In a world where so much information is available online, people are increasingly concerned about privacy. They don’t want their personal data to be accessible to anyone who wants to find it, so they hide their email addresses from public view.
This way, they often miss great opportunities and offers that don’t fall into their Inboxes. And this also makes it difficult, but not impossible, to find their email by name.
Let’s assume you’ve tried using Google Search, but your email hunting was unsuccessful. If you know the person’s name but have no other information about your target and want to find their email address, check out our brief overview of different ways to do it.
Outline:
Way #1: use some handy search queries and operators
When looking for someone’s email address, the most obvious place to start is Google.
You often type in the person’s name followed by “email,” “email address,” “contact,” or “contact information,” and Google returns the results list. But you’ve done it already and failed.
Now it’s time to try using more advanced search operators and queries. You can use these special commands to narrow down your search results:
- [Joe Doe] + “company they work for”
- [Joe Doe] + “company they work for” + email
- [Joe Doe] + “hometown”
- [Joe Doe] + “hometown” + email
- [Joe Doe] + LinkedIn
For example, we decided to find the email address of the CEO of the financial software company Intuit by applying the above simple formula.
If you already know the company your target is working for, you can also use the “site:companywebsite.com” search operator and add a few modifiers like job title and geographic location to boost your chances of finding them:
- site:companywebsite.com + [Joe Doe] + email
- site:companywebsite.com + [Joe Doe] + contact
- site:companywebsite.com + [Joe Doe] + position + email
You can also try adding different email address structures since every company uses its unique email formats. For example, at Snov.io, our email structure is “initials [at] snov.io.” Here are just some of the most popular options you can play with:
- site:companywebsite.com + joe.doe [at] companyname.com
- site:companywebsite.com + joedoe [at] companyname.com
- site:companywebsite.com + joe_doe [at] companyname.com
- site:companywebsite.com + jd [at] companyname.com
- site:companywebsite.com + jdoe [at] companyname.com
So, as you see, knowing how to conduct an email search by name using search operators is a beneficial skill if you need to find a business email and know exactly the company the person works for. At the same time, this search method can be helpful when you’re trying to reconnect and stay in touch with long-lost friends or colleagues.
Of course, you can stick to this method of finding business email addresses, which can be handy when crafting a sales proposal. But it’s time-consuming to look for business emails at scale this way! We recommend using other outreach marketing methods that are much faster.
Way #2: check out email search tools
The fastest way to find an email address by name is to use email search tools.
These Chrome extensions, websites, and web apps allow you to search for someone’s email address by name, company, domain, and other criteria and, most often, find it in seconds. They all work the same way: you enter a name, add as much additional information as possible, and the tool provides you with assured results.
First, you need to figure out what kind of tool you need: free or paid. It depends on your needs and what you’re comfortable with spending. But at the end of the day, the best tool is the one that gets the job done.
Using free email search services to find an email by name
If you don’t want to pay for your email search, it’s time to do your research. Check out different email search tools’ reviews to see which are the most popular. And don’t forget to read the fine print—some free platforms might require you to sign up for a subscription before using them.
For example, try out the Email Address Guesser, a popular free email lookup service for finding emails by name.
You enter your target’s full name and domain, and the tool will return a long list of all possible email variations. Now guess which one is correct 🙂
Not to damage your sender reputation and avoid the high bounce rate and spam traps, it would be wise to verify this email list first to find out which of the emails are valid and then contact your target.
Let’s take a look at how this guessing game works using the example of my own business email. Here it is:
Quick email verification check, and you can be sure that this email address is valid and ready to receive your messages:
But to be frank, finding and verifying emails should go together like bread and butter, ideally on the same platform. It helps save so much of your precious time!
For example, both Email Finder and Email Verifier tools are integral parts of Snov.io’s free CRM and sales automation platform. Here, you’re guaranteed to find up to 50 valid emails per month for free by simply signing up. And if you need more emails, you can switch to one of the paid plans of your choice.
Using paid email finder tools to find an email by name
What to look for in an email finder tool when doing research?
First and foremost, you want something reliable and easy to use. The platform should also have an extensive database of emails, so you can be sure to find the correct contact information.
Price is another factor to consider. Generally speaking, the more features a tool offers, the higher the price tag. But don’t let that deter you—many platforms offer a free trial or even a freemium plan, so you can test all the search options before committing to a purchase.
For example, Snov.io paid plans start at $39 for 1,000 single searches or 500 bulk searches per month, which is relatively moderate, considering the variety of other sales-boosting opportunities you can take advantage of in addition to just email search by name. Most importantly, you’ll be able to check email addresses instantly without being charged for invalid emails; the email verification feature will make your bulk email lists bounce-free.
If you want to research and compare the prices and functionalities of other popular email-finding tools, check out our comprehensive Email Finder Guide.
Once you’ve found the right tool, all you need to do is type in the person’s full name and company and hit enter. If the person you’re looking for is in the database, you’ll see their contact information displayed in the results.
You can then choose to either send them an email or add them to your contact list.
Way #3: search for an email by name on social media
Nowadays, it’s become easier to find someone’s contact information on social media than it used to be.
For example, on Facebook, you can find the contact information for any business or organization by going to their page and clicking the “About” tab. This helps people get in touch with the account holder, whether they want to ask a question, make a complaint, or just say hello.
The same goes for individual social media accounts.
Simply type the person’s name into the search bar on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or LinkedIn, and a list of results will appear. Scroll through the results until you find the needed profile. Click the profile to view it.
Your target’s profile will likely contain their email address, as well as other contact information, such as their phone number and website. Maybe, maybe not, but chances are that you’ll find the email you’re looking for in your target’s profile, as many people add their contact information when they create their social media account or forget to delete their private information since the account was created long ago.
However, the search process can vary on different social networks. For example, if you decide to find an email by name on LinkedIn, you’d have to send a connect request to your target first and receive access to the information on their account after your request has been approved.
The same story goes with Facebook accounts. Many people protect their accounts from strangers’ eyes, and you can see what’s inside only after you become Facebook friends with your target.
If you can’t find a person’s email in their Twitter bio, you can use Twitter Advanced Search. Some of the search terms may include “email,” “reach,” “contact,” as well as “at” and “dot.” All you need to do is to fill in the “All of these words” and “From these accounts” fields.
We found the needed email in about 5 seconds.
And when it comes to TikTok, finding email by name seems to be a bit easier. Click the “Discover” button on the platform and type your target’s name in the search bar:
When you see your target’s avatar, this is the direct way to their account. In the account bio, you’re likely to find the “Email” button linking to an email address:
However, many users are concerned about privacy and don’t include their contact details on their social media accounts. So, if you fail to find what you need, see Way #2 of our guide and try to apply email finder tools on social media. This really helps.
Way #4: join your target’s mailing list or newsletter
Is your target a renowned person who’s carefully hiding their email address from the public? No worries. Joining their mailing list on their website or blog can help in your email-by-name search efforts.
You can do it by clicking the “Subscribe” button and providing your details (email address and, in some cases, your full name).
Most email opt-ins will require you to confirm your subscription or will send you a friendly welcome letter. That’s it! Open this confirmation email and hit “Reply,” even if it’s sent from a generic info@ address. Your precious target’s email address will be right there.
Way #5: reach out through website contact forms
You can hardly find a company website without a contact form or a generic info@ email address for general inquiries. Here’s the standard contact form example:
You can use the contact form to send a query about the most appropriate person to contact in the organization. However, if you need to find a particular contact, this is likely a way to nowhere.
Unless you’re dealing with a small company or blogger, your chances of finding an email by name using this method are close to zero. Well, you can test it out. Who knows, maybe you’re lucky, and the website admins are in a good mood 🙂
Bottom line
There are various ways and techniques to find someone’s email address by name, from free to expensive. No matter your chosen method, it’s essential to be as specific as possible when searching for email addresses, as this will help ensure you get the most accurate results.
It’s worth trying different methods when reaching your highly desired target. However, if after trying them all, you’ll come back to the most rational in terms of time and resources—email search tools, Snov.io has lots to offer you so that you can find an email by name as soon as possible.
