterfall Email Finder
Of course, the waterfall method isn't the only way to get contact data. For years, companies have relied on other data platforms, but these tools often come at a high price and with significant trade-offs.
ZoomInfo
ZoomInfo is one of the largest and most well-known B2B data providers. It offers a massive database of account & contact information. The downside? It's known for its high-cost annual contracts. While their data is extensive, it’s often outdated since it relies on a static database.
Lusha
Lusha is a popular tool, often praised for its ease of use and browser extension. It's a solid choice for individuals or small teams, but its accuracy can be inconsistent when you try to find emails at scale. Many users find they hit a wall with coverage, forcing them to look for alternative sources anyway.
Cognism
Cognism focuses on providing high-quality data with a strong focus on mobile numbers. Its data quality is generally good, but it comes with a very high price tag that puts it out of reach for most businesses. Like other single-source platforms, you are still limited to the reach of their database.
Besides databases, there are also email finder tools like Hunter.io, Anymail Finder, etc.. I didn’t include them because most of these tools can be accessed through Datablist’s Waterfall Email Finder (at a much better price).
Datablist Compared To Other Data Enrichment Tools
So, how does Datablist's Waterfall Email Finder stack up against the legacy platforms?
To be honest, those platforms offer some nice features, no question, but they can't compete with us on finding emails at scale with high accuracy and low cost.
Data Sourcing Strategy
- Datablist (Waterfall): Leverages a network of over 20 data vendors in real-time. This ensures you're always accessing the freshest, most accurate data available from the best possible source for any given contact.
- Other Platforms: Rely on a single, proprietary database that is updated periodically. This model often leads to stale data and gaps in coverage.
Pricing Model
- Datablist (Waterfall): Operates a success-based model. If we don't find the email, you don't pay. This eliminates wasted spend and makes finding emails at scale incredibly cost-effective.
- Other Platforms: Typically require expensive annual subscriptions with bundled credits, whether you use them or not. You pay for access to the entire platform, not just the data you need.
Flexibility
- Datablist (Waterfall): Flexible. You can integrate your own API keys from other tools email finding tools, ensuring you get maximum value from your existing subscriptions before using Datablist credits.
- Other Platforms: Lock you into their ecosystem. You use their data and their tools, with no exceptions.
💡 The Datablist Advantage
Advantage #1: With Datablist, you don’t just get the Waterfall Email Finder; you get access to an entire suite of enrichment tools, including a phone number finder, lead finder, and more
Advantage #2: You pay the same price per result as going directly to individual vendors, but benefit from the aggregated power of all of them combined in one simple workflow.
Advantage #3: We believe in fairness. If our system can't find the contact data you're looking for, you aren't charged a single credit. Simple as that.
The Bottom Line: Stop Overpaying For Bad Data
It’s not enough to just use a single email finder anymore (and buying static lists is even worse). Business is too competitive to rely on outdated methods, or simply: If you don’t take advantage, your competitor will.
The best approach is to use a Waterfall Email Finder that combines the strengths of all the best providers into a single, automated workflow because it:
- Increases your data accuracy
- Saves you valuable hours.
- Reduces your costs
Additionally, by reaching more prospects, you create more opportunities & drive more revenue.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Finding Emails At Scale
How Much Does It Cost To Find Emails With Waterfall Email Finder?
To find an email in Datablist, you need 25 credits. Here's a practical example: If you invest in a $20 top-up, you'll get 20,000 credits, which allows you to find 4,000 emails. This makes the cost per successfully found email just $0.025, and importantly, you only pay for successful results.
Can I Use My Own Subscriptions With Datablist's Waterfall Email Finder?
Yes. Datablist allows you to add your own API keys from other email finder tools you subscribe to. The system will use your credits from those providers first before using your Datablist credits, helping you maximize the value of all your subscriptions.
What Kind of Accuracy Can I Expect From Waterfall Email Finder?
While no method is 100% perfect, Waterfall Email Finder consistently delivers the highest accuracy rates in the industry. Users can typically expect accuracy rates between 70-85%, as the system leverages multiple sources and often includes a final verification step.
What’s The Limit of Emails I Can Process With Datablist’s Waterfall Email Finder?
Datablist allows you to run enrichments on up to 100,000 rows within a single collection (sheet). If you have more than that, you can create multiple subsets of your dataset and enrich them in different collections. This way, you can find all the emails you need, no matter the size of your dataset.
How Can I Find Thousands of Emails At Scale?
The most effective way is to use an automated tool that leverages Waterfall Email Finder, such as Datablist.com. You simply upload a list of names and company domains, and the system will query multiple data sources sequentially to find verified email addresses for you.
What’s The Best Tool To Find Thousands of Emails?
For finding emails at scale, a tool like Datablist.com that uses the Waterfall Email Finder method is the best option. It offers higher accuracy than single-provider tools and is more cost-effective than static databases.
Can I find an email address just from a LinkedIn profile URL?
Yes! The Waterfall Email Finder can work from either a person’s name and company info or directly from their LinkedIn profile URL. When you use a LinkedIn URL, we automatically extract the person’s name and company domain before starting the email search. And don’t worry: this LinkedIn extraction is free. You only pay when we actually find a verified email. Read our article on how to get email addresses from LinkedIn profiles to learn more.
Is Waterfall Email Finder Really so Effective as They All Say?
Yes. By checking multiple specialized data vendors instead of just one, Waterfall Email Finder increases email find rates from the industry average of 50-60% to over 80%. This means you can reach significantly more prospects from the same initial list and make more revenue by default.
What’s The Best Method to Find Emails At Scale?
Datablist’s Waterfall Email Finder is the best method because it maximizes accuracy, is highly cost-effective (you only pay for success), and automates a time-consuming process. It combines the strengths of many tools into one simple workflow.
I Have Thousands of Names and Domains. How Can I Find Their Email Addresses?
Upload your list to Datablist, select the Waterfall Email Finder enrichment, map your columns (name, domain), and run the tool. The platform will automatically process your list and append the verified emails. The entire process takes about 3-7min depending on how many thousands of emails you need.