How to Find Unknown Email Addresses
By Melissa Osborn
The Internet makes it easy to find contact information for most people and businesses. However, finding email addresses is often more difficult than finding phone numbers or mailing addresses. Luckily, there are several websites and directories that make it fairly easy to find email addresses.
Choose an email search engine. Popular ones include Yahoo!, Switchboard, Look4You and InfoSpace.
Type the name of the person whose email addresses you want to find. Try several variations, including initials, to get a variety of search results.
Identify the correct email address based on your knowledge of the person whose email address you want to find. For example, look at the domain name if you know the person's company or industry. Look at the main name if you know his interests and hobbies.
Try the built-in search tool for Microsoft Office XP. Just go to the “Start” menu. Then choose the “Search” function and “For People.” This will search your personal address book, plus several Internet search engines.
For international email addresses, try an international email directory. (See Resources for a link to a popular international email directory.)
Tips
- If you know someone’s email address and want to find out their name or phone number, use a reverse email search.
Warnings
- Many countries have laws, including the United States, that make it illegal to send spam emails. You should be aware of these rules if you are considering mass emails.
Writer Bio
Melissa Osborn has more than 10 years of journalism experience. Her specialties include how-to articles, expert profiles and feature stories. Osborn graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor of Arts in English and journalism and minors in philosophy and political science.