Here are nine free ways to find someone’s email address.
1. Visit the company’s website
This may seem obvious, but it’s a good place to start. Don’t overlook this resource because it seems simple.
Once on the site, check the About Us page for contact information for executives or other employees. The News section is another good source, as articles often include PR contact email addresses.
2. Extrapolate from Known Emails
Almost every company uses the same email format (like [first name].[last name]@[company].[com]).
Finding a single email address for a company employee is easy once you see the formatting.
This only works if you have the person’s name, which is difficult for people with common names (like “John Smith”) who may have the same name at the company, or names with multiple possible variations (Robert, Bob, Rob).
The email address of your target may be obtained even if you connect with the wrong person (or the “wrong” recipient forwards your message to the “right”). It’s worth a shot as long as you don’t reveal anything sensitive or that could be construed as phishing.
3. Contact an Admin
If you can find the person’s department’s phone number, call the admin.
You can’t just ask for an email address because you don’t have one. This requires a bit of finesse.
After a warm welcome, ask the admin for assistance (people often like to be helpful, so this statement sets the stage). Ask them to confirm the person’s email address, then proceed to give them your best guess.
They usually stop you if you make a mistake and give you the correct address.
4. Google Advanced Search
Try an Advanced Google Search to verify your email address guess.
Enter the email address in the search bar, enclosing it in quotes: “[email protected]”.
Then it may show up in the search results. Otherwise, keep searching until you find the unicorn email address among the donkeys.
5. Google it
There is a lot of information out there, and unicorn Google can help you find it.
You can find someone’s email address by searching for their name and “email” or “contact.” It can be that easy.
Alternatively, try the person’s name plus the company name or title. It only takes a few minutes and doesn’t cost you anything.
6. ZoomInfo
In exchange for giving ZoomInfo access to your contacts, you get 10 free contacts per month. ZoomInfo has a database of millions of people and over 6 million companies.
7. Social Media Pages
Facebook users sometimes post their email addresses. Yes, this is rare, but it only takes a few seconds to look, so check personal and business pages for tidbits.
8. Personal Websites & Blogs
There are countless personal websites and blogs out there, and many professionals and executives use them to build their personal brands.
If you can’t find anything on the company website, try personal searches.
Most people link to their personal website on their social media profiles, especially LinkedIn and Twitter, so look for it and use it to conduct additional searches.
You may end up with the person’s personal email, but it’s just as effective.
9. Users Search Sites
Some people search sites offer free results, but this is becoming less common. But it doesn’t hurt to give it a shot.
Remember that the information you find may be out of date, so your mileage may vary, but giving it a shot is free.