Enrich a Company List with AI: Start From One Sentence

The fastest way to enrich a company list with AI is to skip the setup. Describe the list in one sentence, such as "B2B SaaS companies in Austin with public pricing." Autofill proposes the columns, then researches every row on the web and fills them in. No formulas, no prompt-per-column wiring, no starting sheet.

You can also do this by hand in Google Sheets. This guide shows how to set up a list that AI can research well, how to write good column prompts, and how to check the results. It then compares the options as of November 2026.

The steps below apply to any tool, Autofill included.

Step 1: Set up the list so the AI can't mix companies up

The most common mistake is a list that only has company names. "Apex," "Summit" and "Atlas" each match dozens of businesses. Give every row a way to tell it apart:

• Company name in column A
• Website domain in column B (for example, acme.com). This is the best way to make sure the AI researches the right company.
• Optional: country or city, if your list covers more than one market

Keep one company per row and no merged cells. Put a header in the first row. AI fill tools read each row as one record, so a tidy grid gets better results.

Step 2: Choose columns the web can actually answer

AI web research is good at facts that are posted publicly. It struggles with private data. Choose columns that fit.

Contact details are their own type of job. Tools like Clay buy them from data providers instead of finding them on the open web (more on that below).

Step 3: Write one clear prompt per column

Write each column's prompt the way you'd brief a careful assistant. A good prompt says three things: what to find, what format to use, and what to write when the answer isn't there.

Some examples:

• HQ city: "Find the headquarters city of the company at this domain. Answer with City, Country only. If you can't find it, write Unknown."
• What they sell: "In 12 words or fewer, say what this company sells and to whom. No marketing language."
• Category: "Pick one: SaaS, Agency, E-commerce, Marketplace, Hardware, Other."
• Public pricing: "Does this company publish prices on its website? Answer Yes or No, then the pricing page URL if Yes."

The "write Unknown" instruction matters most. Without it, an AI may make up a believable answer instead of leaving the cell blank.

Step 4: Fill a test batch, then check it

Run the prompts on 5 to 10 rows first. For each filled cell, open the source and confirm that it's the right company and that the fact is current. If many answers come back wrong, fix the prompt or the domain column before you spend credits on the whole list.

Step 5: Fill the rest and spot-check

Once the test rows look right, fill the whole column. Then sort or filter each column and look for:

• Many cells saying "Unknown," which means the prompt or column may be too hard
• Repeated answers that look copied across rows
• Dates or titles that look out of date

Check a random handful of rows against their sources before you use the list for outreach.

Your options, as of November 2026

Option 1: Gemini in Google Sheets (built in)

Google's AI function can access real-time information from Google Search. You don't have to type a formula. Gemini can fill a column when it has at least one completed cell, and for empty selections there's a one-click "Fill" that takes a custom prompt.

What to know:

• Sources: In October 2026, Google announced that Gemini shows the exact web sources used for each AI-generated cell, in Sheets on the web. The same update raised capacity to up to 3,000 cells per request.
• Who gets it: Paid Workspace and Google AI plans only. Business Starter has no access to the AI function.
• Setup: You still build the sheet and write the prompts yourself. If you select many AI function cells at once, only the first 350 are generated.

Best for: people who already pay for an eligible plan and have a list sitting in Sheets.

Option 2: An add-on like GPT for Sheets (now Autosheet)

GPT for Sheets (renamed Autosheet) has bulk tools that use web search models to get up-to-date answers about companies and can fetch content from specific URLs. You choose the model. Its docs list a Perplexity model as the cheapest and Gemini with web search as the most expensive. One limit to keep in mind: according to the docs, web search models don't fetch full page content. For facts buried deep on a page, the URL-fetching models are a better fit.

Best for: people who want to stay in Sheets, pick their own AI model, or don't have a Gemini-eligible plan.

Option 3: Clay (sales enrichment platform)

Clay is a spreadsheet-style tool built for sales teams. Its research agent, Claygent, works like this: you add a Claygent column and write one prompt that runs against every row. Clay's main strength is contact data from many providers, which plain web search can't match. According to a November 2026 pricing breakdown, the free plan includes 100 Data Credits and 500 Actions a month, and Launch starts at $185 a month.

Best for: sales teams who need verified emails and phone numbers along with company facts, and who will use the CRM integrations.

Option 4: Autofill, start from a sentence instead of a sheet

Most of the work above is setup: finding companies, adding a domain column, choosing columns, writing prompts. Autofill does that part for you.

1. Describe the list. For example, "B2B SaaS companies in Austin with public pricing."
2. Review the columns. Autofill proposes a sheet with columns that fit the request.
3. Fill. It researches each row on the web and fills the cells, column by column.
4. Put it to work. Share the sheet with one read-only link.

It also fits the way this guide says to work: fill one column, check it, then fill the next. You pay in credits. New accounts start with free credits, and the current plans and top-ups are on the Autofill site.

Best for: building a list and its columns from scratch, without learning formulas or add-ons. If your list already lives in Sheets and you have Gemini, Option 1 keeps everything in one place.

Questions

Can I enrich a company list in Google Sheets for free?

Partly. Google's AI function needs an eligible paid Workspace or Google AI plan, and Clay has a free plan. Autofill gives new accounts free credits, enough to test a small batch before you pay.

Why does the AI give a wrong or made-up answer for some companies?

Usually the name was ambiguous or the fact isn't public. Add a website domain column, and tell the AI to write "Unknown" when it can't find an answer.

Do I need formulas like =AI() or IMPORTXML?

No. Gemini's Fill option and add-on bulk tools both work from a prompt instead of a formula. Formulas are still useful if you want a column to re-run when its input changes.

How do I keep enriched data from changing later?

AI output can be regenerated or refreshed. Once you've checked a column, copy it and paste it as values only. That way you keep a fixed copy, and you still have the sources if you need them.