Sherlock
Username hunter across 400+ social platforms.
Quick Start
pip install sherlock-project
# Search single username
sherlock username
# Search multiple usernames
sherlock user1 user2 user3
# Output to file
sherlock username --output results.txt
# JSON output
sherlock username --json
Core Flags
| Flag | Purpose |
|---|---|
--timeout N |
Per-site timeout (default: 60s) |
--print-found |
Only show found accounts |
--print-all |
Show all (including not found) |
--output FILE |
Save results |
--json |
JSON format |
--site NAME |
Search specific site only |
--csv |
CSV output |
-x XLSX |
Excel output |
Common Workflows
Hunt username from breach data:
sherlock johndoe_83 --print-found --output johndoe_found.txt
Multiple username variants:
sherlock "john.doe" johndoe john_doe jdoe --print-found
Targeted site lookup:
sherlock johndoe --site twitter --site github --site linkedin
From breach data — test common variations at once:
sherlock john.doe johndoe john_doe j.doe jdoe83 --print-found --timeout 10
Username Variation Strategy
Given a real name "John Doe" or email johndoe83@gmail.com:
johndoe, john.doe, john_doe, jdoe, j.doe, johndoe83, jdoe83
firstname+lastname, firstnamelastname, last.first
Add: year of birth, numbers 1/2/_, common suffixes (_real, _official)
vs maigret
| sherlock | maigret | |
|---|---|---|
| Sites | ~400 | 2800+ |
| Output | URL list | Full dossier (scraped data) |
| Speed | Fast | Slower |
| Best for | Quick platform sweep | Deep profile building |
Use sherlock for fast sweep, maigret for deep investigation.
Resources
| File | When to load |
|---|---|
references/username-techniques.md |
Username generation, variation tools, pivot strategies, platform-specific tips |