Reference

The standards.

A quiet reference you can return to anytime. These are the conventions every build checks itself against.

Section 01

Column color coordination

When multiple people touch a build, color creates immediate visibility into cost drivers, logic layers, risky areas, and sync actions — without needing a walkthrough.

Green

Parent signal enrichments — paid, credit-consuming pulls.

Purple

Derived data — formulas, rollups, classifications, scoring. Zero credit.

Yellow

Testing phase. Results need review or internal discussion.

Red

Tested and underperforming. Candidates for deletion.

Blue

Send-table data — exports, sync actions, downstream sends.

Pink

CRM-sourced or otherwise protected data. Don't alter casually.

White

Default / uncategorized.

Section 02

Table naming convention

Tables are easier to navigate internally — and easier to hand off — when names are predictable.

Pattern

FF-[Function]-{Segment*}

*Where applicable

FF-Data EngineFF-ColdOutboundFF-CRMSyncFF-Outbound-ColdICPFF-Outbound-ClosedLostFF-CRMSync-CustomersFF-CRMSync-Opps

· Use clear, readable names
· Keep them concise
· Avoid one-off creative names
· An unfamiliar teammate should grasp purpose immediately

Section 03

Mandatory pre-send lookups

Any time data is being pushed from Clay into a CRM or outbound platform, both lookups are required. No exceptions unless explicitly approved.

CRM lookup

·Confirm record does not already exist
·Prevent duplicate accounts/contacts
·Protect CRM hygiene

Client match lookup

·Never prospect existing customers
·Avoid embarrassing outreach to active clients
·Protect customer experience and brand

Applies to

SalesforceHubSpotInstantlyOutreachSalesloftCSV exportsAny downstream activation

Section 04

QA / QC checklist

The same items the assistant walks you through, summarized for quick reference.

Naming Convention

·Table name follows FF-[Function]-{Segment*}e.g. FF-Outbound-ColdICP, FF-CRMSync-Customers
·Name is clean, readable, and conciseAvoid one-off creative names
·Purpose is obvious to a teammate opening cold

Column Color Coordination

·Green applied to all parent signal enrichments (paid pulls)
·Purple applied to derived data — formulas, rollups, scoring
·Yellow applied to columns in testing / not yet validated
·Red applied to underperforming columns flagged for deletion
·Blue applied to send-table columns (exports, sync, sends)
·Pink (or designated color) applied to CRM-sourced / protected fields
·White reserved for default / uncategorized columns only

Pre-Send Lookup Controls

·CRM lookup confirms record does not already existPrevents duplicate accounts/contacts
·Client/customer match lookup appliedNever prospect into active customers
·Salesforce push: lookups verified
·HubSpot push: lookups verified
·Instantly / Outreach / Salesloft: lookups verified
·CSV exports for prospecting: lookups verified

Email & Phone Enrichment QA

·Waterfall steps rearranged from lowest → highest credit cost
·Phone "Clay Enrichments" step input swapped to LinkedIn URL (not domain)
·All phone steps over 10 credits removedCan be reintroduced later based on results
·All email steps over 2 credits removedCan be reintroduced later based on results

Duplication & Dedupe QA

·After duplicating a table/template, all mappings re-verifiedMappings frequently get lost in translation
·Dedupe applied to tables with multiple contact sources
·Secondary dedupe column added where LinkedIn formatting varies across sources
·Lookalike company tables deduped