Waterfall enrichment tries several data providers in sequence for records that still lack a useful result. It can increase coverage of an email, phone, or company-data lookup, but the stopping rule and the returned status matter as much as the number of providers.
For example, an email workflow can try another provider for a contact when the first lookup finds nothing. Finding an address, verifying deliverability, and confirming that it belongs to the intended person are separate checks.
Prepare the identity before the lookup
Keep a stable contact ID and the original source values. For a person lookup, useful fields include First Name, Last Name, Company Name or Domain, and a personal LinkedIn Profile URL when available.
A company domain helps distinguish employers with similar names. A company LinkedIn page is not a person's profile, and a generic inbox is not evidence of an individual's identity. Correct those input problems before spending on repeated lookups.
Use company-name normalization for inconsistent company labels and data deduplication for repeated contacts. Merge only when the identifiers support the same person; matching names alone are insufficient.
Choose the Datablist workflow
Waterfall Email Finder finds a work email for an existing contact. Choose Email Search Method according to your data: By Name and Company (default) or By LinkedIn URL.
For a single contact, use the free Email Finder with their first and last name plus company name or domain, or their public LinkedIn profile URL. It provides a way to try the lookup before configuring a bulk collection.
For name-based lookups, map First Name, Last Name, and Company Name or Domain. Use Full Name switches the name input when your source has one combined field. For the LinkedIn method, use a personal profile URL in the supported format rather than a Sales Navigator profile link.
Waterfall People Enrichment is a broader person-enrichment workflow. Searching for people who fit a company and role is a different task from filling an email for a contact you already know. Choose the enrichment that matches the record and missing fields.
Review the result and its status
Map Email and Email Status to separate properties. Keep the original contact ID so the accepted address can be traced to the input.
In an illustrative review, one row could have an address with a verified status, another an unverified address needing further checks, and a third no result. Those outcomes should not all enter the same outreach queue. Deliverability information does not establish that the person still works for the company or that the address identifies the intended contact.
A missing input, invalid URL, provider failure, and no match are different outcomes. Inspect the run status alongside Email Status before deciding whether to correct the source, retry, or leave the record unresolved.
Decide whether more providers help
The email finder continues through providers for rows still missing an email, subject to provider availability and execution boundaries. It does not promise that every provider will run on every contact or that every record will be completed.
For eligible name-based configurations, Custom Waterfall exposes a Waterfall Sequence with a provider and its API key for each step. Inspect the available settings and your provider usage terms before choosing a custom order. The settings differ by search method; do not assume the same custom sequence is available for LinkedIn-only lookup.
Test a representative sample, including missing and ambiguous inputs. Compare accepted results and usage, then process the remaining intended rows. Inspect existing-data rules before a rerun so reviewed emails are not replaced unintentionally.
For the full workflow, see waterfall enrichment and finding emails at scale. Export accepted contacts and unresolved records separately when your downstream tool expects a reviewed list.