How do I move a Clay list into Instantly?

Get a CSV of the list out of Clay (In Clay, open the table you want to export. Filter the view down to the rows you want and make sure the email column is visible. Click Actions > Export > Download CSV. Once processing finishes, the file downloads. Earlier exports are listed under Available Exports.), verify it, then import the valid file into Instantly: In Instantly, go to the Engage tab and open the cold outreach campaign. Open the Leads section and click Upload CSV, then pick the valid file. Check the Select Type dropdown on each column: map the email column to Email and set columns you do not need to Do Not Import. Review the upload settings, then click Upload all.

Do I need to verify a Clay export before Instantly?

Lead databases go stale as people change jobs, and a bounced cold email counts against your sending domain the same as any other. Verifying the Clay export before it goes into a sequence keeps the bounce rate under the roughly 2% line where mailbox providers start filtering, and it catches catch-all domains you should not send to blind. Instantly's default auto-pause stops a campaign at a 5% bounce rate, once it has made more than 200 sends.

Which columns should I map in Instantly?

Email address to Email; First name to First Name; Last name to Last Name; Company name to Company Name; Anything your copy uses (title, city, an opening line) to Custom variable. Set every column your copy does not use to skip or ignore.

Should risky or catch-all addresses go into the campaign?

Usually a catch-all domain, which accepts every address so no verifier can confirm the mailbox. Leave it out, or load it into its own smaller campaign at low daily volume so any bounces stay visible and away from the main one.

What does verifying the list cost?

Your first 100 checks are free after Google sign-in, once per account. Then $9 for 2,500 emails one-time, or Pro at $29.99 a month with no cap on email verification. Files up to 100,000 rows.

Cold email workflow

Clay to Instantly: verify the list before you import it

Workflow · SimpleVerifier Team · Steps checked 20 October 2026

Export your table from Clay as a CSV, upload it to SimpleVerifier as it is, and import only the valid file into Instantly, mapping the email column to Email. Keep risky (usually catch-all) rows out of the main campaign and drop invalid ones.

Step 1

Get the CSV from Clay

1In Clay, open the table you want to export.
2Filter the view down to the rows you want and make sure the email column is visible.
3Click Actions > Export > Download CSV.
4Once processing finishes, the file downloads. Earlier exports are listed under Available Exports.

The CSV mirrors the current view, so hide columns you do not need before exporting. Cells where an enrichment did not run come out blank.

Source: Clay help centre · Clay export guide

Step 2

Verify every address

1Sign in and upload the CSV as it came out of the export. The email column is found by its header or its contents.
2Every row gets a live mailbox check with catch-all, disposable and role-address detection.
3Download the valid, risky and invalid files. Each keeps every original Clay column.

Check 100 emails free

Then $9 for 2,500 emails, or $29.99/mo unlimited.

Step 3

Import into Instantly

1In Instantly, go to the Engage tab and open the cold outreach campaign.
2Open the Leads section and click Upload CSV, then pick the valid file.
3Check the Select Type dropdown on each column: map the email column to Email and set columns you do not need to Do Not Import.
4Review the upload settings, then click Upload all.

Source: Instantly: How to import leads via CSV

Column mapping in Instantly

Column in the Clay file	Instantly field	Note
Email address	Email	Required. The upload does not work without it.
First name	First Name
Last name	Last Name
Company name	Company Name
Anything your copy uses (title, city, an opening line)	Custom variable	Headers at most 20 characters, starting with a capital letter.

Column names in your Clay file depend on your export settings, so match them by what they hold. Field names on the right are as Instantly’s help article writes them.

Row 1 holds column names: no duplicates, at most 20 characters each, starting with a capital letter.
At most 50 variables per upload; drop empty and unused columns first.
Save as CSV UTF-8 (comma delimited) from Excel.

Which results to send

validSend
The mailbox server confirmed the address. This is the file that goes into the main campaign.
riskyHold, or send separately
Usually a catch-all domain, which accepts every address so no verifier can confirm the mailbox. Leave it out, or load it into its own smaller campaign at low daily volume so any bounces stay visible and away from the main one.
invalidDrop
The server said the mailbox does not exist, or the domain cannot take mail. Sending will bounce.

Things to watch with Clay and Instantly

Clay's CSV mirrors the current view, so hide every enrichment column your Instantly copy does not use. Instantly takes at most 50 variables per upload.
Rows where Clay's email enrichment did not run come out blank. Filter them out in Clay before export: a blank email row is dropped by Instantly at upload.
Clay headers are often long. Instantly wants headers of 20 characters or fewer, so shorten them in Clay or in the file.
Check for Duplicates Across All Campaigns/Lists is on by default and blocks leads already in another campaign or list. Leave it on unless you mean to re-contact someone.
The Verify Leads box charges Instantly credits per lead (0.25 per lead in its help article). If the file is already verified, you can untick it.
Instantly's default auto-pause stops a campaign at a 5% bounce rate, once it has made more than 200 sends. Source.

Skip the export: subscribers can connect Instantly and verify a campaign's leads directly. See the Instantly integration.

Estimate what an unverified list would do to the campaign with the cold email bounce cost calculator, or reshape the file for Instantly with the CSV import formatter.

Common questions

How do I move a Clay list into Instantly?: Get a CSV of the list out of Clay (In Clay, open the table you want to export. Filter the view down to the rows you want and make sure the email column is visible. Click Actions > Export > Download CSV. Once processing finishes, the file downloads. Earlier exports are listed under Available Exports.), verify it, then import the valid file into Instantly: In Instantly, go to the Engage tab and open the cold outreach campaign. Open the Leads section and click Upload CSV, then pick the valid file. Check the Select Type dropdown on each column: map the email column to Email and set columns you do not need to Do Not Import. Review the upload settings, then click Upload all.
Do I need to verify a Clay export before Instantly?: Lead databases go stale as people change jobs, and a bounced cold email counts against your sending domain the same as any other. Verifying the Clay export before it goes into a sequence keeps the bounce rate under the roughly 2% line where mailbox providers start filtering, and it catches catch-all domains you should not send to blind. Instantly's default auto-pause stops a campaign at a 5% bounce rate, once it has made more than 200 sends.
Which columns should I map in Instantly?: Email address to Email; First name to First Name; Last name to Last Name; Company name to Company Name; Anything your copy uses (title, city, an opening line) to Custom variable. Set every column your copy does not use to skip or ignore.
Should risky or catch-all addresses go into the campaign?: Usually a catch-all domain, which accepts every address so no verifier can confirm the mailbox. Leave it out, or load it into its own smaller campaign at low daily volume so any bounces stay visible and away from the main one.
What does verifying the list cost?: Your first 100 checks are free after Google sign-in, once per account. Then $9 for 2,500 emails one-time, or Pro at $29.99 a month with no cap on email verification. Files up to 100,000 rows.