Mastering "Write to Table": Connect Data Like a Pro

The “Write to Table” feature in Clay is essential for connecting tables and managing hierarchical data. It allows you to take lists from one table and structure them into new, organized tables, ensuring seamless data transfer and enrichment.

This lesson will break down how Write to Table works, covering both implicit and custom implementations, with a deeper dive into how it was used in the Company Lookalikes lesson.

Understanding Write to Table

"Write to Table" is your key to building a robust data environment. It's the feature that sets the stage for linking different tables, which is instrumental when dealing with complex information hierarchies.

In cases where you need custom relationships, such as linking Company Lookalikes to their source companies, you'll need to set up Write to Table manually. This allows you to:

• Structure nested data (like lookalike lists) into a clean, usable format
• Ensure data stays relationally linked between tables
• Extract specific attributes from lists while maintaining their association with the original data

You’ll most often use write to table when you’re dealing with “1 to many” data relationships. For example, one company has many contacts you may want to reach out to, or one company has many lookalikes you want to investigate.

Whenever you run Find People from a Find Companies table, Write to Table is already running in the background. You’ll notice that your Find People table includes a lookup column that refreshes whenever changes are made to the Find Companies table. This automatic linking makes it easy to pull company-level data into a people table without any manual configuration.

Write to Table in Action

There are four components to every successful Write to Table configuration: 

1. Selecting a table to write to: Choose an existing table to append data or create a new table for structured results.
2. Selecting a list of data to send to the new table (optional): Select the list of data (lists are indicated by curly brackets {} in Clay) you want to send to a new table.
3. Selecting the data points from that list to send: Define specific attributes such as Company Name, Domain, Industry, and Employee Count that you want to send.
4. Selecting additional data points from the current table to send: Define any additional columns (including non-lists) that you also want to send to a new table.

By mastering these steps, you can use Write to Table across any Clay workbook to streamline data processing and enrichment.

Let’s revisit our Write to Table workflow from the Lookalikes lesson in the below example.

Congrats!

You've just taken a deep dive into the world of "Write to Table" with Clay, equipping yourself with the necessary know-how to manipulate and manage data effectively. 

Write to Table is a powerful feature that transforms nested lists into structured tables, ensuring data remains relationally linked and easy to work with.

Next up: Integrating with HTTP API.

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