Service
Digital Footprint Investigation
A structured map of what is publicly visible about a person or brand online: accounts, historical content, public affiliations, and what a counterparty could reasonably learn.
Source verification — illustrative
- Public corporate registryCorroborated
- Archived web contentCorroborated
- Public social profilePartially consistent
- Claimed employer websiteNot corroborated
The problem this service solves
Most people and organisations have a far larger public trace than they realise: old accounts, cached pages, forum posts, professional listings, tagged photographs, business filings and content posted by others that mentions them. Individually these fragments seem harmless. Assembled, they form a picture that a stranger, employer, journalist, or counterparty can use to judge, target, or contact someone.
This service treats that assembly as the deliverable. Rather than searching for a single answer, it systematically collects what is publicly attributable to the subject, checks how consistent and current each item is, and organises the result so you can see exactly what is visible and where it comes from.
It is used in two directions. Clients use it to look outward, building a picture of someone they are dealing with — a new business contact, a landlord, a prospective employee. They also use it to look inward, auditing their own or their organisation's exposure before a job search, an investment round, a public appointment, or simply because they want to know what is out there.
When clients use this service
- You are about to enter a professional or personal relationship with someone you have only met online
- You are preparing for a job search, board appointment or public-facing role and want to know your own exposure
- A brand or founder is about to receive press or investor attention
- You want to confirm whether old accounts or content are still publicly attached to your name
- A counterparty's online presence looks thin, inconsistent or recently created
- You need a documented record of what is publicly known about someone before a decision is made
Step one
What information you can provide
Better starting information usually means a broader and faster investigation, but a case can often begin with very little.
- Full name and any known aliases or previous names
- Known usernames, handles or email addresses
- Employer, industry or professional context
- Locations associated with the subject
- Any known websites, profiles or business affiliations
- The purpose of the review, so scope can be set appropriately
- Photographs, if available, to help confirm identity
Research scope
What may be researched
Research is limited to lawful, publicly available information and is confirmed with you before work begins.
- Public social media accounts, current and historical
- Publicly archived or cached web content
- Professional listings, directories and public affiliations
- Content posted about the subject by third parties
- Publicly visible business, organisational or ownership connections
- Username reuse across platforms
- Public forum, review or comment activity
- General consistency of the online identity over time
Deliverable
What you receive
Every case ends in a written report you can read, keep and act on.
- A structured inventory of publicly identified accounts and content
- A summary of what a typical counterparty could find and conclude
- Notable inconsistencies or gaps in the public record
- Historical or archived material relevant to the subject
- Public affiliations identified during research
- Analyst commentary and confidence assessment
Pricing and turnaround
This service starts from $499. Price depends on how common the subject's name is, how many platforms and countries are involved, whether historical or archived research is required, and whether the review covers an individual or an organisation.
- What affects price
- Price depends on how common the subject's name is, how many platforms and countries are involved, whether historical or archived research is required, and whether the review covers an individual or an organisation.
- What affects turnaround
- Straightforward individual profiles with a distinctive name move fastest. Common names, multiple aliases or organisational reviews with several stakeholders take longer. Expedited handling can be requested during case assessment.
- Honest limitations
- This service cannot access private accounts, private messages or restricted platforms. It cannot guarantee that every piece of public content about a subject will be located. A thin public footprint is reported as such, not interpreted as suspicious on its own.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as a background check?
It is narrower and more specific. A digital footprint investigation maps what is visible and attributable to a person or brand across public online sources — accounts, content, affiliations and archived material — rather than pulling from formal background-check databases.
Can I use this to review my own exposure?
Yes. This is one of the most common uses: clients preparing for a job search, a public role, a partnership or a media appearance ask us to map what a counterparty, employer or journalist could reasonably find about them.
Will you access private accounts or deleted content?
No. Research is limited to lawful, publicly available information, including material that is publicly cached or archived. Private accounts, private messages and restricted platforms are out of scope.
What if the person uses a common name?
Name ambiguity is addressed during scope confirmation using additional identifiers you provide, such as photographs, locations, employers or usernames, to narrow research to the correct individual with reasonable confidence.
How current is the picture you provide?
The report reflects what is publicly visible at the time of research, including historical and archived material where relevant. It is a snapshot, not a live monitoring service.
Continue reading
- Online Identity VerificationA faster check focused on confirming a single identity.
- OSINT InvestigationFor broader, custom-scoped open-source questions.
- Verify Someone You Met OnlineWhat to check before you trust a new online contact.
- Guide: what an online investigator can findRealistic expectations for open-source research.
- Example reportHow findings are presented.
- PricingStarting points for each investigation type.
Submit your case for an initial assessment
Tell us what you already know and what you need to establish. You will receive an assessment of what can realistically be researched, along with scope and pricing, before any work begins.