Why Fields Are Empty
Reason 1: Data Simply Doesn't Exist Publicly
Most common reason: The information isn't publicly available for this person
Examples:
No LinkedIn: Person doesn't have LinkedIn profile or it's very private
Renter: No property records because they don't own a home
Private individual: Intentionally maintains low public profile
Young professional: Limited work history, no property ownership yet
Self-employed: No company information in corporate databases
No social media: Doesn't use Facebook, Twitter, etc.
This is normal: Not everyone has comprehensive public data. Some people value privacy.
What to do: Accept data limitations; use discovery conversations to learn information
Reason 2: Enrichment Not Complete or Failed
Check Enrichment Status field
If Status = "In Progress" or "Pending":
Data still being gathered
Wait 24-72 hours
Check back later
If Status = "Failed" or "Partial":
Insufficient identifying information provided
Couldn't match with confidence
Limited public data available
What to do:
Add more identifying information (email, address, employer)
Request re-enrichment
See 5.10: Enrichment Status Values for details
Reason 3: Low Match Confidence
Check Match Confidence field
If Match Confidence = "Fair" or "Needs Review":
System unsure if enrichment data matches correct person
May withhold data to avoid incorrect attribution
Example: Common name like "John Smith" with limited unique identifiers
What to do:
Add more unique identifiers to improve match
Manually verify identity
Request re-enrichment with better data
Reason 4: Privacy Settings / Restricted Data
Some data fields are restricted:
Private social media profiles
Unlisted phone numbers
Protected addresses
Gated professional information
What to do: Respect privacy; don't use unavailable data
Reason 5: Recent Changes Not Yet Updated
Data updates on schedules:
Property records: Annual updates
Professional info: Monthly from LinkedIn updates
Financial estimates: Quarterly recalculations
Life events: Detected with 3-12 month lag
Recent change example: Person changed jobs 2 weeks ago, but LinkedIn wasn't updated yet
What to do: Manually verify recent information during outreach
Reason 6: Demographic Category Doesn't Apply
Field is blank because it's not applicable
Examples:
Grandchildren field empty: Person may not have grandchildren (not missing data, just not applicable)
Children in Home field empty: May be empty nester or no children
Alma Mater empty: Didn't attend college
This is correct: Field should be empty
What to do: Don't assume missing data means error; may mean "No" or "N/A"
Fields Most Likely to Be Empty
High Coverage (70-95% typically populated)
Name
Address
Home Ownership Status
Property Value (for homeowners)
Age or Age Range
Geographic Data
Rarely empty unless enrichment failed
Moderate Coverage (50-70%)
Current Employer
Job Title
Industry
LinkedIn Profile URL
Marital Status
Education
Often empty for private individuals, non-professionals, retirees
Lower Coverage (30-50%)
Income Range (estimated)
Investable Assets (estimated)
Interests and Hobbies
Facebook/Twitter URLs
Social Capital Score
Children's specific ages
Grandchildren
Frequently empty—this is normal
Variable Coverage (Depends on Person)
Life Events (only if events occurred)
Recent Job Changes (only if changed jobs)
LinkedIn Activity (only if active on LinkedIn)
Expected to be empty for many people
What Empty Fields Mean (and Don't Mean)
Empty Professional Fields
May mean:
Person is retired
Self-employed
Between jobs
Homemaker
Independently wealthy
Private about employment
Doesn't mean:
Person is unemployed (may be, may not be)
Person has no professional history
Person is low-value
Empty Financial Estimate Fields
May mean:
Insufficient data to estimate
Very private about finances
Income/assets don't fit typical patterns
Younger with limited financial history
Doesn't mean:
Person is not wealthy (could be very wealthy and private)
Person is not a good prospect
Actual income/assets are zero
Never assume: Empty financial fields ≠ low wealth
Empty Life Event Fields
May mean:
No recent major life events
Life events haven't been detected yet
Private about personal life changes
Doesn't mean:
Person has no planning needs
Person isn't a good prospect
Nothing is happening in their life
Empty Interest Fields
May mean:
Hobbies and interests not publicly expressed
Private about personal life
Interests don't align with data sources
Doesn't mean:
Person has no interests
Person is uninteresting
Can't build personal connection
How to Work with Empty Fields
Don't Filter Out Empty Fields Automatically
Avoid: "Must have Investable Assets field populated"
Why: You'll exclude potentially wealthy, private individuals
Better approach: Use "Wealth Segment = Affluent+" instead of requiring specific asset estimate
Use Discovery Conversations
Empty fields = conversation opportunities
Example approaches:
"Tell me about your career background..."
"What are you most passionate about?"
"Do you have family locally?"
"What keeps you busy outside of work?"
Benefit: Learning directly from client is better than relying on data anyway
Combine Multiple Indicators
Don't rely on single field
Example: If Income Range is empty but:
Job Title = "VP of Engineering"
Current Employer = "Microsoft"
Home Value = $800K
Wealth Segment = "Affluent"
Conclusion: Likely high earner despite missing income estimate
Use multiple data points to form hypothesis
Prioritize Match Confidence and Enrichment Status
Focus efforts on:
Match Confidence = Excellent or Good
Enrichment Status = Complete
Lower priority:
Match Confidence = Fair or Needs Review
Enrichment Status = Partial or Failed
Better to have fewer fields with high confidence than many fields with low confidence
Improving Data Coverage
Provide Better Source Data
When uploading contacts, include:
Full legal name (First, Middle, Last)
Complete mailing address
Email address (best unique identifier)
Phone number
Current employer and job title
Approximate age or birth year
More inputs = better enrichment = fewer empty fields
Request Re-Enrichment
For high-priority prospects with lots of empty fields:
Add more identifying information to your CRM
Re-export with enhanced data
Upload to Catchlight again
Request re-enrichment
May improve coverage if better identifiers provided
Manual Research
For top prospects, supplement with manual research:
Google search
LinkedIn profile review
Company website
Professional association listings
Public records search
Add findings to your CRM for future reference
Setting Realistic Expectations
Data Coverage is Always Incomplete
Expect:
80-90% of records to have basic demographic data
60-70% to have professional data
40-60% to have financial estimates
30-50% to have lifestyle/interest data
This is normal for third-party data enrichment
Privacy is Increasing
Trends:
More people using privacy settings
Fewer people sharing publicly on social media
GDPR and privacy laws limiting data availability
Future expectation: Data coverage may decrease over time as privacy increases
Adapt: Rely less on data, more on direct conversations
Quality > Quantity
Better to have:
50% of fields populated with high confidence
Than 90% of fields populated with low confidence
Focus on: Match Confidence and Enrichment Status, not just field count
When to Be Concerned About Empty Fields
Red Flags
Be concerned if:
Every field is empty (enrichment totally failed)
Match Confidence is "Needs Review" AND most fields empty (wrong person match)
Enrichment Status = Failed (insufficient data to enrich)
Name, address, and basic identity fields are empty (data quality issue)
Action: Review source data, verify correct person, consider manual research or re-enrichment
Not a Concern
Don't worry if:
Some fields are empty but others are populated
Enrichment Status = Complete (enrichment finished, but some data just doesn't exist)
Match Confidence = Good or Excellent (correct person, but private/limited data)
Specific niche fields are empty (hobbies, social media, specific interests)
This is expected
Practical Strategies
Strategy 1: Tiered Data Requirements
Tier 1 High-Priority:
Require: Match Confidence = Excellent, Enrichment Status = Complete
Accept: Some empty fields, as long as core data present
Tier 2 Medium-Priority:
Require: Match Confidence = Good or better
Accept: More empty fields
Tier 3 Lower-Priority:
Require: Enrichment attempted
Accept: Lots of empty fields
Match effort to data quality
Strategy 2: Progressive Enrichment
Initial upload: Enrich with basic information
Review results: Identify high-priority prospects with empty fields
Manual research: Fill in critical gaps for priority prospects
Re-enrich: Upload enhanced data
Ongoing: Update as you learn more through conversations
Strategy 3: Fill Gaps Through Engagement
Use outreach to gather missing information:
Discovery calls: Learn professional background, family, interests
Fact-finding forms: Collect financial information
Observations: Note interests shared during conversations
Update CRM: Add learned information to records
Over time, your CRM becomes more complete than any third-party enrichment
FAQ About Empty Fields
Q: If Income Range is empty, does that mean the person has no income? A: No. It means the system couldn't estimate their income reliably. They could have very high income, just no data to support an estimate.
Q: Should I skip prospects with lots of empty fields? A: Not necessarily. If Match Confidence is good and core fields are present, they may still be excellent prospects. Very private, wealthy individuals often have sparse data.
Q: Can I request specific fields be filled in? A: Catchlight enriches based on available data. You can't request specific fields, but providing better source data improves enrichment.
Q: Why does my competitor's dashboard have more data for the same people? A: Different data providers have different sources and models. Some may estimate more aggressively (with lower accuracy). Your provider may be more conservative (higher accuracy, less coverage).
Q: Will empty fields get filled in over time? A: Possibly, if the person becomes more publicly active (updates LinkedIn, buys a home, etc.). Regular re-enrichment (quarterly or annually) can capture new data.
Related Articles
5.10: Enrichment Status Values
5.2: Profile & Identity Data
7.1: Data Accuracy and Limitations
7.4: Combining Catchlight with CRM
8.1: Common Dashboard Issues