What is Waterfall Enrichment?
Waterfall enrichment is a data enrichment strategy that routes each record through a sequence of data providers, moving to the next source only when the previous one fails to return a match.
Waterfall enrichment is a methodology used in B2B data operations where a single record - such as a lead or company profile - is passed through multiple data providers in a prioritized sequence. The system queries the first provider and, if it returns a valid result, moves on to the next record. If the first provider cannot find a match or returns incomplete data, the record cascades down to the second provider, then the third, and so on until the data is found or all sources have been exhausted.
This approach solves a fundamental problem in B2B data: no single provider has complete coverage across all industries, company sizes, and geographies. By layering multiple providers, waterfall enrichment dramatically increases match rates compared to relying on a single vendor. Teams that switch from single-provider enrichment to a waterfall approach typically see match rate improvements of 20-40%.
The key challenge with waterfall enrichment is orchestration. Managing API integrations with multiple providers, handling rate limits, normalizing different response formats, and routing records intelligently requires significant engineering effort when built in-house. This is why purpose-built platforms have emerged to abstract away the complexity.
Cleanlist implements waterfall enrichment as a core capability, connecting to over 10 data providers through a single API. Rather than requiring teams to build and maintain individual integrations, Cleanlist handles the sequencing, normalization, and fallback logic automatically. Records flow through the provider cascade in milliseconds, and the platform selects the best available data point from each source to construct the most complete profile possible.
Cost optimization is another important dimension. Not all providers charge the same rate, and some are more accurate for certain data types. A well-configured waterfall routes records to the most cost-effective provider first, only escalating to premium sources when cheaper options fail. This can reduce enrichment costs by 30-50% compared to routing all records through a single expensive provider.
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See how Cleanlist handles waterfall enrichment →Frequently Asked Questions
How does waterfall enrichment improve match rates?
Waterfall enrichment improves match rates by querying multiple data providers in sequence. If the first provider cannot find a record, the system automatically tries the next one. Since no single provider covers every company or contact, layering multiple sources typically increases overall match rates by 20-40% compared to using a single provider.
What is the difference between waterfall enrichment and parallel enrichment?
In waterfall enrichment, providers are queried one at a time in priority order, stopping when a match is found. In parallel enrichment, all providers are queried simultaneously and results are merged. Waterfall is more cost-efficient because it avoids unnecessary API calls, while parallel enrichment is faster but more expensive since every provider is hit for every record.
How many data providers should a waterfall enrichment sequence include?
Most effective waterfall sequences use 3-5 data providers. Beyond that, the incremental match rate improvement diminishes while costs increase. The ideal number depends on your data type - email enrichment may need fewer providers than firmographic enrichment. Cleanlist supports over 10 providers so teams can configure the optimal cascade for their specific needs.
Related Terms
Multi-Provider Enrichment
Multi-provider enrichment uses multiple data vendors simultaneously or sequentially to enrich records, maximizing coverage and accuracy by combining the strengths of different data sources.
Data Enrichment
Data enrichment is the process of enhancing existing data records with additional information from external sources, improving accuracy, completeness, and usefulness for sales and marketing teams.
Golden Record
A golden record is the single, most accurate and complete version of a data entity created by merging and deduplicating information from multiple sources.