What Is an Email Lookup?
Email lookup is the process of finding someone's business email address using information you already have, like their name, company, or domain. This means you can track down contact information without cold calling or waiting for someone to fill out a form on your website.
Free email lookup methods fall into three categories: manual research, browser extensions, and freemium tools with monthly search limits. Manual methods cost nothing but take time. Browser extensions speed things up but only work when you're already looking at someone's profile. Freemium tools automate the search but cap how many addresses you can find before you hit a paywall.
The accuracy of what you find depends entirely on your method. Addresses pulled from LinkedIn or company websites tend to be current. Addresses scraped from old databases or guessed using email patterns carry higher risk of bouncing.
Most free approaches work by searching public sources like social profiles and press releases, guessing common email formats based on company patterns, or pulling from databases that aggregate contact information scraped from across the web. You're trading money for time and dealing with gaps in data quality.
How to Find an Email Address for Free
You have several options for finding business email addresses without paying for a tool. The right method depends on whether you need one contact or a hundred, and how much time you can spend digging.
Search LinkedIn and Social Profiles
LinkedIn is where most B2B prospecting starts. Find the person's profile and check their contact info section if you're connected or if they've made it public.
Some users list their business email directly on their profile. Others don't, but you can still grab their name and company to use with other lookup methods.
Beyond LinkedIn, check these places:
Twitter/X bios where professionals sometimes list business emails
Personal websites or portfolio sites linked from social profiles
GitHub profiles for technical contacts
Medium or Substack author pages
This approach works best when you already know who you're trying to reach. It's manual but the information comes straight from the source, which means it's usually accurate.
Use Google Search Operators
Google search operators let you dig deeper than a standard search. These are special commands that tell Google to search specific sites or look for exact phrases.
Try these search strings, swapping in real names and domains:
"John Smith" + "email" + site:acmecompany.com
"John Smith" + "@acmecompany.com"
"John Smith" + "contact" + "acme"
This pulls up email addresses from press releases, author bios, conference speaker lists, and other public pages that might not show up in a basic search. It takes practice to find the right combination of terms, but you're searching Google's entire index for free.
Add "PDF" to your search if you're looking for executive contacts. White papers, case studies, and research reports often include author emails on the cover page or in the footer.
Check Company Websites and Press Releases
Company websites list executive contacts on About, Leadership, or Team pages more often than you'd think. Press releases almost always include a media contact at the bottom.
For public companies, hit the investor relations page. These sections list contacts for shareholder questions and often include executive emails. You'll also find contact information in SEC filings, annual reports, and quarterly earnings presentations.
Conference presentations and webinar recordings sometimes show speaker contact information on title slides. If someone spoke at an industry event, search for the event name plus their name plus "slides" or "presentation."
Guess the Email Format
Most companies use the same email format for every employee. Once you figure out the pattern from one known address, you can apply it to anyone else at that company.
Common patterns you'll see:
Find one confirmed email from the company, note the structure, then apply it to your target contact's name. You can verify guessed addresses using free email verification tools before you send anything, which cuts down on bounces.
The easiest way to find a company's email pattern is to look up someone in marketing or sales whose email is already public. Check the company blog, press releases, or LinkedIn posts where employees share their contact information.
Try Free Email Finder Tools
Email finder tools automate the lookup process and work faster than manual searching. Most offer limited free searches per month, usually between five and fifty depending on the tool.
These tools break down into three types:
Browser extensions
that reveal emails while you browse LinkedIn or company websites
Web-based lookup tools
where you enter a name and domain to find associated addresses
Bulk search tools
that let you upload a list of names and companies for batch lookup
Free tiers work fine for occasional lookups. They stop working when you're building a prospect list or running outbound at scale. Most tools make you create an account and will push you to upgrade once you burn through your monthly credits.
Results from free tools should be verified before you use them. Accuracy varies widely, and some tools pull from databases that haven't been updated in months or years. This is a problem known as data decay.
Best Free Email Finder Tools
Free tools give you limited monthly searches or basic features at no cost. Pick based on how many emails you need per month, how accurate the data needs to be, and whether you need CRM integration.
Here's how the platforms compare:
Platform | Database Coverage | Key Strength | Best For |
ZoomInfo | 100M+ companies, 500M+ contacts | AI-powered insights with intent signals | Mid-market to enterprise teams |
Hunter | Domain-based search | Email pattern identification | Individual prospectors |
Apollo | 210M+ contacts | All-in-one prospecting platform | SMB to mid-market sales teams |
Snov | 150M+ contacts | Email verification and drip campaigns | Outbound campaign builders |
Saleshandy | 700M+ profiles | Email outreach automation & tracking | SMB sales teams & agencies |
VoilaNorbert | 50M+ contacts | High accuracy focus | Quality-over-volume users |
GetProspect | 200M+ contacts | LinkedIn integration | Social selling workflows |
Lusha | 100M+ contacts | Browser extension simplicity | Individual sellers |
RocketReach | 700M+ contacts | Professional profile depth | Executive search |
Clearbit | 250M+ contacts | Data enrichment focus | HubSpot users |
1. ZoomInfo
ZoomInfo gives you access to 500M+ verified professional email addresses and direct dials across 100M+ companies. The platform connects directly to Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, and Salesloft so contact data flows into your existing workflow. You can test it through a free trial before committing.
The platform combines contact data with firmographic details, technographic insights, and buyer intent signals. CoPilot, the AI assistant inside GTM Workspace, surfaces accounts showing purchase intent and automates your prospecting workflow based on real-time signals. Data updates continuously with verification built to maintain high deliverability rates.
ZoomInfo maintains GDPR, CCPA, and SOC 2 Type II compliance. Gartner and Forrester recognize it as a leader in sales intelligence. The platform processes buying signals continuously to identify accounts actively researching your category.
Key Features:
Intent data that surfaces accounts researching your solution category based on web activity
CRM enrichment that automatically updates contact records with verified emails and phone numbers
Technographic filters to target companies using specific technology stacks
Organizational charts that map reporting structures to find decision makers
Custom signal creation to build proprietary intent triggers based on your ICP
API access for integrating contact data into custom workflows
Chrome extension for looking up contacts from LinkedIn or company websites
2. Hunter
Hunter finds email addresses by searching company domains. You input a domain and see all publicly discoverable emails linked to that organization. The free tier gives you 50 searches per month.
The platform verifies emails through SMTP checks before you send outreach. A Chrome extension lets you find emails while browsing LinkedIn profiles. Hunter also provides bulk search and API access for teams that need to integrate email lookup into existing tools.
Hunter crawls the web and aggregates public databases, then applies pattern recognition to predict email formats. Each result gets a confidence score based on verification status and data source reliability. Domain search reveals common email structures, helping you predict addresses for contacts not in the database yet.
Key Features:
Domain search to find all emails at a company
Email verification with deliverability scoring
Chrome extension for LinkedIn and web browsing
Bulk email finder for list building
API access for custom integrations
Email pattern detection
Campaign tracking for outreach monitoring
3. Apollo
Apollo combines a B2B contact database with sales engagement features in one platform. The free tier includes approximately 75 email credits per month (900 credits per year granted monthly). You get access to 210M+ contacts and 30M+ companies with filters for industry, company size, job title, and location.
The platform includes email sequencing that automates follow-up cadences. CRM integrations sync prospect data with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other systems. Apollo's dialer lets you make calls alongside email outreach, creating multi-channel workflows from one interface.
Apollo sources data through web crawling, user contributions, and third-party partnerships. Emails get verified through SMTP validation and the platform tracks bounce rates to maintain database quality. You can access technographic data showing which technologies prospects use.
Key Features:
Approximately 75 free email credits per month
Email sequencing and automation
Built-in dialer for phone prospecting
CRM synchronization
Technographic filtering
Job change alerts
Chrome extension for LinkedIn
4. Snov
Snov combines email finding with verification and campaign management. New users get 50 free email searches per month. You can search by name and company or run domain searches to find multiple contacts at target accounts.
Email verification tests deliverability before you send anything, reducing bounce rates that hurt sender reputation. Drip campaign functionality automates email sequences with personalization and A/B testing. Snov tracks opens, clicks, and replies to measure performance.
A Chrome extension lets you prospect from LinkedIn profiles and company websites without switching tools. The platform integrates with major CRMs to sync contact data and activity. Snov also includes email warmup features that gradually increase sending volume to build sender reputation.
Key Features:
50 free monthly email searches
Email verification and validation
Drip campaign automation
Chrome extension for browser-based lookup
CRM integrations
Email warmup functionality
A/B testing for campaigns
5. Saleshandy
Saleshandy Lead Finder provides access to a 700M+ contact and 60M+ company B2B database. It helps teams find verified emails and phone numbers using advanced filters, then export or push leads directly into outreach workflows.
Beyond lead generation, Saleshandy includes cold email campaign management with automated follow-ups, personalization variables, and performance tracking. Users can monitor open rates, reply rates, and bounce metrics to optimize messaging. CRM integrations allow syncing prospect data and engagement activity with external systems.
Saleshandy sources its data through web crawling, public records, third-party partnerships, and proprietary data collection methods. The database is regularly refreshed to maintain accuracy and reflect job changes. Built-in email warmup and deliverability tools help improve inbox placement over time.
Key Features:
700M+ contacts and 60M+ companies
Advanced prospecting filters (industry, size, location, technographics)
Verified emails and phone numbers
Cold email automation and follow-ups
Email performance tracking and analytics
CRM integrations
Email warmup and deliverability tools
6. VoilaNorbert
VoilaNorbert focuses on accuracy over database size. New users get 50 free leads as a one-time offer upon account creation. You input a person's first name, last name, and company domain to retrieve their email.
The verification process includes SMTP validation, catch-all detection, and syntax checking. Results include confidence scores showing the likelihood that an email is correct and active. VoilaNorbert maintains lower database coverage than competitors but prioritizes accuracy to minimize bounces.
API access lets developers integrate email lookup into custom applications. The platform processes bulk searches for teams building large prospect lists, with verification included in all lookups. VoilaNorbert also offers email enrichment that adds job title and company information to contact records.
Key Features:
50 free leads upon signup
High accuracy verification
Name and domain lookup
Bulk search processing
API integration
Confidence scoring
Email enrichment
7. GetProspect
GetProspect operates as a B2B contact database with 50 free email credits per month. The platform specializes in LinkedIn integration, letting you extract contact information from profiles and Sales Navigator searches. You can build prospect lists directly from LinkedIn and export verified emails.
Bulk export processes multiple contacts at once, saving time when building large lists. Email verification runs automatically on all lookups. GetProspect also provides company search features that filter prospects by industry, location, company size, and other criteria.
The Chrome extension works within LinkedIn to display emails and phone numbers directly on profile pages. You can save prospects to lists within GetProspect and organize contacts by campaign or account. The platform integrates with CRMs and sales engagement tools to sync contact data.
Key Features:
50 free monthly email credits
LinkedIn profile extraction
Bulk contact export
Chrome extension
Email verification included
Company search filters
CRM integrations
8. Lusha
Lusha provides a browser extension and free tier with 40 email credits per month. The platform displays contact information directly on LinkedIn profiles and company websites through its Chrome extension. You reveal emails and direct dial phone numbers with one click while browsing.
The platform covers 100M+ business profiles with emails, phone numbers, and job titles. Lusha emphasizes direct dial phone numbers alongside emails, supporting multi-channel outreach. The browser extension works across LinkedIn, Sales Navigator, and company websites.
Lusha integrates with major CRMs to automatically enrich contact records with verified data. The platform includes data compliance features that respect GDPR and CCPA requirements, with opt-out mechanisms for individuals who request removal. Lusha sources data through public records, web scraping, and community contributions.
Key Features:
40 free email credits monthly
Chrome extension for instant lookup
Direct dial phone numbers
LinkedIn integration
CRM enrichment
GDPR compliance tools
Company website data extraction
9. RocketReach
RocketReach provides email and phone lookup across 700M+ professional profiles with 5 free searches per month. The platform covers executives and decision makers with detailed profile information including work history, education, and social media links. You can search by name, company, or job title.
Advanced search filters narrow results by location, industry, company size, and seniority level. RocketReach sources data from public profiles, social networks, and professional directories. Email verification runs on all lookups to confirm deliverability.
Integration options include API access for custom workflows and browser extensions for LinkedIn prospecting. The platform provides bulk lookup for teams building large contact lists. RocketReach also offers team collaboration features that let multiple users share saved searches and contact lists.
Key Features:
5 free monthly searches
700M+ professional profiles
Advanced search filters
Email and phone lookup
Browser extension
API access
Bulk search processing
10. Clearbit
Clearbit, now part of HubSpot, operates as a data enrichment tool with email lookup built into its Chrome extension. The platform offers 100 free searches per month through Clearbit Connect, which works directly within Gmail. You can look up emails while composing messages or reviewing inbound leads.
The platform focuses on firmographic and technographic data alongside contact information. You get company details like industry, employee count, revenue, and technology stack. Clearbit enriches CRM records automatically when new contacts enter the system. The platform integrates natively with HubSpot and connects to other CRMs through API.
Clearbit sources data through web scraping, public databases, and machine learning models that predict missing information. The platform updates records regularly to reflect job changes and company updates. Clearbit also provides website visitor identification that reveals which companies browse your site.
Key Features:
100 free searches monthly via Gmail extension
Automatic CRM enrichment
Firmographic and technographic data
HubSpot native integration
Website visitor identification
Real-time data updates
API access for custom workflows
How to Verify an Email Address Before Sending
Verification matters because sending to invalid addresses tanks your deliverability. Email service providers track bounce rates, and too many bounces land your domain in spam filters.
The verification process checks three things without actually sending an email:
Syntax check
to confirm the address follows valid formatting rules
Domain check
to verify the domain exists and accepts email
Mailbox check
to confirm the specific mailbox exists on that domain
Free verification tools exist but usually limit how many addresses you can check per day. Verification takes seconds and prevents wasted outreach plus deliverability problems that hurt all your future campaigns.
Some email addresses sit on catch-all domains, which means the domain accepts mail for any address whether the mailbox exists or not. Verification tools will flag these as risky because you can't confirm the address is real until you send and see if it bounces.
How to Choose a Free Email Lookup Tool
Free tools serve different needs depending on your volume requirements, accuracy standards, and workflow preferences. Individual sellers prospecting a handful of accounts weekly need different capabilities than teams running high-volume outbound campaigns.
Accuracy and Verification
Deliverability matters more than database size. Bounced emails damage sender reputation and reduce inbox placement rates. Email providers track bounce rates to determine whether your messages reach the inbox or get filtered to spam.
Verification methods to look for:
SMTP validation:
Tests whether the email server accepts messages to that address
Syntax checking:
Confirms the email follows proper formatting rules
Catch-all detection:
Identifies domains that accept all emails, making verification harder
Real-time validation:
Checks deliverability at lookup, not from cached data
Ask vendors about their verification process. Test tools with known email addresses to compare results before committing.
Free Tier Limits and Pricing
Monthly credit limits on free tiers range from 5 to 100 searches. These limits work for individual sellers testing prospecting strategies but create bottlenecks for teams running consistent outbound campaigns.
Common restrictions include:
Bulk search limitations on free plans
API access typically requires paid plans
Export functionality often restricted
Basic plans may use cached data instead of real-time validation
Calculate your monthly prospecting volume to determine whether free tiers provide enough capacity.
Integration with Your Sales Stack
CRM and sales engagement platform compatibility matters for teams because manual data entry creates friction. Native integrations sync contact data automatically, update records in real-time, and track activity across systems.
Look for integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Outreach, Salesloft, and your email client. API access enables custom integrations for teams with specific workflow requirements.
Data Privacy and Compliance
GDPR and CCPA regulations govern how you collect, store, and use contact data. Compliance responsibility extends beyond the tool's practices to how you use the data. Verify that platforms maintain proper data sourcing documentation and provide opt-out mechanisms.
Enterprise buyers should request SOC 2 Type II reports and review data processing agreements. Individual users should verify that tools follow basic privacy practices to avoid legal exposure.
Limitations of Free Email Lookup Methods
Free methods have real constraints that affect how reliable your data is and how much time you spend finding it. You need to know what you're giving up before you commit to a free-only approach.
Here's what breaks when you rely on free tools:
Accuracy problems
because free tools pull from outdated databases or unverified web scraping
Volume caps
that limit you to a handful of searches per day or month
No enrichment data
so you get an email but not job title, phone number, company size, or tech stack
Manual work
stitching together contacts from multiple sources instead of searching one database
Compliance gaps
since free tools rarely explain where data comes from or how it meets GDPR requirements
One-off lookups work fine with free methods. Pipeline building at scale doesn't. You'll spend more time verifying data, dealing with bounces, and switching between tools than actually prospecting.
Free tools also don't tell you which contacts are ready to buy. You get a name and email but no signal about whether that person is actively researching solutions, just got promoted, or works at a company that's hiring for roles that indicate budget.
When to Use a B2B Contact Database Instead
Sales and marketing teams working at scale need more than free lookups. A B2B contact database gives you verified emails plus firmographic data, technographic data, and intent signals in one platform.
Here's what changes when you move to a contact database:
Verified data that gets refreshed continuously
so you're not sending to addresses that bounced six months ago
Company and contact intelligence
including job titles, reporting structures, tech stack, and company size
Buying signals
from intent data that shows which accounts are researching solutions in your category
CRM integration
that syncs directly with Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, and other tools in your stack
Compliance transparency
with clear data sourcing for GDPR, CCPA, and other privacy regulations
ZoomInfo provides verified contact data, company intelligence, and intent signals built specifically for revenue teams. Instead of stitching together emails from multiple free sources, you get contacts with the context you need to personalize outreach and prioritize accounts showing buying behavior.
You can filter by job title, company size, industry, tech stack, and dozens of other criteria to build targeted lists. You can see which accounts are actively researching solutions and prioritize outreach to contacts at companies showing intent. You can push contacts directly into your CRM or sales engagement platform without exporting and importing CSV files.
The difference shows up in conversion rates. Accurate data with enrichment context lets you write relevant messages. Intent signals let you reach out when prospects are actually in market. Integration with your existing tools means reps spend time selling instead of managing spreadsheets.
Frequently Asked Questions About Email Lookup
Is it legal to look up business email addresses for cold outreach?
Yes, looking up publicly available business email addresses is legal. How you use those addresses matters though, and your outreach must comply with CAN-SPAM, GDPR, and CCPA, which govern consent, opt-out mechanisms, and data handling.
How accurate are free email finder tools compared to paid platforms?
Free tools often pull from outdated sources or use unverified web scraping, which leads to higher bounce rates. Paid platforms with continuous verification and data refresh cycles deliver more reliable contact information.
Can I use free email lookup methods to find personal email addresses?
These methods focus on business email addresses. Finding personal emails raises privacy concerns and often violates platform terms of service or data protection regulations.
How many free email searches do most tools provide per month?
Most freemium tools offer between five and fifty free searches per month. Limits reset monthly, and you need a paid plan or credits to search beyond that cap.
What is the fastest way to find a CEO's email address?
Start with the company website's leadership or investor relations page. If the email isn't listed there, use an email finder tool with the CEO's name and company domain, then verify the address before sending.
Should I verify email addresses found through free lookup methods?
Yes, always verify addresses before adding them to your outreach list. Free lookup methods have higher error rates, and sending to invalid addresses damages your sender reputation and deliverability.