Username Search & Lookup — Sherlock OSINT on 400+ Sites

Username search and lookup: enter a username, get one row per site where that account exists, out of 400+ social networks and websites. Each row carries the profile URL, for example johnsmith on GitHub returns https://github.com/johnsmith. It runs the standard open-source OSINT tool Sherlock with zero setup and no API keys.

Built for account auditing, brand protection, security research (authorized), due diligence, and journalism. Run it on the Apify platform with API access, scheduling, integrations, and monitoring built in.

Free plan: 1 username, top 100 sites, up to 5 accounts. Runs started from an Apify free plan scan the first username on the top 100 sites and return up to 5 found accounts, so you can see exactly what the Actor returns before paying. Every paid plan scans up to 5 usernames across the full 400+ site list and returns every account found. This is a plan limit, not an error: a free run finishes normally with a status message saying what was checked and how much was held back.

This Actor wraps the open-source Sherlock (MIT) and is not affiliated with the original project. It checks only public account existence. Use only for lawful purposes and on accounts you own or are authorized to investigate. Comply with GDPR, PIPA, CCPA, and applicable laws.

Why use Sherlock Username OSINT?

• Sherlock, zero setup — no install, no API keys, no configuration
• 400+ sites — GitHub, Reddit, Instagram, TikTok, X, and hundreds more
• Bulk — up to 5 usernames per run (paid plans)
• Structured JSON — site name, profile URL, HTTP status, response time
• Pay per use — $0.02 per username scanned plus $0.02 per account found. No subscription, no monthly fee.

How to use Sherlock Username OSINT

1. Enter one or more usernames (or a single username).
2. (Optional) Limit to specific sites, raise the timeout, or include NSFW sites.
3. Click Start and read the results in the Output tab.

Input

{
  "usernames": ["johnsmith"],
  "timeout": 60
}

Output

One dataset item per found account. Usernames with no results return a single "No accounts found" row.

{
  "username": "johnsmith",
  "siteName": "GitHub",
  "profileUrl": "https://github.com/johnsmith",
  "siteMainUrl": "https://github.com/",
  "status": "Claimed",
  "httpStatus": 200,
  "responseTimeS": 0.41,
  "scannedAt": "2026-06-11T10:32:00.000Z"
}

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

Data table

Pricing

This Actor uses pay-per-event pricing with two events:

A username that exists on 20 sites costs $0.02 + 20 × $0.02 = $0.42; a username with no results costs $0.02. Apify platform compute is billed separately per your plan.

Each row is handed over and then charged, one at a time. When the run's charging limit cannot cover the next row, the run stops there and finishes SUCCEEDED with a "Charging limit reached" row: nothing past the limit is handed over, and nothing handed over is left uncharged.

If the platform restarts a run (a server move or a resurrect), the restarted run does not hand over or charge again what is already in the dataset. Because the platform can show the last rows and charges a few minutes late, a restarted run first waits about 3 minutes and then checks what the earlier attempt already handed over; a run that is not restarted does not wait, unless reading its restart record from its own key-value store fails (then it waits the same way). A run that cannot save its restart record there and read it back stops before scanning and charges nothing. When scanning a username again after a restart fails, the accounts found before the restart stay and a notice row (noticeCode: restart-rescan-incomplete) names that username. When the run cannot prove what it already handed over, it stops with a notice row (

noticeCode: restart-unsettled

Free plan coverage. Free-plan runs scan 1 username on the top 100 sites and return up to 5 found accounts; paid plans scan up to 5 usernames on the full 400+ site list and return everything. The notice row at the end of every free run (

noticeCode: free-plan-preview

Tips

• Limit sites to the platforms you care about for faster, cheaper runs.
• Increase timeout if you suspect false negatives from slow sites.
• Schedule recurring runs to monitor when a brand or handle appears on new platforms.

🔗 Related Actors by ntriqpro

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• Email OSINT Lookup — Accounts, Profiles & Domain Footprint — Build a public-source digital footprint report from an email, username, domain, or authorized phone number.
• Email & Username Account Finder — Social Footprint Check — Give it one email or username and get back the platforms where that identity is registered — GitHub, GitLab, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, Tumblr and more — plus a Gravatar/GitHub profile and a 0–100 exposure score.
• Username Lookup — Social Media Account Search 200+ Sites — Username search across 200+ social media, developer, gaming and creator platforms.
• Instagram Reels & Comments Scraper | Brand Monitor — Collect public Instagram reel metrics and sample comments for brand reports.
• Threads Scraper - Posts, Replies, Search & New Post Monitor — Threads scraper with no login: an account's posts with history, every reply as its own row, keyword search results, plus the e-mails, link domains, mentions and hashtags found in them.

FAQ, disclaimers, and support

Is this legal? Checking whether a public account exists is generally lawful, but you are responsible for how you use the results. Do not use this tool for harassment, stalking, or any unlawful purpose. Comply with all applicable laws and platform terms.

Privacy & data responsibility. You are the data controller for every search you run with this Actor; ntriqpro is a data processor acting solely on your instructions. You are responsible for having a lawful basis and a legitimate, purpose-limited reason for each lookup, and for complying with GDPR, PIPA, CCPA, and other applicable privacy laws. We do not keep copies of your inputs or results outside your own Apify run; searched identifiers are masked in run logs. These roles are governed by the Standard Actor Contract (§5.2) that applies to this Actor on Apify. Public availability of a profile is not, by itself, a lawful basis — you need your own. Not a consumer reporting agency. Do not use results to make decisions about employment, credit, housing or insurance. Use this Actor only for lawful purposes and only on usernames you own or are authorized to investigate.

Why didn't it find an account I know exists? Some sites rate-limit or block automated checks, which can cause false negatives. Raising the timeout can help.

Found a bug or want a feature? Use the Issues tab. Custom solutions available.

Leave a review

A short review on the Reviews tab, good or bad, helps other people find this Actor and tells us what to build next. Found a bug or need a feature? Open an issue on the Issues tab and we'll look into it.