How to Find Someone Online

How to Find Someone Online

As we get older and time passes, we often lose contact with old friends and acquaintances and may want to reconnect with them. The reasons for reconnecting with such people may vary from reuniting with a relative to establishing a business connection. Generally, searching for someone online may be difficult or easy, depending on the person and their digital footprint. Regardless, you must be willing to do a bit of investigating and commit as much time and effort as may be required if you’re going to be successful.

What Will I Need to Find Someone Online?

It is advisable to make a list of all known information about a person before you begin your search. No matter how seemingly insignificant, every detail may eventually be useful in finding the person. Helpful information and unique identifiers include:

• Name - Using the person’s name to search may be a good way to begin. However, this might not be enough as there is a good chance that many people share the same name
• Place of birth - Knowing an individual’s place of birth is also very helpful as such information may put you in contact with other individuals with the information you require
• Previous phone numbers - A phone number search may considerably narrow your pool since there can’t be many people associated with a particular number
• School attended including elementary schools, high schools, and colleges
• Past workplaces or employment records
• Hobbies - An individual may also be found through known hobbies as they are likely to continue with one or more of these activities.
• Last known place of residence
• Date of birth
• Possible arrests and convictions - Police and court records may help to find people because they contain detailed information about these persons

You might also want to reach out to mutual friends and acquaintances to find further information that will help find the individual. 

What Are the Best Free Websites to Find a Person?

The best place to start is a search engine like Google. Search engines provide you with a lot of information and options to begin searching for a long-lost acquaintance. You may also find more information by using multiple search engines. Popular options include:

• Google
• Bing
• Baidu
• Ask
• Naver
• Duckduckgo
• Yahoo
• Yandex
• AOL

There are no guarantees that these sites will always display helpful information. However, they are a good place to begin, especially if you don’t have concrete information.

How to Find a Specific Person Online?

When finding people online, there are several types of searches you should consider. Some of the most effective ones include:

• General Internet Search - Many times, a quick Google search will help you find someone. However, using this method, you are more likely to find a person with an uncommon name or a name with a unique spelling. To help with this, try combining the person’s name with additional information, such as their last known location. To narrow the search results, enter quote marks around their name in the search bar.
• Public Records Search - In most states, the County Clerk’s office keeps public records, including birth, death, marriage, and divorce records. However, there are other states with different public records laws that determine the appropriate custodian and how much access is available to the general public. Find out which custodian has what record in your state, town, or city, and submit an official request.
• Social Media Search - One of the simplest ways to do a social media search is to go to these platforms and enter simple details like a person’s name and location in the provided search bars. Similarly, individuals looking for someone online may also use a social media search tool called Social Searcher. This tool helps to search every mention of an individual’s name over various social media platforms.
• Reverse Image Search - Another useful way to find people online is reverse imaging, also known as content-based image retrieval. Using this method, you can begin your online search with an image rather than a textual query. You'll receive information about any websites or other images related to your initial image once the search is finished. Some popular reverse imaging websites include Google Images, TinEye, and Yandex.
• Court records Search - Court records can be useful in finding people online as every individual involved in any court proceeding will have their name mentioned on various court documents. For instance, a site like Pacer.gov could be very helpful as it contains various details of federal court filings. Note that the service may be limited and may cost a small fee.
• Inmate records search - An inmate search through the Federal Bureau of Prisons can help individuals find people who have been remanded in the prison system. The Federal Bureau of Prison maintains a detailed record of all inmates in federal prisons. Various states and localities also maintain individual records for persons jailed in their jurisdictions.
• Relative search - If you’re having trouble finding an individual, you could try searching for their relatives instead.

How to Find Someone Online Without Knowing Their Name

Finding someone online is difficult if you don’t know their full name. If the first and last names are unknown, you can try searching with other details like a picture or contact information. The following is a list of options to use if the full name is unavailable: 

• Social media search on different platforms
• Reverse phone number search if you have the person's phone number
• Google queries containing known details of the person
• Searching for known user names.
• Picture search via Google Images
• Searching for known details in Facebook community groups
• Post a missed connection search on Craigslist

Can I know If Someone Googles Me?

Yes. If you want to know who’s been searching using your details, you can do so by:

• Using Google Alerts
• Looking for Social Mentions
• Setup a LinkedIn profile
• Checking Facebook interactions
• Using Twitter analytics