Methodology

This page describes how the tools directory is built and maintained, so you can judge how much weight to give any one entry. The publisher is OSINT Yourself.

How tools are added

Tools enter the directory through versioned data migrations kept in the site's repository. Before a tool is added, its official URL is fetched to confirm that it responds. Each entry then records its category, cost tier, an official link, a one-line summary, and whether it is flagged as dual-use. A link to the source code is recorded where the tool has one.

What “Last verified” means

Where a tool page shows Last verified, that date is the last time the entry's official URL, cost tier and similar details were checked by hand against the live official site. A tool page that shows no such date has no verification date recorded. The listing reflects this site's catalogue as of that date, not a live re-check each time a page is loaded, and it is not the vendor's own current statement about itself.

How descriptions are written, and where AI is used

Some longer tool descriptions were first drafted with an AI model. Others were rewritten with AI assistance using the vendor's own pages as the source, and checked against those pages. Each description is recorded as one or the other, and a tool page says which where that is recorded.

From this release the policy is that machine-drafted text is hidden from tool pages until it has been reviewed. While a description is awaiting review, the tool page shows only its one-line summary.

Dual-use tools

Many OSINT tools can serve journalism, security work or self-checking and can also be used to stalk or harass someone. This site's policy is that every dual-use tool stays listed and carries a visible Dual-use flag. Privacy notes added from 6 October 2026 are limited to what the vendor itself says; older notes are this site's own plain-language cautions. Some privacy notes name the vendor's removal page where one was found. Listing a tool is not an endorsement of any use of it. The wider discussion is in the ethics guide.

Cost tiers

• Free — listed as free to use.
• Open source — the tool's source code is published.
• Freemium — a free tier alongside paid options.
• Paid — a paid product.

Search indexes

Some pages can be kept out of search-engine indexes until they have enough original content of their own; they remain available on the site.

Corrections

If something on this site is wrong or out of date, write to [email protected]. For security or abuse reports, see security.txt.