Tech tip: How to find anyone's email address
Have you ever been given the wrong email address by mistake? What about getting the run-around from a receptionist or personal assistant? It can be frustrating if you need to email someone and you can’t find their address. Tap or click here for details on the most secure email option.
If you have a business proposal and need to get in touch with the marketing manager, how would you go about it? You might be able to call the company to get the address, but it might be extremely time-consuming.
The good news is there are several ways to find out what the email address is of the person you want to connect with. Let’s take a look at a few clever ways of finding email addresses.
1. Google it
It might seem obvious, but one of the best ways to find an email address is to search for it online. If a search like “John Smith” + “email” doesn’t yield any results, there are several other ways to go about it.
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It’s worth remembering that when you use quotation marks in your search, it tells Google to search for that whole phrase. In the example above, results will only be displayed for John Smith. A regular search might produce results related to many people named John and tons of Smiths.
You could also try to guess the email provider the person is using. Try searching for “John Smith” + “gmail.com” or “yahoo.com.” Include the company that the person works for as well, like “John Smith” + “Acme Inc” + “email.”
2. Use a site like White Pages or web directories
The person you are looking for might be listed in a web directory or an online version of White Pages. Try searching with as much information as you have.
With WhitePages.com, you can find cell phone numbers, addresses, business details, relatives and property details. It might not provide you with the email address, but it will certainly give you more information to work with.
There is another website you can try, called Hunter.io. It lets you search through a company’s domain for an email address and lists them with some information redacted. If you find the person you are looking for, it will give you a good idea of their email address. Signing up for a free account will give you 25 free searches a month.
Tips for deleting yourself from people-search sites
Face it: What you do online isn’t private. Even if you’re browsing in good ol’ incognito mode, you’re still not anonymous. Incognito mode does have handy uses like keeping certain searches out of your autofill and suggestions. Tap or click here for my favorite insider secrets to getting the most out of private browsing.