How to Build an Enriched Workflow With Surfe in Clay
TL;DR: Clay gives Ops leaders a powerful way to unify data enrichment from multiple data sources. With Surfe now embedded in Clay, those workflows gain a verified 93%+ accuracy layer, delivering cleaner CRM data, faster syncs, and more efficient credit usage. Together, Clay’s flexibility and Surfe’s verified enrichment create a consistent, high-integrity data pipeline from enrichment to revenue.
Clay needs no introduction, but we’ll do it anyway.
It’s one of the leading data orchestration tools used by teams to build automated enrichment workflows, and is widely considered a go-to platform for combining data sources and running prospecting or operations at scale.
Now Surfe is part of Clay’s enrichment cascade. Users can now enrich using Surfe data within Clay, and enjoy a 93% accuracy rate as well as data points like contact data, firmographic data, technographic data, buying signals, and intent data (to name just a few).
Use Surfe within Clay, and you’ll enjoy a verified data layer that keeps every enrichment reliable, CRM-ready, and compliant, all without changing existing processes. In turn, that operational efficiency and reliability will compound across every campaign, forecast, and pipeline report.
Let’s take a closer look.
How to Add Surfe in Clay
Activating Surfe inside Clay takes only a few minutes and instantly adds verified enrichment to every workflow. Once complete, every table you build in Clay runs with Surfe’s verified enrichment behind it.
Step 1: Create a New Table
Start in Clay by creating a new table and adding your first column; for example, a list of company domains.
Beginning with a clean domain list ensures structured, auditable data from the beginning, which is a standard best practice for Ops teams managing multi-source enrichment.
Step 2: Enrich Company Data
Add a new column, click Add Enrichment, and type Enrich Company into the search bar. You’ll see Clay’s default enrichment cascade.
Surfe is already part of this enrichment cascade. It’s ranked first in Clay’s default Find People waterfall and is also included in Mobile Enrichment. If you’ve already run the default cascade, you may already be using Surfe without realizing it.
You can also choose Surfe directly from the vendor list to prioritize its verified accuracy and make more efficient use of credits.
Next, select the company data points you want returned. For example, you might choose to look for a name, LinkedIn URL, website, industry, keywords, and country. Surfe uses its Company Search API to retrieve and verify this information.
When you’re ready, click Save and Run. Clay will generate new columns across your table, instantly populated with enriched company data verified through Surfe’s enrichment engine.
By running company enrichment through Surfe, leaders make sure that every record entering their CRM reflects verified, current information sourced by Surfe.
Step 3: Find People
You can also choose to search by person rather than by company. In the search bar, type Find People.
From there, select the data points you want returned. Options include (but aren’t limited to) first name, last name, full name, LinkedIn URL, job title, seniority, and department. Surfe’s People Search API will use these parameters to identify and verify the right contacts for each company record in your table.
You can also limit the number of results returned, for example, setting the enrichment to pull up to six people per company instead of the entire employee list. This helps focus enrichment on key decision-makers and reduces unnecessary credit usage.
When you’re ready, click Save and Run. Clay will instantly generate new columns populated with enriched contact data, verified through Surfe’s People Search API.
Once both company and contact enrichment are configured, every workflow in Clay carries Surfe-sourced data, giving leaders faster enrichment turnaround and measurable ROI on every credit spent.
With your enrichment tables configured, the next question is how you want to run them: through Clay’s built-in credits or Surfe’s API key. Each option returns accurate data. The difference lies in how you manage cost and control.
Credits vs API Key
Once your enrichment tables are configured, the next decision is how you want to run them: through Clay’s built-in credits or using your own Surfe API key. Both methods deliver the same data quality; the difference lies in how you manage cost, control, and scalability.
Using Clay credits is the simplest way to get started. It’s pay-as-you-go, with no setup required, and ideal for teams who want to enrich directly inside Clay without adjusting their configuration.
Setting up a Surfe API key takes a few extra minutes, but gives you more visibility and efficiency. It runs through the same workflow inside Clay, but draws from your Surfe credits instead of Clay’s. This usually means a lower cost per verified match and greater control over enrichment activity and data flow.
The decision will come down to strategy. Clay credits support fast scaling across teams, making it easy to expand enrichment capacity without setup overhead. The Surfe API key model supports structured, cost-efficient operations, giving teams more predictability and insight into enrichment performance. The choice simply depends on the structure of your operations and how your team prefers to manage enrichment. Either way, both routes deliver the same verified enrichment accuracy, without operational friction.
Surfe in Clay vs Surfe Direct (App & API): which flow is best for you?
Surfe isn’t only available inside Clay. You can also use it directly through the Surfe App or connect it via the Surfe API. Both options deliver trusted enrichment results; the difference lies in how your team prefers to manage enrichment and where those workflows live.
Use Surfe in Clay when your team needs to combine multiple data types in one view. Clay’s table format makes it easy to layer sales enrichment with broader context data (such as funding information, tech stack details, app store reviews, or intent signals) all within the same workspace. This approach suits spreadsheet-style projects run by RevOps or Marketing Ops teams preparing campaigns or managing complex enrichment workflows that require visibility across many data sources.
Use Surfe directly (through the Surfe App or API) when enrichment needs to sit closer to the CRM. This model works best for teams enriching prospect lists daily (for example, SDRs and AEs who need verified contacts synced automatically into Salesforce or HubSpot). It’s also ideal for real-time workflows like LinkedIn-native enrichment, message sync, and job-change alerts. Leaders who prioritise automation at scale and direct data oversight tend to favour this route.
Both options are strong: Clay keeps enrichment flexible and transparent across teams, while using Surfe directly builds precision and automation into your core systems. Used in combination, they give operations leaders the range to scale enrichment their own way – from experimental workflows to enterprise-level data automation.
What Surfe Delivers
Clay provides the flexibility to build powerful enrichment workflows, while Surfe’s verified enrichment gives teams higher match rates and reliable data for reporting accuracy. Its impact will be felt across the entire funnel: from faster campaign setup to more dependable CRM reporting.
Users of Surfe enjoy:
- 93%+ verified accuracy across contact and company data powered by Surfe’s waterfall enrichment engine, which aggregates data from 15+ top-quality sources to find and confirm results.
- 15+ hours saved per user per month through automated enrichment and removal of manual data entry.
- 4× more qualified leads generated in verified workflows with higher conversion consistency.
- 100% CRM data hygiene maintained in active customer pipelines.
For operations and revenue leaders, these results translate directly into efficiency and trust. Clean data improves pipeline visibility, forecasting accuracy, and team productivity; core metrics that show whether enrichment is performing as an operational asset or as a burden.
Clay & Surfe: Final Thoughts
Clay gives teams the flexibility to design and scale enrichment workflows. Surfe brings verified precision to those workflows, making sure every contact, company, and data point entering your CRM is accurate, compliant, and up to date.
Together, they give operations leaders control over two levers that define reliable data strategy: scale and trust. Clay supports experimentation and visibility across complex workflows, while Surfe guarantees the quality and verification that keep those workflows dependable over time.
Activating Surfe inside Clay unites those strengths in one process. It’s a simple step that turns every enrichment workflow into a source of verified, ready-to-use data – without changing the way your team already works. A rare case where ‘seamless integration’ actually means what it says.
