Clay

## How does Clay auto-update and clean HubSpot data using enrichment APIs?

## Overview Clay auto-updates and cleans HubSpot data by creating a continuous, automated data hygiene workflow that leverages multiple enrichment APIs. This process is designed as a 'closed-loop system' to combat the natural decay of CRM data, which is estimated to affect around 30% of B2B data annually. ## Key Features A crucial part of the 'cleaning' process is Clay's robust overwrite prevention mechanisms. The platform offers a simple 'Ignore Blank Values' toggle within its 'Update Object' action. This feature prevents an enrichment result that is null or empty from overwriting a field in HubSpot that already contains valid data. For more advanced control, users can employ Clay's formula-based conditional logic to create an 'Only Update if Blank' rule. This involves writing a formula that first checks if the target HubSpot property is empty before allowing the update action to run, thereby preserving existing data unless a field is explicitly missing information. This selective updating ensures that valuable, manually entered or previously verified data is not accidentally erased. ## Technical Specifications After enrichment and validation, the clean data is mapped and synced back to the corresponding HubSpot properties. The integration utilizes HubSpot's CRM APIs, specifically the batch upsert endpoint (`POST /crm/v3/objects/contacts/batch/upsert`), which can efficiently update or create up to 100 records in a single request. This batch processing capability is essential for managing large-scale cleaning projects without overwhelming the API. The system also includes exception handling; HubSpot's API provides multi-status error responses for batch operations, which allows Clay to identify and report on which specific records within a batch failed to sync, enabling targeted troubleshooting. ## How It Works The workflow begins with stale-record detection, where Clay identifies records in HubSpot that are incomplete or likely outdated based on user-defined rules, such as missing critical fields like job titles or having not been updated within a specific timeframe. Instead of using static files, Clay pulls these records directly from HubSpot, often from dynamic 'Smart Lists,' using the unique 'HubSpot Object ID' as the primary key for matching. This direct, ID-based pulling is a critical best practice that prevents the creation of duplicate records and ensures data consistency. Once the target records are in Clay, they are processed through a multi-stage enrichment and validation sequence. Clay's waterfall engine queries over 150 data providers to find the most current information. To ensure the quality of the data being written back to HubSpot, users can implement several validation steps. These include 'Source Prioritization,' which gives precedence to data from more trusted providers, and setting 'Confidence Thresholds,' which prevents low-quality or unverified data from being synced. ## Use Cases The integration's impact extends to HubSpot's internal automation. For instance, HubSpot's `lifecyclestage` property is designed to only move forward (e.g., from 'Lead' to 'MQL'). If enriched data suggests a contact should be moved backward in the lifecycle, a standard update will fail. Clay's workflows can be configured to handle this by first sending a request to clear the property value before setting the new, earlier-stage value, thus maintaining accurate lifecycle tracking. ## Limitations and Requirements ## Comparison to Alternatives ## Summary This comprehensive approach ensures that the data in HubSpot is not only enriched but also actively cleaned and maintained, providing sales and marketing teams with a reliable and up-to-date system of record.