# Sherlock Username Scraper - Find Accounts by Username (`scrapesage/sherlock-scraper`) Actor

Hunt a username across 480+ social networks and websites. For each handle, returns the sites where an account exists, the profile URL, and a discrimination-verified match status that suppresses false positives. Check up to 100 usernames per run. No login, no API key. Export JSON, CSV, Excel.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/scrapesage/sherlock-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Scrape Sage](https://apify.com/scrapesage) (community)
- **Categories:** Social media, Automation, Agents
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $2.20 / 1,000 account founds

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

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

## Sherlock Username Scraper - Find Accounts by Username

Hunt a **username across 480+ social networks and websites** and get back every site where that handle has an account - with the profile URL and a verified match status. Built on the site database of the well-known open-source **Sherlock** project, with an added precision layer that suppresses false positives.

Give it one handle or a hundred. No login, no API key.

### What it does

- Checks a username against **481 sites** (social media, forums, dev platforms, gaming, marketplaces, and more).
- Reports the sites where an **account exists**, each with the direct **profile URL**.
- **Verifies every hit** (`verifyClaims`, on by default): re-checks each positive with a decoy handle and drops sites that can't tell accounts apart - so a "found" really means found.
- Optional **full per-site audit** (`includeUnclaimed`): also returns the sites where the handle is free or couldn't be determined - useful for **username-availability research**.
- Runs **up to 100 usernames** in a single run.

### Example output

```json
{
  "type": "account",
  "username": "torvalds",
  "site": "BitBucket",
  "url": "https://bitbucket.org/torvalds/",
  "status": "claimed",
  "detectionType": "status_code",
  "httpStatus": 200,
  "source": "sherlock",
  "checkedAt": "2026-08-27T04:55:00.000Z"
}
```

| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `username` | The handle that was checked |
| `site` | Site / network name |
| `url` | Direct profile URL for that handle |
| `status` | `claimed` (account exists), or `available` / `unknown` when *Include unclaimed* is on |
| `detectionType` | How the site was checked: `status_code`, `message`, or `response_url` |
| `httpStatus` | HTTP status returned by the site |

### Input

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| **Usernames** | One or more handles to hunt (up to 100). |
| **Max sites per username** | How many of the 481 sites to check per handle (lower = faster/cheaper). |
| **Verify claims** | Re-check positives with a decoy handle to kill false hits (recommended, on by default). |
| **Include unclaimed / unknown sites** | Also output sites where the handle was NOT found - full per-site audit. |
| **Include adult (NSFW) sites** | Include adult sites in the check (off by default). |
| **Proxy** | Residential proxies improve coverage (some sites block datacenter IPs). |

### Use cases

- **OSINT & investigations** - map a person's or brand's online footprint from a single handle.
- **Brand protection** - find impersonation accounts using your brand name across the web.
- **Username availability** - turn on *Include unclaimed* to see where a new handle is still free.
- **Lead & profile enrichment** - resolve a known handle to its profile URLs across networks.

### Notes on accuracy

Username hunting is best-effort by nature. `claimed` means the site's "not found" signal was absent and (with *Verify claims* on) the site could distinguish a real handle from a decoy. Some sites block automated checks from datacenter IPs and are reported as `unknown` rather than guessed - use residential proxies for the widest coverage.

### Run it from an agent (MCP / API)

This Actor is agent-ready. It exposes a typed input schema and returns structured JSON, so an LLM agent or automation can call it over the Apify API / MCP to answer "where does this username exist?" as one step in a workflow. Point your agent at the Actor, pass `usernames`, and read the `account` records back.

### FAQ

**Does it need my login or an API key?** No. It checks public presence signals only.
**Will it find every account?** No tool can - handles can be private, blocked, or use different names. This maximizes coverage across 481 sites and is honest about what it can't determine (`unknown`).
**Is scraping public profile presence legal?** This checks publicly observable existence signals. You are responsible for using the results in line with the sites' terms and applicable law.

# Actor input Schema

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

One or more usernames / handles to hunt, e.g. <code>johnsmith</code>, <code>elonmusk</code>. Each is checked across 480+ sites. Up to 100 per run.

## `maxSitesPerUsername` (type: `integer`):

How many sites to check for each username (up to 481). Lower it for faster, cheaper runs; keep it high for full coverage.

## `verifyClaims` (type: `boolean`):

Re-check every positive hit with a decoy handle and drop sites that cannot tell accounts apart (kills false positives). Slightly more requests, much higher precision.

## `includeUnclaimed` (type: `boolean`):

Also output the sites where the username was NOT found or could not be determined (full per-site audit). Off = only sites where an account exists.

## `includeNsfw` (type: `boolean`):

Include adult-content sites in the check. Off by default.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Proxies used for the checks. Residential proxies improve coverage because some sites block datacenter IPs (returning 'unknown').

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "usernames": [
    "johnsmith"
  ],
  "maxSitesPerUsername": 481,
  "verifyClaims": true,
  "includeUnclaimed": false,
  "includeNsfw": false,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

All account records as JSON items in the default dataset.

# 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": [
        "johnsmith"
    ],
    "maxSitesPerUsername": 481,
    "proxyConfiguration": {
        "useApifyProxy": true
    }
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("scrapesage/sherlock-scraper").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": ["johnsmith"],
    "maxSitesPerUsername": 481,
    "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True },
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("scrapesage/sherlock-scraper").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": [
    "johnsmith"
  ],
  "maxSitesPerUsername": 481,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}' |
apify call scrapesage/sherlock-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

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

```

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/SrOA9ksBYgCLi1uF3/builds/KVbOfdRUJnDdRpdld/openapi.json