Maigret: The OSINT Tool That Finds Any Username Across 2,000+ Sites

Ever wondered how far a single username can travel across the internet? Maigret is an open-source OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) tool that answers that question—by scanning thousands of websites to build a dossier on a person from just their username. Whether you're a security researcher, journalist, or just curious about your own digital footprint, Maigret makes it shockingly easy to map out where a username exists online.

With over 17k GitHub stars and active development, it’s one of the most comprehensive username-checking tools out there—and it’s completely free.

What It Does

Maigret takes a username (like johndoe) and checks it against nearly 2,000 platforms, from social networks (Twitter, Instagram) to obscure forums and niche sites. It doesn’t just check if an account exists—it often pulls back profile links, avatars, and even contextual clues (like bio similarities) to confirm matches.

Key features:

• Massive database: Supports sites like GitHub, Reddit, TikTok, and lesser-known platforms.
• Fast & async: Uses Python’s aiohttp for concurrent checks.
• Customizable: Filter by category (social media, gaming, etc.) or exclude specific sites.
• Telegram bot: Run searches via @osint_maigret_bot.

Why It’s Cool

Maigret isn’t just a brute-force checker. It intelligently:

• Detects false positives by comparing profile metadata.
• Supports proxies to avoid rate limits.
• Outputs structured data (JSON, CSV) for further analysis.

For developers, it’s also a goldmine of scraping techniques—each site’s "check" is a mini-lesson in handling different login walls, CAPTCHAs, and response patterns.

How to Try It

1. Install:

   pip install maigret  
   

2. Run a search:

   maigret yourusername --pdf report.pdf  
   

   (Or use --json/--html for other formats.)

For a no-code option, try the web interface or the Telegram bot.

Final Thoughts

Maigret is a rare tool that balances depth with usability. It’s useful for:

• Security audits (finding leaked accounts).
• Brand monitoring (squatted usernames).
• Research (tracking disinformation campaigns).

Just remember: With great power comes great responsibility. Use it ethically.

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