Over the years, I’ve published numerous tutorials and resource lists dedicated to OSINT (Open Source Intelligence). Many of you have found these resources valuable for your research and investigations. Today, I wanted to compile a fresh, comprehensive, and updated article that brings together the best search engine-based OSINT tools and tutorials available for free online.

Whether you’re a cybersecurity professional, investigative journalist, researcher, or simply curious about OSINT techniques, this guide aims to be your one-stop resource for elevating your open-source intelligence gathering capabilities. I’ve organized everything into logical categories to help you quickly find what you need based on your specific investigation requirements.

General search engines and techniques

These are the foundations of any OSINT investigation, providing the starting points for most research:

  1. Google Advanced Search - Refine your searches with Google’s built-in advanced parameters.
  2. DuckDuckGo - Privacy-focused search engine that doesn’t track your searches.
  3. Bing - Microsoft’s search engine with unique results not always found on Google.
  4. Yandex - Russian search engine with powerful facial recognition capabilities.
  5. Baidu - China’s largest search engine, useful for Asian-focused research.
  6. Google Dorks Database - Collection of advanced Google search queries for finding specific information.
  7. Startpage - Search engine that provides Google results with enhanced privacy.
  8. Search Engine Colossus - Directory of search engines from around the world.
  9. Wayback Machine - Access archived versions of websites dating back to the 1990s.
  10. Million Short - Search engine that removes the most popular sites from results to find less-known resources.

OSINT Frameworks and Platforms

These comprehensive platforms combine multiple OSINT tools into unified interfaces:

  1. OSINT Framework - Interactive framework with categorized resources.
  2. IntelTechniques - Collection of free OSINT tools organized by category.
  3. SpiderFoot - Open-source intelligence automation tool.
  4. Maltego - Visual link analysis tool with community edition available.
  5. Recon-ng - Full-featured web reconnaissance framework.
  6. OSINTCombine - Collection of free OSINT tools and tutorials.
  7. OSINT.SH - Collection of OSINT tools in one interface.
  8. Hunchly - OSINT tool for capturing and organizing web-based investigations.
  9. Shodan - Search engine for Internet-connected devices.
  10. Datasploit - OSINT framework to perform automated recon.

Social Media Intelligence tools

These tools help extract intelligence from social media platforms:

  1. Twint - Advanced Twitter scraping tool without API limitations.
  2. Social Searcher - Social media search engine.
  3. TweetDeck - Twitter dashboard for advanced monitoring.
  4. LinkedIn Search Tools - Guide to advanced LinkedIn search operators.
  5. Reddit Search - Search comments of a specific Reddit user.
  6. Snapchat Map - View public Snapchat stories on a map.
  7. Facebook Search Tools - Search Facebook with advanced parameters.
  8. Instagram OSINT Tool - Tool for Instagram OSINT.
  9. Social Blade - Track social media statistics and analytics.
  10. Telegram Analytics - Search engine and statistics for Telegram.
  11. WhatsAnalyzer - Tool for WhatsApp chat analysis.
  12. TikTok OSINT - Collection of TikTok OSINT techniques.

Person and Identity research

Tools specifically designed for investigating individuals:

  1. Pipl - People search engine with free limited functionality.
  2. WebMii - Find people with detailed web presence.
  3. Hunter.io - Find email addresses by domain name.
  4. Spokeo - People search engine aggregating data from public sources.
  5. That’sThem - Free reverse lookup for phone, email, address, IP.
  6. PeekYou - People search engine.
  7. Emailrep.io - Simple email reputation lookup service.
  8. BeenVerified - Background check and people search.
  9. Searchpeople.online - Free people search tool.
  10. Infotracer - Public records search service.
  11. TruePeopleSearch - Free people search database.
  12. Instant Username Search - Check username availability across platforms.
  13. Namechk - Check if a username is taken across multiple platforms.

Email investigation tools

Tools for investigating email addresses and domains:

  1. Email Header Analyzer - Analyze email headers to determine the source.
  2. Have I Been Pwned - Check if an email has been part of a data breach.
  3. Epieos - Retrieve information from an email address.
  4. EmailChecker - Verify email address validity.
  5. Mail-Tester - Test the spammyness of your emails.
  6. Email Permutator - Generate possible email addresses based on name patterns.
  7. Email Tracker - Track when your emails are opened.
  8. Email Format - Find the email address format for thousands of companies.
  9. Verify Email - Free email verification tool.
  10. Clearbit Connect - Find email addresses for companies.

Phone number research

Tools for investigating phone numbers:

  1. Truecaller - Global phone directory with caller ID.
  2. NumLookup - Free reverse phone lookup tool.
  3. PhoneInfoga - Advanced phone number scanning tool.
  4. CallerID Test - Test caller ID display for any phone number.
  5. Reverse Phone Lookup - Find owner information for phone numbers.
  6. Spy Dialer - Free reverse phone lookup.
  7. Sync.ME - Identify unknown calls with reverse phone lookup.
  8. Phone Validator - Validate phone numbers and check carrier information.
  9. WhoCallsMe - Reverse phone number lookup with user reports.
  10. FoneFinder - Find location and carrier for US phone numbers.

Username and account discovery

Tools for finding accounts associated with usernames:

  1. Sherlock - Hunt down social media accounts by username.
  2. WhatsMyName - Username search tool.
  3. UserSearch.org - Find username across multiple networks.
  4. UserRecon - Find usernames across social networks.
  5. GHunt - Investigate Google accounts with just an email.
  6. Maigret - Collect information from username across many sites.
  7. Social Analyzer - API and Web App for analyzing and finding profiles.
  8. Namecheckup - Check username availability on popular websites.
  9. CheckUsernames - Check the use of your brand or username on 160+ sites.
  10. KnowEm - Check for username availability on social networks.

IP and Domain investigation

Tools for investigating IP addresses and domains:

  1. IP Location - Locate an IP address on a map.
  2. Domain WHOIS Lookup - Find domain owner information.
  3. Censys - Search engine for finding Internet-connected devices.
  4. DNSdumpster - DNS reconnaissance tool.
  5. ViewDNS.info - Multiple DNS and IP tools.
  6. SecurityTrails - Extensive DNS data.
  7. IP2Location - Geolocation information for IP addresses.
  8. DNS Lookup - Free DNS lookup tool.
  9. BGPView - Search for ASN, IPv4/IPv6, or resource name.
  10. IPVoid - IP address tools and security checks.
  11. Netcraft Site Report - Gather information about websites.
  12. URL Scan - Free service to scan and analyze websites.
  13. BuiltWith - Find out what websites are built with.
  14. Central Ops - Free online network tools.
  15. Robtex - Comprehensive DNS lookup and domain research tool.

Image and Visual OSINT

Tools for investigating images and visual content:

  1. TinEye - Reverse image search engine.
  2. Google Images - Google’s reverse image search.
  3. Yandex Images - Powerful reverse image search with facial recognition.
  4. PimEyes - Face recognition search engine and reverse image search.
  5. Exif Viewer - View metadata of images.
  6. InVID Verification Plugin - Tool for video verification.
  7. FotoForensics - Photo analysis tools for digital image forensics.
  8. Jeffrey’s Image Metadata Viewer - View all metadata in photos.
  9. Reveye - Chrome extension for reverse image search.
  10. Bing Visual Search - Microsoft’s visual search tool.

Geolocation and mapping tools

Tools for geolocation analysis and mapping:

  1. Google Earth - 3D representation of Earth based on satellite imagery.
  2. SunCalc - Calculate sun position and phases for a given location and time.
  3. Sentinel Hub - Access to satellite imagery.
  4. Wikimapia - Editable map with descriptions of places worldwide.
  5. OpenStreetMap - Free editable map of the world.
  6. GeoGuessr - Game that can train your geolocation skills.
  7. FlightRadar24 - Real-time flight tracker.
  8. MarineTraffic - Track ship movements in real-time.
  9. Windy - Weather radar and wind forecast.
  10. GeoNames - Geographical database with over 25 million entries.

Cryptocurrency investigation

Tools for investigating cryptocurrency transactions:

  1. Blockchain Explorer - Explore Bitcoin blockchain data.
  2. Etherscan - Ethereum blockchain explorer.
  3. BitcoinWhosWho - Bitcoin address lookup and alerts.
  4. WalletExplorer - Bitcoin block explorer focusing on wallet addresses.
  5. CryptoScamDB - Database of cryptocurrency scams.
  6. CoinTracking - Cryptocurrency portfolio tracking and tax reporting.
  7. BSCScan - Binance Smart Chain explorer.
  8. TronScan - Tron blockchain explorer.
  9. Chainabuse - Report and track crypto scams and hacks.
  10. XRP Scan - XRP Ledger explorer.

OSINT Learning resources and tutorials

Comprehensive guides and tutorials to improve your OSINT skills:

  1. OSINT Techniques - Blog with OSINT tutorials and techniques.
  2. Bellingcat - Digital investigation tutorials from a leading OSINT organization.
  3. OSINT Curious Project - Weekly OSINT tips and techniques.
  4. SANS OSINT Resources - OSINT blog posts and resources from SANS.
  5. i-intelligence OSINT Handbook - Comprehensive OSINT methodology guide.
  6. OSINT Dojo - Free OSINT learning resources.
  7. OSINT.Link - Collection of 800+ OSINT resources.
  8. Michael Bazzell’s OSINT Books - Leading OSINT researcher’s books and resources.
  9. Trace Labs - OSINT resources focused on missing persons.
  10. We Are OSINT - Weekly OSINT blog.
  11. OSINTEssentials - Collection of essential OSINT tools and resources.
  12. OSINT Framework - Collection of OSINT tools categorized by function.
  13. OSINT Combine - OSINT tutorials and techniques.
  14. Dutch OSINT Guy - Practical OSINT tutorials.
  15. OSINT for People Finder - People search OSINT resources.

Data Visualization tools

Tools for visualizing data connections and relationships:

  1. Gephi - Open source network visualization software.
  2. NodeXL - Excel template for network analysis and visualization.
  3. Maltego - Interactive data visualization for link analysis.
  4. Graphistry - GPU-accelerated visual investigation platform.
  5. Linkurious - Graph visualization and analysis platform.
  6. D3.js - JavaScript library for data visualization.
  7. yEd Graph Editor - Free diagram editor for network diagrams.
  8. Tableau Public - Free data visualization software.
  9. RAWGraphs - Open web app for creating custom vector-based visualizations.
  10. Sigma.js - JavaScript library dedicated to graph drawing.

This comprehensive guide to search engine-based OSINT tools and tutorials demonstrates the incredible breadth of freely available resources for open-source intelligence gathering. From general search engines to specialized tools for social media analysis, person research, and cryptocurrency investigations, these 145 tools and resources provide investigators with powerful capabilities to gather and analyze information from public sources.

Remember that OSINT is not just about having access to tools, but knowing how to use them effectively and ethically. Always respect privacy laws and regulations in your jurisdiction when conducting OSINT investigations.

I hope this collection serves as a valuable reference for your OSINT activities. As the field continues to evolve, I’ll update this guide with new tools and tutorials. If you have suggestions for additional resources that should be included, please share them in the comments below!