Finding someone’s Facebook URL (also known as their Facebook profile link) can be useful for connecting with people online. However, with Facebook’s privacy settings, finding someone’s profile link is not always straightforward. Here are some tips on how to find someone’s Facebook URL when you only have limited information about them.
Search Facebook for Their Name
The easiest way to find someone’s Facebook URL is to simply search for them on Facebook. To do this:
- Go to www.facebook.com and log into your account.
- Click on the search bar at the top of the page.
- Type in the person’s full name and hit enter.
This will bring up all public profiles on Facebook with that name. Look through the results for photos or hometowns/locations to find the right person. Once you do, simply click on their name to go to their profile page. The URL will be in the format:
www.facebook.com/[their-username]
There are a couple limitations to this approach:
- If the person has a very common name, it may be hard to identify them.
- If the person has a private profile, you won’t be able to see their profile picture or any posts.
Search on Facebook Using Email Address or Phone Number
If searching their name doesn’t work, another option is to search using their email address or phone number. Here’s how:
- Go to Facebook and click “Find Friends” in the left sidebar.
- Enter the email address or phone number in the search bar.
- Select the matching result to go to their profile.
This method increases your chances of finding the right person. However, it only works if the email or phone number is associated with their Facebook account.
Check Mutual Friends on Facebook
If you have mutual Facebook friends with the person, you may be able to find their profile via your shared connections.
- Go to one of your mutual friend’s profiles.
- Click “Friends” on their profile to see their friend list.
- Scan the list for the person you’re searching for.
- Click their name to go to their profile.
This works best when you have multiple mutual friends, so you have a greater chance of the person appearing in one of their friends lists.
Use Facebook’s Public Search Tool
Facebook has a public search tool that indexes profiles and posts that are visible to “Everyone” rather than just friends. To use it:
- Go to www.facebook.com/public.
- Enter the person’s name in the search bar.
- Browse through results to find their public profile.
This search tool can help find profiles when normal Facebook search fails. However, it only includes public information and profiles.
Search Within Facebook Groups
If you and the person you’re searching for are both members of the same Facebook group, you may be able to view their profile through the group.
- Go to the group and click “Members” on the right sidebar.
- Scroll through the member list to see if the person is there.
- Click their name to go to their profile.
The group must have at least a few thousand members for this to be practical. But it can sometimes work when other options fail.
Use Facebook’s Profile Link Tool
Facebook provides a simple tool for generating a direct link to your profile. While you can’t use it to search for people, if someone gives you this link it takes you right to their profile.
Their personal profile link will be in the format:
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=[their-profile-ID]
Where the profile ID is a unique number assigned to their account. Anyone with this direct link can view and connect with that person’s profile.
Search Public Records Sites
There are various public record lookup services that aggregate information from sources like whitepages.com and social media sites. They compile data into people search profiles.
To find someone on these sites:
- Go to a people search engine like Spokeo or Whitepages.
- Enter the person’s name and location info if you have it.
- Scan their profile in the results to see if it includes their Facebook info.
These sites pull data from various sources, so they may have a Facebook URL even if Facebook search doesn’t find the person. The accuracy depends on the amount of info available though.
Check Other Social Media Sites
If you can find the person on another social media platform like Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn, you may be able to cross-reference to find their Facebook. Some options:
- See if they list their Facebook on their other social media profiles.
- Do a name search on Facebook using their other username.
- Look for website links on their bios that point to Facebook.
People often reuse the same usernames across sites or link multiple profiles together. So checking their digital footprint can provide clues to finding their Facebook URL.
Ask Mutual Connections
Reaching out to mutual connections is one of the most effective ways to find someone’s private or hidden Facebook profile you can’t locate through searching. Some options include:
- Ask friends, family members, classmates, or colleagues if they’re connected.
- Contact them to ask if they can share the person’s profile link with you or connect you.
- Ask if they can pass your contact info to share with the person so they can connect with you first.
Most people are happy to help connect two people in their networks when asked. Just explain why you want to connect with the person on Facebook specifically.
Use Facebook Messenger Contact Discovery
Facebook Messenger has a people discovery feature that suggests contacts based on your existing connections and communications. You may be able to find someone this way.
- In Messenger, go to the Discover tab.
- View suggestions under “People You May Know.”
- See if the person appears here based on mutual connections.
You can then message them or view their Facebook profile from Messenger to send a friend request or connect.
Connect in Real Life
Attending events or joining organizations the person is part of can allow you to connect with them in person. This gives you the chance to exchange social media info or ask directly for their Facebook.
For example, you could:
- Attend alumni events if you went to the same school.
- Join a professional association in their industry.
- Sign up for a class or club they are involved with.
Connecting in the real world first before online can make it easier and more natural to exchange social media info after meeting.
Search Facebook for Their Relatives
If you know the names of the person’s relatives, you may be able to find their profile through their family members’ accounts.
- Search Facebook for the names of their parents, siblings, spouse, children, etc.
- Browse relatives’ friends lists to see if the person is connected to them.
- Check family photos to confirm you have the right relative.
People often connect with family members on Facebook. So searching their social circles can sometimes lead you to finding their profile.
Hire a Professional Online Researcher
For a fee, there are professional online researchers who can employ their investigative skills and special social media search tools to try to track down someone’s Facebook URL and other information.
Some things they can provide:
- Reverse email lookup to identify associated social media accounts
- Background checks pulling up addresses and family ties
- Social media network analysis linking online footprints
- Proprietary data sources like cell phone registries
This costs money but is an option if you’ve exhausted all your personal search capabilities and need expert help finding someone online.
Report Them as a Hacked Account
If you strongly believe your access to the person’s profile is being blocked maliciously, you can try reporting them to Facebook.
- Go to Facebook’s hacked account support page.
- Enter the person’s name and any contact info you have.
- Explain why you need access to the profile.
- Ask Facebook to review if you are being unfairly restricted.
However, Facebook will likely only intervene if you can make a compelling case your account access was restricted without good reason.
Create a New Facebook Account
If your existing Facebook account is blocked from seeing the person’s profile, creating a new account could potentially give you access.
- Sign up for a new Facebook account under different name/email.
- Use this account to search for and friend request the person.
- Message them from the new account explaining who you are.
This is dishonest but can work if your main account was blocked. Be transparent when you eventually reveal yourself to avoid misunderstandings.
Conclusion
Finding someone’s Facebook URL takes some detective work, especially if their profile is private. But using various name search tricks, looking for mutual connections, scouring public records, and leveraging their broader online footprints can uncover their Facebook profile.
Remember to only use legitimate search techniques and be transparent with people about your intentions. With persistence and creativity, you can hopefully track down that elusive Facebook account and make a new connection.
| Method | How To | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search by name | Type their name in Facebook search bar | – Simple and fast if unique name | – Hard with common names |
| Search by email/phone | Use Facebook lookup tool | – More targeted search | – Info needed to search |
| Check mutual friends | Browse friends lists of connections | – Leverage existing network | – Person may not appear |
| Public search tool | Search Facebook’s public listing | – Finds some hidden profiles | – Only shows public info |
| Search groups | Check member lists of joint groups | – Creative way to uncover | – Very specific method |
| Get profile link | Use Facebook’s profile URL tool | – Direct access if you have link | – Need link to use |
| Check public records | Search people finder sites | – Aggregates lots of data | – Not always accurate |
| Cross-reference sites | Match usernames across platforms | – Expand search to more networks | – Person may not use other sites |
| Ask mutual connections | Leverage shared relationships | – High success rate | – Relies on others to help |
| Facebook contact discovery | Check “People You May Know” | – Automatically surfaces connections | – Suggestions not always accurate |
| Connect in person | Meet at events/orgs and exchange info | – More natural way to connect | – Hard if you share no connections |
| Search their family | Look for relatives’ accounts | – Find via family connections | – Family may not be on Facebook |
| Hire researcher | Pay for expert online investigation | – Uncover hard-to-find accounts | – Costs money |
| Report hacked account | Ask Facebook to review restrictions | – May get restrictions lifted | – Low success rate |
| Make new account | Create fresh profile to search/connect | – Bypasses restrictions | – Dishonest approach |