How to Find Email Address of Someone

You need to know someone's email address to reach them via email, and there is no central database to find email addresses. You can often use the internet to find people's mailing addresses via directory searches, but there is no such parallel for email. If you need to reach someone but don't have their email address, here are some ways to find someone's email address.

Simply create a new address, click next to the "To:" field. This creates an address book search. Try searching for first name.

You can also use a keyboard shortcut: click the "To:" field, then type the last name of the person. Press Ctrl+K and Outlook narrows the list. Click right, and you're done.

It gets a little tougher outside of your organization. Here's some ideas.

Google It's always a good old-fashioned internet search. Look for the title and the word "message." Maybe include the job title of the employee. For all examples below, we'll be looking for Frank Johnson, accountant at Awesome Accounting, Inc. Certain quest suggestions like searching[ "Frank Johnson" "call me" "Amazing Accounting"] or[ "Accountant"]. If you're searching for a personal account, check for[ "Frank Johnson" AND "@gmail.com"]. Try other common email services.

Mine Social Media Most people have an email address linked to their Facebook and LinkedIn accounts, and sometimes make it public. Check social media for the person you're trying to contact. Even if you can't find an email address, you'll probably find a way to contact the person. If it's a personal contact, a Facebook message might be suitable. If it's a job, stick to LinkedIn.

If so, there's a "contact me" section. These often go straight to an email inbox. Unless the person responds, you can't see the email, but it's a starting point. Many people also have an email address on their websites. It's less usual but worth checking.

There's no standard directory of email addresses, but services like Pipl do what they can. Pipl maintains a list of documented contact information and is free to use. Search here if your other strategies don't yield results.