DetectDee for Social Media Profile Discovery

DetectDee is an open-source OSINT tool that helps investigators discover online accounts associated with usernames, email addresses, and phone numbers. It checks a collection of social networking sites, developer communities, and other online platforms, making it useful for authorized digital investigations and security research.

Written in Go, DetectDee provides command-line controls for narrowing searches, retrying failed requests, configuring timeouts, and saving results. It also supports Google search results and optional AI-assisted result tagging. For related reconnaissance techniques, see our guide to website OSINT tools and techniques.

DetectDee Features for OSINT Investigations

• Multiple search inputs: Search for accounts using one or more usernames, email addresses, or phone numbers.
• Targeted site checks: Restrict searches to selected platforms instead of checking every site in the dataset.
• Request controls: Configure timeouts, retries, proxy settings, and request behavior to suit your testing environment.
• Customizable site data: Use the supplied JSON dataset to define which sites DetectDee checks.
• Google search support: Request additional search results to help identify publicly indexed profiles.
• Optional AI tagging: Use a supported ChatGPT integration to help categorize results when a valid API token is available.
• Result output: Save findings to a text file for review and documentation.

How to Install DetectDee

DetectDee uses Go modules, so you need a working Go installation and Git. Clone the repository, enter its directory, and resolve the project dependencies before running the program.

git clone https://github.com/piaolin/DetectDee.git
cd DetectDee
go mod tidy
go run .

Consult the DetectDee GitHub repository for the current build instructions and available releases. You can also download a compatible precompiled binary if one is available for your operating system.

Before the first search, refresh the site dataset using the update command:

./DetectDee update

If you run the application through Go rather than a compiled binary, check the repository documentation for the correct command syntax for your version.

DetectDee Commands and Usage Examples

Search by Username

Use the -n flag to check a single username. Multiple usernames can be supplied as a comma-separated list.

./DetectDee detect -n exampleuser

./DetectDee detect -n exampleuser,anotheruser

DetectDee checks the configured sites for matching account patterns. A reported match is only a lead, so verify each profile before associating it with a person.

Search by Email Address or Phone Number

The -e option searches using email addresses, while -p accepts phone numbers. Multiple values can be included in the same command.

./DetectDee detect -e user@example.com,second@example.com

./DetectDee detect -p 15551234567,15557654321

Use only contact details you are authorized to investigate. Avoid publishing personal information discovered during a search unless you have a legitimate reason and a lawful basis to do so.

Limit Searches to Specific Websites

Use the -s flag to specify particular sites. This helps reduce unnecessary requests and keeps the investigation focused.

./DetectDee detect -n exampleuser -s github,v2ex

The site identifiers must match entries supported by the dataset. Check the project’s current documentation for the available names.

Enable Google Results and AI-Assisted Tagging

Add -g to request Google search results alongside the configured site checks. Search results may require manual review to confirm relevance.

./DetectDee detect -n exampleuser -g

The original project documentation also describes optional AI-assisted tagging through a token supplied with --token. Use a valid API credential and follow the current repository instructions. Never place a real API token in public scripts, screenshots, or shared command histories.

Fine-Tune Searches and Save Results

DetectDee includes additional flags for adjusting how searches run. Use the built-in help command to confirm the options supported by your installed version.

./DetectDee detect --help

• -t: Set the request timeout in seconds.
• -r: Configure how many times failed requests are retried.
• --proxy: Route requests through a supported proxy when appropriate.
• --precisely: Enable the tool’s more precise checking mode.
• -o: Specify the file used to save results.
• -f: Select a site data file instead of the default dataset.
• --check: Run the tool’s self-check function.

For example, save a username search to a named output file:

./DetectDee detect -n exampleuser -o investigation-results.txt

Responsible Use and Result Verification

DetectDee can speed up public-profile discovery, but automated checks cannot prove that two accounts belong to the same person. Users may share usernames, change profile names, or leave outdated information online. Review profile details and independent evidence before drawing conclusions.

Run searches only for legitimate security research, investigations, or accounts you are authorized to examine. Respect platform rules, privacy requirements, and applicable laws. The project’s site data and detection patterns may also become outdated, so verify current compatibility and results against the repository documentation before relying on them.