How to Use Sherlock to Find Social Media Accounts by Username

Sherlock is an open-source tool used to hunt down usernames across numerous social media platforms. It's particularly useful for digital investigators, OSINT researchers, or anyone who wants to check where a specific username is being used online.

In this guide, you'll learn how to install and use Sherlock step-by-step.

What Is Sherlock?

Sherlock searches over 300+ social media websites to find the presence of a specific username. It's an efficient way to check if a person or brand is using the same handle on multiple platforms.

Step-by-Step Installation

Open your terminal and clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/sherlock-project/sherlock.git 💡 Note: If you're using Kali Linux or Parrot OS, Sherlock might already be installed by default.

Navigate into the cloned directory

cd sherlock

Install the required dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

This command ensures all necessary Python packages are installed to run Sherlock smoothly.

Usage Examples

Search for a username on a specific platform (e.g., Twitter)

python3 sherlock.py --site twitter username

Replace username with the actual handle you're investigating.

Search for a username across all supported platforms

python3 sherlock.py username

Sherlock will scan hundreds of websites and return the results, indicating whether the username is taken or not on each platform.

Sherlock is a powerful tool for OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) and ethical investigations. However, always use it responsibly and within the bounds of legal and ethical standards.

Whether you're investigating digital footprints or just curious about your own username's availability across the web, Sherlock is a fast and reliable solution. With just a few terminal commands, you can uncover a wide digital trail left by a username.

Happy hunting!