How a people search report gets built
Search a name, pick the right person, read a report with a source for every fact. Searching is free. Subscribe to unlock it.
From a name to a report in three steps
Search.
Type the person's full name and press Find matches. For a common name, add a company, a job title or a city. Finding matches is free.
Pick.
A list of possible matches comes back, each with a Strong, Possible or Weak badge. Pick the person you mean, or press None of these and add a detail.
Read.
Press Get full report on your pick. You get a report with sources: every fact has a numbered marker, and every page we used is listed by website.
What happens when you search
We send the name, plus any company, job title or location you add, to our search service. It reads public web pages, groups them into possible people, and scores how well each one fits what you typed.
If many people share the name, our guide to finding someone online shows how to narrow it down.
What each match shows
Every match is one possible person, built from pages that seem to describe the same individual. Each card shows:
- the name as the pages give it
- their role and company, when a page lists them
- a location, when one is public
- a short summary, when there is one
- how many sources describe them
- a match badge: Strong, Possible or Weak
Checking the matches first, for free, means you only subscribe once you know you have the right person. See how the subscription works.
What the match badges mean
How well a match fits what you typed. A guide, not a verdict.
| Badge | What it tells you | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| Strong | The name and your details agree closely. | Read the summary, then get the report. |
| Possible | Some of what you typed fits, some is missing or different. | Check the role, company and location against what you know. |
| Weak | The name fits, little else does. | Add a company, job title or city and search again. |
What's in a people search report
When you pick someone, we search again with that match's details and write a report from the pages we find. A people search report can include:
- Work history: roles and companies that public pages mention.
- Education: schools and degrees, where they are public.
- Public profiles: professional and social profiles anyone can open.
- Public photos: pictures public pages link to the person, to help you tell people apart.
- Quick answers: short questions and answers about the person.
- Sources by website: every page we used, grouped by site.
Every fact links to its source
This is a report with sources, not a summary you take on trust. Each fact carries a numbered marker that opens the page's title, a short extract and a link.
What we leave out
We remove email addresses and phone numbers from everything before it reaches you, including the report and the source extracts. We only use pages that are publicly reachable, and we never publish a page about anyone.
Anyone in our results can ask us to review their name for removal, with no account needed. Deep Search is not a consumer reporting agency. Don't use it for decisions about employment, credit, housing or insurance (see our permitted use).
Where your reports are saved
A finished report is saved in the browser you used as soon as it arrives, and you can reopen it from Saved reports. It is not stored in your account, so it won't show on another device. More answers are on the help page.
How long it takes and what needs a subscription
What's free, what needs a subscription
Finding matches is always free and unlimited. A subscription unlocks the full report, with unlimited reports while your plan is active.
How long it takes
A search usually takes a minute or two. You can read the first matches while the rest are still coming in.
Questions about searching
Short answers on how people search works in practice.
Many names are shared, and each match is a group of pages that seem to describe one person. A company, job title or city usually pulls them apart.
Press Refine and search again. Change or add a company, job title or city, then pick from the new matches. It counts as a new search. Finding matches stays free, and you can unlock a fresh report once you pick the right person.
Press None of these. You go back to the search with your details kept, so you can change or add one and try again.
Searches stay open for a limited time. If yours expires, run it again. Searching stays free either way.
Yes. It shows you what public pages say about you. If you would rather not appear, ask us to review your name for removal.
Sometimes. Public pages can be out of date or mistaken, so open the numbered source behind any fact that matters and check it.
Try a search
Free to search, no card needed.