So, you’re tired of buying lead lists that are half junk, or running generic enrichment workflows that spit out data you can’t use. You want better leads, and you’re willing to do a bit of setup to get there. This guide is for folks who want to actually improve their data, not just run it through another black box.
We’ll walk through building custom enrichment sequences in Captaindata, a tool that lets you automate pulling in data from multiple sources, filter out the noise, and get to leads you can actually use—without needing to code or buy yet another SaaS add-on.
Why bother with custom enrichment?
Here’s the deal: Out-of-the-box enrichment is fine… until it isn’t. You’ll get: - Data that’s outdated or just wrong - Info you don’t care about (“industry: other” is not helpful) - Wasted credits on leads that never respond
Custom enrichment means you control the recipe: what gets added, what gets filtered out, and how strict you want to be. You’ll spend a bit more time upfront, but save yourself hours cleaning up garbage later.
What you need before you start
- A Captaindata account (obviously)
- A list of leads to enrich—CSV, Google Sheets, whatever
- A clear idea of what “good” leads look like for you (job title, company size, valid email, etc.)
- Patience for a little trial and error
If you don’t know who you’re targeting, don’t bother setting up advanced enrichment yet. Get clear on that first.
Step 1: Map out your ideal enrichment sequence
Before you click anything, sketch out what you want:
-
Start with your raw leads
Where are they coming from? LinkedIn, a scraped list, your CRM? -
What data’s missing?
- Name? Email? Job title? LinkedIn URL?
-
What’s essential, what’s “nice to have”?
-
Which sources do you trust?
- LinkedIn for job data
- Clearbit or Hunter for emails
-
Company databases for size/industry
-
What’s your “stop” criteria?
If a lead already has a valid email, do you skip them? If company is too small, do you drop them?
Pro tip: Don’t try to enrich everything. Be picky. The more steps you add, the more places things can break.
Step 2: Set up your base workflow in Captaindata
Captaindata runs everything as a workflow (they call them “sequences”). Here’s how to get started:
- Upload your lead list
- Go to “Workflows” > “New Workflow”
-
Use their built-in importers for CSV, Sheets, or connect your CRM
-
Choose your enrichment “blocks”
- Each block pulls data from a source (e.g., “Find LinkedIn Profile,” “Find Email,” etc.)
-
Drag and drop the steps in the order you want
-
Map your input fields
- Make sure Captaindata knows which column is which (email, company name, etc.)
- Garbage in, garbage out—double-check your mapping
Reality check: Captaindata’s UI is decent, but not always intuitive. If you’re stuck, check their docs, or just Google your error message. You’re not the first.
Step 3: Add enrichment steps that actually help
Here's where you separate “meh” enrichment from something actually useful.
- Start with LinkedIn or company domain lookup
- If you don’t have the LinkedIn URL, use Captaindata’s lookup to find it based on name and company.
-
This sets up the rest of your enrichment—most tools key off LinkedIn or domain.
-
Add email finding/verification
- Use the “Find Email” block, and always follow with “Verify Email.”
-
Don’t trust unverified emails. Sending to bad addresses hurts your deliverability.
-
Layer on company enrichment
- Pull company size, industry, funding, tech stack—whatever matters to you.
-
Don’t bother with fields you’ll never use. More data isn’t better if you ignore half of it.
-
Custom filters or scoring (optional)
- If Captaindata gives you the option to add filters (e.g., “only if company size > 50”), use them.
- You can also export results and score/filter in Sheets if Captaindata’s filters are too basic.
Ignore the temptation to add every enrichment possible “just in case.” Each extra step means more API calls (cost), more things to debug, and more chances for data to go sideways.
Step 4: Set conditions and “smart stops”
You don’t want to enrich leads that are already good, or waste time on junk.
-
Skip leads that already have what you need
If your input has a verified email, set Captaindata to skip email finding. -
Drop leads missing critical info
No company domain or LinkedIn match? Don’t bother with the rest. -
Set up error handling
Captaindata lets you route failed lookups to a “missed” list. Check these occasionally—sometimes you’ll spot patterns (e.g., a naming issue) you can fix. -
Throttle your runs
Don’t blast through your entire contact list at once, especially if you’re testing a new workflow. Run 10-20 first, check the results, then go bigger.
Step 5: Review and refine your output
This is where most people get lazy. Don’t just trust the output—spot check it.
- Pull your results into Sheets or Airtable
- Filter for “verified” emails only
- Look for weird outliers (CEO with a “student” title, obviously wrong companies)
- Check enrichment data against LinkedIn or company sites for a random sample
If you see a pattern of bad data, tweak your workflow. Maybe you need to change the lookup order, or add stricter filters.
Pro tip: Keep your enrichment sequence short at first. Add steps only when you know they’re worth it. More steps = more cost and more complexity.
Step 6: Automate and connect to your main tools
Once you’ve got a sequence that works, hook it up to your sales or marketing stack.
- Captaindata can push to HubSpot, Salesforce, or even just Google Sheets
- Use webhooks or Zapier for anything else
- Always keep a raw backup of your enriched data—sometimes integrations bork your fields
If you’re running enrichment regularly, schedule your workflow in Captaindata to run overnight or during downtime. That way, you’re not waiting around for it.
What works (and what doesn’t)
Works: - Being ruthless about what data you actually need - Verifying emails before you send - Filtering out garbage early in the workflow - Testing with small batches before scaling up
Doesn’t work: - Enriching every field “just in case”—it’s a waste - Trusting enrichment results blindly - Trying to automate everything from day one - Ignoring errors or “missed” lookups
Ignore: - Fancy dashboards and KPIs about “data completeness” if you never use half the fields - Hype about “AI-powered enrichment”—it’s mostly fancy matching, not magic
Keep it simple, iterate often
Custom enrichment isn’t about building a Rube Goldberg machine. Start with the basics, get a workflow that spits out better leads than what you started with, and only then add complexity.
You’ll probably break things a few times. That’s fine—just keep your sequences lean, test often, and don’t be afraid to throw out steps that don’t pay off.
Bottom line: Cleaner, more usable leads are worth the effort. But don’t let “perfect” get in the way of just getting started.