# Username Checker (`mina_safwat/username-checker`) Actor

Checks whether a username is taken across hundreds of websites and returns the profile link wherever it exists

- **URL**: https://apify.com/mina\_safwat/username-checker.md
- **Developed by:** [Mina](https://apify.com/mina_safwat) (community)
- **Categories:** Agents, Automation, Developer tools
- **Stats:** 1 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $5.00 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

Check whether a **username is taken across hundreds of websites** — and get the link to every profile that exists.

### What does Username Checker do?

Give it a username and it checks it against more than 400 sites — social networks, developer platforms, forums, gaming, streaming, marketplaces — and tells you where it is taken, where it is free, and which sites could not be reached.

For every site where the username exists you get a direct link to that profile.

### Why use Username Checker?

- **Brand protection** — find out who has registered your brand name on platforms you do not use yet.
- **Handle availability** — before launching, check the name is free everywhere that matters.
- **Account inventory** — list the platforms where a handle you own is registered.
- **Research and due diligence** — assemble a public footprint for a handle.

Running it on Apify adds scheduling, an API, integrations (Sheets, Slack, Zapier, S3), and run monitoring.

### How to use Username Checker

1. Enter one or more **Usernames**.
2. Leave **Only return sites where it exists** on to get just the hits.
3. Click **Start**.

A full check takes a couple of minutes per username, because every site is contacted individually. To go faster, list a handful of sites under **Limit to specific sites**.

Results appear in the Output tab as they arrive, and download as JSON, CSV, Excel, or XML.

### Input

| Field | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `usernames` | Usernames to check, one per line. |
| `found_only` | Keep only sites where the username is taken. Turn off to see everything. |
| `include_adult_sites` | Adult sites are skipped by default. |
| `only_sites` | Check only these sites by name, e.g. GitHub, Instagram. Much faster than a full sweep. |
| `timeout_seconds` | How long to wait for one site before giving up on it. |

### Output

```json
{
  "username": "dhh",
  "site": "GitHub",
  "status": "found",
  "profile_url": "https://www.github.com/dhh",
  "site_url": "https://www.github.com/",
  "http_status": 200,
  "response_time_seconds": 0.42
}
```

You can download the dataset in various formats such as JSON, HTML, CSV, or Excel.

#### Data fields

| Field | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `username` | The username checked. |
| `site` | The website checked. |
| `status` | `found`, `available`, `unknown`, `blocked by bot protection`, or `not applicable`. |
| `profile_url` | Direct link to the profile, when the username exists there. |
| `site_url` | The website's home page. |
| `http_status`, `response_time_seconds` | What the site answered and how long it took. |

#### What the statuses mean

- **found** — the username exists on that site.
- **available** — the site answered, and nothing is registered under that name.
- **unknown** — the site could not be reached in time. This is **not** the same as available; treat it as no answer.
- **blocked by bot protection** — the site refused the check outright, so nothing can be concluded.
- **not applicable** — the username cannot exist there, usually because it breaks that site's naming rules.

### How much does it cost to check usernames?

A full sweep contacts every site once, so cost tracks usernames × sites. Narrowing **Limit to specific sites** to the platforms you care about makes a run dramatically cheaper and faster.

### Tips

- **Name a shortlist.** Most people only care about a dozen platforms; listing them under **Limit to specific sites** turns minutes into seconds.
- **Do not read `unknown` as free.** If it matters, re-run those sites with a longer timeout.
- **Turn off `found_only`** when you are checking availability for a launch — the point is then where it is *not* taken.

### FAQ and support

**Which sites are covered?** Over 400, including the major social, developer, gaming, and streaming platforms. A few large sites are absent because they block this kind of check entirely — Reddit, for instance, is not in the list.

**A profile link 404s. Why?** Some sites answer "taken" for names that are reserved, suspended, or deleted rather than actively used. The link is where a profile would be; it is worth opening it before drawing conclusions.

**Does it log in or see private content?** No. It only asks each site whether a public profile page exists, exactly as an anonymous visitor would.

**A word on personal data.** A username is often traceable to a real person, and a list of someone's accounts across the internet is personal data under GDPR and similar laws. Checking a brand name or your own handles is uncontroversial. Profiling an individual without a lawful basis is not, and may also breach the terms of the sites being checked. You are responsible for how you use this — consider whether you have a legitimate reason, and consult a lawyer if you are unsure.

Found a bug or want a field that is missing? Open an issue on the Actor's Issues tab.

# Actor input Schema

## `usernames` (type: `array`):

Usernames to look up, one per line. Each one is checked against every site, which takes a couple of minutes.

## `found_only` (type: `boolean`):

Keep only the sites where the username is taken. Turn this off to also see where it is free, and which sites could not be reached.

## `include_adult_sites` (type: `boolean`):

Adult sites are skipped by default. Turn on to include them.

## `only_sites` (type: `array`):

Check only these sites, by name — e.g. GitHub, Instagram, Reddit. Leave empty to check all of them. Useful for a quick run, since checking every site is slow.

## `timeout_seconds` (type: `integer`):

How long to wait for one site before giving up on it. Lower is faster but marks more sites unreachable.

## `proxy_country` (type: `string`):

Comma-separated 2-letter codes. Hundreds of checks from one address get rate-limited, so residential proxies are recommended.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "usernames": [
    "dhh"
  ],
  "found_only": true,
  "include_adult_sites": false,
  "only_sites": [],
  "timeout_seconds": 30,
  "proxy_country": "US,GB,DE,NL,FR"
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `dataset` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "usernames": [
        "dhh"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("mina_safwat/username-checker").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "usernames": ["dhh"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("mina_safwat/username-checker").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "usernames": [
    "dhh"
  ]
}' |
apify call mina_safwat/username-checker --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,mina_safwat/username-checker"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/DhegOhMVhUVC7GWOP/builds/Vf4fdepT2vQ245NKu/openapi.json