What are data cleansing services
Data cleansing services are solutions that find and fix bad information in your business database, addressing critical CRM hygiene challenges. This means they spot duplicate contacts, correct wrong email addresses, and fill in missing company details. Think of them as quality control for your CRM.
Your sales team wastes hours chasing dead leads because of dirty data. Marketing campaigns bounce because email addresses are wrong. Revenue forecasts get inflated because duplicate opportunities show up twice. Data cleansing services fix these problems automatically.
Modern platforms do more than just delete duplicates. They standardize how information looks across your database, verify that contact details actually work, and add missing pieces like job titles or company size. This creates a single source of truth your entire revenue team can trust.
Core capabilities include:
Duplicate detection: Finds and merges multiple records for the same person or company
Data standardization: Makes sure addresses, phone numbers, and job titles follow the same format
Validation: Checks that emails and phone numbers actually work
Enrichment: Fills in missing information like company size, industry, or direct phone numbers
Why B2B teams need data cleansing services
Dirty data kills deals. Your reps spend time researching prospects instead of selling, undermining sales productivity. Your marketing emails bounce and hurt your sender reputation. Your pipeline reports show inflated numbers because the same opportunity appears three times.
Clean data fixes these operational problems immediately. Your team focuses on qualified buyers instead of chasing ghosts. Your campaigns reach real inboxes. Your forecasts reflect reality.
The business impact is measurable:
Better email deliverability: Clean email lists protect your sender score and get messages delivered
More selling time: Reps stop doing manual research and start having conversations
Accurate forecasting: Deduplicated records give you the real pipeline picture
Precise targeting: Standardized data lets you segment audiences for ABM and demand gen campaigns
Here's what happens when your data stays dirty:
Problem | Business Impact | How Data Cleansing Helps |
|---|---|---|
Duplicate records | Inflated pipeline, wasted outreach | Merges records into single source of truth |
Invalid emails | Bounced campaigns, damaged sender score | Validates and removes bad addresses |
Missing fields | Poor segmentation, generic messaging | Enriches records with company and contact data |
Inconsistent formatting | Broken automation, routing errors | Standardizes fields across all systems |
Best data cleansing services
Here's how the top data cleansing services compare:
Platform | Key Strength | Best For |
|---|---|---|
ZoomInfo | Real-time AI-driven cleansing and enrichment | B2B revenue teams needing integrated data quality |
Melissa | Global address and contact verification | Organizations requiring high-volume address validation |
Experian | Enterprise-grade data quality and validation | Large enterprises managing complex customer data |
Dun & Bradstreet | Firmographic data accuracy and corporate linkage | Enterprises needing deep company hierarchy data |
Cognism | GDPR-compliant European contact data | B2B companies focused on the EMEA market |
Apollo | Combined prospecting and data cleansing | SMBs and mid-market teams wanting all-in-one tools |
Lusha | Simple contact retrieval and verification | Individual sellers and small teams needing quick lookups |
Seamless | High-volume contact sourcing with verification | Sales teams focused on rapid list building |
1. ZoomInfo
ZoomInfo provides comprehensive B2B data intelligence that integrates data cleansing directly into your go-to-market workflows. The platform's data combines AI analysis with human review for continuous verification. This means your CRM stays clean without manual work.
GTM Workspace syncs bi-directionally with Salesforce, HubSpot, and Microsoft Dynamics to automatically flag data quality issues as they appear. CoPilot, ZoomInfo's AI assistant, surfaces insights about stale records and prompts your team to take action. The system identifies when contacts change jobs, companies get acquired, or email addresses become invalid.
Customers use ZoomInfo to maintain clean, actionable databases. The platform holds industry recognition from G2 and Forrester while maintaining GDPR, CCPA, and SOC 2 compliance. This combination of accuracy, automation, and security makes it the foundation for enterprise revenue operations.
Key Features:
Automated deduplication that merges duplicate leads, contacts, and accounts in your CRM
Real-time enrichment that adds missing contact and company data as records are created
Data standardization that normalizes job titles, addresses, and other fields for consistency
Continuous verification engine that validates emails and phone numbers to reduce data decay
Enterprise compliance with GDPR, CCPA, and SOC 2 certifications for data privacy and security
2. Melissa
Melissa specializes in data quality and address management with tools for cleansing, verifying, and enriching contact and company information. The platform processes addresses for many countries and territories, supporting global operations. You can access these services through APIs, batch processing, or direct integrations with platforms like Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics.
The platform includes data profiling tools that analyze your database before cleansing begins. This shows you exactly what problems exist and how much improvement you can expect. Melissa uses phonetic and fuzzy matching algorithms to find duplicates that might not be obvious, like "John Smith" and "Jon Smith" at the same company.
Beyond cleansing, Melissa appends demographic, firmographic, and geographic information to customer records. The company focuses on providing verified data that supports mailing, shipping, and compliance operations for enterprise customers.
Key Features:
Global address verification
Email and phone number validation with real-time verification
Duplicate record detection using advanced matching algorithms
Data profiling and analysis tools to assess database quality
Real-time and batch processing options for different use cases
Native integrations with major CRM and ecommerce platforms
3. Experian
Experian offers data quality management services that are used by large organizations with complex customer databases. The platform provides data validation, enrichment, and monitoring through cloud-based services and on-premise deployments. Experian focuses on creating a unified customer view across multiple business systems.
The service validates addresses, emails, and phone numbers in real-time as data enters your system. This prevents bad information from getting into your database in the first place. For existing data, Experian offers batch cleansing that identifies and corrects errors across large datasets using extensive reference databases.
Experian's solutions integrate with major CRM and ERP systems and emphasize data governance. The company helps organizations establish rules and processes for maintaining data accuracy over time, not just fixing problems after they occur.
Key Features:
Real-time data validation at the point of entry
Batch data cleansing for existing large datasets
Data profiling and continuous monitoring capabilities
Global address, email, and phone verification services
Advanced duplicate record detection and merging
Comprehensive data governance and quality management tools
4. Dun & Bradstreet
Dun & Bradstreet focuses on B2B firmographic data cleansing and enrichment. The company is known for its D-U-N-S Number system, which provides unique identifiers for businesses and helps map corporate hierarchies accurately.
The platform cleanses company records by matching them against D&B's global business database. It corrects inaccuracies in company names, addresses, and business details while filling in missing information like employee count, revenue, and industry classification. This function helps users understand parent-child relationships between companies.
D&B's services extend beyond cleansing to include risk management and supplier data. The company provides a foundational layer of firmographic data that large enterprises use to build their account-based marketing and sales strategies.
Key Features:
Firmographic data cleansing and standardization
Corporate hierarchy mapping with family tree relationships
D-U-N-S Number assignment and management
Company data enrichment with business details and financials
Direct CRM integrations and data management connectors
Real-time and batch data updates for ongoing accuracy
Learn More About Dun & Bradstreet
5. Cognism
Cognism provides B2B contact and company data with strong focus on GDPR and CCPA compliance. The service cleanses existing CRM data by cross-referencing it with Cognism's verified database. It identifies outdated information and enriches records with verified mobile numbers and email addresses. Cognism's verification process includes checking contact data against do-not-call lists to help ensure compliance with privacy regulations.
Cognism integrates with CRMs like Salesforce and HubSpot to provide ongoing data hygiene. The platform provides data for B2B sales and marketing teams to use in outbound and account-based marketing campaigns when targeting European prospects.
Key Features:
GDPR and CCPA compliant data sourcing and processing
Mobile number verification with Diamond Data premium contacts
CRM data cleansing and enrichment capabilities
Data coverage of US and EMEA markets
Native Salesforce and HubSpot integrations
Browser extension for real-time prospecting and data verification
6. Apollo
Apollo combines sales intelligence and engagement tools with data cleansing and enrichment features. The platform provides tools for prospecting, engagement, and data hygiene used by SMB and mid-market revenue teams. Apollo offers a large database of contacts and companies that users can leverage to clean their existing records.
Apollo's enrichment feature automatically updates and fills in missing information in your CRM. The platform enriches records with numerous data attributes, including current job titles, locations, and detailed company information. It also identifies data decay by flagging contacts who have changed jobs or companies.
The platform combines data capabilities with sales engagement tools like email sequences and a built-in dialer. This allows teams to clean their data and immediately act on it within the same interface, streamlining the entire prospecting workflow.
Key Features:
CRM data enrichment with multiple data attributes
Job change alerts and contact tracking
Email and phone number verification services
Access to large database of B2B contacts and companies
Integrated sales engagement and sequencing tools
API access for custom data workflows and integrations
7. Lusha
Lusha provides B2B contact data tools focused on simplicity and ease of use. While primarily a prospecting platform, it includes features that support data cleansing by helping users validate and update contact information in their CRM.
Lusha provides contact data tools used by individual sellers and small teams. The platform allows users to enrich Salesforce records with verified phone numbers and email addresses. It offers bulk enrichment for updating multiple records simultaneously to clean existing databases. Lusha validates contact information through community-based verification and other methods to ensure accuracy.
The platform includes a browser extension that retrieves contact information from LinkedIn and company websites.
Key Features:
Contact data enrichment for CRM records
Bulk data enrichment for multiple records at once
API access for automated data lookups
Native Salesforce integration and sync
Browser extension for prospecting from LinkedIn and websites
Team management and sharing features
8. Seamless
Seamless focuses on helping sales teams build prospect lists and find contact information in real-time. The platform searches the web to find and verify emails and phone numbers, which can be used to cleanse and update existing CRM records. The platform is used for high-volume prospecting and list-building activities.
The service includes features to prevent duplicate contacts from being imported into your CRM and can enrich existing records with fresh data. Seamless uses an AI-powered engine to validate contact information during the search process, aiming to reduce bounce rates and improve data quality.
Seamless integrates with major CRMs and sales engagement tools, allowing reps to sync clean data directly into their existing workflows. The platform positions itself as a solution for sales teams that need to quickly source large quantities of verified contact data.
Key Features:
Real-time contact and company search capabilities
AI-powered data verification and validation
Duplicate management and prevention tools
Native integrations with CRM and sales engagement platforms
Job change alerts and contact tracking
Buyer intent data and signals for prioritization
How to choose a data cleansing service
Your choice depends on three factors: team size, data volume, and existing tech stack. A small team with a simple database has different needs than an enterprise managing a large volume of records across multiple systems. Focus on data quality, integration depth, and automation to find the right fit.
Data quality and verification methods
The service is only as good as its reference data and verification process. Ask providers how they source, verify, and refresh their information. Services that combine AI with human verification typically produce more accurate results than purely algorithmic approaches.
Look for transparency in their process:
How often they verify and update their reference data
What confidence scores they provide for matches
Their historical accuracy rates and methodology
CRM and tech stack integration
The service must connect with your existing systems, especially your CRM. Native, bi-directional integrations allow real-time data synchronization. This ensures data stays clean as new records are added and existing ones are updated.
Evaluate these integration capabilities:
Native connectors for your specific CRM platform
Bi-directional sync that updates records in both systems
API flexibility for custom workflows and additional tool connections
Automation and workflow capabilities
The best solutions work automatically in the background. Compare automated workflows versus manual batch uploads. Scheduled cleansing jobs and triggered actions save time and make data hygiene an ongoing process rather than a one-time project.
Consider these automation features:
Options for scheduled, real-time, or event-triggered cleansing
Customizable rules for merging duplicates and standardizing fields
Alerting and exception handling for records requiring manual review
Enrichment and append capabilities
Many modern services combine cleansing with enrichment. Decide whether you need to fix existing data or also append new information. Platforms that handle both in a single step create a more complete customer picture.
Assess these enrichment options:
Availability of firmographic, technographic, and intent data
Depth of contact-level enrichment like direct phone numbers
Frequency of enrichment updates and data freshness
Compliance and security
Data privacy and security are non-negotiable. Confirm that providers are transparent about data sourcing ethics and opt-out management. Verify that any service you consider complies with GDPR and CCPA and holds relevant security certifications.
Check these compliance factors:
GDPR, CCPA, and regional privacy law compliance
Security certifications like SOC 2 for data handling
Processes for managing opt-out requests and suppression lists
Pricing models and total cost
Understand the pricing structure: per-record, platform subscription, or usage-based. Ask about additional costs for implementation, training, or overages. Focus on total cost of ownership and potential ROI from improved data quality rather than just the cheapest option.
Evaluate these cost considerations:
Per-record pricing versus flat platform subscription fees
One-time implementation and onboarding costs
Overage fees and contract flexibility terms
Get started with ZoomInfo data cleansing
A data cleansing service should deliver accurate, verified data and integrate into your existing workflow. You need automated, ongoing data hygiene, not a one-time cleanup project.
ZoomInfo's platform combines continuously verified data with bi-directional CRM integrations and automated workflows. It cleanses and enriches your database simultaneously, maintaining a single source of truth for your entire go-to-market team.
Talk to an expert to learn more about ZoomInfo
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between data cleansing and data enrichment services?
Data cleansing fixes or removes inaccurate and duplicate records in your existing database. Data enrichment adds new information to existing records, like phone numbers or company details. Many platforms now combine both services.
How often should B2B contact data be cleansed?
B2B contact data decays quickly, so you should cleanse it continuously or quarterly depending on your database size and outbound activity volume. Automated, ongoing cleansing works better than periodic batch cleanups.
Can data cleansing services integrate directly with Salesforce and HubSpot?
Yes, most data cleansing services offer native integrations with major CRMs like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Microsoft Dynamics. They also provide API access for custom connections to other business systems.
What specific data quality problems do cleansing services fix?
Common issues include duplicate contact and company records, invalid email addresses, outdated job titles and company information, inconsistent field formatting, and missing firmographic details like company size or industry.
Should companies outsource data cleansing or handle it internally?
Outsourcing can save internal resources, as specialized providers use their own technology and reference data to manage the cleansing process. In-house solutions work for teams with dedicated data operations expertise.
How do data cleansing services ensure GDPR and privacy compliance?
Compliant services maintain strict compliance by ethically sourcing data, processing opt-out requests, and holding security certifications like SOC 2. They provide transparency about data sources and handling practices.
