Clay API: What You Actually Get (And What You Don't)

If you're searching for "Clay API," you're probably trying to figure out if you can integrate Clay programmatically into your workflows. Here's the short answer: Clay doesn't have a traditional public API. But before you click away, there are still ways to work with Clay programmatically, and the platform itself lets you connect to basically any external API.

This gets confusing because "Clay API" can mean two different things:

Let's break down both.

Does Clay Have an API?

No, Clay doesn't offer a traditional public API for developers. Clay's architecture is built around table-based processing where enrichments happen in specific table instances, making it difficult to expose as a clean, stateless API endpoint.

According to Clay's documentation, they get this question a lot. The platform was designed as a visual, spreadsheet-like interface for data enrichment and automation, not as an API-first product. That said, there are three workarounds if you need to interact with Clay programmatically.

1. Webhooks (The Most API-Like Option)

Every Clay table has a unique webhook endpoint. You can push data into a table from anywhere—a form submission, your CRM, a custom script—and Clay will start processing it immediately. Once enrichments finish, you can use HTTP actions to push the cleaned data back to your CRM, Google Sheets, or outreach tool.

This is the closest you'll get to an API-like workflow. It's perfect for automating lead flow or enrichment jobs where you need Clay to sit in the middle of your data pipeline.

2. Third-Party Wrappers (Make, Zapier, Replit)

If you absolutely need an endpoint, you can use tools like Make, Zapier, or even a custom script on Replit to act as a middleman. These tools receive your API request, trigger Clay to do its thing, and return results once processing is complete.

The catch: Clay's enrichment model means responses might take a minute or more. You'll need to build logic that waits for results or checks back later. Not ideal for real-time use cases.

3. Enterprise API (Limited Access)

For Enterprise customers, Clay offers a limited but fast API for accessing its proprietary People and Company data. You can send an email or LinkedIn URL to get back basic person details, or a domain to get company info. This is useful for lightweight lookups and lead enrichment, but it doesn't include deep enrichment like verified emails, phone numbers, or revenue data.

You'll need to contact Clay's GTM engineers to access this.

What About Clay's HTTP API Feature?

This is where things get more useful. Clay's HTTP API integration lets you connect Clay to virtually any external API. This means you can pull data from APIs that Clay doesn't natively integrate with, or push enriched data to custom tools.

What You Can Do With HTTP API in Clay

The HTTP API feature is available starting on the Explorer plan ($349/month or $314/month billed annually). The Starter plan lets you use your own API keys for enrichment providers, but HTTP API access is locked behind the Explorer tier.

How HTTP API Works

You set up an HTTP API column in your Clay table and configure the request method (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE), endpoint URL, headers, authentication, and body. Clay will execute this API call for each row in your table, pulling in the response data.

You can also configure rate limits to respect the API's limitations. Clay's minimum rate limit setting is 5 requests per 1000ms. If the API you're connecting to has stricter limits (like 2 requests per second), you'll need to work around this—usually by breaking your dataset into smaller chunks or using external tools like n8n.

Clay also supports using HTTP API as a source, which lets you import data directly from an external API to create a new table. Note that pagination isn't currently supported, so you'll only get data from a single API response.

Clay Pricing and API Access

Understanding what you need to pay for API-related features:

When you bring your own API keys to Clay (for tools like Apollo, Hunter, or OpenAI), you don't get charged Clay credits—you only pay the provider directly. This requires at least the Starter plan. Without your own API keys, Clay charges around 2 credits per enrichment when using Clay-managed accounts.

HTTP API Rate Limits in Clay

Clay lets you configure rate limits in your HTTP API settings to avoid hitting external API limits. You set a request limit (like 30 requests) and duration in milliseconds (like 60000ms for 1 minute).

The problem: Clay's minimum rate limit is 5 requests per 1000ms. Many public APIs have stricter limits. For example, the UK Companies House API allows 600 requests per 5 minutes (effectively 2 per second). Clay won't let you set the rate that low.

Workarounds include breaking datasets into smaller chunks, running tables step-by-step with pauses, or using external tools like n8n for preprocessing. Some users have reported frustration with this limitation.

Real-World Use Cases for Clay API Workflows

Even without a traditional API, here's what people are building with Clay:

Clay works best as a data enrichment and automation layer in your stack, not as a standalone API product.

Should You Use Clay for API-Heavy Workflows?

If you need a true API-first data enrichment platform, Clay isn't it. The lack of a public API and the minimum rate limit restrictions can be frustrating if you're trying to build custom integrations or handle high-volume, low-rate-limit APIs.

But if you're looking for a no-code way to connect dozens of data sources, enrich leads at scale, and automate workflows without writing code, Clay's HTTP API feature is powerful. Just know you'll be working within its limitations.

For teams that need API access for enrichment and prospecting, check out tools like sales intelligence platforms or cold email software that might offer more direct API support.

Getting Started With Clay

If you want to test Clay's HTTP API capabilities, you'll need at least the Explorer plan. The 14-day free trial gives you 1,000 credits and access to webhooks, CRM integrations, email sequencers, and HTTP API capabilities, so you can test API workflows before committing.

Ready to try it? Start with Clay here.

For more on data enrichment and automation tools, check out our guides on best CRM software and B2B lead generation tools.