holehe

Show status across all supported websites for the specified email address

$ holehe [username@example.org]

$ holehe [username@example.org] --only-used

holehe [options] <email_address | --input-file file>

<email_address>
    The target email address to check for registration status across various online services.

--input-file <file>, -i <file>
    Read email addresses from a specified file, one email per line, for batch processing.

--verbose, -v
    Display verbose output, providing more detailed information during the checking process, including service responses.

--json, -j
    Output the results in JSON format, suitable for programmatic parsing and integration with other tools.

--only-used
    Filter results to only display services where the email address is confirmed as registered.

--only-unused
    Filter results to only display services where the email address is confirmed as not registered.

--only-unknown
    Filter results to only display services where the registration status of the email address is unknown.

--no-color
    Disable colored output in the terminal, useful for non-interactive scripts or terminals that don't support ANSI colors.

--timeout <seconds>
    Set a maximum timeout in seconds for individual network requests to services, preventing long hangs.

--proxy <url>
    Use a specified proxy URL (e.g., socks5://127.0.0.1:9050, http://user:pass@host:port) for all network requests.

--version, -V
    Show the program's version number and exit.

--help, -h
    Display the help message and exit, showing available options and usage examples.

holehe is an open-source intelligence (OSINT) command-line tool designed to check if a given email address is registered on a vast array of online services. It leverages various service APIs and public data points to verify email existence without requiring credentials. This allows investigators, security researchers, or curious individuals to rapidly ascertain a digital footprint associated with an email, potentially revealing social media profiles, e-commerce accounts, or other online presences.

It supports a wide range of popular services, including but not limited to, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, Spotify, Netflix, Adobe, and many more, making it a powerful reconnaissance utility. Its primary use case is ethical hacking, penetration testing, and digital forensics, helping to build a comprehensive profile of a target.

Ethical Use: holehe should only be used for legitimate and ethical purposes, such as security research, verifying your own data, or with explicit consent. Misuse can lead to privacy violations and legal consequences.
Rate Limiting & Accuracy: Online services may implement rate limiting, which can cause the tool to temporarily fail or get blocked. The accuracy of results depends on the services' public APIs and how they handle registration checks, which can change over time or be intentionally obscured.
Dependencies: Requires Python 3 and specific Python packages to be installed. It also requires an active internet connection to perform checks.

holehe is typically installed using Python's package installer, pip. Ensure Python 3 and pip are installed on your system. You can install it by running:
pip3 install holehe

Users are strongly advised to exercise caution and adhere to ethical guidelines when using holehe. Respect individual privacy, comply with all applicable laws and regulations, and obtain consent where necessary. This tool is intended for legitimate security research and auditing, not for malicious activities or unauthorized data collection.

holehe was developed by @megadose as a Python-based open-source intelligence (OSINT) tool. Its creation aimed to streamline the process of checking email registration across a multitude of online platforms into a single, user-friendly command-line utility. Since its initial release, it has gained significant traction within the cybersecurity and OSINT communities for its effectiveness in reconnaissance and digital footprint analysis. The tool continues to evolve with updates, adding support for new services and features to enhance its utility and maintain accuracy against changing platform behaviors.

whois(1), nmap(1), theharvester(1), sherlock(1), metagoofil(1)