OSINT tools
Account discovery for open-source investigations.
Open-source intelligence (OSINT) is the practice of answering questions from information anyone can access. Much of it starts with an identifier and the question of where else it appears. Tracehound answers that question across 430+ public sources, live, for usernames, emails and phone numbers.
Public sources only. By searching you agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy. Want your email excluded? Opt out.
- Username
- 420+
- 10+
- Search types
- 3
username
nightowl_dev16 found
lead
mara.q@example.netfrom GitHub
email
mara.q@example.net5 found
lead
owlbuildsfrom Mastodon
What you get
What a good account discovery tool should give you.
Whichever tool you use, these are the properties worth insisting on. They are the ones we built around.
Fresh answers
Results checked at the moment you search, not pulled from a copy that may be months old. Accounts get renamed, deleted and created every day.Honest uncertainty
A clear difference between not found and no answer. A tool that guesses when a site blocks it fills your notes with false certainty.Profile context
Names, bios, counts and dates as the source shows them, so you can judge whether two accounts belong together without opening every link.Leads to follow
Other identifiers that profiles list publicly, ready to search next. On Max, Deep Search follows them for you, up to three layers.Exportable records
CSV or JSON you can attach to a case file, so findings can be reviewed and reproduced later.Restraint
No people database, no leaked data, an opt-out anyone can use, and rules against misuse that are enforced.
The wider toolkit
Account lookup is one tool among several.
Account discovery
Finding where a username, email or phone number has accounts. This is what Tracehound does, across 430+ public sources.
Tracehound
Search engines and operators
Quoted searches, site: and filetype: operators surface mentions, documents and old pages that no account list will show.
Web archives
Archived snapshots show what a profile or site said before it was edited or deleted. Essential when timelines matter.
Reverse image search
Checks whether a profile photo appears elsewhere, which often exposes stock photos and reused images on fake accounts.
Domain and DNS records
Registration dates, name servers and mail setup for a website or an email domain. Useful for judging how established something is.
Notes and documentation
A plain record of what you found, where and when, with links and screenshots. The least exciting tool, and the one that makes findings usable.
Reading the results
A simple workflow that holds up.
The method matters more than the tool. This sequence keeps findings defensible.
- 01
Write down the question
What are you trying to establish, and why are you allowed to? A clear purpose keeps the search proportionate and tells you when to stop. - 02
Collect the identifiers you already have
Usernames, email addresses and phone numbers from the material in front of you. Record where each one came from. - 03
Discover accounts, then corroborate
Run each identifier, then check matches against each other: avatars, names, bios, links and dates. Keep only what is supported by more than one signal. - 04
Follow leads deliberately
Each new identifier from a profile is a branch. Follow the ones that serve your question and note the ones you skip. - 05
Document and review
Export results, save links and timestamps, and have someone else read your reasoning before it informs a decision.
Limits
Where automated discovery stops
- It finds accounts; it does not establish identity. That is human work.
- It sees only what sources make public, and only on supported sources.
- It cannot see private groups, messages, or anything behind a login.
- It is a starting point for some legal processes, never a substitute for them.
Responsible use
Leads, not identity.
OSINT is powerful because the information is easy to reach. That makes purpose and proportion the main safeguards. Tracehound is not a consumer reporting agency and may not be used for employment, tenant, credit or insurance decisions, or to stalk, harass or locate anyone.
Read our guide to responsible OSINT and the Acceptable Use Policy.
FAQ
Common questions.
What is an OSINT tool?
Any tool that helps you collect and analyze information from openly available sources: search engines, archives, image search, public records, and account discovery tools like this one.
Is using OSINT tools legal?
Collecting publicly available information is generally lawful, but laws on privacy, data protection, harassment and consumer reporting still apply to how you collect, store and use it. Check the rules for your jurisdiction and purpose.
How is Tracehound different from a people search site?
People search sites compile stored profiles about individuals from many records. Tracehound keeps no profiles: it checks public sources live for an identifier you provide and does not store the results.
Do I need technical skills?
No. Type an identifier and press Search. The judgment about what results mean is the skill that matters, and our blog covers it.
Is there an API?
Yes. The Pro and Max plans include an HTTP API that runs the same search as the app and returns JSON, or a stream of events as sources answer. API searches use the same monthly allowance. See the API reference.
Pick up the trail.
Create a free account with just your email and a one-time code, no password. You get 25 searches every month.