Finding someone’s email is one of the most frustrating things I’ve had to learn. It’s simple but it can get complicated when you don’t know where to look at.
At first, I would search on contact pages but it wasn’t always advertised. Most of the time it’s not visible because it invites scrapers (spammers) to find your email address and add you to annoying email lists.
I made the terrible blunder once and received many Nigerian prince letters…
I learned from my mistake, Ok?
Anyway, let’s get started.
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How to find someone's email address for free
There are 3.9 billion e-mail users in the world as of 2019. Being able to find someone’s email addresses is essential to any online business. 59% of B2B marketers say email is their most effective channel for revenue generation. ExactTarget says that for B2C 77% of people prefer to get permission-based promotional messages via email (versus direct mail, text, phone, or social media).
But none of that will matter if you can’t talk to them first.
This is what you could do by following this guide.
Here’s how to do it:
How to find email addresses on a website
There are four areas you should focus on: The about and contact pages, header/footer, and the source code. Yes, we’ll have to get geeky for a moment. 😉
Search in the about page
The about page is a common place for companies to share who their staff is and the role they have in the company. Additionally, you can find their contact details.
What does this mean for you?
It means you can find their name, role in the company, social profiles, and email address.
If you want to contact specific people in a company, then this page is a goldmine for you. It will help you find and contact the right person. You won’t have to guess.
Here’s what it looks like:
Scroll down the company's about page until you find the person you want to reach out to and get their contact details.
Search in the contact page
You would think that by having the name “contact” you’d be able to find all the information necessary on that page. But that’s not always the case. Many people don’t share their email address and some don’t even have a contact form.
I mean, what the heck?
Isn’t that the whole purpose of the page? To share a way for people to easily reach out to you?
I can’t get mad at them, though.
As I mentioned before, there are many people who scrape the web for email addresses. That's why many people don’t like to share their email. They opt for alternative solutions such as:
And similar variations. To speed up the process, hold “CTRL” + “F” ─when you are on the contact page─ and then search for the [at] variations. It should help you find their email faster. This is especially useful for content heavy contact pages (too much text).
Search in the header and footer
Sometimes you’ll see email addresses on the header or footer of the page. But most of the time it’s a generic address like “info@domain.com” or “contact@domain.com”.
If that’s the case, save it in your list but I wouldn’t make it my first option. If anything, it would be the last one because they usually go to assistants.
Assistants usually have instructions to filter "unwanted emails". Yours could be skipped and they’ll never read it.
Search in the source code
This is where it becomes a bit technical. If after checking the previous pages you still can’t find it, revisit them but this time look at the source code.
You do it by right-clicking on the page and then select the “source code” option. That will open the HTML code for the page. Then hold “CTRL” + “F” to open the “find in content” search bar.
To open the HTML page, "right-click" anywhere on the page and then click on "view page source".
After that, all you have to do is type @their-domain.com to show all mentions of possible email addresses.
Here’s what it looks like:
After the HTML page opens, type "CTRL" + "F" on your keyboard and run your search to find the email address.
We do this because sometimes people cover their email as a link and the only thing you can see is their name. Something we see a call to action but in the code it says “mailto:their-email@their-domain.com”.
How to find email addresses on social media
As of today, there are 2.6 billion monthly active users on Facebook, 1 billion monthly active users on Instagram, 390 million monthly active users on LinkedIn, and 330 million monthly active users on Twitter.
That’s a lot of people, right?
Now, think about them willingly sharing a bunch of their personal information. It’d be awesome, right?
The reality is that people do it every day and we can find like-minded people thanks to them being vocal about it.
What does that mean for us?
With the right approach, we can find the information we want. And with a bit of effort, we can get to know them better before we reach out. If you want to get better conversions in your emails, make sure to check this email outreach guide.
How to find email addresses on Twitter
Twitter is my favorite social platform because with the right search operators we can find pretty much anything we want. Use Twitter to your advantage and find their email address.
Search in the Twitter cover
It’s not as common as it used to be but a few people use the cover image to share their email address. Just take a quick glance and see if it’s there.
When you check their Twitter profile make sure to take a quick glance at their Twitter cover. Sometimes you'll find their email there.
Search in the Twitter bio
Another option is to look in the Twitter bio. You’ll find some addresses there.
Many people choose to share their email in their Twitter bio so take a peek and see if it's there.
Use Twitter Search Operators
This is my favorite way of finding emails because it’s simple, fast and reliable. As long as people share their email address on Twitter you’ll be able to find it. Here’s how to do it:
From:twitter-handle (@their-domain.com OR @gmail.com OR @hotmail.com OR @yahoo.com)
If you can't find their email address with these searches then try a different platform.
How to find email addresses on Facebook
Facebook isn’t my favorite but it’s without a doubt the most used one and as such it’s a wealth of information. Now, as far as I know, the only way to find someone’s email address on Facebook is to get it via business pages.
Search in Facebook's about page
When you visit a person/business’ page, look at the menu on the left. You’ll see it under the picture. Look for the “About” option and click on it.
Not many people think about all the information Facebook shares in their pages, embrace the opportunity to find their email.
After that, all you have to is scroll down a bit until you see the “contact info” section. See if they’ve publicly shared their email. If so, congratulations. 🙂
In my experience you'll find people's email here but if the page is a company's then you'll likely find a support or info email. Try a different platform if so.
How to find email addresses on Instagram
There are a couple of ways to find emails on Instagram. The “bio” and the “contact” button to send an email. Let’s get started:
Search in the bio
Sometimes you’ll be able to find people’s email in the bio but it’s not as common as you might think. Still, take the time to quickly look at it and if you see it there… Awesome! 😀
When you are on Instagram take a quick look at the bio. You might find their email there.
Tap on the "email" button
This one is unique to mobile because that button will not appear on your desktop. By the way, it’s only available for business profiles. What I recommend is to use your phone when checking Instagram, that way you’ll save some time.
To find an email address on Instagram all you have to do is tap on the "email" button in someone's profile.
How to find email addresses on LinkedIn
LinkedIn is The Place where people gather to network and find new business. As such we should be able to somewhat easily find their email. Here’s where to look for:
Search in the summary
Most people on LinkedIn are there to find business or new opportunities and they’ll share their email to be contacted. Search for their email in the summary and if you can’t find it, try the contact details.
You don't always need to connect with people to find their email. Just check their LinkedIn summary.
Search in the details section
To see people’s contact information you need to first connect with them. Then you’ll be able to see their email address.
- 1Go to their LinkedIn profile and click on “see contact info”.
This is only available for first degree connections so make sure to connect with them first.
- 2Go to their LinkedIn profile and click on “see contact info”.
Whatever you do; do NOT add people to email lists they never asked to be on.
Use LinkedIn's sales navigator
This is something I came across when doing research for this post and I have to say it’s AWESOME. Why didn’t I think of that?
You’ll need email permutator and Chrome’s LinkedIn sales navigator. Click on the video below to see how it works.
How to find email addresses on YouTube
Content creators on YouTube usually make their money in one of two ways: Through Adsense or sponsored content. For the latter, they need to let advertisers know how to contact them. Here’s how:
Search in video descriptions
There are some people who share their email address in the video description. But it’s rare so just take a peek if you are watching their videos. If not then skip to the about page.
Search in the about page
If the owner the channel has a business or does partnerships of some kind, you’ll be able to find an email.
- 1Go to their channel and click on “about”.
To find an email address on YouTube, go to the user's channel.
- 2Scroll down a bit and under details click on “view email address”.
Click on view email and tick the box.
How to find email addresses on Google
Google is the biggest search engine in the world and their database is massive. Let’s take advantage of that. 😉
Use search operators to find email addresses
The following search operators are the ones I use to find emails in Google. I don’t think you’ll need more but if you want to learn about them in detail, refer to this article.
Use the Google search operators mentioned above to find someone's email via advanced search.
Quick note: If you decide to search for tweets in Google that’s fine. But understand that not every tweet is indexed so there’s a chance you won’t be able to find their email. For better odds use TweetDeck as mentioned here (click to jump back to that section).
What can I do if I still can’t find an email address?
It’s unlikely but it’s possible that even after trying every single method described in this guide, you won’t be able to find it. There are many reasons for that but don’t fret, you can use other tools.
Use Hunter.io to find someone's email address by name
Hunter is the tool I use and trust. The first 50 requests (domain search, email finder, and/or email verification) per month are free, after that, you have to upgrade for more.
It’s $49 USD per month for up to 1,000 monthly searches or $39 if you pay yearly. Play the video below to see Hunter in action.
Use VoilaNorbert to find someone's email address by name
An alternative to Hunter is VoilaNorbert. The downside, however, is the fact that Norbert only gives us 50 free credits to test and after that, you have to pay.
Their pricing is “pay as you go” ($0.10 per lead) or a plan like the “valet” for $39 USD per month paid yearly or $49 paid monthly. You get up to 1,000 leads per month, unlimited members for your team and credit rollover (credits you don’t use are added to the next period).
Now it's your turn
Make a list of people you want to contact and find their email address. Use the techniques described above to help you find their contact details.
Before I let you go, something important.
Don’t add people to lists (newsletters) they don’t ask to be on. It’s annoying and your brand will suffer the backlash. If you want to add them to your newsletter, ask them if they are interested and share how it can specifically help them.
If they say yes, add them to your list and if they say no, thank them for their time and wish them well. 🙂
Are there any techniques I missed? Let me know in the comment section below. ↓
Ah Google Chrome, the amazing useful (for Google) spy tool that allows browser applications to run in the background when the browser is CLOSED and this is the DEFAULT setting.
There are some tools like Tunnel Bear that help keep your traffic safe. You can use it to hide your IP address and location as well as securing your data. It works to throw tracking off. 😉
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Sir I have forgotten my Instagram password or email phone number and Facebook I’d
Contact Instagram’s support team, I’m sure they’ll be able to help.