What is Waterfall Enrichment?

Learn how waterfall enrichment uses multiple data providers in sequence to improve match rates when one source cannot find a lead.

August 27, 2026

Waterfall enrichment is a way to look up missing lead data through several providers in sequence. If the first provider cannot find a result, the workflow tries the next one until it finds a match or reaches the end of the list.

This works because no single data provider has complete coverage. One source may find a work email, while another has a better phone number or company record. A waterfall gives each provider a chance to fill the gap without making you run every lookup by hand.

The usual workflow is simple:

  • Start with a lead and the information you already have.
  • Try the providers in the order you choose.
  • Stop when a provider returns a usable result.
  • Keep the result on the same lead record.

Tools like Cockpit let you build these workflows in a spreadsheet, so you can import a list, run enrichment across multiple providers, and export the finished records. For a provider-by-provider comparison, see our B2B data enrichment tools comparison.