# Table of Contents - [Home | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#home-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Unknown](#unknown) - [Maps & Satellites | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#maps-satellites-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [New Tools | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#new-tools-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Image/Video | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#image-video-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Unknown](#unknown) - [Unknown](#unknown) - [Unknown](#unknown) - [Geolocation | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#geolocation-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Facial Recognition | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#facial-recognition-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Unknown](#unknown) - [Unknown](#unknown) - [Unknown](#unknown) - [Street View | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#street-view-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Social Media | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#social-media-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Reverse Image Search | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#reverse-image-search-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Metadata | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#metadata-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Guides & Handbooks | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#guides-handbooks-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Stay Safe | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#stay-safe-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Youtube | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#youtube-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Instagram | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#instagram-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Tiktok | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#tiktok-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Facebook | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#facebook-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Misc | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#misc-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Twitter/X | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#twitter-x-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Data Organization & Analysis | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#data-organization-analysis-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Newsletters & Toolkits | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#newsletters-toolkits-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Transport | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#transport-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Satellite Imagery | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#satellite-imagery-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Unknown](#unknown) - [Telegram | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#telegram-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Toolkit Categories | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#toolkit-categories-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Websites | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#websites-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Multiple Platforms | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#multiple-platforms-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Unknown](#unknown) - [Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Toolkit Categories | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#toolkit-categories-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Unknown](#unknown) - [Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Unknown](#unknown) - [Bellingcat Name Variant Search | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#bellingcat-name-variant-search-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [SkyFi | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#skyfi-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [RAMMB SLIDER | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#rammb-slider-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Planet Labs | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#planet-labs-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [TinEye | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#tineye-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Wikipedia list of registers | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#wikipedia-list-of-registers-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [What CMS | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#what-cms-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Merlin | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#merlin-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Skopenow | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#skopenow-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [UNOSAT Analyses | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#unosat-analyses-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Osint Tools Map | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#osint-tools-map-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [TruffleHog | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#trufflehog-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [WhatsMyName | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#whatsmyname-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Umbra Space | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#umbra-space-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [MapSwitcher | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#mapswitcher-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Shodan | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#shodan-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Sentinel Hub Playground | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#sentinel-hub-playground-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Telemetry | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#telemetry-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Telegram Phone Number Checker | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#telegram-phone-number-checker-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Namechk | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#namechk-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Species+ | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#species-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [WildEye | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#wildeye-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Urlscan.io | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#urlscan-io-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Satellites.pro | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#satellites-pro-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [QGIS | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#qgis-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Quick geolocation search | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#quick-geolocation-search-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Open Ownership | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#open-ownership-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Resource Watch | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#resource-watch-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Who posted what? | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#who-posted-what-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Wildlife Trade Portal | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#wildlife-trade-portal-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Pinpoint | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#pinpoint-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [PublicWWW | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#publicwww-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [OpenCorporates | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#opencorporates-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [PimEyes | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#pimeyes-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Radar Interference Tracker | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#radar-interference-tracker-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Navtex | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#navtex-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [North Data | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#north-data-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Search4Faces | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#search4faces-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [ShipFinder | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#shipfinder-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [UN Comtrade Database | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#un-comtrade-database-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Open Measures | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#open-measures-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Whoxy | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#whoxy-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Twitter Video Downloader | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#twitter-video-downloader-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Snap Map | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#snap-map-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Obsidian | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#obsidian-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [OCCRP Aleph | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#occrp-aleph-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [PixPlot | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#pixplot-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [OpenSanctions | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#opensanctions-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Overpass Turbo | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#overpass-turbo-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [SanctionsExplorer | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#sanctionsexplorer-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Telegram Group Joiner | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#telegram-group-joiner-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [RootAbout | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#rootabout-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [RuPEP | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#rupep-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Wayback Machine | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#wayback-machine-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Twitter Location Search | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#twitter-location-search-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [MW Geofind | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#mw-geofind-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [OpenAerialMap | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#openaerialmap-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Strava | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#strava-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Search by Image | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#search-by-image-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [TelegramDB | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#telegramdb-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [OpenSecrets | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#opensecrets-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Telegago | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#telegago-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [what3words | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#what3words-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Tencent Maps | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#tencent-maps-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Web Archives | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#web-archives-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Wikimapia | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#wikimapia-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Yandex Maps | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#yandex-maps-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Shadow Finder | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#shadow-finder-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [xIFr | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#xifr-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) - [Sherlock | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit](#sherlock-bellingcat-s-online-investigation-toolkit) --- # Home | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/pages.md) . ![Page cover](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-22a2d88a2a66e1049ab8478737bea2ae24a81d1d%252FBellingcat_Toolkit_Ann_Kiernan%2520stretched.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=1248&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=7789fe6d&sv=2) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit#welcome-to-bellingcats-online-open-source-investigation-toolkit) Welcome to Bellingcat’s Online Open Source Investigation Toolkit! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is your place to discover tools! Our toolkit includes satellite and mapping services, tools for verifying photos and videos, websites to archive web pages, and much more. Most of the tools that we include can be used for free. Click on the name of a tool to view an in-depth review and guide for the tool (if available). You can also [download this toolkit](https://github.com/bellingcat/toolkit/releases/tag/csv) (or some of its categories) as a csv. #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit#browse-tools-by-category) Browse tools by category: [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites) **Maps & Satellites 🛰️** * [Google Maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-maps) * [Google Earth Pro](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-earth-pro) * [Street View](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites/street-view) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/geolocation) **Geolocation 🌐** * [Open Street Maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openstreetmap-search-tool) * [Geohints](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/geohints) * [Suncalc](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/suncalc) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/geolocation) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video) **Image/Video 📸** * [Google Lens](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-lens) * [Invid](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/invid) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media) **Social Media 🤳** * [Twitter](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/twitter) * [Facebook](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/facebook) * [Instagram](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/instagram) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/people) **People 🧑‍🤝‍🧑** * [Blackbird](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/blackbird) * [Sherlock](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock) * [WhatsMyName](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whats-my-name) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/people) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/websites) **Websites 💻** * [Wayback Machine](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive) * [Intelx.io](https://github.com/bellingcat/toolkit/blob/main/gitbook/tools/intelx.io) * [DomainTools Whois Lookup](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/domaintools-whois-lookup) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/websites) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/companies-and-finance) **Companies & Finance 💹** * [EDGAR](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/edgar) * [EDGAR Suite](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/edgar-suite) * [OpenCorporates](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/companies-and-finance) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/conflict) **Conflict 💥** * [ACLED](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/acled) * [LiveUAMap](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/liveuamap) * [Open Source Munitions Portal](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-source-munitions-portal) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/conflict) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/transport) **Transport ✈️** * [FlightAware](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/flightaware) * [FLightradar24](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/flightradar24) * [MarineTraffic](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/marinetraffic) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/transport) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/environment-and-wildlife) **Environment & Wildlife 🐯** * [AllTrails](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/alltrails) * [Global Forest Watch](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/global-forest-watch) * [Global Fishing Watch Map](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/global-fishing-watch-map) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/environment-and-wildlife) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/archiving) **Archiving 🗂️** * [Auto Archiver](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/auto-archiver) * [Distill.io](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/distill) * [Archive.today](https://github.com/bellingcat/toolkit/blob/main/gitbook/tools/archive.today) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/archiving) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/data) **Data Org & Analysis 📊** * [Atlos](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/atlos) * [Blender](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/blender) * [Datawrapper](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/datawrapper) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/data) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit#about) About ---------------------------------------------------------- This toolkit is still a work-in-progress and the number of available tool descriptions will grow over time. You can read more about the toolkit [here](https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2024/09/24/bellingcat-online-investigations-toolkit/) . Our Toolkit Maintainers and Guardians[](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit#our-toolkit-maintainers-and-guardians) Bellingcat’s Online Investigation Toolkit has a long tradition but our newest version is special: It is offered in collaboration with the Bellingcat volunteer community. Bellingcat volunteers, staff and the wider open source researcher community contribute to writing and updating toolkit descriptions. Bellingcat staff checks each toolkit entry before it goes online. If our Toolkit Maintainers choose to be publicly mentioned, you can find their names on individual tool pages under "page maintainer". Our Toolkit Guardians have a special role: They help us further develop this toolkit to make sure it meets the needs of open source researchers. **Our Toolkit Guardians:** _Afton_ is a volunteer open-source investigator with training in digital investigations for use in human rights and criminal accountability. She is the Volunteer Toolkit Guardian for the category [Transport](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/transport) . _Anisa Shabir_ is a volunteer open-source researcher at Bellingcat's Global Authentication Project and holds an MA in investigative journalism from the Arizona State University's Howard Center for Investigative Journalism. Anisa is the Volunteer Toolkit Guardian for the category [Image/Video](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video) . _Lieth Carrillo_ is a Colombian anthropologist dedicated to transnational organized crime and corruption research. She is currently involved in OSINT research on transnational wildlife trade and illegal exploitation of natural resources. She is the Volunteer Toolkit Guardian for the [Environment & Wildlife](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/environment-and-wildlife) category. _Lora_ is a linguist by education, media and corporate intel analyst by trade, and an occasional due diligence investigator. She is the Volunteer Toolkit Guardian for the [Companies & Finance](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/companies-and-finance) category. _Martin Sona_ is an interdisciplinary researcher and lecturer with a social psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and tech innovation background. He's passionate about science, community coordination, and making complex information meaningful and accessible. Here, he serves as the Volunteer Toolkit Guardian for the [Social Media](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media) category. _Sophie Tedling_ has worked with Bellingcat as a volunteer, Tech Fellow & contributor. Her background is engineering, AI & risk, and she runs [PeakVisorforOSINV on X](https://x.com/PVforOSINV) which collects input from the research community with the goal to communicate the needs of open source researchers to the PeakVisor developer team. She is the Volunteer Toolkit Guardian for the [Maps & Satellites](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites) category. Special thanks to everyone who contributed to the toolkit in the past: Fraser, hande Contribute to this Toolkit[](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit#contribute-to-this-toolkit) If you are an expert for a specific category of open source research tools and you would like to contribute to this toolkit, get in touch with Johanna via [toolkit@bellingcat.com](mailto:toolkit@bellingcat.com) . Feel free to introduce yourself and share a few words about your tool expertise. We would love to hear from you. Keep in mind that contributing to our toolkit is a long-term volunteer commitment: You write tool descriptions and update them on a monthly basis. We do not accept volunteer contributors whose identity we don’t know. Please do not suggest tools that should be added to the toolkit via this e-mail address. Bellingcat Team and Contact[](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit#bellingcat-team-and-contact) This collaborative toolkit has been designed by Bellingcat staff member Johanna Wild during her 2024 Nieman-Berkman Klein Fellowship in Journalism Innovation at Harvard University. Viktorija Ignatavičiūtė and Galen Reich contributed to defining the volunteer involvement for this project, with Viktorija Ignatavičiūtė supporting our toolkit volunteer community also on a daily basis. If you have any feedback or questions, please get in touch with Johanna Wild via [toolkit@bellingcat.com](mailto:toolkit@bellingcat.com) . Please do not suggest tools that you would like to see added to the toolkit via this e-mail address. About Bellingcat[](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit#about-bellingcat) Bellingcat is an independent investigative collective of researchers, investigators and citizen journalists brought together by a passion for open source research. Learn more about Bellingcat in this [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyQyHt4LNKM) . You can follow [Bellingcat](https://www.bellingcat.com/) 's work here: [Bellingcat website](https://www.bellingcat.com/) , [BlueSky](https://bsky.app/profile/bellingcat.com) , [Discord](https://discord.com/invite/bellingcat) , [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/bellingcat) , [Github](https://github.com/bellingcat) , [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/bellingcatofficial/) , [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/bellingcat) , [Mastodon](https://mstdn.social/@Bellingcat) , [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/bellingcat) , [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/bellingcat/) , [RSS](https://rss.com/podcasts/bellingcatstagetalk/) (Stage Talks), [X](https://github.com/bellingcat/toolkit/blob/main/gitbook/pages/categories/social-media/youtube/youtube.md) , [Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/@bellingcatofficial/videos) , [WhatsApp](https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbB7PAn9RZAd6F1R1m2r) . You can always find an updated list of our social media presence [here](https://www.bellingcat.com/follow-bellingcat-on-social-media/) . [Bellingcat](https://www.bellingcat.com/) is a non-profit and the ability to carry out our work is dependent on the kind support of individual donors. If you would like to support our work, you can so [here](https://www.bellingcat.com/donate/) . We also provide [workshops](https://www.bellingcat.com/workshops/) on open source investigative methods and tools. For those of you interested in becoming a Bellingcat volunteer, have a look at our [volunteer community page](https://sites.google.com/bellingcat.com/bellingcat-volunteer-community/home) . Last updated 21 days ago Was this helpful? --- # Unknown \# Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit ## Production - \[Home\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/pages.md): A toolkit for open source researchers - \[New Tools\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/new-tools.md): These tools were added to the toolkit within the last four weeks. - \[Toolkit Categories\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/all.md) - \[Maps & Satellites\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites.md) - \[Maps\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites/maps.md) - \[Satellite Imagery\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites/satellite-imagery.md) - \[Street View\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites/street-view.md) - \[Geolocation\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/geolocation.md) - \[Image/Video\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video.md) - \[Reverse Image Search\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video/reverse-image-search.md) - \[Facial Recognition\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video/facial-recognition.md) - \[Metadata\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video/metadata.md) - \[Misc\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video/image-misc.md) - \[Social Media\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media.md): Tools for one or more social media platforms - \[Facebook\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/facebook.md) - \[Instagram\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/instagram.md) - \[Telegram\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/telegram.md) - \[Tiktok\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/tiktok.md) - \[Twitter/X\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/twitter.md) - \[Youtube\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/youtube.md) - \[Other Platforms\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/other-platforms.md): Tools for other platforms including Bluesky, Discord, Linkedin, Reddit, and Vkontakte. - \[Multiple Platforms\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/multiple-platforms.md) - \[People\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/people.md) - \[Websites\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/websites.md) - \[Companies & Finance\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/companies-and-finance.md) - \[Conflict\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/conflict.md) - \[Transport\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/transport.md) - \[Environment & Wildlife\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/environment-and-wildlife.md) - \[Archiving\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/archiving.md) - \[Data Organization & Analysis\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/data.md) - \[Guides & Handbooks\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/resources/guides-and-handbooks.md) - \[Newsletters & Toolkits\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/resources/newsletters-and-toolkits.md) - \[Stay Safe\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/resources/stay-safe.md): Online security and privacy - \[All Tools\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools.md) - \[4plebs\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/4plebs.md): Searchable archive of specific 4chan boards that makes it possible to read threads after they are purged from 4chan. - \[527 Explorer\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/527-explorer.md): ProPublica's 527 Explorer is a database that allows users to examine the finances of organizations known as 527s in the United States, which can raise unlimited sums for political purposes. - \[About Maps and Satellites\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/about-maps-and-satellites.md): A guide to using map and satellite tools. - \[ACLED\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/acled.md): ACLED provides data and analysis on political violence and protest around the world, facilitating research, policy making, and journalistic reporting. - \[AllTrails\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/alltrails.md): AllTrails.com is a tool for discovering hiking, biking, and running trails worldwide, providing detailed trail maps, user reviews, and navigation support for outdoor enthusiasts. - \[Apollo Image Hunter\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/apollo-mapping.md): Image Hunter is a search engine for finding and purchasing commercial satellite imagery (including Planet, Airbus, Maxar, and many Chinese satellite companies) without a subscription. - \[Apple Maps\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/apple-maps.md): Apple Maps is a digital mapping service with detailed, interactive maps, satellite imagery, and location-based information. - \[Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/aqueduct-water-risk-atlas.md): The Aqueduct water Risk Atlas, developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI), is an interactive platform for assessing water-related risks globally. - \[Archive.today\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/archive.today.md): Archive any webpage, including Facebook and search for archived pages. - \[Atlos\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/atlos.md): ATLOS is a platform for collaborative and large-scale open source investigations. - \[Auto Archiver\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/auto-archiver.md): Bellingcat's tool to automatically archive social media posts, videos, and images. Free and Open-Source. - \[AutoStitch\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/autostitch.md): Autostitch is a free tool for seamlessly combining multiple photos into a single panoramic image, making it ideal for creating wide-angle photography without needing specialized equipment. - \[Azure AI Video Indexer\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/azure-ai-video-indexer.md): AI video tool for facial detection and other types of insights. - \[Baidu Maps\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/baidu-maps.md): A mapping application provided by Chinese technology company Baidu Inc. - \[Bellingcat OpenStreetMap Search\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openstreetmap-search-tool.md): A user interface to search OpenStreetMap data for features in proximity to each other. - \[Bing Maps\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/bing-maps.md): Bing Maps is a web mapping service provided by Microsoft that offers detailed geographical information and tools for route planning, location search, and satellite imagery. - \[BirdNet\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/birdnet.md): Identify bird sounds - find bird sounds on a global map. - \[Blackbird\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/blackbird.md): Check usernames and email addresses on websites and social networks - \[Blender\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/blender.md): Blender is an open-source 3D creation suite supporting the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing, and motion tracking, even video editing. - \[BskyFollowFinder/Bluesky network analyzer\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/bluesky-network-analyzer.md): A tool that identifies which Bluesky accounts are followed by a profile’s contacts but not by that profile. Can be used for expanding networks and social graph analysis. - \[BskyThreadReader\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/bskythreadreader.md): BskyThreadReader is a web-based Bluesky thread viewer that allows anyone to read and share Bluesky threads without logging in. - \[Bulletpicker.com\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/bulletpicker.com.md): Bulletpicker.com is a collection of ammunition guidebooks and manuals from several different armed forces. - \[CAT UXO\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/cat-uxo.md): A repository for professionals working in the explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) space. - \[China-related resources\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/china-related-resources.md): Resources for research on companies in China. - \[Chronotrains\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/chronotrains.md): Chronotrains is a free interactive map designed to explore the reach of Europe’s extensive rail network. Enter a starting point and travel time to see reachable destinations by train. - \[CITES Trade Database\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/cites-trade-database.md): Around 23 million records of trade in wildlife since 1975. - \[Companies House\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/companies-house.md): Search limited companies and related people in the United Kingdom. - \[Convert Geographic Units\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/convert-geographic-units.md): A tool that converts various geographic coordinates to support diverse mapping and spatial analysis needs. - \[Datawrapper\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/datawrapper.md): A tool for creating interactive charts, maps, and tables from your data, offering a user-friendly interface for visualizing information. - \[DeHashed\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/dehashed.md): A platform that maintains a database of compromised credentials, with a newly-launched web domain registration search tool. - \[Discord Chat Exporter\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/discord-chat-exporter.md): A tool for exporting Discord chat logs in multiple formats. - \[DiscordLeaks\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/discordleaks.md): Search hundreds of thousands of messages leaked from 290+ white-supremacist / nazi discord servers. - \[Distill.io\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/distill.md): Distill.io is a website change monitoring tool that allows users to track changes on web pages. - \[DomainTools Whois Lookup\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/domaintools-whois-lookup.md): DomainTools Whois provides detailed domain name registration information, and can be used to investigate details about domains or IP addresses. - \[Earth Explorer\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/earth-explorer.md): "Query and order satellite images, aerial photographs, and cartographic products" - \[Earth Online\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/earth-online.md): The ESA's Earth Online product offers a portal for accessing satellite imagery and environmental data, supporting a range of applications from climate monitoring to natural disaster assessment. - \[EDGAR Suite\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/edgar-suite.md): Tool for the retrieval of corporate and financial data from SEC's EDGAR (Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval) database. - \[EDGAR\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/edgar.md): Database of corporate filings for the US - \[EIA Global Environmental Crime Tracker\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/eia-global-environmental-crime-tracker.md): Map/tracker of environmental crimes including trade in ivory, rhino, big cats, and other exotic animals. - \[Environmental Justice Atlas\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/environmental-justice-atlas.md): Maps environmental conflicts around the world to provide information about who is involved, their impact and other information. - \[Equasis\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/equasis.md): Equasis provides vessel ownership and safety records, as well as shipping company fleet information. - \[Etherscan\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/etherscan.md): An explorer that allows researchers to track wallets, transactions and more on the Ethereum blockchain. - \[EU consolidated corporate registers\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/eu-consolidated-corporate-registers.md): Consolidated company registers covering most of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. - \[EU Sanctions Map\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/eu-sanctions-map.md): Database of sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United Nations - \[ExifTool\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/exiftool.md): ExifTool is a command-line application for reading, writing, and editing meta information in files. - \[F4Map\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/f4map.md): F4Map is an interactive 3D map visualization tool that provides detailed rendering of urban landscapes and geographical features. - \[Face Comparison by ToolPie\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/face-comparison-toolpie.md): Compares two human face photos to determine similarity. - \[FaceCheck.ID\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/facecheck.id.md): A facial recognition search engine that tries to find photos of people that look similar to a person of interest. - \[FlightAware\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/flightaware.md): FlightAware is a global flight-tracking platform that provides real-time data on aircraft movements. It offers live tracking, historical data, and predictive analytics via its website and apps. - \[Flightradar24\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/flightradar24.md): Flightradar24, a real-time flight tracking service, that provides comprehensive information about aircraft positions, flight numbers, routes, historical data, detailed aircraft specifications. - \[Forensically\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/forensically.md): A collection of web-based image forensics tools. Can identify fake or doctored images. - \[Gaode Maps\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/gaode-maps.md): Gaode Maps (also known as AMap) is a mapping application and technology from the Chinese company Alibaba. - \[Geo Data Tool\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/geo-data-tool.md): IP geolocation service to identify the location and other technical information associated to IP addresses. - \[GeoHints\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/geohints.md): GeoHints is a website that provides information about things like traffic lights, utility poles, bollards etc. for different regions of the world to help geolocate a location. - \[Gephi\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/gephi.md): Open-source network analysis and visualization software - \[Ghunt\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/ghunt.md): A command line tool for obtaining information about Google accounts. - \[Global Fishing Watch\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/global-fishing-watch-map.md): A digital platform for investigating fishing activities and vessel movements worldwide by utilising satellite and AIS data. - \[Global Forest Watch\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/global-forest-watch.md): Explore tree cover loss and gain data, recent deforestation and fire alerts, land use designations, carbon emissions, biodiversity metrics and more. - \[Global Monitoring System - ECOSOLVE\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/global-monitoring-system.md): Illicit online wildlife markets data from Brazil, South Africa and Thailand. - \[Global Suppliers Online\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/global-suppliers-online.md): A site dedicated to connect suppliers and buyers of goods from all over the world. - \[Google Earth Engine\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-earth-engine.md): Google Earth Engine is a platform for environmental monitoring and analysis through satellite imagery and geospatial data. - \[Google Earth Pro\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-earth-pro.md): Google Earth is a geospatial tool that provides detailed, global satellite imagery, maps, 3D terrain models, and the ability to explore geographic data interactively. - \[Google Flood Hub\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-flood-hub.md): A visual tool to monitor river levels and forecast floods based on AI models developed by Google Research. - \[Google Lens\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-lens.md): Google Lens is an image recognition tool which can be used to identify locations or objects in photographs. - \[Google Maps\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-maps.md): Google Maps provides mapping information, satellite imagery and Google Street View imagery including historical Street View images. - \[GovMap\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/govmap.md): GovMap provides an interactive map of Israel, offering users a wide range of data including property boundaries, planning information, and infrastructure details. - \[GPSJam\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/gpsjam.md): GPSJam.org is a daily map that visualizes the GPS/GNSS disruptions on aircraft worldwide. It collects and presents 24-hour data showing areas experiencing interference. - \[Grep.app\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/grep.app.md): grep.app is a free web-based search engine that allows users to search the contents of public GitHub repositories. - \[Have I Been Pwned\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/have-i-been-pwned.md): Does an email address appear in data breaches? - \[Hitta.se\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/hitta.se.md): Hitta.se is a comprehensive Swedish search engine and map that provides detailed information and contact details for businesses and individuals across Sweden. - \[Hoaxy\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/hoaxy.md): Hoaxy is a web-based search and visualization tool. It helps visualize the spread of information on Bluesky and X (Twitter). - \[Hugin\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/hugin.md): Hugin is a free and open-source panorama photo stitching and HDR (High Dynamic Range imaging) merging software that helps users create seamless panoramic images from multiple photographs. - \[Hunchly\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/hunchly.md): An archiving tool that tracks online activities and preserves essential information about the web pages researchers visit. - \[ICANN Lookup\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/icann-lookup.md): This tool allows you to search for the current registration data of internet domain names. - \[ICIJ Offshore Leaks Database\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/icij-offshore-leaks-database.md): A database providing otherwise secret information about more than 810k offshore companies, foundations, and trusts based on leaks like the Panama Papers or the Paradise Papers. - \[IDN Checker\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/idn-checker.md): IDN Checker detects visually similar versions of a domain. - \[ImportGenius\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/importgenius.md): Commercial supplier of trade data for 23 countries. Paid service but journalists can ask for free access. - \[ImportYeti\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/importyeti.md): Search US customs inbound sea shipment records, find company suppliers. - \[Index Database\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/index-database.md): A database of remote sensing indices and satellite imaging sensors - \[Instagram Location Search\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/instagram-location-search.md): A command line tool that allows users to find location tags near a specified latitude and longitude. - \[InstaLoader\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/instaloader.md): Download pictures or videos (with metadata) from Instagram. - \[Intelx.io\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/intelx.io.md): Find user details in data breaches - \[InVID\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/invid.md): A toolkit that supports the verification of videos and images. - \[KartaView\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/kartaview.md): KartaView is a crowdsourced platform for street view imagery. - \[Leak-Lookup\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/leak-lookup.md): An online tool that allows you to search across public data breaches to surface credentials that may have been compromised. - \[License Plate Maps\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/license-plate-maps.md): Collection of tools and maps for discerning license plates by country - \[LinkdTime\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/linkdtime.md): Build a clean timeline of any LinkedIn activity from a single URL or a whole list of links. - \[LittleSis\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/littlesis.md): Connects the dots between influential / wealthy individuals in (mostly US) politics and business. - \[LiveUAMap\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/liveuamap.md): LiveUAMap is a mapping tool that provides up-to-date information on global geopolitical events, conflicts, and crises. - \[Locust Hub\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/locust-hub.md): A repository for desert locust data with maps and other resources for tracking movements, early detection and planning locust control interventions. - \[Logseq\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/logseq.md): Logseq is an open-source knowledge management tool that enables users to organize their notes, tasks, and projects. - \[Lumen\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/lumen.md): A research project collecting and publishing legal takedown notices for online content transparency - \[Maigret\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/maigret.md): Maigret is a Python script that retrieves user information by searching for usernames across various websites and social media platforms. - \[Maltego Graph\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/maltego.md): Maltego Graph is an investigation platform that combines two things at once: (1) It acts as a search tool, and (2) It creates a graph establishing links between data you uncover from your search. - \[MapChecking\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapchecking.md): This tool helps you estimate and fact-check the maximum number of people standing in a given area. - \[Mapillary\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapillary.md): Mapillary is a crowdsourced street-level imagery platform. - \[MapSwitcher\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher.md): Chrome extension switches between online map apps, maintaining (as far as possible) the map centre, zoom level, & directions of the source map. - \[MarineTraffic\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/marinetraffic.md): An open, community-based project, providing (near) real-time information on the movements of ships and their locations in harbours and ports. - \[Merlin\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/merlin.md): Identify birds (visually), through an app. - \[Meta Content Library\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/meta-content-library.md): Meta Content Library is a controlled-access tool that lets approved academic and non-profit researchers search the full public archive of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads posts, in near-real-time. - \[MW Geofind\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind.md): MW Geofind is a tool for finding geotagged YouTube videos. - \[Bellingcat Name Variant Search\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/name-variant-search.md): Quickly search many variants of a person's name on Google - \[Namechk\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/namechk.md): A username and domain search tool that checks on which platforms or domain a given username is registered. - \[NASA Firms\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/nasa-firms.md): Displays a world map overlaid with infra-red data from one or more satellites, some, but not all of which may represent heat from fires and explosions. - \[NASA Worldview\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/nasa-worldview.md): NASA Worldview is an online tool for visualizing and downloading near real-time satellite imagery and scientific data of Earth's atmosphere, land, and oceans. - \[Navtex\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/navtex.md): A historical database providing vital navigational and meteorological warnings, forecasts, and urgent maritime safety information to ships. - \[NeutrOSINT\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/neutrosint.md): A tool for investigating Proton Mail addresses. - \[North Data\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/north-data.md): Search for people and companies in EU corporate and trade registers + visualize relationships - \[Obsidian\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian.md): A knowledge management and note-taking app with extensive customization options. - \[OCCRP Aleph\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph.md): Aleph offers a way to research sanctions lists, corporate registries, leaks, and more - \[Open Measures\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures.md): Open Measures helps open source researchers investigate harmful online activity such as extremism and disinformation. - \[Open Ownership\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-ownership.md): Links to beneficial ownership registers. - \[Open Source Munitions Portal\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-source-munitions-portal.md): A searchable library of verified images for researchers, journalists, and practitioners trying to learn more about munitions and their use and impact in conflict. - \[OpenAerialMap\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap.md): Platform for accessing open-licensed satellite and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery - \[OpenCorporates\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates.md): Comprehensive repository of company registries around the world - \[OpenSanctions\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensanctions.md): Open-source international database of sanctions data, persons of interest and politically exposed persons. - \[OpenSecrets\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensecrets.md): Data on campaign finance, lobbying, and spending in U.S. politics - \[OrbTrack\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/orbtrack.md): Predicts & describes the position & path of >10K satellites in Earth orbit, relative to points on the earth's surface input by the user, for 5 days ahead, + International Space Station video feed. - \[Osint Tools Map\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/osint-tools-map.md): An interactive map serving as a curated archive of country-specific OSINT resources, including business registries, court records, and cadastral maps, created by Cyber Detective. - \[Overpass Turbo\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo.md): Overpass Turbo is a web-based tool for querying and visualizing OpenStreetMap crowd sourced data, aiding in extracting specific information like locations of amenities e.g.hospitals. - \[PeakVisor\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/peakvisor.md): Dual window views for any global location: (1) a 2-D map & (2) a 3-D rendered terrain model, with photo fitting, shade/slope mapping, sun trails & weather data. In active development for OS research. - \[PimEyes\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes.md): An AI-powered facial recognition reverse image search tool. - \[Pinpoint\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pinpoint.md): A tool by Google to catalogue uploaded documents and files, providing OCR, indexing, and other services. Full access only granted to journalists, academic researchers and university students. - \[PixPlot\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pixplot.md): PixPlot is a tool that utilizes machine learning and WebGL to provide an interactive visualization of large image collections, allowing users to explore patterns and outliers within image datasets. - \[Planet Labs\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/planet-labs.md): Planet Labs PBC is an American optical satellite imagery company that sells access to imagery. - \[Police Records Access Project\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/police-records-access-project.md): A database providing searchable access to California law enforcement records including police use-of-force incidents, shootings, and misconduct cases. - \[PublicWWW\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/publicwww.md): PublicWWW is a source code search engine that allows you to search for any alphanumeric snippet, signature, or keyword within the HTML, JavaScript, and CSS code of millions of web pages. - \[QGIS\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis.md): QGIS is a free Open Source Geographic Information System (GIS). - \[Quick geolocation search\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/quick-geolocation-search.md): A tool that brings several maps into one place for easy location search. - \[Radar Interference Tracker\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/radar-interference-tracker.md): Bellingcat's radar interference tracker can be used to locate and monitor active military radar systems. - \[RAMMB SLIDER\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider.md): Real-time weather satellites of the entire globe - \[RAWGraphs\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rawgraphs.md): RAWGraphs is an open-source data visualization tool designed for non-technical users, enabling the creation of customizable, editable charts without coding skills. - \[Resource Watch\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/resource-watch.md): A free open-data platform that hosts 300+ datasets on different topics relating to the environment and human well-being, including real-time datasets. - \[RootAbout\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout.md): RootAbout is a reverse image search tool that pulls indexed images from the Internet Archive. - \[RuPEP\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rupep.md): Online database of politically exposed persons in Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. - \[SanctionsExplorer\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sanctionsexplorer.md): A comprehensive database of current and historical OFAC/UN/EU sanctions - \[Satellites.pro\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro.md): Satellites.pro allows open source researchers to quickly switch between several free satellite imagery and mapping services. - \[Search by Image\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image.md): A browser extension to reverse search an image on multiple search engines. - \[Search4Faces\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces.md): Upload the picture of a face and find pictures of similar looking people on VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, TikTok and Clubhouse. - \[Sentinel Hub Playground\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground.md): A free web-based platform for viewing, analyzing, and downloading satellite imagery from the European Space Agency's Sentinel missions, with data updated every 5-10 days. - \[ShadeMap\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shademap.md): ShadeMap is a global simulation of mountain, building & tree shadows for a given date & time. Base data is free, but users can buy 30cm accurate data per sq km for areas of special focus. - \[Shadow Finder\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder.md): To analyse shadows in source imagery, Shadow Finder maps all points on the earth where a shadow of given length could occur at a given date & time, IF the height of the object casting it is known. - \[ShadowMap\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadowmap.md): Tilting global map of 3D buildlings and the shadows they cast at a specific time of the day, but date fixed at "today" in free version. Paid versions allow date change and offer 3D models. - \[Sherlock\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock.md): Allows a user to search for the presence of specific usernames across more than 400 websites and social networks. - \[ShipFinder\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shipfinder.md): ShipFinder is an application designed to track vessels in near real-time across the globe, available on iPhone and Android platforms (but no longer PC) - \[Shodan\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan.md): A search engine for internet-connected devices, from webcams to databases. - \[Skopenow\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skopenow.md): Social Media Investigations - name, phone, email, username searches - \[SkyFi\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skyfi.md): SkyFi is used to purchase commercial satellite imagery and task (order the collection of images) satellites without a subscription. - \[Snap Map\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map.md): Searchable map of geotagged snaps. - \[Species+\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/species+.md): Centralized website with vulnerable species information. - \[Spot\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/spot.md): A natural language interface for querying the OpenStreetMap database to find locations which meet the search criteria described by the user. - \[Strava\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava.md): A fitness tracking platform where publicly shared GPS activity data can reveal movement patterns, routines, and precise locations of individuals, including military personnel and public staff. - \[SunCalc\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/suncalc.md): Suncalc models the relationship between the date, time of day, the geographic location of a place, and the position of the sun in the sky, together with the length & direction of the shadows it casts. - \[Telegago\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago.md): Telegago is a Google Custom Search Engine tailored for searching public Telegram content for OSINT purposes. - \[Telegram Group Joiner\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner.md): Automate joining multiple Telegram groups and channels, ideal for researchers monitoring specific topics. - \[Telegram Phone Number Checker\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-phone-number-checker.md): Command line tool for checking if phone numbers are connected to Telegram accounts and retrieving related information where available. - \[TelegramDB\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb.md): TelegramDB is a searchable database service that allows users to explore public Telegram groups and channels via a dedicated bot. - \[Telemetrio\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telemetrio.md): Telemetr.io offers a range of Telegram-related services based on a catalog of Telegram channels: country and category-specific rankings, curated collections, real-time event tracking, and an API. - \[Telemetry\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telemetry.md): An analytical search tool for Telegram groups and channels. - \[Telepathy\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telepathy.md): Telepathy is a versatile Telegram toolkit for OSINT analysts, enabling chat archiving, memberlist gathering, user location lookup, top poster analysis, message mapping, and more. - \[Tencent Maps\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps.md): Tencent Maps is a mapping service provided by the Chinese technology company Tencent. Tencent Maps provides maps, satellite imagery, and street view. - \[TGStat\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tgstat.md): TGStat is a web-based analytics tool for Telegram that monitors active channels and provides profile analytics and statistics. It tracks channel subscribers’ growth rate, reach, and citation index. - \[The Information Laundromat\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/the-information-laundromat.md): A tool for analyzing content replication and site architecture to detect information laundering. - \[TinEye\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tineye.md): TinEye is a search engine that allows the user to search using images (reverse image search). - \[TrueCaller\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/truecaller.md): Truecaller is a caller ID app that identifies incoming calls, blocks unwanted numbers, and gathers phone numbers and names from contact lists. It also performs a reverse phone number search. - \[TruffleHog\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/trufflehog.md): Find leaked credentials. - \[Twitter Advanced Search\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-advanced-search.md): Twitter/X Advanced Search is X's own tool to help users find more precise information on the platform by filtering posts according to criteria such as location, user, date or popularity. - \[Twitter Location Search\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search.md): Discover real-time conversations and trends in any area with X's built-in location search. Search by latitude and longitude coordinates or distance for targeted local content. - \[Twitter Video Downloader\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-video-downloader.md): Download videos from X (formerly Twitter) by converting tweet URLs into downloadable video links. - \[Umbra Space\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/umbra-space.md): Umbra is an American synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite imaging company that sells on-demand taskings for satellite imagery. - \[UN Comtrade Database\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/un-comtrade-database.md): United Nations free database of global trade. - \[UNOSAT Analyses\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/unosat-analyses.md): UNOSAT Analyses is a tool that maps humanitarian emergencies across the globe utilising United Nations Satellite Centre data. - \[Urlscan.io\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/urlscan.io.md): urlscan.io is an online tool that allows investigators to analyse, monitor, and document websites in real time. - \[USA court case databases\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/us-court-case-databases.md): State-by-state guide for researching criminal and civil court cases - \[Uwazi\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/uwazi.md): Uwazi is an open-source platform that simplifies the management of document collections, particularly for human rights documentation in the justice and advocacy fields. - \[VesselFinder\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/vesselfinder.md): Live marine vessel tracker - \[Wayback Machine\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive.md): The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine lets users view and archive web pages, aiding in historical research and digital preservation. - \[Web Archives\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives.md): A browser extension to view archived and cached versions of a website on multiple archiving sites. - \[What CMS\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what-cms.md): A tool that you can use to identify the technologies used to power a website. - \[what3words\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words.md): A proprietary geocode system which identifies any location on the surface of the earth to a resolution of 3 metres. The identifier is a unique combination of three words, available in 60 languagues. - \[WhatsMyName\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whats-my-name.md): Search for usernames on several hundred platforms - \[Who posted what?\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/who-posted-what.md): A tool that allows a keyword search on Facebook on a specific date or within a specific time frame. - \[Whoxy\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whoxy.md): Whoxy is a domain search engine or "whois lookup" tool to find (the history of) registration information on a domain, such as the registrar, the status of the domain and the date of registration. - \[Wikimapia\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia.md): Wikimapia was a long-running collaborative mapping project that remains partially accessible, providing open source researchers with a unique database of historical, user-generated content. - \[Wikipedia list of registers\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikipedia-list-of-registers.md): Wikipedia list of official business registers around the world. - \[WildEye\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildeye.md): Tracking tool for data on environmental and wildlife crime cases, including court cases and convictions, across the globe. - \[Wildlife Trade Portal\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildlife-trade-portal.md): An open-source tool to search wildlife seizure data worldwide. - \[World Database on Protected and Conserved Areas\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/world-database-protected-areas.md): A comprehensive global database on terrestrial and marine protected areas. - \[xIFr\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr.md): A Firefox add-on for extracting EXIF metadata by right-clicking an image. - \[Yandex Maps\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps.md): A platform offering detailed maps, satellite imagery, street views (static & sometimes dynamic imagery, including aerial views). Often the best available data on Russia & surrounding regions. - \[Zeeschuimer\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/zeeschuimer.md): Zeeschuimer is a browser extension for collecting social media posts that are visible in your web browser, enabling systematic analysis of content from platforms that are hard to scrape via APIs. - \[Zotero\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/zotero.md): A tool for collecting, organizing, annotating, citing, and sharing research sources. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on a page URL with the \`ask\` query parameter: \`\`\` GET https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/pages.md?ask= \`\`\` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections. --- # Maps & Satellites | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites.md) . [Maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites/maps) [Satellite Imagery](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites/satellite-imagery) [Street View](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites/street-view) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # New Tools | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/new-tools.md) . Name Description Cost Tool Review and Guide Shodan A search engine for internet-connected devices, from webcams to databases. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan) Last updated 22 days ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Image/Video | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video.md) . [Reverse Image Search](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video/reverse-image-search) [Facial Recognition](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video/facial-recognition) [Metadata](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video/metadata) [Misc](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video/image-misc) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Unknown \> For the complete documentation index, see \[llms.txt\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending \`.md\` to page URLs; this page is available as \[Markdown\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites.md). # Maps & Satellites - \[Maps\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites/maps.md) - \[Satellite Imagery\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites/satellite-imagery.md) - \[Street View\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites/street-view.md) --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the \`ask\` query parameter: \`\`\` GET https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites.md?ask= \`\`\` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections. --- # Unknown \> For the complete documentation index, see \[llms.txt\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending \`.md\` to page URLs; this page is available as \[Markdown\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/new-tools.md). # New Tools | Name | Description | Cost | Tool Review and Guide | | ------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Shodan | A search engine for internet-connected devices, from webcams to databases. | Partially Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan.md) | --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the \`ask\` query parameter: \`\`\` GET https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/new-tools.md?ask= \`\`\` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections. --- # Unknown \> For the complete documentation index, see \[llms.txt\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending \`.md\` to page URLs; this page is available as \[Markdown\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/geolocation.md). # Geolocation | Name | Description | Cost | Tool Review and Guide | | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Bellingcat OpenStreetMap Search | A user interface to search OpenStreetMap data for features in proximity to each other. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openstreetmap-search-tool\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/openstreetmap-search-tool.md) | | GeoHints | GeoHints is a website that provides information about things like traffic lights, utility poles, bollards etc. for different regions of the world to help geolocate a location. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/geohints\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/geohints.md) | | GeoNames | The GeoNames geographical database covers all countries and contains over eleven million place names that are available for download free of charge Extremely useful in Geo Tagging, documentation, and data collection. | Free |

Guide not available

| | Photo-Map.RU | Geotagged VK posts. | Free |

Guide not available

| | ShadeMap | ShadeMap is a global simulation of mountain, building & tree shadows for a given date & time. Base data is free, but users can buy 30cm accurate data per sq km for areas of special focus. | Partially Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shademap\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/shademap.md) | | Shadow Finder | To analyse shadows in source imagery, Shadow Finder maps all points on the earth where a shadow of given length could occur at a given date & time, IF the height of the object casting it is known. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder.md) | | ShadowMap | Global map of 3D buildlings and the shadows they cast at a specific time a day | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadowmap\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadowmap.md) | | Spot | A natural language interface for querying the OpenStreetMap database to find locations which meet the search criteria described by the user. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/spot\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/spot.md) | | SunCalc | Suncalc models the relationship between the date, time of day, the geographic location of a place, and the position of the sun in the sky, together with the length & direction of the shadows it casts. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/suncalc\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/suncalc.md) | --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the \`ask\` query parameter: \`\`\` GET https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/geolocation.md?ask= \`\`\` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections. --- # Geolocation | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/geolocation.md) . Name Description Cost Tool Review and Guide Bellingcat OpenStreetMap Search A user interface to search OpenStreetMap data for features in proximity to each other. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openstreetmap-search-tool](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openstreetmap-search-tool) GeoHints GeoHints is a website that provides information about things like traffic lights, utility poles, bollards etc. for different regions of the world to help geolocate a location. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/geohints](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/geohints) GeoNames The GeoNames geographical database covers all countries and contains over eleven million place names that are available for download free of charge Extremely useful in Geo Tagging, documentation, and data collection. Free _Guide not available_ [http://www.geonames.org/](http://www.geonames.org/) Photo-Map.RU Geotagged VK posts. Free _Guide not available_ [http://photo-map.ru/](http://photo-map.ru/) ShadeMap ShadeMap is a global simulation of mountain, building & tree shadows for a given date & time. Base data is free, but users can buy 30cm accurate data per sq km for areas of special focus. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shademap](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shademap) Shadow Finder To analyse shadows in source imagery, Shadow Finder maps all points on the earth where a shadow of given length could occur at a given date & time, IF the height of the object casting it is known. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder) ShadowMap Global map of 3D buildlings and the shadows they cast at a specific time a day Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadowmap](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadowmap) Spot A natural language interface for querying the OpenStreetMap database to find locations which meet the search criteria described by the user. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/spot](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/spot) SunCalc Suncalc models the relationship between the date, time of day, the geographic location of a place, and the position of the sun in the sky, together with the length & direction of the shadows it casts. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/suncalc](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/suncalc) Last updated 3 months ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Facial Recognition | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video/facial-recognition.md) . Name Description Cost Tool Review and Guide Amazon Rekognition Check how similar two faces are Free _Guide not available_ [https://aws.amazon.com/rekognition/](https://aws.amazon.com/rekognition/) Azure AI Video Indexer AI video tool for facial detection and other types of insights. Paid [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/azure-ai-video-indexer](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/azure-ai-video-indexer) Face Comparison by ToolPie Compares two human face photos to determine similarity. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/face-comparison-toolpie](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/face-comparison-toolpie) FaceCheck.ID A facial recognition search engine that tries to find photos of people that look similar to a person of interest. Paid [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/facecheck.id](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/facecheck.id) PimEyes An AI-powered facial recognition reverse image search tool. Paid [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes) Search4Faces Upload the picture of a face and find pictures of similar looking people on VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, TikTok and Clubhouse. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces) Last updated 21 days ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Unknown \> For the complete documentation index, see \[llms.txt\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending \`.md\` to page URLs; this page is available as \[Markdown\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video.md). # Image/Video - \[Reverse Image Search\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video/reverse-image-search.md) - \[Facial Recognition\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video/facial-recognition.md) - \[Metadata\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video/metadata.md) - \[Misc\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video/image-misc.md) --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the \`ask\` query parameter: \`\`\` GET https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video.md?ask= \`\`\` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections. --- # Unknown \> For the complete documentation index, see \[llms.txt\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending \`.md\` to page URLs; this page is available as \[Markdown\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/all.md). # Toolkit Categories Here are just a few example tools from each category. Click a category card to see more.

Maps & Satellites 🛰️

/pages/Wa8WedGBSAbdsbxiWxnV

Geolocation 🌐

/pages/mNWWCQkdXlDiQdjshdY5

Image/Video 📸

/pages/CVih2dgA7qzTmistLWwO

Social Media 🤳

/pages/qQrEqfHMQI7ihOGT9w7f

People 🧑‍🤝‍🧑

/pages/YiVWnqI1CM06rIPZWd6w

Websites 💻

/pages/cCCgzdLResoPx9eHLfRN

Companies & Finance 💹

/pages/mN1DGuUmSgtkbZOnoVkH

Conflict 💥

/pages/zwvlpLGCIxqCQNX4MKf9

Transport ✈️

/pages/G4y5ONNPyil6NUwftauw

Environment & Wildlife 🐯

/pages/FBgF45zjZakJVH8BJfTK

Archiving 🗂️

/pages/6kg9eedDAc5Z7oLxllTK

Data Org & Analysis 📊

/pages/nEyjNC9WpRDORd3N4RIX
--- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the \`ask\` query parameter: \`\`\` GET https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/all.md?ask= \`\`\` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections. --- # Unknown \> For the complete documentation index, see \[llms.txt\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending \`.md\` to page URLs; this page is available as \[Markdown\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video/facial-recognition.md). # Facial Recognition | Name | Description | Cost | Tool Review and Guide | | -------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Amazon Rekognition | Check how similar two faces are | Free |

Guide not available

| | Azure AI Video Indexer | AI video tool for facial detection and other types of insights. | Paid | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/azure-ai-video-indexer\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/azure-ai-video-indexer.md) | | Face Comparison by ToolPie | Compares two human face photos to determine similarity. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/face-comparison-toolpie\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/face-comparison-toolpie.md) | | FaceCheck.ID | A facial recognition search engine that tries to find photos of people that look similar to a person of interest. | Paid | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/facecheck.id\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/facecheck.id.md) | | PimEyes | An AI-powered facial recognition reverse image search tool. | Paid | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes.md) | | Search4Faces | Upload the picture of a face and find pictures of similar looking people on VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, TikTok and Clubhouse. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces.md) | --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the \`ask\` query parameter: \`\`\` GET https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video/facial-recognition.md?ask= \`\`\` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections. --- # Street View | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites/street-view.md) . Name Description Cost Tool Review and Guide About Maps and Satellites A guide to using map and satellite tools. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/about-maps-and-satellites](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/about-maps-and-satellites) Baidu Maps Baidu’s mapping service offering satellite imagery, street maps, and streetview (“Panorama” - zh:百度全景). Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/baidu-maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/baidu-maps) Bing Maps Bing Maps is a web mapping service provided by Microsoft that offers detailed geographical information and tools for route planning, location search, and satellite imagery. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/bing-maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/bing-maps) Carte.ma Mapping/streetview service for Morocco Free _Guide not available_ [http://carte.ma/](http://carte.ma/) GeoHints GeoHints is a website that provides information about things like traffic lights, utility poles, bollards etc. for different regions of the world to help geolocate a location. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/geohints](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/geohints) Google Earth Pro Google Earth is a geospatial tool that provides detailed, global satellite imagery, maps, 3D terrain models, and the ability to explore geographic data interactively. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-earth-pro](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-earth-pro) Google Maps Google Maps provides mapping information, satellite imagery and Google Street View imagery including historical Street View images. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-maps) KartaView KartaView is a crowdsourced platform for street view imagery. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/kartaview](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/kartaview) Mapillary Mapillary is a crowdsourced street-level imagery platform. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapillary](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapillary) MapSwitcher Chrome extension switches between online map apps, maintaining (as far as possible) the map centre, zoom level, & directions of the source map. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher) Photo-Map.RU Geotagged VK posts. Free _Guide not available_ [http://photo-map.ru/](http://photo-map.ru/) Tencent Maps Tencent Maps (formerly SOSO Maps) is a desktop and web mapping service application and technology provided by Chinese company Tencent, offering satellite imagery, street maps, street view (coverage) and historical view perspectives. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps) what3words A proprietary geocode system which identifies any location on the surface of the earth to a resolution of 3 metres. The identifier is a unique combination of three words, available in 60 languagues. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words) Wikimapia Wikimapia was a long-running collaborative mapping project that remains partially accessible, providing open source researchers with a unique database of historical, user-generated content. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia) Yandex Maps A platform offering detailed maps, satellite imagery, street views (static & sometimes dynamic imagery, including aerial views). Often the best available data on Russia & surrounding regions. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps) Last updated 2 months ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Social Media | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media.md) . [Facebook](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/facebook) [Instagram](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/instagram) [Telegram](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/telegram) [Tiktok](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/tiktok) [Twitter/X](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/twitter) [Youtube](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/youtube) [Other Platforms](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/other-platforms) [Multiple Platforms](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/multiple-platforms) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Reverse Image Search | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video/reverse-image-search.md) . Name Description Cost Tool Review and Guide Google Lens Google Lens is an image recognition tool which can be used to identify locations or objects in photographs. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-lens](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-lens) InVID Verification Plugin A toolkit that supports the verification of videos and images. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/invid](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/invid) RootAbout Reverse search images on the Internet Archive Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout) Search by Image A browser extension to reverse search an image on multiple search engines. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image) TinEye TinEye is a search engine that allows the user to search using images (reverse image search). Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tineye](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tineye) Last updated 21 days ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit Page not found -------------- The page you are looking for doesn't exist. [Go to homepage](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit) --- # Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit Page not found -------------- The page you are looking for doesn't exist. [Go to homepage](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit) --- # Metadata | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video/metadata.md) . Name Description Cost Tool Review and Guide ExifPurge EXIF Purge is a small portable application to remove EXIF metadata from multiple images at once. With the click of a button you can remove the camera, location and other technical information from a batch of photos which is embedded by the camera or the photo editing software. Free _Guide not available_ [http://www.exifpurge.com/](http://www.exifpurge.com/) Forensically A collection of web-based image forensics tools. Can identify fake or doctored images. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/forensically](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/forensically) FotoForensics Image forensics tool. Free _Guide not available_ [http://fotoforensics.com/](http://fotoforensics.com/) InVID Verification Plugin A toolkit that supports the verification of videos and images. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/invid](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/invid) Irfanview Windows-based software to extract metadata. Free _Guide not available_ [http://irfanview.com/](http://irfanview.com/) Jimpl Online EXIF data viewer Free _Guide not available_ [https://jimpl.com/](https://jimpl.com/) metadata2go Check metadata for both photos and videos online. Free _Guide not available_ [https://www.metadata2go.com/](https://www.metadata2go.com/) Reveal Image Verification Assistant Forensic providing eight filters to detect still images alterations. "Web-based image tool. Also available within InVID verification plugin." Free _Guide not available_ [https://www.rand.org/research/projects/truth-decay/fighting-disinformation/search/items/reveal-image-verification-assistant.html](https://www.rand.org/research/projects/truth-decay/fighting-disinformation/search/items/reveal-image-verification-assistant.html) xIFr A Firefox add-on for extracting EXIF metadata by right-clicking an image. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr) Last updated 15 days ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Guides & Handbooks | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/resources/guides-and-handbooks.md) . Name Description Free? [Bellingcat Resources](https://www.bellingcat.com/category/resources/) The resources section on the website includes a large amount of guides on a variety of topics, including geolocation, using satellite imagery, and so on. Yes [Bellingcat Tech Series](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLq6cQ--4f90icDJUwiGcPrFFLLguuZ0ht) Youtube series that helps open source researchers learn how to use tools and technical research methods. Yes [Verification Handbook](https://datajournalism.com/read/handbook/verification-3) Several editions which are available in various languages:[Verification Handbook,](https://datajournalism.com/read/handbook/verification-1) [Verification Handbook for Investigative Reporting,](https://datajournalism.com/read/handbook/verification-2) [Verification Handbook for Disinformation and Media Manipulation.](https://datajournalism.com/read/handbook/verification-3) Yes [Global Investigation Journalism Network Resource Center](https://gijn.org/resource/) Guides on various journalism-related topics including open source investigations. Relevant sections are amongst others: [Investigative Techniques](https://gijn.org/resource/?gijn_topic=investigative-techniques) and [Reporting Tools & Tips](https://gijn.org/resource/?gijn_topic=reporting-tools-tips) . Yes [Quiztime](https://x.com/quiztime) Solve geolocation challenges to improve your open source research skills. By Julia Bayer. Yes [Recordings from the International Journalism Festival](https://t1p.de/mod4u) Recordings of most sessions from the International Journalism Festival in Perugia are available online. This list shows panels that are of interest for open source researchers. Yes [Berkeley Protocol on Digital Open Source Investigations](https://www.ohchr.org/en/publications/policy-and-methodological-publications/berkeley-protocol-digital-open-source) Document outlining terms, guidelines, and standards for conducting open source research for human rights investigations Yes [Academic reading list](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uqzGi9asZZlaEs8syHbh3AsizVccU-IKJp4zPufaaBk/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.s9zomzvdp109) List of scholarly readings on open source research and methods Yes [OSINT at Home](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrFPX1Vfqk3ehZKSFeb9pVIHqxqrNW8Sy) YouTube Series from Ben Strick on how to do open source research. Yes [Recordings from Bellingfest](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLq6cQ--4f90jE-uj6B6f2ymRYnGGOtYY-) Recordings of various open source research related talks from Bellingfest (10 years of Bellingcat). Yes [Exposing the Invisible](https://exposingtheinvisible.org/) Resources for investigators by [Tactical Tech](https://tacticaltech.org/) . Yes [Online course: Open Source Investigations for Human Rights](https://advocacyassembly.org/en/partners/amnesty) Two videos, 90 minutes each. Offered by Amnesty International. They also have a page with a limited number of [guides](https://citizenevidence.org/category/tools/) . Yes [Video as Evidence Field Guide](https://vae.witness.org/video-as-evidence-field-guide/) Offered by Witness. Particularly relevant for open source researchers: [Ethical Guidelines: using eyewitness videos in human rights reporting and advocacy (pdf)](file:///Users/work/Downloads/VaE_Ethical%20Guidelines_v1_2.pdf) and: [using eyewitness videos in human rights reporting and advocacay (pdf).](file:///Users/work/Downloads/VaE_Ethical%20Guidelines_v1_2.pdf) Yes [Open-Source Practitioner’s Guide to the Murad Code - Pilot Version](https://www.muradcode.com/open-source-practitioners-guide) Provides standards and practices for how to deal with information related to systematic and conflict-related sexual violence (SCRSV) during open source investigations. Offered by the Institute for International Criminal Investigations and the Human Rights Center at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. Yes [Bellingcat - SGBV guide](https://www.bellingcat.com/uncategorized/2023/03/03/sexual-and-gender-based-violence-open-source-researche-osint-digital/) Recognising Sexual and Gender-Based Violence as an Open Source Researcher. Yes [INHOPE hotline](https://www.inhope.org/EN#hotlineReferral) Report potential child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online. Yes [How to Maintain Mental Hygiene as an Open Source Researcher](https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2022/11/23/how-to-maintain-mental-hygiene-as-an-open-source-researcher/) Guide with practical steps and browser extensions to limit exposure to graphic content online. Yes [Setting your Moral Compass: A Workbook for Applied Ethics in OSINT](https://stanleycenter.org/publications/osint-applied-ethics-workbook/) Provided by the Stanley Center for Peace and Security Yes [The Replaybook: A field guide to the climate and information crisis](https://tacticaltech.org/replaybook-a-field-guide-to-the-climate-and-information-crisis/) Insights from 30 organisations and practitioners on the climate and information crisis (includes a contribution from Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins). Yes Last updated 8 months ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit Page not found -------------- The page you are looking for doesn't exist. [Go to homepage](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit) --- # Stay Safe | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/resources/stay-safe.md) . Name Description Free? [Protect Yourself From Onlline Tracking](https://www.privacyinternational.org/act/protect-yourself-online-tracking) Privacy International's guide that recommends tools and extensions for Android, iOS, MacOS and Windows that protect you from online tracking. yes [HTTPS Everywhere](https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere) A browser add-on to force any visited sites to serve data over HTTPS (to help prevent man-in-the-middle attacks). yes [Two Factor Auth (2FA)](http://twofactorauth.org/) Check for every digital service you use whether you have enabled two-factor authentication (2FA) Yes [Tor Browser](https://www.torproject.org/) A privacy-focused web browser that protects your anonymity by encrypting and routing your traffic through multiple servers. Can connect to this "onion routing" network either automatically or on-demand, and includes built-in options to use "bridges" to access the internet in places where Tor might be blocked or censored. Yes [Tails OS](https://tails.net/) A secure operating system that you can start on almost any computer from a USB stick, protecting your privacy and helping you avoid censorship. All internet traffic goes through the Tor network, and the system leaves no trace on the computer once shut down. Yes [Panopticlick](https://panopticlick.eff.org/) A profiling tool which provides a measure of how easy your particular browser instance is to identify. (i.e. How much do you stand out from the crowd.) Can be used in conjunction with https://browserleaks.com/, which gives a very detailed breakdown of what your browser makes available to the outside world. yes [Privacy Badger](https://www.eff.org/privacybadger) A browser add-on to prevent browser tracking/cookies. yes Search Engines Which Protect Privacy DuckDuckGo, StartPage, Qwant yes [Security in a Box](https://securityinabox.org/en/) Security in a box guide advice on how to use social media and mobile phones more safely. The Tool Guides offer step-by-step instructions to help you install, configure and use some essential digital security software and services yes [Security Planner (CitizenLab)](https://securityplanner.org/) Answer a few simple questions to get personalized online safety recommendations. It's confidential - no personal information is stored and CitizenLab won't access any of your online accounts. yes [Surveillance Self-Defense](http://ssd.eff.org/) Tips and methodologies for safe(r) online communications. yes [Tech Solidarity](http://techsolidarity.org/) Basic Security Guide, do and don’ts for basic security when using a laptop and/or mobile device. Here’s a guide: techsolidarity.org/resources/basic\_security.htm. yes [URLscan](http://urlscan.io/) This is a sandbox that allows you to scan a URL to check it's safe before properly visiting it. yes [VirusTotal](https://www.virustotal.com/gui/home/url) Analyze suspicious files and URLs to detect types of malware, automatically share them with the security community yes [Malicious URL Tester](http://safeweb.norton.com/) Testing unknown URLs. yes [Tella App](https://tella-app.org/) App for encrypting data on your phone and for securely transfering files yes [Blur - Chrome extension](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/blur-the-image-and-video/aikjogmpaoaookmacnkbenekcnkjlkmi?hl=en-US&authuser=0) Automatically blur images and videos on a page - for when you don´t want to see images yes [Dangerzone](https://github.com/freedomofpress/dangerzone) Take potentially dangerous PDFs, office documents, or images and convert them to safe PDFs, a project by Micah Lee and the [Freedom of the Press Foundation](https://freedom.press/) yes Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit Page not found -------------- The page you are looking for doesn't exist. [Go to homepage](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit) --- # Youtube | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/youtube.md) . Name Description Cost Tool Review and Guide Ghunt A command line tool for obtaining information about Google accounts. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/ghunt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/ghunt) MW Geofind MW Geofind is a tool designed to help users identify the filming location of YouTube videos, facilitating the exploration of global content from a geographical perspective. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind) RadiTube A search engine that searches the subtitles of about 380 (right/left) radical YouTube channels. You query for example for "q says" of "voter fraud" in 170,000 videos, and the search results will link you to the specific time-code in the video. Free _Guide not available_ [https://tool.raditube.com/](https://tool.raditube.com/) YouTube Metadata An alternative to Amnesty's YT viewer, with slightly more information. Free _Guide not available_ [https://mattw.io/youtube-metadata/](https://mattw.io/youtube-metadata/) Last updated 2 months ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Instagram | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/instagram.md) . Name Description Cost Tool Review and Guide Instagram Location Search A command line tool that allows users to find location tags near a specified latitude and longitude. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/instagram-location-search](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/instagram-location-search) InstaLoader Download pictures or videos (with metadata) from Instagram. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/instaloader](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/instaloader) Story Saver Download public Instagram Stories, Highlights and Videos. Free _Guide not available_ [https://storysaver.net](https://storysaver.net/) Last updated 5 months ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Tiktok | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/tiktok.md) . Name Description Cost Tool Review and Guide Bellingcat TikTok Date Extract Get the exact upload date + time for tiktok video urls Free _Guide not available_ [https://bellingcat.github.io/tiktok-timestamp](https://bellingcat.github.io/tiktok-timestamp) Bellingcat TikTok Hashtag Analysis Archive content and metadata from TikTok posts that contain one or more specified hashtags Free _Guide not available_ [https://github.com/bellingcat/tiktok-hashtag-analysis](https://github.com/bellingcat/tiktok-hashtag-analysis) Open Measures Open Measures helps open source researchers investigate harmful online activity such as extremism and disinformation. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures) TikTokApi Python - This is an unofficial api wrapper for TikTok.com in python. With this api you are able to call most trending and fetch specific user information as well as much more. Free _Guide not available_ [https://pypi.org/project/TikTokApi](https://pypi.org/project/TikTokApi) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Facebook | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/facebook.md) . Name Description Cost Tool Review and Guide Facebook Video Downloader Handy website to download public Facebook videos. Copy paste the URL of the video and download it in the available definition formats. Free _Guide not available_ [http://fdown.net/](http://fdown.net/) HaveIBeenZuckered Check if a telephone number is present within the Facebook data breach. Free _Guide not available_ [https://haveibeenzuckered.com/](https://haveibeenzuckered.com/) Meta Content Library Meta Content Library is a controlled-access tool that lets approved academic and non-profit researchers search the full public archive of Facebook, Instagram, and Threads posts, in near-real-time. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/meta-content-library](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/meta-content-library) Who posted what? A tool that allows a keyword search on Facebook on a specific date or within a specific time frame. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/who-posted-what](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/who-posted-what) Last updated 2 months ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Misc | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video/image-misc.md) . Name Description Cost Tool Review and Guide AmIReal Github - GAN detector detects if faces were generated by ThisPersonDoesNotExist Free _Guide not available_ [https://seintpl.github.io/AmIReal/](https://seintpl.github.io/AmIReal/) AutoStitch Autostitch is a free tool for seamlessly combining multiple photos into a single panoramic image, making it ideal for creating wide-angle photography without needing specialized equipment. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/autostitch](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/autostitch) Cleanup.Pictures Web tool for quickly removing objects from an image. Free _Guide not available_ [https://cleanup.pictures/](https://cleanup.pictures/) fdupes Github - Locating exact matches of duplicate files. Free _Guide not available_ [https://github.com/adrianlopezroche/fdupes](https://github.com/adrianlopezroche/fdupes) Forensically A collection of web-based image forensics tools. Can identify fake or doctored images. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/forensically](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/forensically) Hugin Hugin is a free and open-source panorama photo stitching and HDR (High Dynamic Range imaging) merging software that helps users create seamless panoramic images from multiple photographs. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/hugin](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/hugin) InVID Verification Plugin A toolkit that supports the verification of videos and images. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/invid](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/invid) IPVM Calculator Tool for simulating camera views (for geolocations). Free _Guide not available_ [https://calculator.ipvm.com/](https://calculator.ipvm.com/) PixPlot PixPlot is a tool that utilizes machine learning and WebGL to provide an interactive visualization of large image collections, allowing users to explore patterns and outliers within image datasets. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pixplot](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pixplot) PureRef Image workspace; lets you arrange images in groups, organize them, etc. Free _Guide not available_ [https://www.pureref.com/index.php](https://www.pureref.com/index.php) Last updated 21 days ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Twitter/X | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/twitter.md) . Name Description Cost Tool Review and Guide Hoaxy Hoaxy is a web-based search and visualization tool. It helps visualize the spread of information on Bluesky and X (Twitter). Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/hoaxy](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/hoaxy) Twitter Video Downloader Download videos from X (formerly Twitter) by converting tweet URLs into downloadable video links. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-video-downloader](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-video-downloader) Twitter/X Advanced Search Twitter/X Advanced Search is X's own tool to help users find more precise information on the platform by filtering posts according to criteria such as location, user, date or popularity. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-advanced-search](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-advanced-search) Twitter/X Location Search Search for geocoded tweets by their distance from some coordinates. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Data Organization & Analysis | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/data.md) . Name Description Cost Tool Review and Guide Atlos ATLOS is a platform for collaborative and large-scale open source investigations. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/atlos](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/atlos) Blender Blender is an open-source 3D creation suite supporting the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing, and motion tracking, even video editing. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/blender](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/blender) Datawrapper A tool for creating interactive charts, maps, and tables from your data, offering a user-friendly interface for visualizing information. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/datawrapper](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/datawrapper) Gephi Open-source network analysis and visualization software Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/gephi](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/gephi) Logseq Logseq is an open-source knowledge management tool that enables users to organize their notes, tasks, and projects. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/logseq](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/logseq) Maltego Graph Maltego Graph is an investigation platform that combines two things at once: (1) It acts as a search tool, and (2) It creates a graph establishing links between data you uncover from your search. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/maltego](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/maltego) Obsidian A knowledge management and note-taking app with extensive customization options. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian) Pinpoint A tool by Google to catalogue uploaded documents and files, providing OCR, indexing, and other services. Full access only granted to journalists, academic researchers and university students. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pinpoint](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pinpoint) QGIS: QGIS is a free Open Source Geographic Information System (GIS). Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis) RAWGraphs RAWGraphs is an open-source data visualization tool designed for non-technical users, enabling the creation of customizable, editable charts without coding skills. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rawgraphs](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rawgraphs) Time.Graphics A tool for creating, visualizing, and managing timelines online. Partially Free _Guide not available_ [https://time.graphics](https://time.graphics/) Last updated 5 months ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Newsletters & Toolkits | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/resources/newsletters-and-toolkits.md) . Name Description Free? [Bellingcat Newsletter](https://www.bellingcat.com/) Along with our published content, we will update our readers on events that our staff and contributors are involved with, such as noteworthy interviews and training workshops. (You can subscribe to it on the Bellingcat website). Yes [Bellingcat Challenge Newsletter](https://bellingcat-challenges.beehiiv.com/subscribe?_bhlid=d28f17a88cdf28e4d98368603e7e3eb31590ba80&utm_campaign=cultural-confusion&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_source=bellingcat-challenge.com) Bellingcat's Open Source Research Challenges (to test your research skills). Yes [Indicator](https://indicator.media/) "A newsletter and website dedicated to exposing digital deception and to equipping professionals with knowledge and skills to help them investigate it." By Craig Silverman and Alexios Mantzarlis. Partly [IntelTechniques Tools](https://inteltechniques.com/tools/index.html) An interface for various OSINT tools by Michael Bazzell. Yes [How to verify?](https://www.howtoverify.info/) "Explore workflows and tools for verification" by DW Innovation. Yes [Julia Angwin’s 212 data brokers](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nDWmjCBvQE6N1TDv6RvAjo6oeSCRCIiWjG7502OG48I/edit#gid=1243681278) This list includes data brokers, background sites, people search tools, vital records, and criminal background check sites. Yes [Swiss OSINT toolkit](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1LHP3gfppDBBPENffw9R7FrhpRxhmP0UhaLiklbQN7tA/edit#gid=1477551373) Swiss-focused toolkit inspired by the Bellingcat toolkit, managed by @Zard8 Yes Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Transport | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/transport.md) . Name Description Cost Tool Review and Guide ADS-B Exchange Live flight tracker (including many miltiary aircraft). Live data available for the past month. Historical data available for purchase by request. Free _Guide not available_ [https://globe.adsbexchange.com/](https://globe.adsbexchange.com/) Airfleets Database for aircraft details. Free _Guide not available_ [http://airfleets.net/home](http://airfleets.net/home) Airframes A database of aircraft details Free _Guide not available_ [http://www.airframes.org/](http://www.airframes.org/) AirNav RadarBox Live flight tracker. Free _Guide not available_ [http://radarbox24.com/](http://radarbox24.com/) Aviation Safety Network Aircraft incident database; can be searched by country, registration, year, etc. Free _Guide not available_ [https://aviation-safety.net/](https://aviation-safety.net/) Carnet.AI "API which is capable of recognizing the Make, Model and Generation of most cars built since 1995, with 97+% accuracy." Free _Guide not available_ [http://carnet.ai/](http://carnet.ai/) Chronotrains Chronotrains is a free interactive map designed to explore the reach of Europe’s extensive rail network. Enter a starting point and travel time to see reachable destinations by train. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/chronotrains](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/chronotrains) Equasis Equasis provides vessel ownership and safety records, as well as shipping company fleet information. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/equasis](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/equasis) Federal Aviation Administration Nationwide Plane Registry. Search by N-Number (a.k.a. callsign). Comprehensive list of privately owned planes in the US. Free _Guide not available_ [http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum\_inquiry.aspx](http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_inquiry.aspx) FlightAware FlightAware is a global flight-tracking platform that provides real-time data on aircraft movements. It offers live tracking, historical data, and predictive analytics via its website and apps. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/flightaware](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/flightaware) Flightradar24 Flightradar24, a real-time flight tracking service, that provides comprehensive information about aircraft positions, flight numbers, routes, historical data, detailed aircraft specifications. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/flightradar24](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/flightradar24) GPSJam GPSJam.org is a daily map that visualizes the GPS/GNSS disruptions on aircraft worldwide. It collects and presents 24-hour data showing areas experiencing interference. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/gpsjam](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/gpsjam) Illegal, unreported, unregular fishing Vessels List A combined list of known illegal, unreported, unregular fishing vessels Free _Guide not available_ [https://iuu-vessels.org/Home/Search](https://iuu-vessels.org/Home/Search) IMO Registry Ship/shipping-related information from the IMO Free _Guide not available_ [http://webaccounts.imo.org/](http://webaccounts.imo.org/) License Plate Maps Collection of tools and maps for discerning license plates by country Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/license-plate-maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/license-plate-maps) Live ATC Audio from air traffic control towers in the United States. Aircraft have to identify themselves to ATC towers, so in cases where aircraft are trying to obscure their information from other sites, it might be another way to grab tail numbers or just generally track flights. More complicated to use than e.g. Flightradar24. Free _Guide not available_ [http://liveatc.net/](http://liveatc.net/) MarineTraffic An open, community-based project, providing (near) real-time information on the movements of ships and their locations in harbours and ports. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/marinetraffic](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/marinetraffic) OpenRailwayMap a detailed online map of the world's railway infrastructure Free _Guide not available_ [https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OpenRailwayMap](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OpenRailwayMap) OpenSky-Network Community, open source flight tracking network. Free _Guide not available_ [http://opensky-network.org/](http://opensky-network.org/) PlaneFinder Live flight tracker. Free _Guide not available_ [http://planefinder.net/](http://planefinder.net/) ShipFinder ShipFinder is an application designed to track vessels in near real-time across the globe, available on iPhone and Android platforms (but no longer PC) Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shipfinder](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shipfinder) ShipSpotting.com Community website for uploading pictures & details of vessels spotted around the world. Free _Guide not available_ [http://shipspotting.com/](http://shipspotting.com/) Tokyo MOU Ship inspection/history database (PSC Database) Free _Guide not available_ [http://www.tokyo-mou.org/](http://www.tokyo-mou.org/) Transit Visualisation (public) transit routes visualized - near global Free _Guide not available_ [https://mobility.portal.geops.io/?baselayers=geops.travic,ch.sbb.netzkarte,ch.sbb.netzkarte.dark&lang=en&layers=strassennamen,haltekanten,haltestellen,pois,p%C3%A4rke,geops.travic.live&x=810000&y=5900000&z=5.5](https://mobility.portal.geops.io/?baselayers=geops.travic,ch.sbb.netzkarte,ch.sbb.netzkarte.dark&lang=en&layers=strassennamen,haltekanten,haltestellen,pois,p%C3%A4rke,geops.travic.live&x=810000&y=5900000&z=5.5) VesselFinder Live marine vessel tracker Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/vesselfinder](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/vesselfinder) WikiRoutes Public transport database. Free _Guide not available_ [http://wikiroutes.info/](http://wikiroutes.info/) Winward Platform which combines maritime-related data. Paid _Guide not available_ [https://www.wnwd.com/](https://www.wnwd.com/) Last updated 3 months ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Satellite Imagery | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites/satellite-imagery.md) . Name Description Cost Tool Review and Guide About Maps and Satellites A guide to using map and satellite tools. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/about-maps-and-satellites](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/about-maps-and-satellites) Baidu Maps Baidu’s mapping service offering satellite imagery, street maps, and streetview (“Panorama” - zh:百度全景). Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/baidu-maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/baidu-maps) Bing Maps Bing Maps is a web mapping service provided by Microsoft that offers detailed geographical information and tools for route planning, location search, and satellite imagery. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/bing-maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/bing-maps) Copernicus Browser (formerly Sentinel Hub Playground, EO Browser) A free web-based platform for viewing, analyzing, and downloading satellite imagery from the European Space Agency's Sentinel missions, with data updated every 5-10 days. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground) Earth Explorer "Query and order satellite images, aerial photographs, and cartographic products" Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/earth-explorer](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/earth-explorer) EOS Landviewer EOS Landviewer provides free services for up to 10 images. More images and analysis are available to journalists at a discount. Contact: Artem Seredyuk artem.seredyuk@eosda.com. EOS is in the process of developing a service provisionally called EOS Media that will be providing free images and analysis of major natural disasters. Paid _Guide not available_ [http://eos.com/landviewer](http://eos.com/landviewer) Google Earth Engine Google Earth Engine is a platform for environmental monitoring and analysis through satellite imagery and geospatial data. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-earth-engine](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-earth-engine) Google Earth Pro Google Earth is a geospatial tool that provides detailed, global satellite imagery, maps, 3D terrain models, and the ability to explore geographic data interactively. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-earth-pro](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-earth-pro) Google Maps Google Maps provides mapping information, satellite imagery and Google Street View imagery including historical Street View images. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-maps) GovMap GovMap provides an interactive map of Israel, offering users a wide range of data including property boundaries, planning information, and infrastructure details. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/govmap](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/govmap) HERE WeGo Mapping service that can serve as an alternative to Google Maps or Apple Maps. Free _Guide not available_ [https://wego.here.com/](https://wego.here.com/) Index Database A database of remote sensing indices and satellite imaging sensors Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/index-database](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/index-database) Mapa.sk Mapping service for Slovakia Free _Guide not available_ [http://mapa.sk/](http://mapa.sk/) Mappy Mapping service (and streetview in a couple of French cities \[double check this!\]) Free _Guide not available_ [http://en.mappy.com/](http://en.mappy.com/) MapSwitcher Chrome extension switches between online map apps, maintaining (as far as possible) the map centre, zoom level, & directions of the source map. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher) NASA Worldview NASA Worldview is an online tool for visualizing and downloading near real-time satellite imagery and scientific data of Earth's atmosphere, land, and oceans. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/nasa-worldview](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/nasa-worldview) OpenAerialMap Platform for accessing open-licensed satellite and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap) OrbTrack Predicts & describes the position & path of >10K satellites in Earth orbit, relative to points on the earth's surface input by the user, for 5 days ahead, + International Space Station video feed. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/orbtrack](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/orbtrack) Planet Labs Planet Labs PBC is an American optical satellite imagery company that sells access to imagery. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/planet-labs](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/planet-labs) QGIS: QGIS is a free Open Source Geographic Information System (GIS). Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis) Radar Interference Tracker (RIT) Bellingcat's radar interference tracker can be used to locate and monitor active military radar systems. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/radar-interference-tracker](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/radar-interference-tracker) RAMMB SLIDER Real-time weather satellites of the entire globe Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider) Satellites.pro Satellites.pro allows open source researchers to quickly switch between several free satellite imagery and mapping services. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro) SkyFi SkyFi is used to purchase commercial satellite imagery and task (order the collection of images) satellites without a subscription. Paid [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skyfi](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skyfi) Tencent Maps Tencent Maps (formerly SOSO Maps) is a desktop and web mapping service application and technology provided by Chinese company Tencent, offering satellite imagery, street maps, street view (coverage) and historical view perspectives. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps) The European Space Agency (ESA) - Earth Online The ESA's Earth Online product offers a portal for accessing satellite imagery and environmental data, supporting a range of applications from climate monitoring to natural disaster assessment. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/earth-online](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/earth-online) Umbra Space Umbra is an American synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite imaging company that sells on-demand taskings for satellite imagery. Paid [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/umbra-space](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/umbra-space) what3words A proprietary geocode system which identifies any location on the surface of the earth to a resolution of 3 metres. The identifier is a unique combination of three words, available in 60 languagues. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words) Yandex Maps A platform offering detailed maps, satellite imagery, street views (static & sometimes dynamic imagery, including aerial views). Often the best available data on Russia & surrounding regions. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps) Last updated 6 days ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Unknown \> For the complete documentation index, see \[llms.txt\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending \`.md\` to page URLs; this page is available as \[Markdown\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites/street-view.md). # Street View | Name | Description | Cost | Tool Review and Guide | | ------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | About Maps and Satellites | A guide to using map and satellite tools. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/about-maps-and-satellites\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/about-maps-and-satellites.md) | | Baidu Maps | Baidu’s mapping service offering satellite imagery, street maps, and streetview (“Panorama” - zh:百度全景). | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/baidu-maps\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/baidu-maps.md) | | Bing Maps | Bing Maps is a web mapping service provided by Microsoft that offers detailed geographical information and tools for route planning, location search, and satellite imagery. | Partially Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/bing-maps\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/bing-maps.md) | | Carte.ma | Mapping/streetview service for Morocco | Free |

Guide not available

| | GeoHints | GeoHints is a website that provides information about things like traffic lights, utility poles, bollards etc. for different regions of the world to help geolocate a location. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/geohints\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/geohints.md) | | Google Earth Pro | Google Earth is a geospatial tool that provides detailed, global satellite imagery, maps, 3D terrain models, and the ability to explore geographic data interactively. | Partially Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-earth-pro\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-earth-pro.md) | | Google Maps | Google Maps provides mapping information, satellite imagery and Google Street View imagery including historical Street View images. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-maps\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-maps.md) | | KartaView | KartaView is a crowdsourced platform for street view imagery. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/kartaview\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/kartaview.md) | | Mapillary | Mapillary is a crowdsourced street-level imagery platform. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapillary\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapillary.md) | | MapSwitcher | Chrome extension switches between online map apps, maintaining (as far as possible) the map centre, zoom level, & directions of the source map. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher.md) | | Photo-Map.RU | Geotagged VK posts. | Free |

Guide not available

| | Tencent Maps | Tencent Maps (formerly SOSO Maps) is a desktop and web mapping service application and technology provided by Chinese company Tencent, offering satellite imagery, street maps, street view (coverage) and historical view perspectives. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps.md) | | what3words | A proprietary geocode system which identifies any location on the surface of the earth to a resolution of 3 metres. The identifier is a unique combination of three words, available in 60 languagues. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words.md) | | Wikimapia | Wikimapia was a long-running collaborative mapping project that remains partially accessible, providing open source researchers with a unique database of historical, user-generated content. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia.md) | | Yandex Maps | A platform offering detailed maps, satellite imagery, street views (static & sometimes dynamic imagery, including aerial views). Often the best available data on Russia & surrounding regions. | Partially Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps.md) | --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the \`ask\` query parameter: \`\`\` GET https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites/street-view.md?ask= \`\`\` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections. --- # Telegram | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/telegram.md) . Name Description Cost Tool Review and Guide Intelligence X Telegram Search Google-based search engine for Telegram (includes Telegago) Free _Guide not available_ [https://intelx.io/tools?tab=telegram](https://intelx.io/tools?tab=telegram) Open Measures Open Measures helps open source researchers investigate harmful online activity such as extremism and disinformation. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures) Telegago Telegago is a Google Custom Search Engine tailored for searching public Telegram content for OSINT purposes. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago) Telegram Group Joiner Automate joining multiple Telegram groups and channels, ideal for researchers monitoring specific topics. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner) Telegram Phone Number Checker Command line tool for checking if phone numbers are connected to Telegram accounts and retrieving related information where available. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-phone-number-checker](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-phone-number-checker) TelegramDB TelegramDB is a searchable database service that allows users to explore public Telegram groups and channels via a dedicated bot. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb) Telemetrio Telemetr.io offers a range of Telegram-related services based on a catalog of Telegram channels: country and category-specific rankings, curated collections, real-time event tracking, and an API. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telemetrio](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telemetrio) Telemetry An analytical search tool for Telegram groups and channels. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telemetry](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telemetry) Telepathy Telepathy is a versatile Telegram toolkit for OSINT analysts, enabling chat archiving, memberlist gathering, user location lookup, top poster analysis, message mapping, and more. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telepathy](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telepathy) TGStat TGStat is a web-based analytics tool for Telegram that monitors active channels and provides profile analytics and statistics. It tracks channel subscribers’ growth rate, reach, and citation index. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tgstat](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tgstat) tlgrm.eu channels Search Telegram channels. Free _Guide not available_ [http://tlgrm.eu/channels](http://tlgrm.eu/channels) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Toolkit Categories | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/all.md) . Here are just a few example tools from each category. Click a category card to see more. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites) **Maps & Satellites 🛰️** * [Google Maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-maps) * [Google Earth Pro](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-earth-pro) * [Street View](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites/street-view) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/geolocation) **Geolocation 🌐** * [Open Street Maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openstreetmap-search-tool) * [Geohints](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/geohints) * [Suncalc](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/suncalc) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/geolocation) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video) **Image/Video 📸** * [Google Lens](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-lens) * [Invid](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/invid) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media) **Social Media 🤳** * [Twitter](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/twitter) * [Facebook](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/facebook) * [Instagram](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/instagram) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/people) **People 🧑‍🤝‍🧑** * [Blackbird](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/blackbird) * [Sherlock](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock) * [WhatsMyName](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whats-my-name) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/people) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/websites) **Websites 💻** * [Wayback Machine](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive) * [Intelx.io](https://github.com/bellingcat/toolkit/blob/main/gitbook/tools/intelx.io) * [DomainTools Whois Lookup](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/domaintools-whois-lookup) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/websites) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/companies-and-finance) **Companies & Finance 💹** * [EDGAR](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/edgar) * [EDGAR Suite](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/edgar-suite) * [OpenCorporates](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/companies-and-finance) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/conflict) **Conflict 💥** * [ACLED](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/acled) * [LiveUAMap](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/liveuamap) * [Open Source Munitions Portal](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-source-munitions-portal) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/conflict) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/transport) **Transport ✈️** * [FlightAware](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/flightaware) * [FLightradar24](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/flightradar24) * [MarineTraffic](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/marinetraffic) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/transport) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/environment-and-wildlife) **Environment & Wildlife 🐯** * [AllTrails](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/alltrails) * [Global Forest Watch](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/global-forest-watch) * [Global Fishing Watch Map](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/global-fishing-watch-map) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/environment-and-wildlife) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/archiving) **Archiving 🗂️** * [Auto Archiver](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/auto-archiver) * [Distill.io](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/distill) * [Archive.today](https://github.com/bellingcat/toolkit/blob/main/gitbook/tools/archive.today) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/archiving) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/data) **Data Org & Analysis 📊** * [Atlos](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/atlos) * [Blender](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/blender) * [Datawrapper](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/datawrapper) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/data) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Websites | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/websites.md) . Name Description Cost Tool Review and Guide Distill.io Distill.io is a website change monitoring tool that allows users to track changes on web pages. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/distill](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/distill) DNS History Collection of historical DNS information. Free _Guide not available_ [http://completedns.com/](http://completedns.com/) DomainTools Whois Lookup DomainTools Whois provides detailed domain name registration information, and can be used to investigate details about domains or IP addresses. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/domaintools-whois-lookup](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/domaintools-whois-lookup) Geo Data Tool IP geolocation service to identify the location and other technical information associated to IP addresses. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/geo-data-tool](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/geo-data-tool) Grep.app grep.app is a free web-based search engine that allows users to search the contents of public GitHub repositories. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/grep.app](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/grep.app) ICANN Lookup This tool allows you to search for the current registration data of internet domain names. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/icann-lookup](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/icann-lookup) IDN Checker IDN Checker detects visually similar versions of a domain. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/idn-checker](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/idn-checker) Intelx.io Find user details in data breaches Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/intelx.io](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/intelx.io) Moz Link Explorer Analyse the links of any website. Free _Guide not available_ [http://moz.com/link-explorer](http://moz.com/link-explorer) PublicWWW PublicWWW is a source code search engine that allows you to search for any alphanumeric snippet, signature, or keyword within the HTML, JavaScript, and CSS code of millions of web pages. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/publicwww](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/publicwww) Shodan A search engine for internet-connected devices, from webcams to databases. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan) The Information Laundromat A tool for analyzing content replication and site architecture to detect information laundering. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/the-information-laundromat](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/the-information-laundromat) Urlscan.io urlscan.io is an online tool that allows investigators to analyse, monitor, and document websites in real time. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/urlscan.io](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/urlscan.io) Wayback Machine The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine lets users view and archive web pages, aiding in historical research and digital preservation. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive) Web Archives A browser extension to view archived and cached versions of a website on multiple archiving sites. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives) What CMS A tool that you can use to identify the technologies used to power a website. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what-cms](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what-cms) Whoxy Whoxy is a domain search engine or "whois lookup" tool to find (the history of) registration information on a domain, such as the registrar, the status of the domain and the date of registration. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whoxy](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whoxy) Last updated 22 days ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Multiple Platforms | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/multiple-platforms.md) . Name Description Cost Tool Review and Guide Blackbird Check usernames and email addresses on websites and social networks Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/blackbird](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/blackbird) Have I Been Pwned? Does an email address appear in data breaches? Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/have-i-been-pwned](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/have-i-been-pwned) holehe holehe allows you to check if the mail is used on different sites like twitter, instagram and will retrieve information on sites with the forgotten password function. Free _Guide not available_ [https://github.com/megadose/holehe](https://github.com/megadose/holehe) Intelx.io Find user details in data breaches Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/intelx.io](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/intelx.io) Namechk A username and domain search tool that checks on which platforms or domain a given username is registered. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/namechk](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/namechk) Open Measures Open Measures helps open source researchers investigate harmful online activity such as extremism and disinformation. Partially Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures) Sherlock Allows a user to search for the presence of specific usernames across more than 400 websites and social networks. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock) Skopenow Social Media Investigations - name, phone, email, username searches Paid [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skopenow](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skopenow) Social-searcher Search hashtags and usernames across various platforms. Partially Free _Guide not available_ [https://www.social-searcher.com/](https://www.social-searcher.com/) WhatsMyName Search for usernames on several hundred platforms Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whats-my-name](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whats-my-name) Zeeschuimer Zeeschuimer is a browser extension for collecting social media posts that are visible in your web browser, enabling systematic analysis of content from platforms that are hard to scrape via APIs. Free [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/zeeschuimer](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/zeeschuimer) Last updated 2 months ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Unknown \> For the complete documentation index, see \[llms.txt\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending \`.md\` to page URLs; this page is available as \[Markdown\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites/satellite-imagery.md). # Satellite Imagery | Name | Description | Cost | Tool Review and Guide | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | About Maps and Satellites | A guide to using map and satellite tools. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/about-maps-and-satellites\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/about-maps-and-satellites.md) | | Baidu Maps | Baidu’s mapping service offering satellite imagery, street maps, and streetview (“Panorama” - zh:百度全景). | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/baidu-maps\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/baidu-maps.md) | | Bing Maps | Bing Maps is a web mapping service provided by Microsoft that offers detailed geographical information and tools for route planning, location search, and satellite imagery. | Partially Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/bing-maps\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/bing-maps.md) | | Copernicus Browser (formerly Sentinel Hub Playground, EO Browser) | A free web-based platform for viewing, analyzing, and downloading satellite imagery from the European Space Agency's Sentinel missions, with data updated every 5-10 days. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground.md) | | Earth Explorer | "Query and order satellite images, aerial photographs, and cartographic products" | Partially Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/earth-explorer\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/earth-explorer.md) | | EOS Landviewer | EOS Landviewer provides free services for up to 10 images. More images and analysis are available to journalists at a discount. Contact: Artem Seredyuk . EOS is in the process of developing a service provisionally called EOS Media that will be providing free images and analysis of major natural disasters. | Paid |

Guide not available

| | Google Earth Engine | Google Earth Engine is a platform for environmental monitoring and analysis through satellite imagery and geospatial data. | Partially Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-earth-engine\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-earth-engine.md) | | Google Earth Pro | Google Earth is a geospatial tool that provides detailed, global satellite imagery, maps, 3D terrain models, and the ability to explore geographic data interactively. | Partially Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-earth-pro\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-earth-pro.md) | | Google Maps | Google Maps provides mapping information, satellite imagery and Google Street View imagery including historical Street View images. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-maps\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-maps.md) | | GovMap | GovMap provides an interactive map of Israel, offering users a wide range of data including property boundaries, planning information, and infrastructure details. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/govmap\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/govmap.md) | | HERE WeGo | Mapping service that can serve as an alternative to Google Maps or Apple Maps. | Free |

Guide not available

| | Index Database | A database of remote sensing indices and satellite imaging sensors | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/index-database\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/index-database.md) | | Mapa.sk | Mapping service for Slovakia | Free |

Guide not available

| | Mappy | Mapping service (and streetview in a couple of French cities \\\[double check this!\]) | Free |

Guide not available

| | MapSwitcher | Chrome extension switches between online map apps, maintaining (as far as possible) the map centre, zoom level, & directions of the source map. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher.md) | | NASA Worldview | NASA Worldview is an online tool for visualizing and downloading near real-time satellite imagery and scientific data of Earth's atmosphere, land, and oceans. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/nasa-worldview\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/nasa-worldview.md) | | OpenAerialMap | Platform for accessing open-licensed satellite and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap.md) | | OrbTrack | Predicts & describes the position & path of >10K satellites in Earth orbit, relative to points on the earth's surface input by the user, for 5 days ahead, + International Space Station video feed. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/orbtrack\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/orbtrack.md) | | Planet Labs | Planet Labs PBC is an American optical satellite imagery company that sells access to imagery. | Partially Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/planet-labs\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/planet-labs.md) | | QGIS: | QGIS is a free Open Source Geographic Information System (GIS). | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis.md) | | Radar Interference Tracker (RIT) | Bellingcat's radar interference tracker can be used to locate and monitor active military radar systems. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/radar-interference-tracker\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/radar-interference-tracker.md) | | RAMMB SLIDER | Real-time weather satellites of the entire globe | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider.md) | | Satellites.pro | Satellites.pro allows open source researchers to quickly switch between several free satellite imagery and mapping services. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro.md) | | SkyFi | SkyFi is used to purchase commercial satellite imagery and task (order the collection of images) satellites without a subscription. | Paid | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skyfi\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/skyfi.md) | | Tencent Maps | Tencent Maps (formerly SOSO Maps) is a desktop and web mapping service application and technology provided by Chinese company Tencent, offering satellite imagery, street maps, street view (coverage) and historical view perspectives. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps.md) | | The European Space Agency (ESA) - Earth Online | The ESA's Earth Online product offers a portal for accessing satellite imagery and environmental data, supporting a range of applications from climate monitoring to natural disaster assessment. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/earth-online\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/earth-online.md) | | Umbra Space | Umbra is an American synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite imaging company that sells on-demand taskings for satellite imagery. | Paid | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/umbra-space\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/umbra-space.md) | | what3words | A proprietary geocode system which identifies any location on the surface of the earth to a resolution of 3 metres. The identifier is a unique combination of three words, available in 60 languagues. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words.md) | | Yandex Maps | A platform offering detailed maps, satellite imagery, street views (static & sometimes dynamic imagery, including aerial views). Often the best available data on Russia & surrounding regions. | Partially Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps.md) | --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the \`ask\` query parameter: \`\`\` GET https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites/satellite-imagery.md?ask= \`\`\` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections. --- # Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit Page not found -------------- The page you are looking for doesn't exist. [Go to homepage](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit) --- # Toolkit Categories | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/all.md) . Here are just a few example tools from each category. Click a category card to see more. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites) **Maps & Satellites 🛰️** * [Google Maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-maps) * [Google Earth Pro](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-earth-pro) * [Street View](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites/street-view) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/geolocation) **Geolocation 🌐** * [Open Street Maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openstreetmap-search-tool) * [Geohints](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/geohints) * [Suncalc](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/suncalc) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/geolocation) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video) **Image/Video 📸** * [Google Lens](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-lens) * [Invid](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/invid) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media) **Social Media 🤳** * [Twitter](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/twitter) * [Facebook](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/facebook) * [Instagram](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media/instagram) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/people) **People 🧑‍🤝‍🧑** * [Blackbird](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/blackbird) * [Sherlock](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock) * [WhatsMyName](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whats-my-name) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/people) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/websites) **Websites 💻** * [Wayback Machine](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive) * [Intelx.io](https://github.com/bellingcat/toolkit/blob/main/gitbook/tools/intelx.io) * [DomainTools Whois Lookup](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/domaintools-whois-lookup) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/websites) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/companies-and-finance) **Companies & Finance 💹** * [EDGAR](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/edgar) * [EDGAR Suite](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/edgar-suite) * [OpenCorporates](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/companies-and-finance) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/conflict) **Conflict 💥** * [ACLED](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/acled) * [LiveUAMap](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/liveuamap) * [Open Source Munitions Portal](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-source-munitions-portal) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/conflict) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/transport) **Transport ✈️** * [FlightAware](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/flightaware) * [FLightradar24](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/flightradar24) * [MarineTraffic](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/marinetraffic) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/transport) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/environment-and-wildlife) **Environment & Wildlife 🐯** * [AllTrails](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/alltrails) * [Global Forest Watch](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/global-forest-watch) * [Global Fishing Watch Map](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/global-fishing-watch-map) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/environment-and-wildlife) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/archiving) **Archiving 🗂️** * [Auto Archiver](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/auto-archiver) * [Distill.io](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/distill) * [Archive.today](https://github.com/bellingcat/toolkit/blob/main/gitbook/tools/archive.today) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/archiving) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/data) **Data Org & Analysis 📊** * [Atlos](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/atlos) * [Blender](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/blender) * [Datawrapper](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/datawrapper) * [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/data) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? --- # Unknown \> For the complete documentation index, see \[llms.txt\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending \`.md\` to page URLs; this page is available as \[Markdown\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/pages.md). # Home ## Welcome to Bellingcat’s Online Open Source Investigation Toolkit! This is your place to discover tools! Our toolkit includes satellite and mapping services, tools for verifying photos and videos, websites to archive web pages, and much more. Most of the tools that we include can be used for free. Click on the name of a tool to view an in-depth review and guide for the tool (if available). You can also \[download this toolkit\](https://github.com/bellingcat/toolkit/releases/tag/csv) (or some of its categories) as a csv. #### Browse tools by category: | | | | --- | --- | | **Maps & Satellites 🛰️**

* [Google Maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/oOEGlwCTbfDGYOOGEsQ2)

* [Google Earth Pro](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/aMRpnImydXvZdPJRdmcd)

* [Street View](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/ZSZckS1nqP1umKojYspl)

* [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/Wa8WedGBSAbdsbxiWxnV) | [/pages/Wa8WedGBSAbdsbxiWxnV](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/Wa8WedGBSAbdsbxiWxnV) | | **Geolocation 🌐**

* [Open Street Maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/4b3iwrHBhvSGMGIRvsIO)

* [Geohints](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/U40T9zDJmc2sqDdwMMK5)

* [Suncalc](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/YH2BaiGFm1nu1dHnBMEW)

* [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/mNWWCQkdXlDiQdjshdY5) | [/pages/mNWWCQkdXlDiQdjshdY5](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/mNWWCQkdXlDiQdjshdY5) | | **Image/Video 📸**

* [Google Lens](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/thD4E7pvWSYhsxvQsmW8)

* [Invid](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/gZJmSDivIVl66eGfpvkI)

* [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/CVih2dgA7qzTmistLWwO) | [/pages/CVih2dgA7qzTmistLWwO](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/CVih2dgA7qzTmistLWwO) | | **Social Media 🤳**

* [Twitter](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/0MrHY4NLwItzOjUDyZSo)

* [Facebook](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/hK5Yq6yQkzUzOjzGFRNd)

* [Instagram](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/wII1Bewq2RjE7kJkUe5V)

* [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/qQrEqfHMQI7ihOGT9w7f) | [/pages/qQrEqfHMQI7ihOGT9w7f](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/qQrEqfHMQI7ihOGT9w7f) | | **People 🧑‍🤝‍🧑**

* [Blackbird](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/tDFb1NSpYqrcDOGL8F3P)

* [Sherlock](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/qISxE1cXtg3GXOqtnOPj)

* [WhatsMyName](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/sxY3KToTCImuiZZRyd94)

* [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/YiVWnqI1CM06rIPZWd6w) | [/pages/YiVWnqI1CM06rIPZWd6w](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/YiVWnqI1CM06rIPZWd6w) | | **Websites 💻**

* [Wayback Machine](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/rqaaZDKRZS0sZH13dcVr)

* [Intelx.io](https://github.com/bellingcat/toolkit/blob/main/gitbook/tools/intelx.io)

* [DomainTools Whois Lookup](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/EvhzUnzmDCdAhlSK8bNe)

* [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/cCCgzdLResoPx9eHLfRN) | [/pages/cCCgzdLResoPx9eHLfRN](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/cCCgzdLResoPx9eHLfRN) | | **Companies & Finance 💹**

* [EDGAR](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/1p1ItHvoMSxasLMidQTa)

* [EDGAR Suite](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/93UIvXmy4Xp4zP8hyoWW)

* [OpenCorporates](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/I6mANfD4xTX4Uf6BN6Yf)

* [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/mN1DGuUmSgtkbZOnoVkH) | [/pages/mN1DGuUmSgtkbZOnoVkH](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/mN1DGuUmSgtkbZOnoVkH) | | **Conflict 💥**

* [ACLED](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/nGQgGTlLV6QMOsCMh2Wt)

* [LiveUAMap](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/ELn2rsCZesWHlxBHVnDW)

* [Open Source Munitions Portal](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/mSwxuBeCqgVY94q8kaHU)

* [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/zwvlpLGCIxqCQNX4MKf9) | [/pages/zwvlpLGCIxqCQNX4MKf9](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/zwvlpLGCIxqCQNX4MKf9) | | **Transport ✈️**

* [FlightAware](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/EPiBUk8RcqQtFI0rtiqu)

* [FLightradar24](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/sjZZjgDy6vdEuCZMaCEh)

* [MarineTraffic](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/vmrpkF7I7XKkhWnFPKeF)

* [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/G4y5ONNPyil6NUwftauw) | [/pages/G4y5ONNPyil6NUwftauw](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/G4y5ONNPyil6NUwftauw) | | **Environment & Wildlife 🐯**

* [AllTrails](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/ZAlbM5HqAUdwvPOtcCxH)

* [Global Forest Watch](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/JbjQrm46xyiDB1ZKXmXE)

* [Global Fishing Watch Map](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/0QlMJalBtm6oRD0vZsta)

* [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/FBgF45zjZakJVH8BJfTK) | [/pages/FBgF45zjZakJVH8BJfTK](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/FBgF45zjZakJVH8BJfTK) | | **Archiving 🗂️**

* [Auto Archiver](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/k8ONUPEeUYUsI4gC3ZBa)

* [Distill.io](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/fFUkPr0hLClUrTQvSYNm)

* [Archive.today](https://github.com/bellingcat/toolkit/blob/main/gitbook/tools/archive.today)

* [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/6kg9eedDAc5Z7oLxllTK) | [/pages/6kg9eedDAc5Z7oLxllTK](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/6kg9eedDAc5Z7oLxllTK) | | **Data Org & Analysis 📊**

* [Atlos](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/alcu22CsmcGSxHDUQizB)

* [Blender](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/KKTlyv4wy0nF3EUaGePe)

* [Datawrapper](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/zViwVYbByobv7UblBeJ0)

* [More...](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/nEyjNC9WpRDORd3N4RIX) | [/pages/nEyjNC9WpRDORd3N4RIX](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/pages/nEyjNC9WpRDORd3N4RIX) | \## About This toolkit is still a work-in-progress and the number of available tool descriptions will grow over time. You can read more about the toolkit \[here\](https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2024/09/24/bellingcat-online-investigations-toolkit/). Our Toolkit Maintainers and Guardians Bellingcat’s Online Investigation Toolkit has a long tradition but our newest version is special: It is offered in collaboration with the Bellingcat volunteer community. Bellingcat volunteers, staff and the wider open source researcher community contribute to writing and updating toolkit descriptions. Bellingcat staff checks each toolkit entry before it goes online. If our Toolkit Maintainers choose to be publicly mentioned, you can find their names on individual tool pages under "page maintainer". Our Toolkit Guardians have a special role: They help us further develop this toolkit to make sure it meets the needs of open source researchers. \*\*Our Toolkit Guardians:\*\* \*Afton\* is a volunteer open-source investigator with training in digital investigations for use in human rights and criminal accountability. She is the Volunteer Toolkit Guardian for the category \[Transport\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/transport). \*Anisa Shabir\* is a volunteer open-source researcher at Bellingcat's Global Authentication Project and holds an MA in investigative journalism from the Arizona State University's Howard Center for Investigative Journalism. Anisa is the Volunteer Toolkit Guardian for the category \[Image/Video\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video). \*Lieth Carrillo\* is a Colombian anthropologist dedicated to transnational organized crime and corruption research. She is currently involved in OSINT research on transnational wildlife trade and illegal exploitation of natural resources. She is the Volunteer Toolkit Guardian for the \[Environment & Wildlife \](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/environment-and-wildlife)category. \*Lora\* is a linguist by education, media and corporate intel analyst by trade, and an occasional due diligence investigator. She is the Volunteer Toolkit Guardian for the \[Companies & Finance\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/companies-and-finance) category. \*Martin Sona\* is an interdisciplinary researcher and lecturer with a social psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and tech innovation background. He's passionate about science, community coordination, and making complex information meaningful and accessible. Here, he serves as the Volunteer Toolkit Guardian for the \[Social Media\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media) category. \*Sophie Tedling\* has worked with Bellingcat as a volunteer, Tech Fellow & contributor. Her background is engineering, AI & risk, and she runs \[PeakVisorforOSINV on X\](https://x.com/PVforOSINV) which collects input from the research community with the goal to communicate the needs of open source researchers to the PeakVisor developer team. She is the Volunteer Toolkit Guardian for the \[Maps & Satellites\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites) category. Special thanks to everyone who contributed to the toolkit in the past: Fraser, hande Contribute to this Toolkit If you are an expert for a specific category of open source research tools and you would like to contribute to this toolkit, get in touch with Johanna via . Feel free to introduce yourself and share a few words about your tool expertise. We would love to hear from you. Keep in mind that contributing to our toolkit is a long-term volunteer commitment: You write tool descriptions and update them on a monthly basis. We do not accept volunteer contributors whose identity we don’t know. Please do not suggest tools that should be added to the toolkit via this e-mail address. Bellingcat Team and Contact This collaborative toolkit has been designed by Bellingcat staff member Johanna Wild during her 2024 Nieman-Berkman Klein Fellowship in Journalism Innovation at Harvard University. Viktorija Ignatavičiūtė and Galen Reich contributed to defining the volunteer involvement for this project, with Viktorija Ignatavičiūtė supporting our toolkit volunteer community also on a daily basis. If you have any feedback or questions, please get in touch with Johanna Wild via . Please do not suggest tools that you would like to see added to the toolkit via this e-mail address. About Bellingcat Bellingcat is an independent investigative collective of researchers, investigators and citizen journalists brought together by a passion for open source research. Learn more about Bellingcat in this \[video\](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyQyHt4LNKM). You can follow \[Bellingcat\](https://www.bellingcat.com)'s work here: \[Bellingcat website\](https://www.bellingcat.com/), \[BlueSky\](https://bsky.app/profile/bellingcat.com), \[Discord\](https://discord.com/invite/bellingcat), \[Facebook\](https://www.facebook.com/bellingcat), \[Github\](https://github.com/bellingcat), \[Instagram\](https://www.instagram.com/bellingcatofficial/), \[LinkedIn\](https://www.linkedin.com/company/bellingcat), \[Mastodon\](https://mstdn.social/@Bellingcat), \[Patreon\](https://www.patreon.com/bellingcat), \[Reddit\](https://www.reddit.com/r/bellingcat/), \[RSS\](https://rss.com/podcasts/bellingcatstagetalk/) (Stage Talks), \[X\](https://github.com/bellingcat/toolkit/blob/main/gitbook/pages/categories/social-media/youtube/youtube.md), \[Youtube\](https://www.youtube.com/@bellingcatofficial/videos), \[WhatsApp\](https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbB7PAn9RZAd6F1R1m2r). You can always find an updated list of our social media presence \[here\](https://www.bellingcat.com/follow-bellingcat-on-social-media/). \[Bellingcat\](https://www.bellingcat.com/) is a non-profit and the ability to carry out our work is dependent on the kind support of individual donors. If you would like to support our work, you can so \[here\](https://www.bellingcat.com/donate/). We also provide \[workshops\](https://www.bellingcat.com/workshops/) on open source investigative methods and tools. For those of you interested in becoming a Bellingcat volunteer, have a look at our \[volunteer community page\](https://sites.google.com/bellingcat.com/bellingcat-volunteer-community/home). \--- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the \`ask\` query parameter: \`\`\` GET https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/pages.md?ask= \`\`\` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections. --- # Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit Page not found -------------- The page you are looking for doesn't exist. [Go to homepage](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit) --- # Unknown \> For the complete documentation index, see \[llms.txt\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending \`.md\` to page URLs; this page is available as \[Markdown\](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites/maps.md). # Maps | Name | Description | Cost | Tool Review and Guide | | ------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | About Maps and Satellites | A guide to using map and satellite tools. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/about-maps-and-satellites\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/about-maps-and-satellites.md) | | Apple Maps | Apple Maps is a digital mapping service with detailed, interactive maps, satellite imagery, and location-based information. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/apple-maps\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/apple-maps.md) | | Baidu Maps | Baidu’s mapping service offering satellite imagery, street maps, and streetview (“Panorama” - zh:百度全景). | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/baidu-maps\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/baidu-maps.md) | | Bellingcat OpenStreetMap Search | A user interface to search OpenStreetMap data for features in proximity to each other. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openstreetmap-search-tool\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/openstreetmap-search-tool.md) | | Bing Maps | Bing Maps is a web mapping service provided by Microsoft that offers detailed geographical information and tools for route planning, location search, and satellite imagery. | Partially Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/bing-maps\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/bing-maps.md) | | Convert Geographic Units | A tool that converts various geographic coordinates to support diverse mapping and spatial analysis needs. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/convert-geographic-units\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/convert-geographic-units.md) | | F4Map | F4Map is an interactive 3D map visualization tool that provides detailed rendering of urban landscapes and geographical features. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/f4map\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/f4map.md) | | Gaode Maps | Gaode Maps (also known as AMap) is a mapping application and technology from the Chinese company Alibaba. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/gaode-maps\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/gaode-maps.md) | | Gjirafa | Mapping service for Albania (specially Kosovo) | Free |

Guide not available

| | Global Forest Watch | Explore tree cover loss and gain data, recent deforestation and fire alerts, land use designations, carbon emissions, biodiversity metrics and more. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/global-forest-watch\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/global-forest-watch.md) | | Google Maps | Google Maps provides mapping information, satellite imagery and Google Street View imagery including historical Street View images. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-maps\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-maps.md) | | GovMap | GovMap provides an interactive map of Israel, offering users a wide range of data including property boundaries, planning information, and infrastructure details. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/govmap\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/govmap.md) | | HERE WeGo | Mapping service that can serve as an alternative to Google Maps or Apple Maps. | Free |

Guide not available

| | Hitta.se | Mapping service for Sweden | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/hitta.se\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/hitta.se.md) | | Kakao Map | A mapping application provided by South Korean technology company Kakao Corp. | Free |

Guide not available

| | MapChecking | This tool helps you estimate and fact-check the maximum number of people standing in a given area. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapchecking\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapchecking.md) | | Mapillary | Mapillary is a crowdsourced street-level imagery platform. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapillary\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapillary.md) | | MapSwitcher | Chrome extension switches between online map apps, maintaining (as far as possible) the map centre, zoom level, & directions of the source map. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher.md) | | mapy.cz | Mapping service for Czechia | Free |

Guide not available

| | Maritime Awareness Project | South China Sea maps with oil and gas fields, fishing areas, air defense zones and administrative, claimed, disputed zones, submarine data cables. | Free |

Guide not available

| | NASA FIRMS | Displays a world map overlaid with infra-red data from one or more satellites, some, but not all of which may represent heat from fires and explosions. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/nasa-firms\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/nasa-firms.md) | | OpenInfraMap | Power lines, telecoms, solar, oil, gas & water infrastructure mapped globally. | Free |

Guide not available

| | OpenSeaMap | Sea map of borders, special zones, shipping lanes, with overlays of MarineTraffic and other sources | Free |

Guide not available

| | OpenStreetMap | OpenStreetMap is a collaborative project to create a free editable map of the world. | Free |

Guide not available

| | Overpass Turbo | Overpass Turbo is a web-based tool for querying and visualizing OpenStreetMap crowd sourced data, aiding in extracting specific information like locations of amenities e.g.hospitals. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo.md) | | PeakVisor | Dual window views for any global location: (1) a 2-D map & (2) a 3-D rendered terrain model, with photo fitting, shade/slope mapping, sun trails & weather data. In active development for OS research. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/peakvisor\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/peakvisor.md) | | QGIS: | QGIS is a free Open Source Geographic Information System (GIS). | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis.md) | | Quick geolocation search | A tool that brings several maps into one place for easy location search. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/quick-geolocation-search\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/quick-geolocation-search.md) | | Satellites.pro | Satellites.pro allows open source researchers to quickly switch between several free satellite imagery and mapping services. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro.md) | | ShadeMap | ShadeMap is a global simulation of mountain, building & tree shadows for a given date & time. Base data is free, but users can buy 30cm accurate data per sq km for areas of special focus. | Partially Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shademap\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/shademap.md) | | ShadowMap | Global map of 3D buildlings and the shadows they cast at a specific time a day | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadowmap\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadowmap.md) | | Strava | A fitness tracking platform where publicly shared GPS activity data can reveal movement patterns, routines, and precise locations of individuals, including military personnel and public staff. | Partially Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava.md) | | Tencent Maps | Tencent Maps (formerly SOSO Maps) is a desktop and web mapping service application and technology provided by Chinese company Tencent, offering satellite imagery, street maps, street view (coverage) and historical view perspectives. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps.md) | | Topotijdreis.nl | Over 200 years of maps and topography from the Netherlands. | Free |

Guide not available

| | UTM grid zones | An overview of the Universal Transverse Mercator coordinate system. | Free |

Guide not available

| | what3words | A proprietary geocode system which identifies any location on the surface of the earth to a resolution of 3 metres. The identifier is a unique combination of three words, available in 60 languagues. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words.md) | | Wikimapia | Wikimapia was a long-running collaborative mapping project that remains partially accessible, providing open source researchers with a unique database of historical, user-generated content. | Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia.md) | | Yandex Maps | A platform offering detailed maps, satellite imagery, street views (static & sometimes dynamic imagery, including aerial views). Often the best available data on Russia & surrounding regions. | Partially Free | \[https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps\](/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps.md) | --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the \`ask\` query parameter: \`\`\` GET https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites/maps.md?ask= \`\`\` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections. --- # Bellingcat Name Variant Search | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/name-variant-search.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/name-variant-search#url) URL ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://bellingcat.github.io/name-variant-search/](https://bellingcat.github.io/name-variant-search/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/name-variant-search#description) Description --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Given a person's name, this awesome tool will generate various plausible alternative forms of the name and smooth out the work of researching each one. It also offers links to search on Duck Duck Go, and Facebook. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-8c2cb15b5a3af3c6677349aea51c2e831c19da9a%252FScreenshot%25202024-01-25%2520at%252016.58.10.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=160d41b3&sv=2) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/name-variant-search#is-it-free) Cost ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/name-variant-search#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/name-variant-search#requirements) Requirements ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Internet [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/name-variant-search#guide) Guide --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enter a name and press enter. Add suggested variants to refine results. Use the checkboxes to filter by site. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/name-variant-search#tool-provider) Tool provider ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bellingcat, NL Page Maintainer Bellingcat Volunteer Team Last updated 23 hours ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/name-variant-search#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/name-variant-search#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/name-variant-search#is-it-free) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/name-variant-search#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/name-variant-search#requirements) * [Guide](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/name-variant-search#guide) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/name-variant-search#tool-provider) Was this helpful? --- # SkyFi | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skyfi.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skyfi#url) URL --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://skyfi.com/](https://skyfi.com/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skyfi#description) Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Use SkyFi to order existing satellite images or task the collection of a new image. Like Apollo Image Hunter, SkyFi indexes imagery from many different companies, including: * Planet Labs (United States) * Satellogic (Uruguay) * GOKTURK-1 (Turkey) * Siwei (China) * Umbra (SAR imagery) (United States) * ICEYE US (SAR imagery) (United States) * Vexcel (Aerial imagery) (Germany) * GEOSAT (Balloon imagery) (Portugal) SkyFi also sells analytical products, such as satellite vessel detections, mineral and petroleum analysis, and military and infrastructure detection. The search interface is similar to [Sentinel Hub](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground) or [Planet Explorer](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/planet-labs) . To find imagery, use the area selection tools to define your region of interest. By default, results are sorted by the most recent imagery, but you can also use date filters to find imagery from a particular point in time, and to filter by cloud cover, image resolution, and particular satellites. In the SkyFi search interface, you can only see a very low resolution preview of the image. Typically, this is enough to let you confirm that the image isn't too cloudy, but not to do much more than that. To purchase an image, you can add it to your cart and checkout. SkyFi delivers the image as a GeoTIFF in 24 hours. To task the collection of a new image, select the "New Image" tab on the left of the SkyFi user interface. Here you can select the type of image (optical or SAR), the resolution, and the date range. SkyFi allows the tasking of images at up to 25 cm resolution. When tasking a Planet Labs image in SkyFi, it is possible to select a specific date and time for the image to be captured. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skyfi#cost) Cost ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid Satellite imagery is priced per square kilometer, with a minimum order of 5 to 25 square kilometers, depending on the satellite company and image resolution. Prices vary quite a lot, from $3.75/square kilometer for low resolution PlanetScope imagery to hundreds of dollar per square kilometer for specialized high resolution images. Prices are visible in the search interface without requesting a quotation. Sentinel-2 images are available without charge. Taskings cost $200 - $750 depending on resolution. Analytical products tend to be very expensive. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skyfi#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstar [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skyfi#requirements) Requirements --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Imagery is usually delivered in GeoTIFF format. These files are large, and best viewed in [QGIS](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis) or other GIS software. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skyfi#limitations) Limitations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Delivery of the satellite image takes about 24 hours. Taskings are generally not exclusive and other people will be able to order the image that you have tasked. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skyfi#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Author: Logan Williams/Bellingcat Team. Reviewed: Sophie Tedling: Last updated 3 months ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skyfi#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skyfi#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skyfi#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skyfi#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skyfi#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skyfi#limitations) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skyfi#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # RAMMB SLIDER | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider#url) URL ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://rammb-slider.cira.colostate.edu/](https://rammb-slider.cira.colostate.edu/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider#description) Description -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RAMMB/CIRA SLIDER is a tool for viewing images from weather satellites around the planet in real-time. While these weather satellites are low resolution (the highest resolution satellites have only a 500 meter resolution), the data is updated as fast as every 5 minutes. Additionally, the satellites capture [multispectral imagery](https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2025/01/10/satellite-imagery-bands-guide/) that can highlight fires, vegetation, and atmospheric properties like moisture and types of cloud cover. These images are useful for monitoring large scale events, typically weather events such as wildfires, hurricanes and dust storms. By default, the tool animates a number of images, which is often useful for showing developing weather patterns. The parameters of this animation (length of time and number of frames) can be adjusted. The tool can display a number of different "data products." The default "GeoColor CIRA" option is useful for simulating a color view of the planet, but other options like "Fire Temperature CIRA" can be useful for visualizing particular phenomenon. Images and GIFs can be exported from the tool with the built in Download feature. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider#cost) Cost ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ starstarstar [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider#requirements) Requirements ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No sign in is necessary. The tool is free to use. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider#limitations) Limitations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The weather satellites are low resolution and only suitable for viewing large-scale events like wildfires, hurricanes, dust storms, and other weather patterns. The tool can be slow to load and somewhat buggy. If it appears to not load images after changing the visualization settings or zooming in, refresh the page. It will retain all settings and load more reliably. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ \- [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Seeing More With Satellite Imagery Using Band Combinations, Ratios and Indices](https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2025/01/10/satellite-imagery-bands-guide/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider#tool-provider) Tool provider ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Regional and Mesoscale Meteorology Branch (part of the United States' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at Colorado State University. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider#similar-tools) Similar tools ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NOAA's [radar page](https://radar.weather.gov/) provides a map of current precipitation using ground based doppler radar. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies (Google Analytics). Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Author: Logan Williams, Reviewed: Sophie Tedling: Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider#tool-provider) * [Similar tools](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider#similar-tools) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rammb-slider#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Planet Labs | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/planet-labs.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/planet-labs#url) URL --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://www.planet.com/](https://www.planet.com/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/planet-labs#description) Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Use Planet Labs to find optical satellite imagery around the world. Planet Labs collects three types of satellite imagery: * PlanetScope images are low-resolution (3 meter) images that are collected automatically on a near-daily basis around the world. They have eight optical bands, from "coastal blue" (443nm) to near-infrared (865nm). Similar quality images were formerly captured by RapidEye, a now-retired satellite constellation. * SkySat images are high resolution (50 centimeter) images with four optical bands (blue, green, red and near-infrared.) These images are collected in response to taskings (requesting the collection of imagery at a particular place). After a tasking, the collected image is available for anyone to purchase. * Tanager images are captured by a new satellite made available in September 2025. These images are lower resolution (30 meters) but capture hyperspectral imagery with 424 narrow optical bands. This can be used for specialized applications such as methane plume detection. The primary tool for accessing these images is the Planet Explorer. Without a paid plan, it is not possible to access Planet Explorer and search for images. However, images are available for purchase from other satellite brokers such as Apollo Imaging and SkyFi. This is the best way to obtain a paid satellite image on a one-off basis. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/planet-labs#cost) Cost ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid Planet Labs [provides limited access](https://www.planet.com/industries/education-and-research/) to low-resolution PlanetScope (and archived RapidEye) images for university affiliated students and faculty. Access to high resolution imagery and taskings requires a paid subscription plan with Planet. The cost and tiers of subscriptions are not publicly available. A limited selection of data is available for free through Planet's [Open Data Program](https://www.planet.com/data/stac/browser/?.language=en) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/planet-labs#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/planet-labs#requirements) Requirements --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Any modern web browser is sufficient to access Planet Explorer and order satellite imagery. The imagery itself is distributed as large GeoTIFF files that are best viewed in [QGIS](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/planet-labs#limitations) Limitations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Since mid-March, Planet has [not released imagery](https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/satellite-firm-planet-labs-indefinitely-withhold-iran-war-images-2026-04-05/) of much of the Middle East, including Iran, Israel, Lebanon, and military bases across the region through Planet Explorer. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/planet-labs#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \- [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/planet-labs#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \- [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/planet-labs#tool-provider) Tool provider ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Planet, U.S. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/planet-labs#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Author: Logan Williams, Reviewed: Sophie Tedling: Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/planet-labs#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/planet-labs#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/planet-labs#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/planet-labs#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/planet-labs#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/planet-labs#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/planet-labs#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/planet-labs#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/planet-labs#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/planet-labs#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # TinEye | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tineye.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tineye#url) URL ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://tineye.com](https://tineye.com/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tineye#description) Description -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TinEye can help users locate the original source of an image, locate related images and locate other places where the image may be found on the internet, including whether the image is a stock photo. Users may use TinEye to verify images or track where images appear online. This [tutorial](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKQZEXdyVjk) from the University of Glasgow Library provides an overview of how to perform a basic reverse image search with the tool. A user can go directly to the TinEye website to use the tool. A user may also add the TinEye [extensions](https://tineye.com/extensions) to browsers. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tineye#cost) Cost ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Free * Partially Free * Paid TinEye is [free](https://help.tineye.com/article/239-is-tineye-free-to-use) for non-commercial use. It does offer a [paid](https://services.tineye.com/TinEyeAlerts) service that allows a subscriber to track where and how their images appear online. The first month is 420 USD and each additional month after is 310 USD. TinEye also limits searches to 100 per day and 300 per week. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tineye#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tineye#requirements) Requirements ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Internet access is required to access TinEye. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tineye#limitations) Limitations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- According to its [FAQ](https://services.tineye.com/TinEyeAPI) , TinEye works best with images that are as low as 100 pixels in either dimension and works best with images that are at least 300 pixels in either dimension. It also has a limit of 20 MB as the maximum file size. TinEye also recommends avoiding watermarks. TinEye may also be unable to search for images from certain sites such as Instagram. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tineye#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ None [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tineye#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TinEye: [TinEye Help Center](https://help.tineye.com/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tineye#tool-provider) Tool provider ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TinEye, Canada [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tineye#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Bellingcat Volunteer Team Last updated 29 minutes ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tineye#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tineye#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tineye#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tineye#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tineye#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tineye#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tineye#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tineye#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tineye#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tineye#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Wikipedia list of registers | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikipedia-list-of-registers.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikipedia-list-of-registers#url) URL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_official\_business\_registers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_official_business_registers) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikipedia-list-of-registers#description) Description ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Most countries have a publicly available official register which lists companies that are allowed to conduct business in that country. Registers usually contain fields like: Company name, directors, and registered address. Some contain data like shareholders, filings, VAT number, tax number and telephone number. Some are free, while some give very basic details for free and require payment for more. Some registers allow you to search only by company name, while others also allow for searching by person names (e.g. director names). The Wikipedia list of registers will help you to find an online register for a particular country. [OpenCorporates](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates) has unified many of the registers in a single database, so it may be better to use in some instances. It's worth checking their [data coverage page](https://knowledge.opencorporates.com/knowledge-base/overview/) to see which registers are currently online (i.e. regularly updated), and which are not. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikipedia-list-of-registers#cost) Cost --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikipedia-list-of-registers#level-of-difficulty) Level of Difficulty --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikipedia-list-of-registers#requirements) Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \- [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikipedia-list-of-registers#limitations) Limitations ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The page contains a range of other types of registers (e.g. property registers), so make sure that you have selected the right one. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikipedia-list-of-registers#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \- [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikipedia-list-of-registers#guides-and-articles) Guides and Articles --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \- [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikipedia-list-of-registers#tool-provider) Tool Provider --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wikipedia, US [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikipedia-list-of-registers#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Katherine de Tolly Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikipedia-list-of-registers#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikipedia-list-of-registers#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikipedia-list-of-registers#cost) * [Level of Difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikipedia-list-of-registers#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikipedia-list-of-registers#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikipedia-list-of-registers#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikipedia-list-of-registers#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and Articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikipedia-list-of-registers#guides-and-articles) * [Tool Provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikipedia-list-of-registers#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikipedia-list-of-registers#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # What CMS | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what-cms.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what-cms#url) URL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [https://whatcms.org/](https://whatcms.org/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what-cms#description) Description ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Whatcms is a tool that you can use to identify the technologies used to power a website. A couple of examples of what the website is able to detect: Content Management Systems (CMS) Programming languages Specific plugins The website will help you understand what CMS is being used and to identify the less visible components. This information can help to create a digital footprint of an individual or organization or track changes over time. Paid subscriptions also allow batch processing which allows the user to upload lists of URL's to be analysed simultaneously. It also has Private Detections which gives you the option to detect other technologies such as databases. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what-cms#cost) Cost -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid The website has a free version with limited features which allows 500 detections and the API will allow you to request 1 URL every 10 seconds. The paid subscriptions range from 15 to 600 euros per month, with options for Batch Processing and Private Detections. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what-cms#requirements) Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ You can use the basic features on the website for free, but registration is necessary if you want to use the API or other functions. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what-cms#limitations) Limitations ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- According to their own [website](https://whatcms.org/), there are some limitations. Websites that use custom CMSs or security measures to hide their technologies might not be detected accurately. The free version also has limited usage which could restrict further/broader research. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what-cms#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Like every tool, ensure that the use of the tool is within the law, the site's terms of services, and ethical OSINT guidelines. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what-cms#guides-and-articles) Guides and Articles -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [![Logo](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bellingcat.com%2Fapp%2Fthemes%2Fbellingcat%2Fassets%2Ficons%2Ffavicons%2Fapple-touch-icon-1024x1024.png&width=20&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=3468720&sv=2)Fascist Fashion: How Mainstream Businesses Enable the Sale of Far-Right Merchandise - bellingcatbellingcat](https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2022/05/24/fascist-fashion-how-mainstream-businesses-enable-the-sale-of-far-right-merchandise/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what-cms#tool-provider) Tool Provider -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [![Logo](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwhatcms.org%2Fthemes%2Fwhat_bootstrap4%2FYeti4%2Ffavicon.ico&width=20&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=a5abdb5e&sv=2)Detect which CMS a site is using - What CMS?whatcms.org](https://whatcms.org/) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what-cms#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what-cms#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what-cms#cost) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what-cms#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what-cms#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what-cms#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and Articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what-cms#guides-and-articles) * [Tool Provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what-cms#tool-provider) Was this helpful? --- # Merlin | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/merlin.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/merlin#url) URL ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org](https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/merlin#description) Description -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Merlin is a bird-identification app with a repository of over [10,000 birds](https://support.ebird.org/en/support/solutions/articles/48000961587-merlin-bird-id-faqs) in its system. This app can enable open source researchers to analyze and discover the location where an audio, photo or video featuring a bird may have been taken. It has three identification methods: 1. Step by step Enter characteristics such as the color of the bird and size to find your bird. Merlin offers numerous options depending on location and date. You will get a description of each bird found matching the search terms, sounds and geographic expansion of the birds. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-e04a4919067624069c7c35e00b7c939706184820%252FWhatsAppVideo2025-04-04at16.02.171-ezgif.com-video-to-gif-converter%2520%281%29.gif%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=5e893973&sv=2) Here is an example of how to use this option looking for a Lesser kiskadee in a city in Colombia. 1. Sound ID You can record birds and Merlin will match them with birds near you based on your location. The sounds you upload are saved in the app with location and time information. The recognition system is good enough to detect the sound of birds even with a little background noise. They have [2066 bird species sounds](https://ebird.org/region/AU-WA-WAN/post/merlin-sound-id-is-coming-to-australia) ! 1. Photo ID You can take a photo of your bird of interest or upload an existing one from your gallery. You can also optionally add location and date information. The app will match the image with species in the database. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-e9970fa52912e3fd54993811a20cd6acb8e9c95f%252FWhatsAppVideo2025-04-04at16.47.231-ezgif.com-video-to-gif-converter.gif%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=723e3cc1&sv=2) An example of this option looking for a blue and yellow macaw in Colombia. For a successful identification, be sure to enter as many characteristics as you can. This way the system can provide more specific results. In testing the app, 8 out of 10 times the system returned the bird I was looking for. The app gives many options and can be confusing if searching for a bird with similar colors and characteristics to others. For example, if you search for a medium-sized black bird that was seen flying, the system will return a lot of black birds in your area, and there may be too many to recognize yours. But if you also add red in the system because you saw that the bird's eyes were that color, the app will give you more particular results (in my case, I got as second choice the bronzed cowbird and this was my bird!). It is not necessary to create an account to use the application. However, one of the advantages of creating one is that you can create lists of the birds you search for and save them. In addition, Merlin allows [data packets](https://support.ebird.org/en/support/solutions/articles/48000966223-my-offline-birds?__hstc=75100365.51452a210e378915111e1d498b0f7aab.1742251458388.1747844962673.1748267627622.6&__hssc=75100365.6.1748267627622&__hsfp=4052119064&_gl=1*xlayd4*_gcl_au*MTE5NzM5MjUxMC4xNzQyMjUxNDU0*_ga*MTk4OTY0NDkzOS4xNzQyMjUxNDU1*_ga_QR4NVXZ8BM*czE3NDgyNjYyMzEkbzckZzEkdDE3NDgyNjgwNTckajYwJGwwJGgwJGR4bzhKSmdmcWRIVzF3dXlQYU9XWHNlY2JZSENWY3Z3c1JR&_ga=2.263960904.513365111.1748267626-1989644939.1742251455) downloads based on the location of interest. For example, you can download a Paraguayan birds packet to get more specific results when searching for birds in this country. **Similar tools** There are other apps that help identify birds. There is [eBird](https://ebird.org/explore) , an app where you can search photos and sounds, explore birds hotspots and explore various bird statistics in each region. This app has many more features than Merlin and is not as focused on identification as it is on recording birds in lists, which makes it ideal for birding. However, the good news is that Merlin is powered by eBird! This means that, after identifying your bird with Merlin, you can add it to lists in eBird if you wish (although you can also create lists in Merlin). Other popular bird identification apps feature region-specific information, such as [Birds in Backyards](https://www.birdsinbackyards.net/) for Australia and [Bird Spot](https://www.birdspot.co.uk/british-bird-identifier) for British birds. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/merlin#cost) Cost ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/merlin#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/merlin#requirements) Requirements ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Merlin can be [downloaded](https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/download/) for free on Android and Apple devices. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/merlin#limitations) Limitations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Keep in mind that the system may not always be successful in identifying birds. Merlin [only runs](https://support.ebird.org/en/support/solutions/articles/48000966221-install-merlin) on Android devices with Android 6 or newer, iPhones and iPads with iOS 16 or newer, and M1/M2-equipped Apple computers. There is no desktop version or website. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/merlin#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wanting to identify birds is not an opportunity to disturb or mistreat them in any way. Check out the [Wisconsin Ornithological Society's Code of Ethics](https://wsobirds.org/about-wso/code-of-ethics) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/merlin#guide) Guide -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help Center: [https://support.ebird.org/en/support/solutions/articles/48000966225-merlin-tips-and-tricks](https://support.ebird.org/en/support/solutions/articles/48000966225-merlin-tips-and-tricks) How to use the Merlin Bird ID App (Photo/Call ID): A Beginner's Guide: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Woe\_Q6S8oyw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Woe_Q6S8oyw) Merlin Bird ID Demo from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmSUOLxyatY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmSUOLxyatY) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/merlin#tool-provider) Tool provider ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cornell Lab of Ornithology, based on New York. Contributors: [https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/the-story/](https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/the-story/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/merlin#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Lieth Carrillo Last updated 5 months ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/merlin#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/merlin#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/merlin#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/merlin#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/merlin#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/merlin#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/merlin#ethical-considerations) * [Guide](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/merlin#guide) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/merlin#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/merlin#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Skopenow | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skopenow.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skopenow#url) URL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [http://skopenow.com/](https://www.skopenow.com/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skopenow#description) Description ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Skopenow is a tool for consolidating information related to social media usernames, previous addresses, corporation information, darkweb leaks, and vehicle information related to targets being investigated. Skopenow also has a subscription option for their [Grid product](https://www.skopenow.com/grid) , which provides users with location based alerts for news, emergency services, traffic cams, and scheduled events. Reports generated from the system forensically capture screen captures, metadata, and hash data from the original sources without users having to log in to any social media accounts. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skopenow#cost) Cost -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid There is a free trial available, followed by multiple subscription tiers. Users must be vetted by Skopenow. The price depends on packages included in the subscription but can reach a five-figure range. Products available to license include: * [Workbench](https://www.skopenow.com/workbench) (individual and corporate investigation) * [Link Analysis](https://www.skopenow.com/link-analysis) (network & link visualizations) * [Grid](https://www.skopenow.com/grid) (situational awareness) * [Analyst Help](https://www.skopenow.com/analyst-help) (hourly analyst assistance) * [Pre-Check](https://www.skopenow.com/pre-check) (automated fraud risk) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skopenow#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstar [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skopenow#requirements) Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ For individual and corporation searches, the tool requires a name and at least one other piece of identifiable information (ie, social media username, phone number, email, address, city, etc.). Paid accounts also require vetting by Skopenow personnel. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skopenow#limitations) Limitations ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Data returned is limited to publicly available information, and requires a fair amount of due diligence before being included in a final report. The best way to work with this tool is to think of it as a centralized search engine across several different methodologies (public records, dark web leaks, social media platforms) that allows you to exclude results as you investigate them further. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skopenow#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- While all of the information collected in a report is publicly available in some way, reports on individuals do paint a fairly comprehensive picture of their personal information. This information must be used and shared responsibly. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skopenow#guide) Guide ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Skopenow hosts a free ongoing [webinar series](https://www.skopenow.com/skopenow-webinar-series) that provides instructions on how to use various features of the product, as well as how the product intersects with different investigative methodologies. On the company website, there are also a series of [guides and reports](https://www.skopenow.com/guides-and-reports) related to OSINT methodologies that are free to access. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skopenow#tool-provider) Tool provider -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Skopenow is a privately held for profit company, based in New York, NY. Their seed funding includes investments from Techstars, Runway VP, Contour Ventures, Sinai VC, MS&AD, and Forefront Ventures. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skopenow#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Paul - Bellingcat Volunteer Community Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skopenow#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skopenow#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skopenow#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skopenow#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skopenow#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skopenow#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skopenow#ethical-considerations) * [Guide](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skopenow#guide) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skopenow#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skopenow#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # UNOSAT Analyses | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/unosat-analyses.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/unosat-analyses#url) URL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://unosat.org/products](https://unosat.org/products) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/unosat-analyses#description) Description ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The UNOSAT Analyses map library includes public analyses, data and other products produced by UNOSAT in response to humanitarian emergencies related to (environmental) disasters, complex emergencies and conflict situations. The map marks 'activations' such as famines, flash floods, fires, complex emergencies, and more. A search function is available, and the tool allows for filtering by date, activation type, country, and events that invoked the [International Charter "Space and Major Disasters"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Charter_'Space_and_Major_Disasters') (an agreement in which satellite data is transmitted to relief organizations in the event of major disasters). Hovering over an activation reveals a short explanation including its type, date range, and general location. Clicking in for more information provides a detailed overview and photos of the areas analysed, how many people may have been affected, how this conclusion was reached, and which sources were used. Activations also note whether field analysis has validated the satellite analysis. Each activation may also provides the data as one or more of the following: * A single-page downloadable PDF * A downloadable Shapefile * A downloadable ESRI file * A downloadable Excel table [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/unosat-analyses#cost) Cost --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/unosat-analyses#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstar [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/unosat-analyses#requirements) Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- None [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/unosat-analyses#limitations) Limitations ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Events can be filtered by date as far back as July 2003, and as recently as present day. The satellite view includes country boundaries, but does not include regional/state/province boundaries. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/unosat-analyses#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- None [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/unosat-analyses#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UNOSAT Analyses has been used in various publications and investigations, such as: * [A New Tool Allows Researchers to Track Damage in Gaza](https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2023/11/15/a-new-tool-allows-researchers-to-track-damage-in-gaza/) by Ollie Ballinger, for Bellingcat * [Data from satellites reveal the vast extent of fighting in Ukraine](https://www.economist.com/interactive/briefing/2023/02/23/data-from-satellites-reveal-the-vast-extent-of-fighting-in-ukraine) by _The Economist_ * [UNOSAT helps keep track of IDPs amid South Sudan clashes](https://reliefweb.int/report/south-sudan-republic/unosat-helps-keep-track-idps-amid-south-sudan-clashes) by ReliefWeb [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/unosat-analyses#tool-provider) Tool provider --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [United Nations Satellite Centre](https://unosat.org/) , part of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/unosat-analyses#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Bellingcat Volunteer Team Last updated 5 months ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/unosat-analyses#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/unosat-analyses#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/unosat-analyses#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/unosat-analyses#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/unosat-analyses#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/unosat-analyses#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/unosat-analyses#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/unosat-analyses#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/unosat-analyses#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/unosat-analyses#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Osint Tools Map | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/osint-tools-map.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/osint-tools-map#url) URL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://cybdetective.com/osintmap/](https://cybdetective.com/osintmap/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/osint-tools-map#description) Description ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The OSINT Tools Map is an interactive map created by Cyber Detective that lists open-source intelligence (OSINT) resources from around the world. Each country entry contains links to official and unofficial data sources such as business registries, land cadastres, court databases, phone directories, and media archives. Its structured layout allows users to quickly locate national or regional information sources, making it a valuable starting point for investigators researching unfamiliar countries or sectors. The map offers a wide range of tools that draw from various public records and datasets. These include cadastral maps with land ownership details, business registries for company information, yellow pages for local listings, and court databases that can be essential for legal and investigative work. Although the depth of information varies by country—with some offering more extensive data than others—the OSINT Tools Map still provides a broad and practical entry point for users, even when exploring regions with limited digital transparency. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-3e63565c17398ab76bb847b7c2f9435c960937f3%252Fosint-map.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=cc7e725d&sv=2) Screenshot of the OSINT Tools Map (March 2026), showing global coverage of OSINT resources by country and category. To start using the OSINT tools map, click directly to explore specific countries, cities, or regions, or use the search bar to quickly find the location you are interested in. Additionally, the platform offers a list of countries, cities, territories, and services, which can be accessed by scrolling down, providing an alternative way to navigate through the various available resources. For example, for France, various online resources provide valuable information across different sectors. The official cadastral map can be accessed through cadastre.gouv.fr, offering detailed property records. For business registry information, verif.com serves as a useful platform, helping users check company details. Vehicle information can be found on siv-auto.fr, which provides registration and status updates. The French Yellow Pages can be explored through the Yellow/White pages directory, which lists businesses and services. For transport-related updates, the live map on sncf.com provides real-time information about train schedules. Additionally, papers.fr offers access to over 25 million death notices since 1970, as well as company information, contributing to a comprehensive resource for historical and business data. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-d048d16015c2db4803731370bb421b5e6b262c31%252Fosint-map-france.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=ec4dbb3&sv=2) France OSINT resources page(March 2026) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/osint-tools-map#features) Features ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Interactive map: navigate visually by country and region. * Categorized sources – includes business registries, cadastral maps, vehicle databases, phonebooks, court records, and local archives. * Updates – new data sources have been added historically, though the frequency of recent updates is uncertain. * Direct access – each entry links directly to third-party public data sites (availability may vary by country). * Simple interface – lightweight, browser-based map that requires no registration or login. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/osint-tools-map#cost) Cost --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/osint-tools-map#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/osint-tools-map#requirements) Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * The OSINT Tools Map is fully web-based and can be accessed using any modern browser (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari) on desktop or mobile devices. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/osint-tools-map#limitations) Limitations ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- While the OSINT Tools Map functions as a practical archive of links to external resources, researchers should be aware of the following limitations: * **Maintenance status:** The creator, [@cyb\_detective](https://cybdetective.com/) , remains active in the OSINT community, but the [GitHub repository](https://github.com/cipher387/osintmap) shows open, unresolved user requests with no confirmed recent commits. Researchers should treat the map as a historical reference rather than a continuously updated directory. * **No direct data access:** The map links to external sources rather than containing data itself. Linked sources may change, move, or become unavailable over time. * **No update timestamps:** The map does not display update timestamps for individual entries, making it difficult to assess how current any given link is. * **Variable coverage:** Availability and depth of resources varies significantly by country, and researchers should verify the current status of any linked source before relying on it. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/osint-tools-map#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Researchers should be mindful of local privacy laws, access restrictions, and ethical standards when using resources linked through the OSINT Tools Map. Many listed sources provide access to public records or personal data that may be subject to jurisdiction-specific legal or ethical constraints. Information obtained through these sources should be used responsibly and in accordance with applicable laws, particularly when handling personal or sensitive data. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/osint-tools-map#guide-and-articles) Guide and articles ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * You can find the official GitHub repository here: [https://github.com/cipher387/osintmap](https://github.com/cipher387/osintmap) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/osint-tools-map#tool-provider) Tool provider --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The OSINT Tools Map was created by [@cyb\_detective](https://cybdetective.com/) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/osint-tools-map#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer tsvetelina Last updated 1 day ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/osint-tools-map#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/osint-tools-map#description) * [Features](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/osint-tools-map#features) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/osint-tools-map#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/osint-tools-map#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/osint-tools-map#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/osint-tools-map#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/osint-tools-map#ethical-considerations) * [Guide and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/osint-tools-map#guide-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/osint-tools-map#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/osint-tools-map#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # TruffleHog | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/trufflehog.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/trufflehog#url) URL -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Product Page - [https://trufflesecurity.com/trufflehog](https://trufflesecurity.com/trufflehog) GitHub Repository - [https://github.com/trufflesecurity/trufflehog](https://github.com/trufflesecurity/trufflehog) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/trufflehog#description) Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TruffleHog is a tool that is capable of finding, verifying, and analyzing leaked credentials. Credentials can be API keys, passwords, authentication tokens, private keys, etc. TruffleHog is capable of searching through multiple data sources, including local and remote git repositories, Dockerfiles, AWS S3 buckets, file-systems, CI/CD systems, and more. Once a secret is detected, TruffleHog (since version 3) will additionally validate the secret in order to identify which detections are still active and not previously disabled and/or rotated. Lastly, the tool comes with an analyze command that is capable of of taking a detected secret and giving you more information about the permissions and resources it has access to. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/trufflehog#cost) Cost ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid While TruffleHog is free at it's core, there is an [Enterprise version](https://trufflesecurity.com/trufflehog-enterprise) available. However, there is little functionality provided in Enterprise that is of much use to an individual researcher. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/trufflehog#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstar [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/trufflehog#requirements) Requirements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A terminal emulator is required to install and use the tool. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/trufflehog#limitations) Limitations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The tool is limited to detecting types of credentials that it has pre-configured detectors for. See a list [here](https://github.com/trufflesecurity/trufflehog/tree/main/pkg/detectors) . You may also define [custom detectors](https://docs.trufflesecurity.com/custom-detectors) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/trufflehog#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Using credentials found by TruffleHog to gain (or attempt to gain) unauthorized access is unethical and illegal in most countries. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/trufflehog#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The [TruffleHog README](https://github.com/trufflesecurity/trufflehog/blob/main/README.md) has information on how to install and use the tool, including advanced usage. The [TruffleHog Documentation](https://docs.trufflesecurity.com/) provides additional information, though there are Enterprise features co-mingled with the open source features. If a feature is Enterprise-only, the page will have a banner that indicates this, as seen on the [Google Drive page](https://docs.trufflesecurity.com/google-drive) (as of: 27 August, 2024). [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/trufflehog#tool-provider) Tool provider ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Truffle Security Co. - USA [https://trufflesecurity.com/](https://trufflesecurity.com/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/trufflehog#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Max Louthain Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/trufflehog#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/trufflehog#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/trufflehog#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/trufflehog#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/trufflehog#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/trufflehog#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/trufflehog#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/trufflehog#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/trufflehog#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/trufflehog#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # WhatsMyName | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whats-my-name.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whats-my-name#url) URL ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://whatsmyname.app/ [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whats-my-name#description) Description --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WhatsMyName Web checks if a particular username exists on different platforms and websites and if it does, it links to it. It is a quick way to find where else a person of interest might have accounts. By searching Bellingcat on WhatsMyName web, we get 37 places where this username is used. The green boxes are clickable and will take you to the user page. By clicking on the "category filter" it is possible to narrow down the results to specifc categories of results, for example "business", "dating", or "shopping". ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-ed566d6314b5980c72c766dd63c274b75bdee77d%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=f37b48a5&sv=2) Results for the username "bellingcat" Beware that different people can use the same username. False positives are also present: you get a result for a platform, but when you click it, it might return "This page does not exist" page or some variation of it. There are several alternative username tools, including [Sherlock](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock) and [Blackbird](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/blackbird) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whats-my-name#cost) Cost ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whats-my-name#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whats-my-name#requirements) Requirements ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \- [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whats-my-name#limitations) Limitations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You have to allow cookies to use the tool. A CAPTCHA test pops up after clicking the search button. The tool runs searches in 500+ platforms, not "everywhere in the internet". For example, results do not show Facebook and Instagram links. To see all the platforms searched in click "Show All" button. Be aware that the fact that WhatsMyName has found a specific username on various platforms does not necessarily mean that this username belongs to a specific person or organisation. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whats-my-name#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \- [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whats-my-name#guide) Guide --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Github repository can be found [here](https://github.com/WebBreacher/WhatsMyName) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whats-my-name#tool-provider) Tool provider ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From the website: "Website version of WhatsMyName proudly developed by OSINT Combine (https://www.osintcombine.com) in collaboration with Micah Hoffman. Authors: Micah 'WebBreacher' Hoffman, C3n7ral051nt4g3ncy, balestek, fres621, Paradoxxs, Itsoon, K2SOsint, Lucas 'P1ngul1n0' Antoniaci" [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whats-my-name#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Aiganysh Aidarbekova Last updated 9 months ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whats-my-name#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whats-my-name#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whats-my-name#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whats-my-name#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whats-my-name#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whats-my-name#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whats-my-name#ethical-considerations) * [Guide](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whats-my-name#guide) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whats-my-name#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whats-my-name#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Umbra Space | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/umbra-space.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/umbra-space#url) URL --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://umbra.space/](https://umbra.space/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/umbra-space#description) Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Use Umbra to task (request) a high resolution SAR image in most places of the world. Unlike conventional optical satellite imagery, SAR works by sending a radio wave and listening to the reflection. Some objects, such as metallic vehicles and the 90 degree angles of buildings, reflect lots of the radio signal back to the satellite. Other features, like soil and vegetation, scatter the signal in many directions and reflect less. Still others, like the surface of calm water, reflect almost all of the signal away from the satellite. This variation produces an image of the Earth's surface. Other SAR satellites include Sentinel-1, which can be accessed from [Sentinel Hub and Copernicus Browser](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground) . Umbra can also "dwell" a satellite for a period of time to capture multiple images or a video of a particular location up to 25 seconds in length. Umbra images can be tasked through Umbra Canopy, Umbra's online interface. Contact Umbra's sales team to create an account, or use [SkyFi](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skyfi) . Archival Umbra images can be purchased from [SkyFi](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/skyfi) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/umbra-space#cost) Cost ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid Requesting an image from Umbra starts at $675 for 1-meter resolution, and can be over $5000 for the highest quality. Umbra's price sheet is [public](https://umbra.space/pricing/) . A very limited selection of images are available through Umbra's [open data program](https://umbra.space/open-data/) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/umbra-space#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/umbra-space#requirements) Requirements --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Paid account [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/umbra-space#limitations) Limitations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Umbra does not allow tasking of politically and militarily sensitive areas, including near Ukraine, Israel and Palestine. For operational reasons, Umbra cannot image the far north. SAR imagery is more difficult to interpret than optical imagery. While SAR images may look superficially similar to conventional imagery, the image formation process produces distinct artifacts. Issues like multipath reflections and range overlap can produce unexpected or misleading effects that must be understood to interpret accurately. For more information about SAR and SAR interpretation, the book [The Essentials of SAR, by Thomas Ager](https://www.amazon.nl/-/en/Thomas-Ager/dp/B09CGKTLZV) , is a good resource. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/umbra-space#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \- [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/umbra-space#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \- [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/umbra-space#tool-provider) Tool provider ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Umbra, U.S. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/umbra-space#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Logan Williams/Bellingcat Team, Reviewer Sophie Tedling; Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/umbra-space#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/umbra-space#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/umbra-space#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/umbra-space#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/umbra-space#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/umbra-space#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/umbra-space#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/umbra-space#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/umbra-space#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/umbra-space#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # MapSwitcher | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher#url) URL --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read details here: [**https://github.com/david-r-edgar/MapSwitcher**](https://github.com/david-r-edgar/MapSwitcher) or download the extension from the [Chrome Store here](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/map-switcher/fanpjcbgdinjeknjikpfnldfpnnpkelb) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher#description) Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This article describes the MapSwitcher extension for the Google Chrome browser and should not be confused with another tool of the same name for Firefox browser, developed by [František Nesveda](https://addons.mozilla.org/mk/firefox/user/15224571/) which can be found here [https://addons.mozilla.org/mk/firefox/addon/map-switcher/](https://addons.mozilla.org/mk/firefox/addon/map-switcher/) ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-10e2a5aaaf6f171ce4f1a592991d824af4225c2c%252FmapSwitcherScreenshot16thFeb.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=2f43d711&sv=2) **THE MAPSWITCHER EXTENSION MENU OVER A GOOGLE CHROME BROWSER PAGE** MapSwitcher is an extension for the Google Chrome browser, which can be downloaded from the [Google Chrome Store](https://app.gitbook.com/s/wj16aeUeCQ32BThaGKHz) . It aids Open Source research by assisting users to switch their focus of study from one geographical data app to another, whilst migrating the same location co-ordinates between apps. General aspect is also preserved as far as possible, i.e. zoom, direction, etc. This benefits of MapSwitcher for Open Source research are mainly: * **Accuracy:** Human error when handling copy and paste of system co-ordinates between apps is largely eliminated by using MapSwitcher. * **Efficiency:** Research work can be performed more quickly when transfer between apps is automated using MapSwitcher. * **Quality:** Where MapSwitcher makes it easy for researchers to switch quickly and accurately between apps, they are more likely to check their work using more than one system, which generally leads to more accurate results. The list of different geographical data platforms which can be used with MapSwitcher is growing all the time. You can check the current status of any app you're interested in, either from the extension itself if you have it installed, or here on the [Github page for MapSwitcher](https://github.com/david-r-edgar/MapSwitcher) . The list as of May 2024 is show below as an example, but this will not remain definitive: ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-05213f5bfe7f371a087f0b37490f1bb2da69e01c%252FListofCompatible.jpg%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=df921092&sv=2) **MAPSWITCHER OUTPUT SERVICE OPTIONS AS AT MAY 2024 - CHECK THE LINK ABOVE FOR CURRENT STATUS** Currently MapSwitcher is only available for Chrome Browser, but its author, [David R Edgar](https://david-r-edgar.uk/projects.php) , planned future versions for Firefox and Microsoft Edge. It is, however, possible to install Chrome Browser extensions on Microsoft Edge, although they may not be thoroughly tested on Edge, for instructions, see explanatory article ["How To Install Chrome Extensions in Microsoft Edge Browsers"](https://medium.com/@mariusbongarts/how-to-install-chrome-extensions-in-microsoft-edge-browsers-65914eb61d6) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher#cost) Cost ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstar The most difficult part of using MapSwitcher is its installation as a Chrome Browser Extension, if you have not done this kind of installation before. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher#requirements) Requirements --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Google Chrome browser must already be installed to allow the user to add MapSwitcher as an extension. There is no account necessary to use MapSwitcher over and above what is necessary to use Google Chrome browser. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher#limitations) Limitations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MapSwitcher is limited to the Chrome Browser, and to the list of apps provided for each, which is a good spread of commonly-used Open Source research mapping tools, but by no means exhaustive. If you try to use MapSwitcher on an app for which is not on its input/output list you will see the following message: ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-176b16f5d97f029a701f4f29e7c0035997a0cde0%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=5496fbd2&sv=2) MAP SWITCHER MESSAGE WHEN SWITCHING IS NOT POSSIBLE **Technical Limitations on Switching Performance:** * Where directions are specified by address (not coordinates), different services can geocode these in radically different ways. So the routes may not start or finish where they did on the input mapping service. * Zoom / scale may not always be exact, depending on the limitations of the input & output map services * Directions handle multi-segment routes (with intermediate specified locations) where possible. Only some services (Google, Microsoft) support this. In these cases, output services which only support single segments will show maps from the first location to the last location. * The Waze app may fail to handle zoom. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MapSwitcher use involves the ethical considerations surrounding the constituent mapping tools between which it interfaces. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GitHub user and developer details: [https://github.com/david-r-edgar/MapSwitcher](https://github.com/david-r-edgar/MapSwitcher) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher#tool-provider) Tool provider ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [David R Edgar](https://david-r-edgar.uk/projects.php) 's source code for Map\_Switcher can be found on GitHub - see above. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer: Sophie Tedling. Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapswitcher#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Shodan | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan#url) URL ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://shodan.io/](https://www.shodan.io/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan#description) Description -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shodan is a search engine that indexes internet-connected devices. Shodan covers devices from servers, routers, webcams, and industrial control systems to [Internet of Things (IoT)](https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/internet-of-things) devices and databases. It allows users to explore what is exposed to the public internet and gather technical information such as IP addresses, open ports, protocols, software versions, and geographic locations. Researchers can search by keyword, organization, country, network range, or device type, and combine filters (e.g. `country:DE port:21`) to narrow results. Each result links to detailed host information, including banners, metadata, and sometimes screenshots (for example, login interfaces or webcams visible online). Device searches may use a variety of filters, including location (city, country, etc.), device name, IP address, and organisation. Shodan also includes several integrated tools: * Maps – visualizes device locations globally. * Images – displays screenshots of accessible web interfaces captured by Shodan’s crawlers. * Monitor – allows registered users to track specific IPs or networks over time. * Developer – provides API access for automation or integration into investigative workflows. For open source investigations, Shodan can help: * Identify infrastructure operated by a specific organisation. * Assess exposed devices within a geographic region. * Track changes in publicly accessible assets over time. * Correlate technical fingerprints (such as SSL certificates or banners) with other data sources. Below is an example of the detailed host information available for a device. This has been redacted for privacy purposes. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-3c86ec26d8e19eec06253a318f155fb2fa2becbc%252FDetails%2520-%2520c.jpg%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=cd268697&sv=2) An example of available host details, including ISP (Internet Service Provider) & ASN (Autonomous System Number) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan#cost) Cost ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Free * Partially Free * Paid There are multiple membership plans available for Shodan and there is also a free account option. The free account provides limited results and restricted features but can be used for basic searching. Full details of the pricing plans and their associated features are available here: [https://account.shodan.io/billing](https://account.shodan.io/billing) A free membership is available for academics and students: [https://help.shodan.io/the-basics/academic-upgrade](https://help.shodan.io/the-basics/academic-upgrade) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ starstar [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan#requirements) Requirements ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A web browser and email address are required to sign up for an account and use the tool. If you purchase a membership or subscription, a terminal emulator is required to use the Shodan command-line interface. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan#limitations) Limitations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **Restricted data access:** Free Shodan accounts can view only a limited number of search results and filters. Many advanced functions, such as exporting data, monitoring networks, or using the API extensively, require a paid plan. **Incomplete coverage:** Shodan does not index all devices on the internet. Its crawlers scan at intervals and may miss or temporarily exclude certain regions, networks, or ports. **Data freshness:** Search results represent a snapshot in time. Devices may have since gone offline or changed configuration. **False positives:** Some devices may appear misclassified or linked to erroneous locations due to shared IP ranges, virtual hosting, VPN usage, or proxy services. Manual verification is required before drawing conclusions. **Limited context:** Shodan provides technical exposure data but not ownership confirmation or intent. Additional corroboration is essential for accurate attribution. **Data integrity:** Much of Shodan’s information comes from ‘service banners’ returned by internet-facing devices. These banners are controlled by the device owner and may be hidden, modified, outdated, or misleading, so results are not always fully accurate. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Respect privacy and minimise harm:** Shodan surfaces information about publicly accessible devices, but that data can still belong to private individuals or organisations. Furthermore, these individuals and organisation may be unaware that this data is publicly available. Investigators should avoid use of potentially unauthorised data unless strictly necessary for public good and avoid sharing identifiable IPs, login screens, or images that could expose personal data or locations. Sensitive details in publications should be redacted accordingly. **Use data for verification, not intrusion:** Shodan should be used to observe rather than to interact with online systems. Accessing or probing devices beyond what Shodan already provides is unethical and may be unlawful. **Verify and contextualise findings:** Banner data and screenshots can be misleading or outdated. Always cross-check results with other open sources (WHOIS, DNS, satellite imagery, organisational records) before drawing conclusions or attributing ownership. **Be transparent about limitations:** When referencing Shodan data in an investigation, clearly note its time of capture and potential for error or partial visibility. Transparency about uncertainty strengthens credibility. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan#guides) Guides ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Shodan [Help Center](https://help.shodan.io/) contains essentially all of the information you need to know in order to effectively use the tool. This includes: * [Search Query Fundamentals](https://help.shodan.io/the-basics/search-query-fundamentals) * [Navigating the Website](https://help.shodan.io/the-basics/navigating-the-website) * [API Documentation](https://developer.shodan.io/api) * [Shodan Credits Explained](https://help.shodan.io/the-basics/credit-types-explained) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan#tool-provider) Tool provider ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shodan is privately owned and run by John Matherly (United States) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page Maintainer Freya Last updated 22 days ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan#ethical-considerations) * [Guides](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan#guides) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shodan#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Sentinel Hub Playground | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground#url) URL --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Copernicus Browser](https://browser.dataspace.copernicus.eu/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground#description) Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground#how-does-it-work) How does it work? [Copernicus Browser](https://browser.dataspace.copernicus.eu/) provides an intuitive web interface for accessing satellite imagery from the Sentinel constellation. Users can zoom into their area of interest on the map, and select a date range and cloud coverage threshold. The platform automatically displays available imagery matching these criteria. The tool offers multiple visualization options, including true color imagery, false color composites, and specialized indices like NDVI (vegetation health) and NDWI (water quality). Users can create timelapses to observe changes over time, compare multiple images side-by-side, and download high-resolution images for further analysis. A particularly powerful feature is the Custom Scripts functionality, which allows users to apply JavaScript-based processing algorithms to satellite data. These can be written from scratch or selected from the community-maintained Custom Scripts Repository, which includes specialized algorithms for detecting features like forest disturbances or monitoring agricultural growth. #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground#what-problem-does-it-solve) What problem does it solve? Copernicus Browser democratizes access to high-quality satellite imagery that was previously difficult to obtain or required specialized software. It eliminates the need for researchers to download large datasets or install complex desktop GIS software for basic satellite image analysis. **What are some use cases for open-source researchers?** * **Environmental monitoring**: Track deforestation, urban expansion, agricultural development, or natural disasters over time * **Geolocation verification**: Confirm the location and timing of events by comparing satellite imagery with photos or videos from the ground * **Conflict monitoring**: Observe changes to military installations, refugee camps, or infrastructure damage in conflict zones * **Chronolocation**: Determine when events occurred by identifying the most recent imagery showing specific features * **Climate change documentation**: Monitor glacier retreat, drought conditions, flooding, or vegetation changes * **Infrastructure analysis**: Track construction projects, mining operations, or land development Open-source investigators have used satellite imagery tools to monitor illegal settlement expansion, verify reports of military activity, and document environmental degradation. The tool's timelapse feature is particularly valuable for creating visual evidence of changes over months or years. **Note on naming history**: This tool has been renamed multiple times (formerly Sentinel Hub Playground, then EO Browser). As of February 2025, EO Browser has been shut down and its functionality transitioned to Copernicus Browser and the paid Planet Insights Platform. Copernicus Browser is the free successor focusing on Sentinel data. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground#cost) Cost ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid Free. Account registration is optional but unlocks additional features like saving work and accessing a personal workspace. **Note**: EO Browser, a related tool that provided access to additional satellite datasets (Landsat, MODIS), was shut down in February 2025. Its functionality has been split between Copernicus Browser (free, Sentinel data) and Planet Insights Platform (paid, starting at €25/month for non-profit use, includes commercial satellite data). [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstar [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground#requirements) Requirements --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For Copernicus Browser -- just a browser. To use EO Browser, an email login is required, though this is free to obtain. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground#limitations) Limitations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * **Satellite-specific constraints**: Limited to Sentinel mission data only (no Landsat, MODIS, or high-resolution commercial imagery) * **Resolution limits**: Sentinel-2 imagery maxes out at 10-meter resolution, meaning individual people or small vehicles cannot be distinguished, only buildings and larger features are visible * **Radar limitations**: While Sentinel-1 provides radar imagery that penetrates clouds, Copernicus Browser's interface for radar data is less developed than for optical imagery * **Browser-based constraints**: Cannot perform complex geospatial analysis that desktop software like [QGIS](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis) (desktop application) or code-based platforms like [Google Earth Engine](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-earth-engine) can accomplish * **Revisit frequency**: While Sentinel-2 revisits most areas every 5-6 days, rapidly changing situations may not be captured frequently enough * **No access to commercial imagery**: Unlike the deprecated EO Browser, Copernicus Browser cannot access high-resolution commercial satellite datasets * **Custom script requirement**: Advanced analysis techniques require learning JavaScript and understanding satellite data processing [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Like any tool using remote sensing data, it's important to remember that a satellite image is not a panacea, and is best supported with additional information from the ground. In particular, the use of indices and custom scripts to draw conclusions about the presence or not of different features should also be corroborated with other data. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground#guide) Guide ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Annique Mossou: [How to use free satellite imagery to monitor the expansion of West Bank settlements](https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2024/05/17/how-to-use-free-satellite-imagery-to-monitor-the-expansion-of-west-bank-settlements/) (Bellingcat) - Originally written for EO Browser, but functionality is nearly identical in Copernicus Browser [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground#tool-provider) Tool provider ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The European Space Agency (Copernicus Browser) (pan-European but headquarters are in Paris, France) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Author: Arsen Drobakha Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground#ethical-considerations) * [Guide](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground#guide) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Telemetry | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telemetry.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telemetry#url) URL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://www.telemetryapp.io/](https://www.telemetryapp.io/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telemetry#description) Description ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- According to its [website](https://www.telemetryapp.io/product) Telemetry has data from more than 1m+ Telegram channels and 2.5b+ messages, and supports boolean search queries that return results from public Telegram messages, groups, and channels, allowing for analysis of group and individual activity on the platform. The platform can be used to identify in which groups certain topics or terminology are being discussed or to search for conversations taking place in certain groups or channels. * _For example, searching for "climate" in "Messages" returned results of public Telegram messages using the term, and provided information on each message's view count, reply count, and an option to dive into channel analytics_ ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-ce3f5ba0273f7a963b9089e772528002040d86d2%252Fimage%2520%284%29.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=a7e74355&sv=2) * _Searching the same query within "Channels" provides a list of possible channels utilising the terminology._ ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-bcf58b1c16e111d59990905ba96fbb92c2a91443%252Fimage%2520%285%29.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=9d675908&sv=2) The platform also offers analytics pages for a given group or channel, allowing access to metadata and analytics about the group or channel, such as the total engagement, number of subscribers/members, mentioned groups and channels, a filtered view of post types, and more. It also [offers](https://www.telemetryapp.io/product) an API to search, monitor and utilize Telegram data at scale. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telemetry#cost) Cost --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid Telemetry allows 15 free searches per day (providing up to 25 results each) per account. Beyond the free version, Basic ($29 USD), Pro ($99 USD), and Enterprise (bespoke) plans are [available](https://www.telemetryapp.io/pricing) for varying monthly prices, and include additional capabilities such as more search credits, longer data lookbacks in searches, data export options, and more. Additional detail about the API access is available [here](https://api.telemetryapp.io/docs/) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telemetry#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telemetry#requirements) Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Account creation (requiring an email address) is necessary to use the free search, and an understanding of basic boolean strings is recommended to use the tool most successfully. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telemetry#limitations) Limitations ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The free version only provide 25 search results. Each search costs one token. Note that if you search a query within "Messages" data, then switch to "Channels" data, the search will be effectively re-run, and this will use a total of two tokens. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telemetry#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When using Telemetry for research purposes, it's imperative to consider the following ethical aspects: * **Privacy and Consent**: Although Telemetry provides public posts, researchers should be mindful of the privacy expectations of individuals who made those posts. Not all users understand or anticipate their contributions being analysed or quoted in research. * **Bias and Representativeness**: Acknowledge that the data collected from Telemetry may not be representative of broader populations or viewpoints. Research findings should be contextualised within the scope and limitations of the data source. * **The Oxygen of Amplification**_**:**_ Think carefully about what you publish so as not to unwittingly amplify some of the messaging present on fringe platforms. (_See_ [_The Oxygen of Amplification: Better Practices for Reporting on Extremists, Antagonists, and Manipulators Online_](https://datasociety.net/library/oxygen-of-amplification/) _by Whitney Phillips)._ Telemetry's Privacy Policy can be found [here.](https://www.telemetryapp.io/policies/privacy-policy) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telemetry#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Telemetry: Best Practices](https://www.telemetryapp.io/blog/post/telegram-best-practices) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telemetry#tool-provider) Tool provider --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Telemetry Data Labs, based in Tel Aviv, Israel. The tool was co-founded by Ari Ben Am, author of the [_Memetic Warfare_](https://www.memeticwarfare.io/p/memetic-warfare-weekly-tasteful-binary) weekly newsletter (which occasionally features Telemetry's use in its investigations and analysis.) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telemetry#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Bellingcat Volunteer Team Last updated 5 months ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telemetry#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telemetry#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telemetry#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telemetry#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telemetry#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telemetry#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telemetry#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telemetry#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telemetry#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telemetry#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Telegram Phone Number Checker | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-phone-number-checker.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-phone-number-checker#url) URL --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Try it on Google Colab](https://colab.research.google.com/github/bellingcat/open-source-research-notebooks/blob/main/notebooks/bellingcat/telegram-phone-number-checker.ipynb) [Get the code from GitHub](https://github.com/bellingcat/telegram-phone-number-checker) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-phone-number-checker#description) Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Telegram Phone Number Checker is a Python-based command-line tool that takes phone numbers and uses the Telegram API to find information about the number. It does this by trying to add the number as a contact on your Telegram account. When investigating a phone number of interest, this tool may help a user find more information about the owner of the phone number. If adding the contact is successful, the tool extracts public information that could include the account username, first name, last name, profile photo, and when they were last online. View the full list of data fields the tool attempts to collect.[](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-phone-number-checker#view-the-full-list-of-data-fields-the-tool-attempts-to-collect) id, username, usernames, first\_name, last\_name, fake, verified, premium, mutual\_contact, bot, bot\_chat\_history, restricted, restriction\_reason, user\_was\_online, phone The profile\_photo can be optionally requested. If adding the contact fails, it could be that the person is not on Telegram or has disabled contact adding in their Telegram privacy settings. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-phone-number-checker#cost) Cost ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-phone-number-checker#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstar [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-phone-number-checker#requirements) Requirements --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Telegram developer account and API key. Basic to intermediate experience with the Python programming language. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-phone-number-checker#limitations) Limitations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The tool can lead to your Telegram account being blocked, which seems more likely if you use the tool for large numbers of phone numbers or if you use a VPN (that could be associated with spam activity). To mitigate this risk, it is recommended to avoid using your personal account with this tool. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-phone-number-checker#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It is possible to gain access to people's names and images using this tool, and it should be used as part of tightly scoped investigations. Users should be cautious not to disclose personal information about individuals they are investigating when sharing their findings. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-phone-number-checker#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [YouTube Tutorial](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLJgnlilEBs) Bellingcat article: ["How Code Notebooks Enable Open Source Research"](https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2024/03/06/how-code-notebooks-enable-open-source-research/) , Miguel Ramalho [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-phone-number-checker#tool-provider) Tool provider ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Bellingcat](https://www.bellingcat.com/) , Netherlands [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-phone-number-checker#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Galen Reich Afton Last updated 6 months ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-phone-number-checker#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-phone-number-checker#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-phone-number-checker#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-phone-number-checker#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-phone-number-checker#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-phone-number-checker#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-phone-number-checker#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-phone-number-checker#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-phone-number-checker#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-phone-number-checker#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Namechk | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/namechk.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/namechk#url) URL ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://namechk.com](https://namechk.com/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/namechk#description) Description --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Namechk is a search tool that searches social media platforms and domains for usernames or website names. Entering a query returns results from more than a hundred domains and social media platforms, indicating whether or not the username has been registered on that platform / with that domain. Domains or usernames that return as **red** indicate that they are registered with the associated platform, while names that return **green** indicate the username is still available on that platform. Namechk's functions can be a helpful OSINT tool for tracking individuals (particularly those with unique usernames) across platforms, as well as for understanding the spread of an entity's domain registrations. The tool also provides username generators and reviews and details about domain and web hosting. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/namechk#cost) Cost ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/namechk#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/namechk#requirements) Requirements ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- None. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/namechk#limitations) Limitations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * One username may be used across several platforms by different people; results from Namechk should be treated as clues rather than as a definitive results. * Common usernames may flag on many/all platforms and fail to provide any useful clues. * Results are not always 100% accurate— be sure to double-check for false positives. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/namechk#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Namechk's [Privacy Policy](https://namechk.com/privacy-policy/) states that it "collects information from you when you register on Namechk or fill out a form," indicating that it may be collecting information when the search field is utilised. It further notes that it uses cookies, and collects any provided personal information (such as that collected during registrations or purchases) to personalise user experiences, improve the website, improve customer service, and process transactions. Additionally, information is sometimes shared with "trusted third parties." It also states that it "implements a variety of security measures to maintain the safety of your personal information," but fails to elaborate on how. The tool's Terms of Use can be found [here](https://namechk.com/terms-of-use/) . Caution should be taken if providing any personal information. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/namechk#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Namechk's [_How to Run A Domain Name Check_](https://namechk.com/domain-name-check/) guide details how to use the domain searching function. _(Note that this is primarily geared toward users ostensibly looking to register a new business or entity's domain name.)_ * A 2018 Medium [article](https://medium.com/@jakecreps/how-to-use-namechk-for-osint-investigations-8d9d04c77dbf) by Jake Creps details how to use Namechk in the course of OSINT investigations. _(Note that some details may be out of date as the tool's interface has changed slightly since the article was written.)_ [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/namechk#tool-provider) Tool provider ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No information provided beyond [https://namechk.com](https://namechk.com/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/namechk#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Bellingcat Volunteer Team Last updated 5 months ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/namechk#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/namechk#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/namechk#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/namechk#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/namechk#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/namechk#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/namechk#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/namechk#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/namechk#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/namechk#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Species+ | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/species+.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/species+#url) URL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [https://www.speciesplus.net/species](https://www.speciesplus.net/species) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/species+#description) Description ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This website provides information on all species currently listed in the [Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)](https://cites.org/eng/disc/text.php) , the [Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)](https://www.cms.int/) , and other environmental agreements ([MEAs](https://environment.ec.europa.eu/international-cooperation/multilateral-environmental-agreements-meas_en) ). You can search by species, higher taxon, synonym, common name, or directly search for a document produced by CITES, such as reports, on a specific species. The entire database can be downloaded. The tool can be used by researchers and individuals who want to know or confirm the current status of a species, i.e., whether it can be traded or not, what type of regulations, quotas, suspensions, or decisions apply in certain regions. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-8128fadf6a82522b91e6866701f204cba54ee8d3%252FScreenshot%25202025-09-22%2520at%25209.59.53%25E2%2580%25AFAM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=ec858012&sv=2) For example, here I searched for “pangolin.” To give some context, all pangolin species are listed in Appendix I of CITES, which means they are completely prohibited from international trade. I got 8 results. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-2ffa805626e1c17804e98a124d8762281fa6f5d6%252FScreenshot%25202025-09-22%2520at%252010.02.40%25E2%2580%25AFAM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=3cbbd464&sv=2) When I clicked on the first result, I obtained information about the species and the CITES list, which confirmed my ideas about the pangolin ban. In addition, this tool is useful for finding information on geographical distribution and other names for species. It also has a repository of documents for each species, which is very useful for finding out about CITES proposals, reviews, and identification materials. Also available as an app on [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.WCMC.speciesplus&hl=en) and the [App Store.](https://apps.apple.com/co/app/species/id1641695320) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/species+#cost) Cost -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/species+#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/species+#requirements) Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ None. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/species+#limitations) Limitations ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- None so far. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/species+#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- None so far. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/species+#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The [Species+ About page](https://www.speciesplus.net/about) provides information on how to use the site. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/species+#tool-provider) Tool provider -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [UNEP-WCMC](https://www.unep-wcmc.org/en) , based in Cambridge (United Kingdom), and the [CITES Secretariat](https://cites.org/eng/disc/sec/index.php) , based in Geneva (Switzerland). [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/species+#similar-tools) Similar tools -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Within Species+ there is a list of related websites/applications that serve a similar purpose: listing vulnerable species in the CITES and CMS agreements in comprehensive databases, which sometimes contain trade data. The sites are: * [Checklist of CITES Species](https://checklist.cites.org/#/en) \- This tool focuses on providing information about the level of protection assigned to each CITES-listed species. * [CITES Trade Database](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/cites-trade-database) - Provides commercial information on species by country. * [EU Captive breeding database](https://captivebreeding.unep-wcmc.org/) - Contains captive bred, ranching and mariculture information of animal species listed in the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations. * [CITES Wildlife TradeView](https://tradeview.cites.org/) \[[Find our toolkit entry here](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/cites-trade-database)\ \] - It focuses on commercial behavior with regard to protected species using visual elements. * [CITES Non-Detriment Findings Support Tool](https://ndfsupport.unep-wcmc.org/en) - Specialized in providing information about whether international trade in CITES listed-species is detrimental or not. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/species+#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Lieth Carrillo Last updated 5 months ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/species+#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/species+#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/species+#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/species+#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/species+#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/species+#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/species+#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/species+#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/species+#tool-provider) * [Similar tools](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/species+#similar-tools) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/species+#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # WildEye | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildeye.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildeye#url) URL ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://global.wildeye.oxpeckers.org/](https://global.wildeye.oxpeckers.org/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildeye#description) Description --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This tool allows you to search for seizures, arrests, court cases and convictions related to the environment, wildlife trade and trade in wildlife-related goods worldwide. It contains five versions: #WildEye Global, #WildEye Europe, #WildEye Asia, #WildEye Southern Africa and #WildEye East Africa. You can search in the particular region you are interested in or in all of them. Using a keyword of your choice and search operators if needed, you will get results located on a map, indicating where each event took place. You can view the names, places of arrest/seizure, dates, routes, court case numbers, charges, sentences, among other features of each case. You can also subscribe to receive updates on cases you find interesting and the site will notify you by email about changes. For example, if you search for the word “donkeys,” you will get all cases worldwide (or by region if you choose to search the other four versions available) involving this species, including cases where donkeys were found along with other species or commodities. This is very useful for cross-investigations. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-d8ea205a1b21df7ab922d87c69644705062ad678%252FScreenshot%25202024-12-20%2520at%25207.03.48%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=bf593b08&sv=2) The results for a keyword search for "doneky" on #WildEye Global. It is possible to contribute and add data to this tool by submitting this [form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ZMKUz4TPofiGHgo04Qk2SSn6qu0VOKruAhsCtKD251Q/viewform?edit_requested=true) . You can also download or request the raw [data](https://oxpeckers.org/get-the-data/) . To date, the tool continues to receive updates. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildeye#cost) Cost ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildeye#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildeye#requirements) Requirements ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- None. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildeye#limitations) Limitations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The tool does not provide data for all countries and parts of the world, for instance there is no data for Latin America, Canada and the northern parts of Africa. Most of the cases seem to have been added until 2021 and 2022, only few cases are from 2024 or from a newer date. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildeye#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It uses information from reporters and unofficial media as sources, which could result in ethical dilemmas depending on the type of investigation and the policies surrounding it. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildeye#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Guides: [https://oxpeckers.org/guide-for-journalists/](https://oxpeckers.org/guide-for-journalists/) [https://oxpeckers.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Tips-and-tools-for-data-journalists.pdf](https://oxpeckers.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Tips-and-tools-for-data-journalists.pdf) How to use: [https://oxpeckers.org/how-to-use-wildeye/](https://oxpeckers.org/how-to-use-wildeye/) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgXSj3UjZYc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgXSj3UjZYc) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildeye#tool-provider) Tool provider ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oxpeckers Center for Investigative Environmental Journalism, South Africa Oxpeckers also provides other [tools](https://oxpeckers.org/tools/) , often with a focus on Africa or South Africa. For instance, they offer a [tool to track mining licenses](https://oxpeckers.org/mine-alert-africa/) in African countries. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildeye#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Lieth Carrillo Last updated 5 months ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildeye#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildeye#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildeye#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildeye#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildeye#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildeye#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildeye#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildeye#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildeye#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildeye#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Urlscan.io | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/urlscan.io.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/urlscan.io#url) URL -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://urlscan.io/](https://urlscan.io/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/urlscan.io#description) Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ urlscan is a web-based service that provides detailed insights into the behaviour of websites by simulating user interactions and recording the resulting activities. When a URL is submitted, urlscan performs an automated browsing session, capturing various aspects such as the domains and IPs contacted, resources requested (like [JavaScript](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript) and [CSS](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS) ), cookies set, and the [Document Object Model (DOM)](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Document_Object_Model) content. Additionally, it takes a screenshot of the page and records [JavaScript global variables](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Glossary/Global_variable) . Investigators can use urlscan to analyse suspicious websites and online infrastructure without directly interacting with them. urlscan allows investigators to safely observe how a webpage behaves when loaded - capturing screenshots, network requests, links, redirects, and third-party resources. These artefacts can prove useful when examining disinformation portals, scam campaigns, or state-linked influence operations. For example, redirects can expose traffic-laundering infrastructure, shared scripts can indicate common operators, and embedded analytics or hosting details can link otherwise separate domains. These signals allow investigators to pivot using urlscan’s search functionality and connect individual sites to broader coordinated networks. By [searching archived scans](https://urlscan.io/search/#*) , researchers can identify historical versions of sites, uncover infrastructure reuse across campaigns, link domains via shared IPs, certificates, or hosting providers, and build timelines showing when specific narratives or operations first appeared. This makes urlscan useful for attribution analysis, tracking coordinated online activity, and corroborating findings alongside other open source investigation sources, such as [WHOIS data](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/domaintools-whois-lookup) , [social media](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/social-media) , and leaked datasets. The platform offers different scan visibility options: Public, Unlisted, and Private. Public scans are visible to all users, Unlisted scans are not indexed or searchable but can be accessed via a direct link, and Private scans are only accessible to the submitter. urlscan also provides a robust API that allows users to programmatically submit URLs for scanning, retrieve scan results, and search through past scans. The API supports features like search queries with filters, retrieval of scan details, and management of API keys. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/urlscan.io#cost) Cost ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid Free for manual usage. API & Threat Hunting plan details: [https://urlscan.io/pricing/](https://urlscan.io/pricing/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/urlscan.io#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/urlscan.io#requirements) Requirements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- N/A – No account required for searching [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/urlscan.io#limitations) Limitations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Public Scans Visibility: By default, scans are public. If a URL contains sensitive information, it's advisable to set the scan visibility to "Unlisted" or "Private" to prevent unintended exposure. Scope: urlscan will not work for all sites as some block automated scanners, are on deny lists and/or urlscan cannot reach them. Authentication Requirements: If a site requires a session cookie, token, or login, urlscan can't get past the authentication wall. This could result in only the login page being captured or no result at all. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/urlscan.io#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Avoid sensitive URLs: Scanning personal links, logins, or unique tracking tokens could expose personal data. OpSec risk: Submitting URLs could alert the owner/operator if they monitor traffic. Archived scans, i.e. those already run previously by you or another user, may be safer. Archived scans can be found using the "Search" tab. Misinterpretation risk: A shared IP or script doesn’t automatically prove sites are related. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/urlscan.io#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tool documentation: [https://docs.urlscan.io/](https://docs.urlscan.io/) Web browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox: [https://urlscan.io/blog/2025/05/12/urlscan-extension/](https://urlscan.io/blog/2025/05/12/urlscan-extension/) OSINT usage guide: [https://www.osintafrica.net/how-to-use-urlscan-part1/](https://www.osintafrica.net/how-to-use-urlscan-part1/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/urlscan.io#tool-provider) Tool provider ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- urlscan GmbH (Germany) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/urlscan.io#similar-tools) Similar tools ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No other tools listed with the same purpose... yet! [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/urlscan.io#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page Maintainer Freya Last updated 22 days ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/urlscan.io#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/urlscan.io#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/urlscan.io#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/urlscan.io#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/urlscan.io#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/urlscan.io#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/urlscan.io#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/urlscan.io#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/urlscan.io#tool-provider) * [Similar tools](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/urlscan.io#similar-tools) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/urlscan.io#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Satellites.pro | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro#url) URL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [https://satellites.pro/](https://satellites.pro/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro#description) Description ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Satellites.pro lets you view satellite imagery and mapping services including maps from: * [Apple Maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/apple-maps) * OpenStreetMap * [Google Maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-maps) * [Yandex Maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps) The tool allows open source researchers to easily switch between maps and imagery from all those providers in a simple and straightforward way without the need to go to the providers' sites separately. Windows users can access Apple Maps via satellites.pro which was not easily possible before the launch of Apple Maps on the web in July 2024. The tool has a plan view (flat map) and a satellite view (high resolution) as well as a zoom option. You can measure distance, calculate distance between start and end points for (car, bus, pedestrian, cyclist, train and taxi) and see the current weather at a location. You also have the various options with each dedicated map selected (Apple Maps, OpenStreet Map, Google Maps and Yandex Maps). The example below shows a search for _Amsterdam_ using Apple Maps: ![Screenshot of a search for Amsterdam using Apple Maps shows a satellite image of the land and sea.](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-d924f39c82f24378f8ec0de46c65873b76e6ee81%252FScreenshot%25202024-06-21%2520at%252011.41.54%25E2%2580%25AFAM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=f5b34041&sv=2) Screenshot of a search for _Amsterdam_ using Apple Maps. The box in the upper left area of the screen shows the different available map and satellite service options between which the user can switch. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro#cost) Cost -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro#requirements) Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Any modern web browser. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro#limitations) Limitations ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- satellites.pro has the following limitations that researchers should consider: * **Data Accuracy and Currency**: Data may not always be up to date, leading to potential discrepancies with current conditions. Users should verify important information through other sources. For Apple, Google and Open Street Map see the toolkit entries for the associated maps. [Yandex Maps Editor Support](https://yandex.com/support/mapeditor/sputnik.html) says Yandex imagery is updated irregularly but does not specify how often imagery is updated. * **Resolution and Detail**: Image resolution varies across different regions and services, with some areas having detailed imagery and others being less clear. Again, see [Apple Maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/apple-maps) , [Google Maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-maps) and Open Street Map toolkit entries for more details. [Yandex Maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps) does not provide further information on this. * There are ads present in various areas of the screen, and the site may ask the user to watch an ad in order to gain full access for 24 hours. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the context of using remote sensing in online open source investigations, several ethical considerations should be considered: * we do not know who is behind the tool. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro#guide) Guide ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro#official-wiki) Official Wiki None #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro#tutorials-and-articles) Tutorials and Articles Toler, A. (2022) _How we Geolocated a Photo of a Russian Missile Programming Team_, _bellingcat_. Available at: [https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2022/10/28/how-we-geolocated-a-photo-of-a-russian-missile-programming-team/](https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2022/10/28/how-we-geolocated-a-photo-of-a-russian-missile-programming-team/) (Accessed: 30 April 2026). Note: The piece made use of the Yandex Imagery via satellite.pro #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro#video-tutorials) Video Tutorials None. #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro#community-and-support) Community and Support None. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro#tool-provider) Tool provider -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unknown but the site has been registered via a Russian domain name service [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Paul - Bellingcat Volunteer Community, Riccardo Giannardi Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro#ethical-considerations) * [Guide](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro#guide) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/satellites.pro#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # QGIS | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis#url) URL -------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://www.qgis.org](https://www.qgis.org/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis#description) Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ QGIS (Quantum GIS) is a free open-source Geographic Information System (GIS) software that supports a wide range of functions for managing, analyzing, and visualizing spatial data across various platforms including Windows, Mac, Linux, and BSD. It is designed to cater to both professionals in the GIS field and enthusiasts who require a robust system for spatial analysis. QGIS supports different data formats and offers tools for vector and raster analysis, map composition, and data editing. The software's flexibility and extendibility through plugins enhance its functionality, enabling users to tackle complex geospatial data analysis and map creation tasks. QGIS is community-driven, relying on contributions from users worldwide to improve and develop new features. With QGIS you can access various spatial datasets and perform analysis and visualisation. Here the [Natural Earth](https://www.naturalearthdata.com/) dataset displays state boundaries over Open Street Maps with vector lines highlighting roads: ![Screenshot of QGIS example with Natural Earth dataset.](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-2101378e9b229d67ecba7a0c05d2fc96b0371957%252Fabout-screenshot.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=a6eb1832&sv=2) Screenshot of QGIS with Natural Earth dataset QGIS can be used by open source researchers for various tasks and projects, for instance to assess environmental and humanitarian issues within conflict zones through spatial analysis. Latest features available on the [Change Log](https://www.qgis.org/en/site/forusers/visualchangelogs.html) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis#cost) Cost ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstarstarstar [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis#requirements) Requirements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Free for Windows, macOS, Linux, BSD and mobile devices. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis#limitations) Limitations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ While QGIS is a powerful tool for geographical information systems, it does have some limitations that researchers should consider: * **Performance Issues with Large Datasets:** QGIS can become slow when handling very large datasets or complex vector operations. This could impact productivity, particularly on less powerful hardware. * **Steep Learning Curve:** New users may find the software challenging to learn. While there is extensive documentation and community support, the initial learning phase can be time-consuming. * **Plugin Reliability:** Not all plugins are equally maintained or documented. Users might encounter stability issues with certain plugins, which can affect project timelines. * **Limited Advanced Analysis Features:** For highly advanced GIS analysis, some users may find QGIS lacks specific functionalities found in some paid alternatives. For instance, [ArcGIS Pro](https://www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/products/arcgis-pro/overview) has the Living Atlas of the World a comprehensive collection of high-quality, authoritative maps, and data layers that include demographic, environmental, and geographic information (a comparison between QGIS and ArcGIS is available [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49QydETVNwg)) ). [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- See general Maps and Satellites guidance. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis#guides-and-articles) Guides and Articles ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To effectively use QGIS, especially for beginners or those looking to refine their skills, the following resources are highly recommended: **Official Wiki** * **Official QGIS Training Manual**: [https://docs.qgis.org/3.34/en/docs/training\_manual/](https://docs.qgis.org/3.34/en/docs/training_manual/) **Tutorials and Articles** * _Introduction to QGIS_ (2022) _Spatial Thoughts_. Available at: [https://spatialthoughts.com/courses/introduction-to-qgis/](https://spatialthoughts.com/courses/introduction-to-qgis/) (Accessed: 2 March 2026). * _NICAR 2016: QGIS 2_ (no date). Available at: [http://www.mikejcorey.com/nicar\_qgis\_advanced/](http://www.mikejcorey.com/nicar_qgis_advanced/) (Accessed: 2 March 2026). * _The Fast & The Mapped: QGIS Basics_ (no date). Available at: [http://dhmontgomery.com/ire2017/](http://dhmontgomery.com/ire2017/) (Accessed: 2 March 2026). **Use Cases** * **Environmental Impact Analysis in Conflict Zones**: Using QGIS to visualize and analyze the reduction of tree cover in areas affected by war, providing insight into environmental degradation. This can be seen in the work by **Godin, P.C., Jake** (2024) on [Gaza’s Trees Disappear, Showing a Humanitarian Crisis](https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2024/03/15/gazas-trees-disappear-showing-a-humanitarian-crisis/) , highlighting how GIS data can indicate broader humanitarian issues. * **Spatial Analysis of Conflict Effects**: Employing count-point-in-polygon calculations with QGIS to quantify the impact of conflict on natural resources, such as the number of conflict events within a specified area affecting forest land. An example is **Giles, C.** (2023) detailing how [A New Tool Shows What War Has Done to Ukraine’s Forests](https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2023/08/18/a-new-tool-shows-what-war-has-done-to-ukraines-forests/) , which utilises spatial data to draw connections between warfare and environmental harm. **Video Tutorials** * _Map Academy - YouTube_ (no date). Available at: [https://www.youtube.com/@automaticknowledge](https://www.youtube.com/@automaticknowledge) (Accessed: 2 March 2026). * _Video course: Mapping for Journalists_ (no date) _DataJournalism.com_. Available at: [https://datajournalism.com/watch/mapping-for-journalists](https://datajournalism.com/watch/mapping-for-journalists) (Accessed: 2 March 2026). * _Learn GIS - QGIS Full Course for Beginners (New for 2024)_ (2024). Available at: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SovdBaus7pM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SovdBaus7pM) (Accessed: 2 March 2026). * _Introduction to QGIS_ (2022) _Spatial Thoughts_. Available at: [https://spatialthoughts.com/courses/introduction-to-qgis/](https://spatialthoughts.com/courses/introduction-to-qgis/) (Accessed: 2 March 2026). **Community and Support** * [https://gis.stackexchange.com/](https://gis.stackexchange.com/) * [https://www.qgis.org/en/site/forusers/usergroups.html](https://www.qgis.org/en/site/forusers/usergroups.html) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis#tool-provider) Tool provider ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Open Source Geospatial Foundation](https://www.osgeo.org/) (OSGeo), United States. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Bellingcat Volunteer Team Last updated 3 months ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and Articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/qgis#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Quick geolocation search | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/quick-geolocation-search.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/quick-geolocation-search#url) URL ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://cybdetective.com/quickgeolocationsearch.html](https://cybdetective.com/quickgeolocationsearch.html) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/quick-geolocation-search#description) Description -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quick Geolocation Search is a repository of various maps, all in one place, which allows researchers to look at the same location on several maps. Enter coordinates in the longitude and latitude fields, or select a location on the map and choose a map you are interested in. The map will open in a new tab. Categories include **General** maps such as Google Maps, Yandex, Open Street Map, and Wikimapia. Other categories to explore are History, Nature, Satellite, Transport, Social Media. PastVu, under the **History** maps category, for instance, allows users to explore historical photos from 1886 to 2000 displayed on an interactive map, from locations across the globe. Some maps from the **Nature** category are: Light Pollution Map, Shadow Map, SunCal, and FIRMS. The [Light Pollution Map](https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/help.html) “displays light pollution related content over Microsoft Bing base layers (road and hybrid Bing maps).” Shadow Map lets a user visualize sunlight and shadows in a 3D setting at any point in time and place. SunCalc visualizes the sun’s path at any date and time for a given location. See more about SunCalc [here](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/suncalc) . [FIRMS by NASA](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/nasa-firms) lets users explore active fire data. The **Satellite** maps section features [Sentinel Hub also known as Copernicus Browser](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sentinal-hub-playground) , and Virtual Globetrotting. Both can be used for exploring satellite imagery from across the globe. Virtual Globetrotting can be used to view high-resolution imagery of landmarks, and much more! [Marine Traffic](https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:2.514/centery:48.336/zoom:13) in the **Transport** section, maps and tracks the positions of shipping vessels across the globe. Quick Geolocation Search also features **tools** that lets users "[draw on map and share](https://gribrouillon.fr/?sid=F6wMVp7o56#10/48.2100/2.2800) " the location of your choice. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/quick-geolocation-search#cost) Cost ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/quick-geolocation-search#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/quick-geolocation-search#requirements) Requirements ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \- [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/quick-geolocation-search#limitations) Limitations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Look at the tool description of a particular map in the [Maps category of this toolkit](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites/maps) to learn more about the limitations of this specific map. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/quick-geolocation-search#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Have a look at our overview article on [ethical considerations for maps & satellites](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/maps-and-satellites) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/quick-geolocation-search#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ \- [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/quick-geolocation-search#tool-provider) Tool provider ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cyber Detective: X profile [here](https://x.com/cyb_detective) . Website: [https://cybdetective.com/](https://cybdetective.com/) , country unknown. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/quick-geolocation-search#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Anisa Shabir. Reviewer Sophie Tedling; Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/quick-geolocation-search#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/quick-geolocation-search#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/quick-geolocation-search#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/quick-geolocation-search#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/quick-geolocation-search#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/quick-geolocation-search#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/quick-geolocation-search#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/quick-geolocation-search#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/quick-geolocation-search#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/quick-geolocation-search#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Open Ownership | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-ownership.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-ownership#url) URL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [https://www.openownership.org/en/](https://www.openownership.org/en/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-ownership#description) Description ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OpenOwnership helps countries to publish standards-compliant beneficial ownership (BO) registers, which give details of the actual human owners and the people who can benefit from an entity's operations and profits, or control its activities. It's important to know a company's beneficial owners as sometimes other people or entities (e.g. a trust or shell company) are listed as owners on the corporate register, meaning that if you only search that register, you may not find the actual owners. An increasing number of countries are requiring disclosure of beneficial ownership. Open Ownership makes it easy to see if a country has a BO register, and if it is available to the public - each country has a page with this information: ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-2b27c326e9d5b0cf69da7135b614174e1dd8c3b0%252FScreenshot%25202024-10-21%2520at%252011.54.16.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=53cee169&sv=2) The Bulgaria country page on OpenOwnership, which includes a hyperlink to the register The 'Worldwide action on beneficial ownership transparency' [map](https://www.openownership.org/en/map/) shows which countries have BO registers: ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-2c3a2d9ce77a3e4748c776b10755ab9cfb5e2a51%252FScreenshot%25202024-10-21%2520at%252011.48.58.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=a539f50d&sv=2) Map showing which countries are planning (light blue), implementing (purple), or have live online registers (green) To search for a country's page on OpenOwnership, scroll down to 'Find a specific country' on the [map page](https://www.openownership.org/en/map/) . An efficient way to get to see which countries have BO registers freely available online is to [download the CSV](https://www.openownership.org/en/map/oo_all_country_data.csv) that covers all of the countries, and filter the 'Who can access' column by 'general public': ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-5dd39884da5217c60f95102d448a82a873bae691%252FScreenshot%25202024-10-21%2520at%252012.00.23.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=9dcdf422&sv=2) Some of the country data in a filtered CSV opened in Excel [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-ownership#cost) Cost -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-ownership#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-ownership#requirements) Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Internet connection [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-ownership#limitations) Limitations ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- While a consolidated database of all BO registers would be incredibly useful, it's probably a pipe dream given that countries would have to decide to make BO disclosure a requirement of corporate registration, and they would have to make it openly available. So you still have to visit national online BO registers, if they exist, on an individual basis. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-ownership#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \- [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-ownership#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OpenOwnership: [Beneficial ownership primer](https://www.openownership.org/en/about/what-is-beneficial-ownership-transparency/) OpenOwnership: '[What makes a beneficial owner? Exploring global differences](https://www.openownership.org/en/about/what-is-beneficial-ownership-transparency/) ' - a useful article that discusses country differences in definition and type of beneficial ownership. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-ownership#tool-provider) Tool provider -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OpenOwnership [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-ownership#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Katherine de Tolly Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-ownership#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-ownership#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-ownership#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-ownership#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-ownership#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-ownership#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-ownership#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-ownership#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-ownership#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-ownership#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Resource Watch | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/resource-watch.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/resource-watch#url) URL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [https://resourcewatch.org/data/explore](https://resourcewatch.org/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/resource-watch#description) Description ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Resourcewatch is a web-based, open source environmental data aggregating platform that excels in interactive maps and customisable dashboards. It combines geospatial and research data to provide insights on topics such as climate change, poverty, water risk, state instability, air pollution and human migration. The datasets can be browsed by topic: Food and agriculture, Energy, Climate, Forests, Water, Society, Ocean, Cities, Coral Reefs and Air Quality. It is also possible to select recent updates or to zoom in on geographic areas of interest, directly on the map. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-38907b3ddc477808a3b6bee1d5987c5705291abe%252FScreenshot%25202026-02-21%2520at%252016.24.00.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=eba286ac&sv=2) Specific layers of datasets can be explored on a world map, and some datasets can be combined. In this screenshot, the datasets are filtered on the topic 'Air Quality' and the Global Power Plant Database is selected for the world map. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-09944cf43ccba3476ba9e34e3f9bb4643f157c14%252FScreenshot%25202026-03-07%2520at%252020.17.58.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=ae887f56&sv=2) Each data point, in the case of the Power Plant Database a specific power plant on the map, shows more detail when selected. With an account it is possible to save and select geographical areas of interest, by selecting countries from a list or by drawing a polygon on the world map. Some datasets then provide alerts when relevant data to this area has been updated or added. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-c355d0ccfc2d33d35dc122406e72a31294ca29b4%252FScreenshot%25202026-02-14%2520at%252014.54.25.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=4b8b3c21&sv=2) With an account, users can define geographical areas of interest. In this example, the countries Greenland and Iran were selected from a preset list, and a custom area near Taiwan was drawn on the map. Informative thematic dashboards with short articles and visualisations are available, but do not include recent data. The ready-made dashboards follow the same thematic categories as the datasets, such as Energy, Forests, Ocean Watch, and Air Quality. For some visualisations, it is possible to create your own custom dashboard and to create public links to charts and visualisations so that they can be used in reports. Advanced data users can directly access the [Resourcewatch Github](https://github.com/resource-watch) page and build upon the open source code or [pull data by API](https://resourcewatch.org/get-involved/develop-your-app) to use in own applications. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/resource-watch#data-sources) Data sources ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Data comes from a wide range of external data providers: National governments, international organisations and UN agencies, research institutions and scientific publications. The data providers and update frequency are listed on the dataset detail pages. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-51b5d8ceb47e757c362f70d55294a75ffdcbed4d%252FScreenshot%25202026-03-07%2520at%252019.00.05.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=2da9b14f&sv=2) The dataset detail page provides descriptions of dataset layers and methodology, information on sources, update frequency, reuse licenses, and related datasets Resourcewatch is an aggregating platform and is not built for creating or correcting data, but does perform some preprocessing and standardisation to make the data usable in visualisations. Curating takes place by WRI domain experts or by peer review. It is possible to add your own datasets; check the [data policy](https://resourcewatch.org/get-involved/data-policy) for more information. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/resource-watch#cost) Cost -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/resource-watch#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstar [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/resource-watch#requirements) Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Some familiarity with using large datasets will be necessary. A basic understanding of geospatial mapping techniques is desirable. * Functionality as saving favourite datasets, defining areas of interest or creating custom dashboards require registration by email. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/resource-watch#limitations) Limitations ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overlaying different datasets are a strong feature of Resourcewatch. It can help uncover new patterns of areas of research, but be aware that correlations or patterns do not imply causation. Ensure that the time frame and spatial scales for the overlayed datasets are compatible before analysing the data or drawing conclusions. * Data is not real-time, however some datasets are near-real-time. * Coverage: while the global map is always shown, the scope per dataset can differ. Be aware that data coverage gaps may occur; regions can be over- or underrepresented, specific environmental topics not included, and that governmental data could reflect reporting bias. * Loading of interactive visualisation layers and widgets can be slow, or sometimes they do not load at all. * The provided dashboards per environmental category are insightful, but based on data from before 2018; complement with more recent data if needed. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/resource-watch#guide) Guide ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The platform offers help per page. Watch [short video tutorials](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/resource-watch#url) on functionality as how to explore and overlay data, or how to create a custom dashboard. Data from Resource Watch has been used for example, for: * [monitoring tree cover loss and fires](https://blog.resourcewatch.org/2019/04/11/how-resource-watch-changed-the-way-we-monitor-the-planets-pulse/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) within protected areas * [providing data on environmental trends](https://blog.resourcewatch.org/2019/04/11/how-resource-watch-changed-the-way-we-monitor-the-planets-pulse/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) and risks to financial institutions * informing early warning systems for local officials in predicting when water stress can influence conflict and political instability before it spreads through the [Water, Peace and Security (WPS) initiative](https://www.un-ihe.org/news/water-peace-and-security-initiative) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/resource-watch#tool-provider) Tool provider -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The US-based [World Resources Institute](https://www.wri.org/) ; the platform was developed in partnership with over 30 founding partners including universities and private and public organisations worldwide. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/resource-watch#similar-tools) Similar tools -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Ocean Watch](https://resourcewatch.org/dashboards/ocean-watch) , [Global Forest Watch](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/global-forest-watch) and [Acqueduct](https://app.gitbook.com/s/nQx2i2gdPYTV0gJTrgxp) are developed by the same tool provider and have an overlap in data, but where Resourcewatch is a general environmental visualisation platform, the others are more specialised and analytical tools focusing on specific environmental topics. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/resource-watch#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Bellingcat Volunteer Team / Lavache Last updated 2 months ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/resource-watch#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/resource-watch#description) * [Data sources](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/resource-watch#data-sources) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/resource-watch#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/resource-watch#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/resource-watch#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/resource-watch#limitations) * [Guide](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/resource-watch#guide) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/resource-watch#tool-provider) * [Similar tools](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/resource-watch#similar-tools) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/resource-watch#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Who posted what? | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/who-posted-what.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/who-posted-what#url) URL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://whopostedwhat.com/](https://whopostedwhat.com/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/who-posted-what#description) Description ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Who Posted What enables users to conduct keyword searches within a designated time period on Facebook. This can be useful since Facebook doesn't support searches within a specific time frame. Various searches can be conducted via options provided by Who Posted What. Some categories use a user ID (UID) for the searches to be conducted. A Facebook UID is a unique numeric identifier assigned to each user profile. Some profile URLs must be put in the “Get ID” bar of the tool to get a UID. However, many profiles have their UID at the end of the URL (highlighted in bold): https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=**100094902271869** (= the Facebook account of the "Sindh Information Commission"). The same applies to location UIDs. A search can be: 1. A keyword on a specific day: “Ukraine” on February 4, 2020. A new tab will open on Facebook showing posts related to Ukraine on Feb. 4 of 2020. 2. A keyword search for a specific month: “Barack Obama” from “September 2020.” The new tab opens with relevant results. 3. A keyword search for a specific year: “coronavirus” from “2019.” For 2019 there are no results for coronavirus. But when we change the year to 2020, the results are abundant, since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in March 2020. 4. Timerange: This option allows users to search for keywords within a specific time period, for example for posts about “Emmanuel Macron” from August 22, 2019 to February 20, 2021. 5. Location: Search for posts about “Mark Kelly” at the location ID “105540216147364” which corresponds to Phoenix, Arizona. 6. “Posts directly from/Posts associated with”: This search query allows you to find posts which include specific keywords from a particular user account. Copy and paste "https://www.facebook.com/narendramodi” into the bar under “Get ID.” The Facebook UID of the Indian prime minister is “100044527235621.” Select “post from” or “posts associated with” from the drop down options. Enter “100044527235621” into "Posts from"_,_ then “mosque” into "about." A new tab on Facebook opens, showing Modi’s posts about mosques. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/who-posted-what#cost) Cost --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/who-posted-what#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstar [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/who-posted-what#requirements) Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Facebook Account: The tab redirects to the Facebook domain after performing the required search. Therefore, users must be logged in to a Facebook account to see the results. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/who-posted-what#limitations) Limitations ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posts from groups and private Facebook accounts remain hidden. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/who-posted-what#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \- [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/who-posted-what#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Explore guides by GIJN that mention Who Posted What [here](https://gijn.org/tag/who-posted-what/) . Alessandro Rossetti: [Flash: Who posted what?](https://osintops.com/flash-who-posted-what-2/) , OsintOps, 2020. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/who-posted-what#tool-provider) Tool provider --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daniel Endresz, Dan Nemec and Tormund Gerhardsen (Idea: Henk van Ess). [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/who-posted-what#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Anisa Shabir Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/who-posted-what#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/who-posted-what#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/who-posted-what#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/who-posted-what#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/who-posted-what#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/who-posted-what#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/who-posted-what#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/who-posted-what#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/who-posted-what#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/who-posted-what#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Wildlife Trade Portal | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildlife-trade-portal.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildlife-trade-portal#url) URL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [www.wildlifetradeportal.org](https://www.wildlifetradeportal.org/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildlife-trade-portal#description) Description ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This tool helps researchers explore and visualize wildlife trade seizures around the world by filtering by individual incidents or events. You can search by species, countries involved and dates. An advanced search allows you to include incidents involving organized crime and corruption, people, specific locations and taxonomic characteristics of species. As a result you will get charts and visuals that enable you to explore incidents by country, year, taxonomy, commodity type, category (for example, seizure or enforcement action), transport method, trade routes and transit type (airport, road, etc). You will also see a results page with a list of the incident, a map that locates incidents in the countries involved, and other charts that you can reproduce and modify depending on what you need. For example, you can see the number of people by government involvement over time or the number of incidents by type of transit over time. You can also search for multiple species. In this way, you can find incidents related to all the species you are looking for. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-b410f9b37016d87be3079dcfd36553de9746a9cb%252FScreenshot%25202025-11-01%2520at%25209.07.19%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=67ee138&sv=2) Search example: Seizures of pangolins in Nigeria in recent years. The results can be exported. Have a look at [this user guide (pdf)](https://www.wildlifetradeportal.org/wildlife-trade-portal-guide.pdf) to get a sense of how the dashboard looks like. You can contribute to this site by providing the source, the date, the country of an incident, any associated countries on the trade route, any associated species, the type of commodity, and the quantity of commodity of a seizure of which you are aware. The Wildlife Trade Portal is also connected to another tool called [TimberStats](https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/f334dde3d5bd4f9fb2ba02516bd48c45/page/INFO/) . This site, launched on November 2024, allows you to explore timber trade data from the UN Comtrade database via API. It offers an Annual Trade Statistics Dashboard, where you can explore trade flows around the world, and an Annual Trade Discrepancies Dashboard, where you can find inconsistencies in reported trade between two countries. To date, this tool continues to receive frequent updates. Recently, the tool provider [confirmed](https://www.traffic.org/news/fight-against-illegal-wildlife-trade-boosted-by-wolfson-tech-funding-award/) that it will use a grant to support the use of AI in order to further refine the tool. * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildlife-trade-portal#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildlife-trade-portal#requirements) Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You have to “request an account” but access is immediate. To get an account you need to provide your workplace and personal information, plus some details of your work/freelance activities. A confirmation email will be sent and after clicking on it, you are all set. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildlife-trade-portal#limitations) Limitations ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This site uses media sources and contributions, also aproximates (date ranges, for example). This site may be a good place to start researching, but you may have trouble checking how official the data is. It is advisable to search for original sources from the results provided on this site. All information is obtained from open sources and there is no information about the fact checking process. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildlife-trade-portal#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This site uses media sources such as local news (for example, this seizure in [India](https://starofmysore.com/attempt-to-sell-pangolin-scales-govt-school-teacher-held/amp/) ) and NGO's articles (for example, this seizure in [Uganda](https://ugandawildlife.org/news/chinese-nationals-arrested-for-wildlife-trafficking/) ), as well as [contributions](https://www.wildlifetradeportal.org/upload) . The ethical challenges this raises must be determined by each user, taking into account for what and by whom the data will be used. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildlife-trade-portal#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Guides: [Wildlife Trade Portal User Guide](https://www.wildlifetradeportal.org/wildlife-trade-portal-guide.pdf) [TimberStats Resources Introduction](https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/f334dde3d5bd4f9fb2ba02516bd48c45/page/RESOURCES/) [Traffic Bulletin: Updates from the Wildlife Trade Portal](https://www.traffic.org/site/assets/files/13362/portal-updates.pdf) Articles: [Dataset of seized wildlife and their intended uses](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352340921008076) [South Africa is The World's Largest Exporter of Live Tigers](https://allafrica.com/stories/202412050130.html) [Asia now hub of growing illegal wildlife trade across 100+ countries, study shows](https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/asia-now-hub-of-growing-illegal-wildlife-trade-across-100-countries-study-shows/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildlife-trade-portal#tool-provider) Tool provider --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRAFFIC, headquartered in Cambridge, England + Arcadia, a family charitable foundation, headquartered in the UK. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildlife-trade-portal#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Lieth Carrillo Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildlife-trade-portal#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildlife-trade-portal#description) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildlife-trade-portal#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildlife-trade-portal#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildlife-trade-portal#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildlife-trade-portal#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildlife-trade-portal#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildlife-trade-portal#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wildlife-trade-portal#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Pinpoint | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pinpoint.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pinpoint#url) URL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [https://journaliststudio.google.com/pinpoint/about](https://journaliststudio.google.com/pinpoint/about) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pinpoint#description) Description ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pinpoint is an AI-powered research tool designed to assist journalists and academics in examining and analyzing large document collections. With Pinpoint, users can upload and search through documents, images, emails, handwritten notes, and transcriptions of audio files to find specific keywords, locations, organizations, or individuals. It is part of the [Journalist Studio](https://journaliststudio.google.com/) , Google’s free tool kit for research, data analysis, and data visualization. It supports manual document labeling (tagging by subject or other custom definition) and automated entity extraction, so users can search by fields like date, sender, etc. Users can store up to [200,000 documents](https://support.google.com/pinpoint/answer/11955480?hl=en-IN#upload_documents) in each collection, extract text from handwritten documents or non-searchable pdfs to make them searchable, query text from images, transcribe audio recordings and search for identifiers in image collections. It is possible to upload audio files up to 2 hours long, which can be transcribed in txt files in 15 languages. Its ["extract structured data"](https://support.google.com/pinpoint/answer/13012346?hl=en) (in beta) function allows you to convert similarly structured documents into a csv or spreadsheet which can be exported to Excel, Google Sheets or a database. For example, using Pinpoint, you can search for mentions of keywords like "abuse" or "violence" in [Washington Post's public collection of COVID-19 Nursing Home Inspections](https://journaliststudio.google.com/pinpoint/search?collection=989c939c11b20432) . Named entities inside the documents as persons, organisations and locations are recognised automatically and can be used as filters. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-b0c4e1bd636893c8496aac7b99d82f42ed75a4d0%252FScreenshot%25202024-11-12%2520at%25201.51.56%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=d5c47674&sv=2) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pinpoint#cost) Cost -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pinpoint#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pinpoint#requirements) Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Anyone with a [Google account](https://support.google.com/pinpoint/answer/11948321?hl=en) can browse and use public collections by other organizations. However, you need to certify [here](https://journaliststudio.google.com/pinpoint/requestaccess) that you are an academic or a journalist in order to use the platform for your own documents. Researchers can apply through [this form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd2owbRY5gLj6iXDSgPrPapsPoFo4xD2VLmrAhJ24d-Isq1xQ/viewform) for early access to generative AI features. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-67c00f92bd23c30214cbed92609cde9919fc0e4e%252Fimage%2520%281%29.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=996679ed&sv=2) The sign-up process requires information like the user's full name and the name of the employer. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pinpoint#limitations-and-ethical-considerations) Limitations & Ethical Considerations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pinpoint has experimental features that use Google's Generative AI solutions, and according to [this notice](https://support.google.com/pinpoint/answer/14338615?hl=en) on Generative AI in Pinpoint, these features "may display inaccurate information, including information about people." Additionally, some of the information you provide may be used to improve functionality, and "Google [human reviewers may read, annotate and process a sample of your Pinpoint data](https://support.google.com/pinpoint/answer/14338615?hl=en) , including your prompts and thumbs up or down feedback." As a result, Google cautions against including information "that can be used to identify you, such as phone numbers, email addresses, or birth dates when using Pinpoint’s generative AI features." Exercise caution and/or check with your parent organization before uploading sensitive or proprietary information, documents and data into Pinpoint. According to [Pinpoint Additional Terms of Service](https://support.google.com/pinpoint/answer/13071911?hl=en) , "if you upload content to Pinpoint, you give Google permission to use that content, including to operate and promote Pinpoint, in accordance with the [Google Terms of Service](https://policies.google.com/terms) and Google’s Privacy Policy." Google does also [state](https://support.google.com/pinpoint/answer/14338615?hl=en) that the uploaded documents are private by default - unless actively published - and will not be used for training Large Language Models (LLMs). However, all uploaded files are copied to google's servers and processed by Gemini. Keep in mind that Pinpoint's generative AI features are currently only available in a [list of countries](https://support.google.com/pinpoint/answer/14338615?hl=en#support_countries) . ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-284b2eea74af64907fbb54d762cb91129565153e%252Funknown.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=76d10037&sv=2) Be aware that alll uploaded files are copied and processed with Gemini. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pinpoint#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Getting Started with Pinpoint](https://support.google.com/pinpoint/answer/11948320?hl=en&ref_topic=11949739&sjid=5429787754045626721-NC) , and [video](https://newsinitiative.withgoogle.com/resources/trainings/pinpoint/video-getting-started-with-pinpoint/) National Press Foundation: [How to use Google Pinpoint](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt7g-0TcbLY) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pinpoint#tool-provider) Tool provider -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Google, US [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pinpoint#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Bellingcat Volunteer Team / Lavache Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pinpoint#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pinpoint#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pinpoint#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pinpoint#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pinpoint#requirements) * [Limitations & Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pinpoint#limitations-and-ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pinpoint#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pinpoint#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pinpoint#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # PublicWWW | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/publicwww.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/publicwww#url) URL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://publicwww.com/](https://publicwww.com/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/publicwww#description) Description ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PublicWWW is a specialized search engine that indexes the underlying code and technologies of websites. Unlike traditional search engines, which focus on visible content, PublicWWW scans and catalogs [HTML](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML) , [JavaScript](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript) , [CSS](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS) , and [HTTP headers](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Reference/Headers) - in short, the public code that defines the content and functionality of a website. It currently indexes millions of web pages, offering advanced search capabilities including regular expressions, domain filters, and other criteria for highly precise queries ([Query Syntax](https://publicwww.com/syntax.html) ). The following example search returns indexed websites with code referencing chatgpt.com. The results show the URL of the indexed site that matches, the Rank column shows the relative popularity/visibility of the site in the index, and the final column shows the relevant code snippet that the search matched on. In the top-right corner, there are several formats in which this data can be downloaded, included CSV. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-02d9c7ee366e29b1fe2b12753da37b6eeea6bfd8%252Fimage%2520%281%29.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=61326896&sv=2) The platform enables users to identify specific code snippets, analytics codes, embedded widgets, themes, and other hidden elements used across the web - these can all be examined to identify possible links between different websites. It can detect the use of content management systems, JavaScript libraries, tracking codes, and server-side technologies. PublicWWW also provides statistical insights such as file types analysed, generator tags, server headers, and technology adoption trends, allowing for detailed examination of website structures and code usage patterns across a large portion of the internet. The following example search returns results with embedded widgets related to VKontakte (VK), Russia's largest social media platform. The `VK.init({apiId: ...})` code links a website to a specific VK app or community via a unique numeric API ID. For OSINT work, this ID acts as a digital fingerprint. If multiple domains share the same API ID, investigators might be able to identify related sites which can be helpful when researching coordinated networks. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-b9879925112e50fa60abd4ce74bb41c4f91f875e%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=25f002bb&sv=2) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/publicwww#cost) Cost --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid Free tier includes top 3m websites only Free & Pro Tier details and pricing: [https://publicwww.com/prices.html](https://publicwww.com/prices.html) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/publicwww#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/publicwww#requirements) Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- An e-mail address is required to create an account. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/publicwww#limitations) Limitations ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Only sites that are crawlable by a web crawler are included. * No crawl schedule is available but it appears the database is updated regularly to reflect changes to the websites the tool covers. * Sites behind login walls, paywalls, or CAPTCHAs are typically excluded unless there’s a publicly accessible portion. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/publicwww#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unknown operator [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/publicwww#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Query syntax: [https://publicwww.com/syntax.html](https://publicwww.com/syntax.html) Example usage for OSINT investigation: [https://www.memeticwarfare.io/p/mww-chinese-ulster-cluster](https://www.memeticwarfare.io/p/mww-chinese-ulster-cluster) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/publicwww#tool-provider) Tool provider --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Not publicly disclosed [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/publicwww#similar-tools) Similar tools --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [What CMS](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what-cms) - WhatCMS and PublicWWW both help investigators identify the underlying technologies of websites, but they operate in slightly different ways. WhatCMS analyses a single website directly to detect the content management system or framework it uses (e.g. WordPress, Drupal, etc.), which can assist in attribution or infrastructure mapping. PublicWWW, on the other hand, is a source code search engine that indexes the HTML, JavaScript, and CSS of millions of sites. Investigators can use it to find other domains sharing the same tracking codes, analytics IDs, or CMS fingerprints, making it valuable for linking related sites or mapping a digital network. In short, WhatCMS identifies what a specific site runs, whereas PublicWWW helps find where else the same code or identifiers appear across the web. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/publicwww#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page Maintainer Freya Last updated 22 days ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/publicwww#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/publicwww#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/publicwww#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/publicwww#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/publicwww#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/publicwww#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/publicwww#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/publicwww#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/publicwww#tool-provider) * [Similar tools](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/publicwww#similar-tools) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/publicwww#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # OpenCorporates | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates#url) URL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [https://opencorporates.com/](https://opencorporates.com/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates#description) Description ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OpenCorporates provides a unified search of corporate and legal entity-level data across 170+ jurisdictions. It is a free repository of company registries aggregated from primary public sources, published to promote corporate transparency. **How to search for a company** * Go to [opencorporates.com](https://opencorporates.com/) and log in with your credentials or create an account. * In the search field select Companies and type the name of the entity you are interested in. If you're unsure of the full legal name of an entity, type a partial name. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-d6096676bb7f316acbff1333576a094936a7c601%252FOC%25201.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=7e820b14&sv=2) OpenCorporates home page with search field with Companies option selected * If you know the jurisdiction in which the entity is located or registered, click on the dropdown menu '_Browse all jurisdictions_' in the search bar to select the jurisdiction for a more targeted search. Skipping this step will cast a wider net and the search will return all available entities with the same or similar names in multiple jurisdictions. This is a good option if you want to track subsidiaries, parent entities or otherwise related entities to the one you are researching. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-e080e105aadb35057c238f698cab26b5a6a3f5b2%252FOC2.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=6cd61545&sv=2) List of results for keyword 'Aramco' * Searching by a partial name or if more than one entity has a similar or almost identical name, the results page will show all relevant entries corresponding to your search term (see above image). It will also show **BOTH** active and inactive entities. To exclude the inactive ones, click on the checkbox 'exclude inactive' located just below the search bar. The results page also has additional filters on the right for jurisdiction, as well as various filters for data associated with the entries, filters for company type and current status. These can be used to narrow down the search results. * The search bar in the results page also offers advanced search options - where the keyword occurs, search mode, non-profit status, include/exclude company branches. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-311b7169419fe01da48045cda5cecce66ace56b0%252FOC3.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dc6b5cc16-b8d0-4c3f-87f7-dc422bb69326&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=c7305a4&sv=2) Advanced options filters in the results page * Once you have located the entity of interest, click on it to see all the information associated with it. This might include registration / incorporation / dissolution dates, company registration number, status (active/inactive), jurisdiction, address, directors or officers and a link to the original source of information. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-36b94fe3b14aa266fe09389ccabd19dc6106bf1c%252FOC4.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=684ca9c7&sv=2) View of the company of interest ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-356a379762879891b79ed4dfa3867cc9d2c893d6%252FOC5.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=b39cff9&sv=2) View of the company of interest **How to search for a Company Officer** * Follow the same steps as above, but select the Officer option just below the search bar on the home page. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-16c58052686eec8b88af6e544f9ff4b12536bc39%252FOC6.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dca7ee2f9-0df4-45af-b5e8-8433ece2319f&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=6230b540&sv=2) OpenCorporates home page with search field with Officers option selected ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-4cb51b61c1f2caaf59265555e5736998adefb275%252FOC8.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=9303fc14&sv=2) Search results with the name of IBM CEO Arvind Krishna * Once you have located the person of interest, click on their name to see all the information associated with them. The information for officers is often very limited, however the results page will provide clues and information whether that person is associated in any way with other companies, i.e. the results page information can be used to piece together a business affiliations profile of a specific individual. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-4bce11e3de2fef1e8eaf7a8e326bc3b768a5df77%252FOC7.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=c788d803&sv=2) Specific information for IBM CEO Arvind Krishna from one of selected search results Data in OpenCorporates is dependent on the information provided by the local companies registers provide in their jurisdictions. Each jurisdiction is different, thus the level of detail might differ. b Be mindful that there might be more than one company with the same name and that does not mean it is in any way connected to the one you are researching. The same rule applies for individuals. There may be more than one person with the same name in your results, but these could be name match only records. The website has a very useful [Case Studies](https://opencorporates.com/case-studies/) section where you can view how companies and NGOs have used OpenCorporates data for their needs [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates#cost) Cost -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid API access requires a [monthly/yearly subscription](https://opencorporates.com/plug-in-our-data/) for commercial uses, starting from GBP 2,250 per year for the Essentials package, GBP 6,600 /year for the Starter package, GBP 12,000/year for the Basic package. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstar [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates#requirements) Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Free registration needed to access the full information on entities/individuals. Without registration, users cannot see additional information associated with a particular entry. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates#limitations) Limitations ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Permitted users: If you’re a **journalist, NGO, academic conducting public benefit research,** **or using it for personal interest**, you’re a “Permitted User.” **Corporations, financial institutions, and government departments** need a subscription to access the data. Source: [OpenCorporates usage details](https://blog.opencorporates.com/2024/06/11/can-i-use-opencorporates/) . Data accuracy and use: **The data is provided “as is.”** The complexity of sources means occasional errors. Use the information wisely and double-check critical details. Heavy data extraction, such as scraping, is prohibited unless you’re a search engine indexing content. Source: [OpenCorporates usage rules.](https://blog.opencorporates.com/2024/06/11/can-i-use-opencorporates/) [According to their own website](https://knowledge.opencorporates.com/knowledge-base/there-is-an-error-with-the-company-record-on-opencorporates/) , if there is an error, you can contact their support and these errors might include outdated information about entities or individuals, duplications of data, miscategorized entities. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As this data is publicly accessible and from government sources, users should be comfortable using this tool without ethical qualms. However, research on individuals should not be used for personal gain, doxxing, harassment or purposes and/or actions that could be considered illegal or criminal. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates#guides) Guides ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Following the Money: A Beginner’s Guide to Using the OpenCorporates API](https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2023/08/24/following-the-money-a-beginners-guide-to-using-the-opencorporates-api/) - Katherine de Tolly, Bellingcat [CIJ Using OpenCorporates for Investigations](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_swgQEUGh8) - The Centre for Investigative Journalism OpenCorporates video guide on [how to search for an Officer](https://knowledge.opencorporates.com/knowledge-base/how-to-search-for-an-officer-video-guide/) . OpenCorporates video guide on [how to search for a company](https://knowledge.opencorporates.com/knowledge-base/web-portal-onboarding/) . OpenCorporates [glossary of terms](https://knowledge.opencorporates.com/knowledge-base/glossary-of-terms/) . A [quick tip sheet](https://dataharvest.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/opencorp-tip-sheet.pdf) by Dataharvest – The European Investigative Journalism Conference. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates#tool-provider) Tool provider -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OpenCorporates, incorporated in England and Wales (Company Registration Number 07444723). [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer LPetrova Last updated 7 months ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates#ethical-considerations) * [Guides](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates#guides) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # PimEyes | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes#url) URL ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://pimeyes.com/en](https://pimeyes.com/en) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes#description) Description --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PimEyes lets users upload pictures of a person and conducts an AI search to find pictures of faces that look similar. The results contain photos of similar looking people and link to websites where those pictures show up online, often allowing identification (name, organisation etc.) of the pictured individuals. PimEyes' [website states](https://pimeyes.com/en/faq) that the tool only searches public websites and does not look at social media and videos (or video thumbnails). Back in 2020, [netzpolitik.org](https://netzpolitik.org/2020/pimeyes-face-search-company-is-abolishing-our-anonymity/) had still found social media photos in their results list while testing the tool. According to an [interview](https://netzpolitik.org/2022/pimeyes-ceo-the-user-is-the-stalker-not-the-search-engine/) with CEO Giorgi Gobronidze, PimEyes had "approximately 2.1 billion faces maximum" hashed in 2022. The [](https://pimeyes.com/en/faq)tool provider [writes](https://pimeyes.com/en/faq) that the tool is "intendend solely for personal use". However, no measures are taken to prevent users from also uploading photos of others. During the last few years, open source researchers and journalists have added the tool to their personal toolbox. For instance, Bellingcat used Pimeyes during [an investigation (by German journalists) to search for a picture of RAF terror suspect Daniela Klette](https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/deutschland/daniela-klette-verhaftung-gesichtserkennung-pimeyes-100.html) who had long been in hiding. The tool has also played a role in [identifying US Capitol January 6 rioters](https://gijn.org/stories/how-open-source-experts-identified-the-us-capitol-rioters/) . It is important to note that using tools like Pimeyes is never enough to identify the same person across several pictures, facial recognition tools always have to be combined with other research methods to allow for reliable conclusions. To use Pimeyes, simply upload a photo of a person of interest. It is possible to upload up to five pictures of the same individual. If the quality of the picture is low, Pimeyes suggests uploading a better picture and provides tips like having the person in the picture "looking forward" or having "no elements covering the face". However, it is also possible to ignore those suggestions and to do a search with a low quality image. Our own tests showed that even with a low quality image, the tool was often still able to provide results. While the tool struggled to find matches for people wearing masks, it did relatively well with pictures of people who were visible from the side. Users can choose whether they want to search for pictures that have been indexed by Pimeyes recently or they can opt for "Any Time". ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-b110c44ee92e2db8a41ada806d1e077f11c455ea%252FTime_Date_Pimeyes.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=2c36b940&sv=2) Pimeyes shows when each picture in the results list has been indexed. This can be seen at the bottom of the information box that comes up when clicking on a listed picture: ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-4174b22ec3d1fbcab58ee86a59ae708742fbe9d2%252FDate_Stamp.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=ae9313c1&sv=2) The tool is sometimes (but not always) able to find pictures that have been indexed by Pimeyes on the same day. Keep in mind that this is not necessarily the day when the picture was published online. While working on long-term investigations, searching for the same picture at different points in time can yield new results. Pimeyes also offers a "safe search" feature which tries to exclude "possible adult content from results". Be aware that this type of content may otherwise show up in the search results. There is also a "deep search" [option](https://pimeyes.com/en/blog/how-to-use-pimeyes-a-brief-guide#paragraph9) that is only available to users with the most advanced plan and which claims to search the index ["more thoroughly"](https://pimeyes.com/en/blog/how-to-use-pimeyes-a-brief-guide#paragraph9) . The tool provider claims that their system is deleting pictures uploaded by users for search purposes within 48 hours and that they "[do not store any private data from our users](https://pimeyes.com/en/faq) ". We are not able to independently verify those claims. Pimeyes is a paid tool. While users can receive a list of pictures with similar looking people when uploading a picture to the free test version, they can not see on which websites those pictures can be found. However, in some cases open source researchers can also use Google dorks to try to find out more about the pictures in the results list. To demonstrate this, we uploaded an image of the late former prime minister of Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The tool provided several pictures of him as a result but without a subscription, it was not possible to click on "Open website" for any of them. However, each of the photos in the results list displayed an incomplete URL, in this case "https://thefrontierpos....". ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-c24dffcab72e99ff03e5e7a581269a0b77441836%252FScreenshot%25202025-01-22%2520at%252011.26.41%25E2%2580%25AFPM%2520%281%29.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=fce4d62e&sv=2) Example of a Pimeyes search result. Each result comes with information on when the photo was indexed by Pimeyes (here on August 25, 2023). Typing this incomplete URL into search engines brought up the the name "The Frontier Post", a local Pakistan site, and the full URL of their website. It was now possible to simply search for "_Zulfikar Ali Bhutto" site:thefrontierpost.com_ on Google: ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-93870e3eebbb8efffb92a324e06ff097dace54e5%252FZulfikar%25202.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=705dcff4&sv=2) The final result by using Google dorks The search brought up several pictures of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto from the website of The Frontier Post, including the photo that had also showed up in our Pimeyes search results. We could simply click on the URL to this photo to learn more. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes#osint-by-pimeyes) OSINT by PimEyes Pimeyes has launched a new product, "OSINT by Pimeyes". According to the tool provider, this is an invite-only platform for verified organizations, including law enforcement, investigators, banks, financial institutions among others. See more about the new product and its purpose [here](https://osint.pimeyes.com/about-us) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes#cost) Cost ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid The first 10 searches are partially free: It is possible to upload pictures and to see the results list but it is not possible to click on (or see) the URLs to see on which websites the pictures from the results list are appearing. A subscription is always required to access detailed results. See the pricing details [here](https://pimeyes.com/en/premium) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes#requirements) Requirements ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A web browser and a subscription for accessing results. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes#limitations) Limitations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Don't assume that only because Pimeyes presents a picture of a person as a match, that this picture necessarily shows your person of interest. Facial recognition tools can provide inaccurate results, it is important to combine the use of facial recognition tools with other research methods to be able to draw accurate conclusions. Low-resolution images, black-and-white pictures or pictures of people whose faces are partly covered may not lead to useful results as outlined by [Pimeyes](https://pimeyes.com/en/blog/how-to-improve-the-facial-recognition-search-results) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The use of facial recognition tools can be highly problematic from an ethical point of view. NPR's article '[Too dangerous': Why even Google was afraid to release this technology](https://www.npr.org/2023/10/11/1204822946/facial-recognition-search-engine-ai-pim-eyes-google) outlines how tools like Pimeyes can enable stalking and the surveillance of people in the public space. The tool also provides [results from pornographic sites](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/26/technology/pimeyes-facial-recognition-search.html) and can (mis)identify women that are visible on pornographic pictures. Journalists and open source researchers should carefully assess whether and in which cases the use of facial recognition tools should be considered. Poynter provides a starter kit for an AI ethics policy for [newsrooms](https://www.poynter.org/ethics-trust/2024/how-to-create-newsroom-artificial-intelligence-ethics-policy/) . In this [interview](https://news.asu.edu/20211117-solutions-ethical-implications-facial-recognition-technology) , experts from Arizona State's Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics talk about the "The ethical implications of facial recognition technology." You might also want to have a look at Josephine Lulamae's reflections on the ethical use of facial recognition tools in AlgorithmWatch's article: [War Crimes OSINT, Harassment, Doxxing Police and Protesters: Face Recognition for Everyone](https://algorithmwatch.org/en/face-recognition-for-everyone/) (2022). [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes#guide) Guide --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pimeyes' own [user guide.](https://pimeyes.com/en/blog/how-to-use-pimeyes-a-brief-guide#paragraph9) Henk van Ess: [Facial Recognition Made Easy](https://gijn.org/resource/facial-recognition-made-easy/) , Global Investigative Journalism Network, 2023. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes#similar-tools) Similar tools ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [FaceCheck.ID](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/facecheck.id) is another facial recognition tool that allows users to upload pictures to find pictures of similar looking people. While FaceCheck.ID only allows payment via cryptocurrency, a Pimeyes subscription can be paid via ["Credit or Debit card, PayPal, Google Pay or Apple Pay"](https://pimeyes.com/en/premium) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes#tool-provider) Tool provider ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The website does not provide details about the tool provider. The CEO of PimEyes is [Giorgi Gobronidze](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/26/technology/pimeyes-facial-recognition-search.html) [as](https://netzpolitik.org/2022/pimeyes-ceo-the-user-is-the-stalker-not-the-search-engine/) of 2022. You can read more about Pimeyes' ownership details in various several reports, for instance [here](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/05/14/pimeyes-facial-recognition-search-secrecy/) and [here](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/26/technology/pimeyes-facial-recognition-search.html) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Anisa Shabir. Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes#description) * [OSINT by PimEyes](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes#osint-by-pimeyes) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes#ethical-considerations) * [Guide](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes#guide) * [Similar tools](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes#similar-tools) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Radar Interference Tracker | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/radar-interference-tracker.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/radar-interference-tracker#url) URL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [https://ollielballinger.users.earthengine.app/view/bellingcat-radar-interference-tracker#lon=49.9507;lat=26.6056;zoom=4;](https://ollielballinger.users.earthengine.app/view/bellingcat-radar-interference-tracker#lon=49.9507;lat=26.6056;zoom=4;) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/radar-interference-tracker#description) Description ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Bellingcat radar interference tracker is a web-based tool that visualises radar interference which can then be used to search for and potentially locate active military radar systems around the globe. The tool exploits a known flaw in Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery. Systems like Patriot missile batteries emit a radar pulse when turned on that interferes with Sentinel's SAR signal creating a stripe of interference perpendicular to the orbital path of the satellite. Locations where the tool has suggested radar systems are present according to Ollie Ballinger's [original article](https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2022/02/11/radar-interference-tracker-a-new-open-source-tool-to-locate-active-military-radar-systems/) include: Russia, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Yemen, Dammam, Saudi Arabia, the [White Sands Missile Range](https://www.google.com/maps/@32.3785089,-106.4718007,6035m/data=!3m1!1e3) in New Mexico, USA, and the [Dimona Radar Facility](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Dimona+Radar+Facility/@30.9685089,35.0948799,782m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x150237648ec9b907:0xde8df259d70896ce!8m2!3d30.9685089!4d35.0970686) in Israel. According to the [original article](https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2022/02/11/radar-interference-tracker-a-new-open-source-tool-to-locate-active-military-radar-systems/) among other systems the tool has been used to identify: * US MIM-104 Patriot and PAC-2 missile defence systems * Russia surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems in Syria and S-400 SNAR-10M1 radar systems. Although the RIT tool can help hone in on areas of interest, a manual search of what is underneath a signal is required to identify candidates of the interference. **Features:** * **Zoom tool:** zoom in and out on the map. * **Terrain**: toggle terrain visualisation on or off * **Labels:** and toggle labels on satellite imagery off or on. * **Search**: search by address, general location or latitude and longitude. * **Radio interference graph:** shows dates with spikes representing when the radar source was most active. * **Layers:** change opacity of layers. * **Example Locations:** * Dammam, Saudi Arabia * Dimona Radar Facility, Israel * Rostov-on-Don, Russia * White Sands Missile Range, USA * Kashmir, India/Pakistan Border * Russian Occupied Crimea, Ukraine The screenshot below show the White Sands Missile Range, USA example included with the radar interference tool. ![Screenshot using the White Sands Missile Range, USA radar interference example in the radar interference tracker. The map show a satellite image of the area overlayed with a coloured stripe indicating the radar interference.](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-528be9257ff565d9fda9716543bceba6ab543703%252FScreenshot%25202024-08-08%2520at%25201.55.25%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=97190917&sv=2) Screenshot of White Sands Missile Range, USA radar interference [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/radar-interference-tracker#cost) Cost -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/radar-interference-tracker#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstarstar [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/radar-interference-tracker#requirements) Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * **Web:** any modern web browser. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/radar-interference-tracker#limitations) Limitations ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * **Other sources of interference:** Not every instance of C-band radio frequency interference is caused by a military radar. Weather radar and telecommunications infrastructure among others use the same frequency – all of which are picked up by Sentinel-1, see Ollie Ballinger's [original article](https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2022/02/11/radar-interference-tracker-a-new-open-source-tool-to-locate-active-military-radar-systems/) . * **Processing time**: Aggregating by year can be slow according to the [original article](https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2022/02/11/radar-interference-tracker-a-new-open-source-tool-to-locate-active-military-radar-systems/) . * **Data Currency:** High resolution satellite imagery is not necessarily current. Although imagery is generally fairly recent, it can be a few years old, see Ollie Ballinger's [original article](https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2022/02/11/radar-interference-tracker-a-new-open-source-tool-to-locate-active-military-radar-systems/) . * **Temporal refresh rates:** Sentinel-1 has a five-day revisit time as the satellites circle the globe. However, a [recent issue](https://www.space.com/europe-sentinel-1b-earth-observation-satellite-anomaly) with one of the satellites in the constellation has doubled that time. * **Facility verification:** there could be multiple potential sources (weather, telecommunications, etc.) in the interference stripe, and just because something looks like a military base, it doesn’t mean that it is according to the [original article](https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2022/02/11/radar-interference-tracker-a-new-open-source-tool-to-locate-active-military-radar-systems/) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/radar-interference-tracker#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * see General Ethical Considerations. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/radar-interference-tracker#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To effectively use the Radar Interference Tracker, especially for beginners or those looking to refine their skills, the following resources are highly recommended: **Official Wiki** * [https://github.com/bellingcat/sar-interference-tracker](https://github.com/bellingcat/sar-interference-tracker) **Tutorials and Articles** * Ballinger, O. (2022) _Radar Interference Tracker: A New Open Source Tool to Locate Active Military Radar Systems_, _bellingcat_. Available at: [https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2022/02/11/radar-interference-tracker-a-new-open-source-tool-to-locate-active-military-radar-systems/](https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2022/02/11/radar-interference-tracker-a-new-open-source-tool-to-locate-active-military-radar-systems/) (Accessed: 8 August 2024). * Leng, X., Ji, K. and Kuang, G. (2021) ‘Radio Frequency Interference Detection and Localization in Sentinel-1 Images’, _IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing_, 59(11), pp. 9270–9281. Available at: [https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2021.3049472](https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2021.3049472) . **Video Tutorials** * _Radar Interference Tracker within SAR data - Ollie Ballinger (UCL)_ (2022). Available at: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ96MaXJmGY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ96MaXJmGY) (Accessed: 10 August 2024). **Community and Support** * [https://github.com/bellingcat/sar-interference-tracker](https://github.com/bellingcat/sar-interference-tracker) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/radar-interference-tracker#tool-provider) Tool provider -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Bellingcat](https://www.bellingcat.com/) , Netherlands [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/radar-interference-tracker#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Bellingcat Volunteer Team/Unassigned. Reviewed:r Sophie Tedling. Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/radar-interference-tracker#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/radar-interference-tracker#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/radar-interference-tracker#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/radar-interference-tracker#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/radar-interference-tracker#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/radar-interference-tracker#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/radar-interference-tracker#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/radar-interference-tracker#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/radar-interference-tracker#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/radar-interference-tracker#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Navtex | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/navtex.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/navtex#url) URL ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://www.navtex.net](https://www.navtex.net/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/navtex#description) Description -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NAVTEX (Navigational Telex) is an international automated medium frequency direct-printing service used for broadcasting maritime safety information. It provides vital navigational and meteorological warnings, forecasts, and urgent maritime safety information to ships. NAVTEX operates under the [Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS)](https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/mobility-division/maritime-mobile/ship-radio-stations/global-maritime) and is a key component of ensuring safe navigation at sea, providing essential safety information that helps in the prevention of maritime accidents and enhances the overall safety of navigation. Navtex.net is an [archive](https://www.navtex.net/navtex-archive.html) that dates back to December 2012 and which records all NAVTEX broadcasts. NAVTEX messages include navigational warnings (such as changes to navigational aids, new hazards, and construction), meteorological warnings (weather forecasts and warnings), search and rescue information, and other urgent safety information. Messages are standardized and use a specific format that includes a header with identifiers for the transmitting station, message type, and a unique identifier to prevent duplication. The navtex.net homepage also includes a [guide](https://www.navtex.net/index.html) (at the very bottom of the page) on how to read the standardised format that the messages are written in. #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/navtex#this-is-how-navtex-works) This is how NAVTEX works: 1. [**Automated Reception**](https://www.marinepublic.com/blogs/training/820808-complete-navtex-guide-understanding-maritime-communication) : * Ships equipped with NAVTEX receivers can automatically receive and display messages. The automated nature of NAVTEX allows for continuous reception of important messages without requiring manual intervention. The receivers are designed to automatically reject duplicate messages and messages not intended for the ship’s current area, reducing the risk of information overload. * Ships are required to have NAVTEX receivers as part of their GMDSS equipment, especially if they operate in coastal areas. These receivers are designed to be highly reliable, operating continuously to ensure that no critical information is missed. 2. [**Frequency and Range**](https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/gmdss/NAVTEX-NTM.pdf) : * NAVTEX broadcasts on the MF frequency of 518 kHz in English, which is the primary frequency for international broadcasts. * It also operates on 490 kHz and 4209.5 kHz for national broadcasts in local languages. * The service has a typical range of about 200-400 nautical miles from the transmitter, depending on the location and conditions. 3. [**Scheduled Broadcasts**:](https://www.marinepublic.com/blogs/training/820808-complete-navtex-guide-understanding-maritime-communication) * NAVTEX messages are broadcast at regular intervals, typically every four hours, ensuring that ships receive timely updates. #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/navtex#reading-an-example-of-a-navtex-message) [Reading](https://www.imorules.com/GUID-1015C87C-8D59-42A8-B42A-047ED191CBF1.html) an example of a NAVTEX message: ZCZC IA96 122211 UTC APR BALTIC SEA NAV WARN 015/25 BALTIC SEA AREA AND INLAND WATERWAYS. AFTER THE WINTER SEASON FLOATING NAVIGATIONAL AIDS AND ALSO SOME LIGHTS LEADING LIGHTS AND MARKS COULD BE UNLIT OFF POSITION OR CAPSIZED. MANY BUOYS AND MARKS HAVE BEEN WITHDRAWN. REPAIR WORKS WILL TAKE SEVERAL WEEKS. NAVIGATE WITH CAUTION. NNNN * ZCZC = This indicates the start of the NAVTEX message. * L = This is the ID of the station transmitting the message. This character is called B1. * A = This is the type of subject of the message. This character is called the B2. In this case "A" = Navigational Warning). * 83 = This is a serial number for each B2 message, these are added to differentiate the NAVEX message from similar ones that might be sent from the same transmitter. In the example above, this indicates Navigational Warning no. 96 from. * 122211 = These numbers are the day, hour and minute that the message arrived. * UTC = Universal Coordinated Time * APR = This indicates the month. In this case, "APR" = April * NNNN = End of Navtex message [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/navtex#cost) Cost ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/navtex#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/navtex#requirements) Requirements ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- None [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/navtex#limitations) Limitations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The website appears to have gone some time without being updated. For instance, no new blog post has been added during the last decade. However, the [Navtex archive](https://www.navtex.net/navtex-archive.html) seems to be up to date, it ranges from 2012 to this year. The NAVTEX archive data pieces are stored in individual .txt files, which may make them difficult to search through. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/navtex#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NAVTEX data does not share information about the location, destination or ownership of vessels. However, cross referencing a vessel's location with the kind of NAVTEX data that was shared in that area might give insights into what conditions (for example adverse weather) the ship is facing. This might reveal information about a vessel that was not intended to be public. Make sure to use the tool responsibly and for research in the public interest. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/navtex#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The guide to reading the various parts of a NAVTEX message is located on the website's [home page](https://www.navtex.net/index.html) at the very bottom of the page. There are also alternate guides available, such as [this one](https://www.marinepublic.com/blogs/training/820808-complete-navtex-guide-understanding-maritime-communication) , that give a more complete picture of NAVTEX, its use and its importance. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/navtex#tool-provider) Tool provider ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The NAVTEX website is a passion project set up by what appears to be just one individual, or a very small team at best. The website itself credits its creation to an individual by the name of Geir Laastad, a former sailor who goes by the nickname/call sign of "LA6LU". Laastad's country of origin is unclear. The aim of the website's creation is to provide a secondary source of NAVTEX data for ships that may have a reliable internet connection, but not a reliable NAVTEX receiver. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/navtex#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Author: ForgottenPidgeon, Reviewed: Sophie Tedling: Last updated 3 months ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/navtex#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/navtex#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/navtex#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/navtex#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/navtex#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/navtex#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/navtex#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/navtex#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/navtex#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/navtex#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # North Data | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/north-data.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/north-data#url) URL -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://northdata.com](https://northdata.com/) (last checked April 30, 2026) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/north-data#description) Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ North Data is a business intelligence platform for investigating companies, executives, and financial relationships across [21](https://www.northdata.com/_coverage#countries) European countries (some in beta) + a ‘Tax Havens’ bundle. It aggregates official registry data, court publications, and financial statements, making it a useful resource for financial and corporate OSINT investigations. Key features and content include: 1. **Company Profiles including**: * **General Information**: This includes the company name, address, legal form, registration details, contact information, and identifiers such as VAT numbers. * **Financial Data**: Provides revenue, profit, equity, liabilities, employee numbers, average salaries, and key financial ratios like return on equity and earnings growth. * **Corporate Structure**: Details about subsidiaries, parent companies, affiliated entities, shareholders, and ownership structure. * **Management and Key Personnel**: Information on directors and key executives, historical data on management changes, and significant personnel events. * **Events and Filings**: Covers annual reports, capital changes, mergers and acquisitions, insolvency proceedings, patent registrations, trademark filings, and public funding events. 2. **Advanced Search and Filtering**: By industry segment, performance indicators, and events. Full attribute list available [here](https://help.northdata.com/en/center/power-search-overview) . 3. **Data Accessibility**: Free basic access, premium services, and API integration. 4. **Visualization Tools**: Plotting financial information and link analysis. 5. **Power Search & EUID look-ups:** over 60 field filters (including geo, turnover, ESG keywords, and EUID) with export to CSV/XLSX. 6. **Search & IDs.** The **Quick Search accepts EUID and VAT IDs** directly. For discovery at scale, use **Power Search**; for automation, use the **Data API**. 7. **Google Sheets integration:** official Apps Script template fetches live indicators into a spreadsheet. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/north-data#cost) Cost ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid **Accredited journalists can** [**request a complimentary Premium account.**](https://www.northdata.com/_journalism) * **Free (no login):** Quick lookups and basic company/person pages * **Premium Service Account**: Starts at €49/month or €490/year (single user). * **API Access**: Starts at €500/month and includes all jurisdictions. * **Data Export**: Starts at €2,250/quarter per country. * **Investigative Accounts for Journalists**: Free premium access for journalists upon request and approval (email-based process). * No free tier is available; event tracking and data saving are premium-only features. \* Prices from Help-Center billing FAQ; multi-seat & NGO concessions on request. Free Paid **Basic Company Information**: Users can access general information about companies, including names, addresses, legal forms, and registration details. **Limited Financial Data**: Basic financial figures like revenue and employee numbers are available. **Event Tracking**: Basic tracking of significant events like address changes and management updates. _(registration required)_ **Save and track data**: save searches, create watchlists, and email notifications. _(registration required)_ **Comprehensive Data Access**: Includes detailed financial data, performance indicators, equity ratios, liabilities, and more. **Advanced Search and Filtering**: Users can utilize advanced filters by industry segments, keywords, and detailed performance indicators. **Event and Filing Insights**: Detailed tracking and history of significant company events, including mergers, acquisitions, insolvency filings, and public funding events. **API Access**: Premium users can access data via API for integration into other applications and databases. **Visualization Tools**: Enhanced tools for analyzing performance indicators and tracking company activities. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/north-data#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstar North Data has a user-friendly search interface and auto-generated relationship diagrams. However, deeper insights (e.g., ownership webs, financial figures, watchlists) require paid access and some experience navigating corporate records. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/north-data#requirements) Requirements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- User registration is required to access certain features (see the cost section). [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/north-data#limitations) Limitations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * The interactive graph starts with first-degree relations (company ↔︎ persons/companies). You can click nodes to reveal second-degree links, but bulk export/API still returns first-degree only. * Our own tests showed that some financial data or indicators are limited under a free account, are inconsistently updated, or unavailable. * **Person location may be stale.** It’s taken from the trade register at the time of filing and isn’t maintained thereafter. * **Legal status is standardized.** Labels such as Active, Liquidation, and Terminated are North-Data standardizations and may differ from jurisdiction-specific terms. * **Financials appear only if published.** Availability varies by size and filing rules; some figures are estimates (flagged as “uncertain”) or not published. * **VAT search caveat.** VAT isn’t a universal key in every jurisdiction (e.g., constraints in Germany). * **Network depth.** Network graph initially shows first-degree relations; you can click nodes to reveal deeper levels, but **CSV / API export is still limited to one hop**. API/CSV can include **direct relations**; multi-hop graphs generally require iterative calls. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/north-data#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Individuals with common names or aliases can be misidentified without using additional information about the target, leading to false allegations. * North Data surfaces PII from official filings (e.g., addresses, dates of birth). Minimize collection, preserve only what’s necessary, and document your methodology. For open-source investigations standards on **accuracy**, **data minimization**, **preservation**, and **privacy**, see the _Berkeley Protocol on Digital Open Source Investigations_ (OHCHR/UC Berkeley). * Data contains sensitive information such as addresses or contact information. * It can reveal personal relationships that aren’t widely known. (For example, birthdays, passport information, addresses, etc., depending on the company-related documents retained by governmental bodies.) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/north-data#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Northdata help center and FAQs (contains detailed usage guides)](https://help.northdata.com/en/center) [API Documentation](https://github.com/northdata/api/blob/master/doc/data-api-userguide/data-api-userguide.md) **For developers** * **Data API (OpenAPI):** [https://northdata.github.io/doc/api/](https://northdata.github.io/doc/api/) * **Power Search overview:** [https://help.northdata.com/en/center/power-search-overview](https://help.northdata.com/en/center/power-search-overview) * **Filters:** * Events: [https://help.northdata.com/en/center/event-filter](https://help.northdata.com/en/center/event-filter) * Performance indicators: [https://help.northdata.com/en/center/power-search-performance-indicator](https://help.northdata.com/en/center/power-search-performance-indicator) * Legal forms: [https://help.northdata.com/en/center/power-search-legal-forms](https://help.northdata.com/en/center/power-search-legal-forms) * **Data API & Exports (when quarterly exports still matter):** [https://help.northdata.com/en/center/data-api-and-export](https://help.northdata.com/en/center/data-api-and-export) * **Google Sheets tutorial (Apps Script):** [https://blog.northdata.com/company-data-on-your-google-sheets-spreadsheet](https://blog.northdata.com/company-data-on-your-google-sheets-spreadsheet) ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/north-data#see-also) **See also** * **OpenCorporates:** broader global registry aggregation and an open data posture: [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opencorporates) * **Companies House (UK):** freshest UK filings and the ROE (overseas entities): [https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/companies-house](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/companies-house) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/north-data#tool-provider) Tool provider ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [North Data GmbH](https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/503379-01) , Hermannstr. 22, 20095 Hamburg; info@northdata.com [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/north-data#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Martin Sona Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/north-data#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/north-data#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/north-data#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/north-data#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/north-data#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/north-data#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/north-data#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/north-data#guides-and-articles) * [See also](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/north-data#see-also) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/north-data#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/north-data#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Search4Faces | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces#url) URL ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://search4faces.com](https://search4faces.com/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces#description) Description -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **Search4Faces** is a reverse face search engine that allows users to find the profile photos of individuals across various online platforms. The tool is implemented in Python and is accessible via a web interface or as a Python library. As of June 2025, the tool has (partial) collections of the following [four databases](https://web.archive.org/web/20250616163324/https://search4faces.com/en/) : 1. Avatars of the social network Vkontakte and main photos of the social network Odnoklassniki, 2. Profile photos of the social network Vkontakte (VK), 3. Avatars of TikTok users, 4. Avatars of ClubHouse users. The tool also has a search feature for recognizing celebrities which - [according to the tool provider](https://web.archive.org/web/20250616164148/https://search4faces.com/index.html) - is based on Wikipedia and [IMDb](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMDb) data. Key features of Search4Faces include: 1. **Face Recognition Search**: * Searches through multiple databases, including those of social networks to find similar faces. * Users can specify which database to search in, and results include links to the relevant social media profiles. 2. **Customization and API Integration**: * Search4Faces offers an API that can be integrated into applications for automated and scalable facial recognition searches. * The API supports asynchronous operations and provides customizable search parameters, such as limiting the number of results. * The tool can also be configured for more targeted searches, depending on the databases and permissions set by the user. The site is available in Russian and English. To start a search, users first need to choose a database. They can then upload the picture of a person of interest. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-7a2342b734ceaf987764e2de541b34c86259334f%252FScreenshot%25202025-06-16%2520at%252018.09.44.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=fbbef2dc&sv=2) A sample search within the "Avatar of Tiktok users" database. It is possible (but not required) to specify the gender, country, city or age of people of interest before starting a search. For instance, after uploading a Donald Trump picture and selecting the VK and Odnoassniki avatars collection, we received various pictures of Donald Trump that are currently being used (or have been used) as avatars by VK users: ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-ac5654726d605dc93c7c2299616d249155b998b7%252FScreenshot%25202025-06-16%2520at%252019.06.43.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=53189c84&sv=2) The results include a probability score indicating how likely it is, according to the tool, that the pictures show the same person as the one in the image uploaded by the user. It also provides a name for the person but this name can be wrong (for instance if someone uses Donald Trump's for their personal social media account). By clicking on any photo in the results list, users are taken directly to the social media profile where the picture appears. Keep in mind that the Search4Faces database is not updated on a regular basis. Social media account owners might have changed their avatars or their accounts might even have been deleted in the meantime. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces#cost) Cost ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Free * Partially Free * Paid Search features on the site itself are free, but [API access](https://web.archive.org/web/20250425192912/https://search4faces.com/en/api.html) is paid with multiple plans ranging from 15000 calls for 40 USD to 135000 calls for 320 USD. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ starstar [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces#requirements) Requirements ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * No requirements for using the search features on the site. It is not necessary to create an account. * API can be accessed after purchasing a plan or contacting their team for trial access. The API uses JSON-RPC 2.0 protocol over HTTPS, and you can interact with it using client libraries available for Python and PHP. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces#limitations) Limitations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Since the Search4Faces database contains only a limited selection of the social media platform’s content rather than a complete archive, the tool is often unable to provide results for an uploaded picture. Our own tests suggest that in those cases, the search engine appears to compare general characteristics of the provided face (hair, eye or skin color) which does not tend to be helpful for open source researchers. * Image data for each social networking site is not updated in real-time, most datasets end in [2022 or earlier](https://web.archive.org/web/20250520182518/https://search4faces.com/en/) . The Russian language version of the tool website states that the VK profile photo database was [last updated in 2025](https://web.archive.org/web/20250616202030/https://search4faces.com/search.html). * Certain user profiles can evade detection by changing their details. If you click on an image in the results list, you may be taken to a social media account whose name, avatar, or posts have been changed or deleted. * You cannot search multiple databases at once. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Persons with similar faces can be misidentified without accounting for other contextual information. * Results can leak personally identifiable information such as general location, home address or the same of associated persons. Make sure to carefully assess whether the use of facial recognition tools is required for your type of research. Josephine Lulamae reflects on ethical questions around the use of facial recognition tools in the AlgorithmWatch article: [War Crimes OSINT, Harassment, Doxxing Police and Protesters: Face Recognition for Everyone](https://algorithmwatch.org/en/face-recognition-for-everyone/) (2022). [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces#guide) Guide -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- An example of how Search4Faces was used to reveal a TikTok profile can be found [here](https://publication.osintambition.org/behind-the-steps-revealing-digital-identity-through-osint-and-socmint-unraveling-the-7735033b867d) . Search4Faces was used by Bellingcat in the following investigation to find a Odnoklassniki profile of a person of interest: [Tracking the Faceless Killers who Mutilated and Executed a Ukrainian POW](https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2022/08/05/tracking-the-faceless-killers-who-mutilated-and-executed-a-ukrainian-pow/) , 2022. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces#tool-provider) Tool provider ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The tool provider is currently unknown. The website is offered in Russian and in English. Its domain registrar is the Bahamas based Whois Privacy Corp. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces#similar-tools) Similar Tools ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ While open source researcher may want to decide to test Search4Faces during investigations that involve people of interest from Russian speaking countries, other facial recognition tools may often work better for people based in other countries. Similar tools are [Pimeyes](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pimeyes) or [FaceCheck.Id](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/facecheck.id) . Unlike Search4Faces, both of those tools are paid tools and their websites don’t list social media photos as sources. Search4Faces is currently able to identify some older TikTok or ClubHouse accounts which may be useful for some research cases even if the people of interest are not based in a Russian speaking country. It is recommended to be cautious when using any of those tools since it the tool providers' identities are often unknown. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer hande Last updated 11 months ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces#ethical-considerations) * [Guide](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces#guide) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces#tool-provider) * [Similar Tools](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces#similar-tools) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search4faces#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # ShipFinder | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shipfinder.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shipfinder#url) URL -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [**https://shipfinder.co/**](https://shipfinder.co/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shipfinder#description) Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-ff8627a49b72926fc47fede50a12ba5eb370e8b0%252Fshipfinderinterface.JPG%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=15f480fa&sv=2) **SHIPFINDER INTERFACE SHOWING VESSELS AROUND ISTANBUL, AND DETAILS OF A SELECTED VESSEL** ShipFinder is an application designed to track vessels in near real-time across the globe. ShipFinder has recently discontinued the version previously available on web browser, and is now available only on iPhone and Android. It has a map-based interactive interface which allows users to search for vessels based on location, name MMSI (Maritime Mobile Service Identities), destination, IMO (International Maritime Organisation) number or callsign. IMO numbers are unique, seven-digit tracking numbers assigned to ships and shipping companies by S&P Global Market Intelligence on behalf of the International Maritime Organization. Unlike ship names and company names which can change, IMO numbers remain constant. More information about IMO numbers can be found on the [International Maritime Organization's website](https://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/IIIS/Pages/IMO-Identification-Number-Schemes.aspx) . MMSI (Maritime Mobile Service Identities) numbers are nine-digit numbers used to uniquely identify ships in radio and AIS (Automatic Identification System) broadcasts. MMSI numbers are issued by the country a ship is flagged to and managed by the International Telecommunications Union. More information about MMSI numbers can be found on the [International Telecommunications Union's website](https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-R/terrestrial/Pages/by-categories-faq.aspx?categorizedby=17) . The map-based layout allows users to zoom in and out to view vessel locations in specific areas or worldwide. The search function enables users to quickly find and track specific ships or ports. ShipFinder informs its map through the collection of [AIS](https://shipping.nato.int/nsc/operations/news/2021/ais-automatic-identification-system-overview) (Automatic Identification System) data. This is broadcast over radiowaves by ships and then picked up by either ShipFinder's own receivers or those belonging to the platform's partners. The app is available on both mobile and desktop platforms, ensuring users can monitor marine traffic from various devices. **Features** 1. **(Near) Real-Time Tracking**: ShipFinder provides (near) live tracking of ships, displaying their current positions, speed, and course. This feature is beneficial for open source researchers needing to monitor fleet movements or observing ship activities. 2. **Vessel Information**: ShipFinder includes detailed information about a vessel, such as its name, type, destination, and voyage history. This data is valuable for users looking to learn more about specific ships and their operations. 3. **Based on AIS Data**: ShipFinder leverages [AIS](https://shipping.nato.int/nsc/operations/news/2021/ais-automatic-identification-system-overview) data to provide accurate and up-to-date information. AIS data is infomation on ship movements and positions that is broadcast by the vessels themselves. This is picked up by coastal stations and relayed via the internet to ShipFinder. One drawback of this system is that when a ship is out of range of coastal receivers, data reception may be limited. 4. **Past Vessel Movement**: ShipFinder's online and free app versions allow users to playback a limited amount of a vessel's past movements. This feature gives a short term view of where a vessel has recently been and may be useful for analyzing shipping patterns, investigating incidents, or simply exploring the history of maritime activities. 5. [**Spotting Community**](https://my.pinkfroot.com/) : The app also has an accompanying community page where members can post pictures of ships that they have spotted. These are often searchable by name or MMSI number. 6. **Customizable Alerts**: Paid users of the app can set up personalized alerts for specific vessels or areas. This feature keeps users informed about significant events, such as a ship's arrival at a port or changes in its route. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shipfinder#cost) Cost ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid The browser-based version of ShipFinder is free. However, its mobile application, currently only available on the Apple store and not on Android, has two versions. The ['lite' version](https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/ship-finder-lite/id324177409) is free, and the [full version](https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/ship-finder/id363360636) is paid. Currently, the full version [states](https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/ship-finder/id363360636) that it includes additional features such as "route history, search, filters, bookmarks, photos, the ability to add favourite ships". [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shipfinder#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shipfinder#requirements) Requirements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ShipFinder's online version does not require a user to sign up or input an email address. However, the applications on android and apple devices will require an account in their respective stores to download ShipFinder. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shipfinder#limitations) Limitations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * **AIS Data**: ShipFinder's platform is based on [AIS](https://app.gitbook.com/s/y4PuseOaDGmxp1otYeL9) data. This means that if ships are broadcasting too far from a receiver that the platform has access to, it will be lacking data on that vessel. This can occur when a ship is too far from shore for a receiver to pick up its signals. Another limitation is that AIS devices can simply be [switched off](https://globalfishingwatch.org/article/hotspots-of-unseen-fishing-vessels-qa/) to hide a vessel's location. * **Past vessel movements:** The option to see past vessel movements is limited in the free version. * **Subscription Costs**: The premium version of the app on the Apple Store, which offers additional features, currently [costs](https://apps.apple.com/us/developer/pinkfroot-limited/id319726822) USD 4.99. * **Tool updates**: Certain elements of the tool don't appear to receive frequent updates by its developer. The latest entry to the news section of the website dates back to 2014. The tool's IOS app was last updated in 2018 according to its version history. Despite this, the app is still functional. Other apps by the developer do continue to be updated and the [spotting community](https://my.pinkfroot.com/) related to the tool is still very active as well. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shipfinder#similar-tools) Similar Tools ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Compared to other maritime tracking apps, ShipFinder's online and free application versions might lack some advanced features like filtering options and comprehensive vessel databases that tools such as [MarineTraffic](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/marinetraffic) and [VesselFinder](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/vesselfinder) offer. Both alternatives also have access to a more comprehensive AIS data network, displaying more of the ships that are in a given area. One advantage that ShipFinder offers over the alternatives is that it has no monthly fees, only a one-time purchase. This may make it more accessible for researchers that operate on a restricted budget. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shipfinder#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Collating and analyzing data about specific vessels and their movements can potentially reveal sensitive information about individuals or organizations that was not intended to be public. This can raise privacy concerns. Make sure to use the tool responsibly and for research in the public interest [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shipfinder#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \- [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shipfinder#tool-provider) Tool provider ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ShipFinder is developed and maintained by an entity by the name of Pinkfroot. The entity is based in the UK and was incorporated in 2009. Pinkfroot also develops and maintains a similar tool for tracking aeroplanes called Planefinder. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shipfinder#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Author: ForgottenPidgeon, Reviewer: Sophie Tedling Last updated 3 months ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shipfinder#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shipfinder#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shipfinder#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shipfinder#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shipfinder#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shipfinder#limitations) * [Similar Tools](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shipfinder#similar-tools) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shipfinder#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shipfinder#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shipfinder#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shipfinder#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # UN Comtrade Database | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/un-comtrade-database.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/un-comtrade-database#url) URL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [https://comtradeplus.un.org/](https://comtradeplus.un.org/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/un-comtrade-database#description) Description ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This database contains import and export data for goods and services for about 200 countries/zones since 1962. In the [Trade section](https://comtradeplus.un.org/TradeFlow) , you can search for monthly or annual trade data using all HS codes or specific HS codes (a commodity classification system, you can easily find the one you need by doing a google search like “commodity name + HS code”, or go ahead and type a keyword in the specific HS bar within the tool) and the countries involved in the trade. There is an advanced search tool that allows you to drill down, adding transport patterns, customs codes, trade flows, among other fields of investigation. You will get the total trade value and quantity of the countries you are researching considering the year or month you have selected. This might be useful if you are looking for an estimate of official data on the quantity imported/exported from a country on a product. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-c48208bbc086eb9a487dbb0630957dc9ca8ab732%252FScreenshot%25202025-01-07%2520at%252010.07.20%25E2%2580%25AFAM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=d1e750e8&sv=2) Here's a preview of the default search You can save your searches by clicking on the save button and giving each search a name to recognize it later. In the [Tariffline section](https://comtradeplus.un.org/Tariffline) you will be able to find more specific trade transactions between the countries you are looking for and their trading partners. For example, if you search for coffee exports from Colombia to Argentina in 2023 in the Tariffline section, you will find 31 shipments with information on mode of transport, value, net weight and gross weight. But if you look in the Trade section, you will get the total trade value ($9,521,444 in the same example). The site has a [visualization dashboard](https://comtrade.un.org/labs/data-explorer/) that works with the same values (import/export, country, commodity, year). There is also a set of tools to help with data analysis: 1. Labs: contains different trade dashboards on different subjects such as HS Tracker and the Climate Change Indicators Dashboard, provided by different organizations using this tool's data. 2. Trade Balance View: this tool rotates the original data and places it in a parallel view to facilitate comparison between export and import data. 3. Bilateral Data Comparison: places data and its mirror data side by side, allowing for analysis of bilateral trade asymmetries. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/un-comtrade-database#cost) Cost -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid The service is free but you can access a premium service that allows you to perform bulk downloads and gives you priority access to preview unstructured data (when available). There is a trial subscription for 15 days. You can [request](https://uncomtrade.org/docs/premium-trial-subscription/) it after 15 days of creating the account. You will need to fill out a [form](https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=2zWeD09UYE-9zF6kFubccOSF7wPR3FtJq4X0eSEBpHpUMTFMQTRJMjcxTkcxU0Y4M0lESjUyOFc1TSQlQCN0PWcu&route=shorturl) and wait 3-5 business days. After the trial starts, you will get access to a new section called Bulk Files, where you can download the data you searched for. Be aware that trial subscriptions have access to a limited number of files to download. The only difference between the premium service and the free one is the option to download bulk files. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-6c2c2946bf1dc208092deab70d66e0c073213fb8%252FScreenshot%25202025-01-07%2520at%25209.32.53%25E2%2580%25AFAM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=9ca9e50&sv=2) Options before trial ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-d6d58d4e2c236a30120698ce695d2e67ade7ac55%252FScreenshot%25202025-01-07%2520at%25209.37.32%25E2%2580%25AFAM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=ace6a62c&sv=2) Options after trial activation There are two types of downloads: classic and plus. Both will produce a document (.gz) that you will have to convert to XLS or CSV for analysis. I used this [tool](https://products.groupdocs.app/conversion/gz-to-xls) to help me with that process. With the plus version you will get more detailed info such as customs code, mode of transport, among others. You can also use the [API](https://comtradedeveloper.un.org/signin?returnUrl=%2F) version to download the data. Here the README [file](https://github.com/uncomtrade/comtradeapicall?tab=readme-ov-file) . For this API version, they will send your account information to your registered email so you can log in. It can take a couple of days. Through the official account of the Trade Statistics Branch on X, the UN [informs](https://x.com/UNTradeStats) about new information available on the platform and released datasets. It also shares statistics and trends. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-f8b93ad3da08c2cb3dcb2a78c2e8bcc31499eba4%252FGpO1AVXWkAA7AN9.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=aeb09545&sv=2) Here an analytics of Ukraine in UN Comtrade [posted](https://x.com/UNTradeStats/status/1915073286586708420/photo/1) by the Trade Statistics Branch on X. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/un-comtrade-database#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstar [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/un-comtrade-database#requirements) Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ You will have to complete a captcha each time you perform a search, unless you choose to activate a free account using your e-mail address or a Google account. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/un-comtrade-database#limitations) Limitations ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The tool does not provide specific trade information, only general values. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/un-comtrade-database#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- None [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/un-comtrade-database#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- User guides: [Getting Started Guide](https://uncomtrade.org/docs-category/getting-started/) [UN Comtrade Docs](https://uncomtrade.org/docs/) [UN Comtrade Docs User Guide](https://uncomtrade.org/docs-category/user-guide/) [UN Comtrade Analytics User Guide](https://comtrade.un.org/labs/data-explorer/UserGuide%20UN%20Comtrade%20Analytics.pdf) Projects and articles that used the tool: [Is the US-China trade war spoiling international trade statistics? By Vali Stan, Lukas Linsi and Daniel Mügge](https://www.globalpolicyjournal.com/blog/29/01/2024/us-china-trade-war-spoiling-international-trade-statistics) [Red Flags in Trade Data by Conflict Armament Research](http://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5090228a1cd04ca7ae8c11cedd8d78fb) [Key statistics and trends in international trade 2024](https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/ditctab2025d2_en.pdf) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/un-comtrade-database#tool-provider) Tool provider -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- United Nations, based in New York City. Maintained by DESA/UN Statistics Division. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/un-comtrade-database#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Lieth Carrillo Last updated 5 months ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/un-comtrade-database#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/un-comtrade-database#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/un-comtrade-database#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/un-comtrade-database#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/un-comtrade-database#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/un-comtrade-database#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/un-comtrade-database#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/un-comtrade-database#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/un-comtrade-database#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/un-comtrade-database#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Open Measures | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures#url) URL ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://public.openmeasures.io](https://public.openmeasures.io/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures#description) Description --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Open Measures helps open source researchers investigate harmful online activity such as extremism and disinformation. It allows researchers to run bulk queries against online forums and social media such as Telegram and 4chan. Public (free) features: * **Search queries:** the Public App allows users to search archives for specific search terms with basic, Boolean, or advanced queries. * **Analysis tools:** Timeline, Activity, Link Counter, and Search * **Datasets:** the following datasets are available, _4chan, 8kun, BitChute, Bluesky, Fediverse, Gab, Gettr, LBRY / Odysee, MeWe, Minds, OK, Parler, Poal, Rumble, RuTube, Scored, Telegram, TikTok, Truth Social, VK, and Wimkin._ (See [Open Measures Datasets](https://openmeasures.io/datasets/) for the current list and operational status of each dataset.) * **Language support:** English and Spanish. * **Limited API access:** 39 requests per day, and data that is at least six months old. * **API Elasticsearch Support:** Sophisticated filtering query support included (Additional information on Elastic full text queries [here](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/full-text-queries.html) .) Pro Features: * Everything in Public, plus unlimited access to all Analysis tools such as Discover, Timeline, Link Counter, and Activity. * **API access**: Unlimited. * **Support:** Full customer support. Enterprise Features: * Everything in Pro. * **Detailed Analysis:** A dedicated research dashboard. * **Visualisation:** Network graphing capabilities. * **Multi-media imagery analysis**: Images and video media application. Multi media. * **Custom social media crawl requests**: Access to custom crawl requests of keywords, profiles, and channels. Open Measures provides a [Command Line Interface (CLI)](https://gitlab.com/openmeasures/smat-cli) for quickly accessing bulk data and a [Jupyter Notebook](https://colab.research.google.com/drive/1kDyRIC0NBOj4Egn_VdK837QBNqDERRi_?usp=sharing) for accessing the API. Example of a timeline search result for the term _QAnon:_ ![Search result for the term QAnon](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-47def6de0cfa352d347825c3dcb8fb85f571f578%252FScreenshot%25202024-04-25%2520at%252011.54.20%25E2%2580%25AFAM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=802958c1&sv=2) Search result for the term _QAnon_ [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures#cost) Cost ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid See [https://openmeasures.io/solutions/](https://openmeasures.io/solutions/) Open Measures says the Pro and Enterprise solutions are paid for all users, but they encourage all academics, journalists, and individual researchers to get in touch at [info@openmeasures.io](mailto:info@openmeasures.io) to ensure budget doesn’t stand in the way of access. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstar [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures#requirements) Requirements ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * **API:** No registration required for the public (free) API. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures#limitations) Limitations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * **Public App and API:** Search results are date-limited to 6 month old data, and rate-limited to 39 requests per day. * **Registration:** The Pro version requires registration. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When using Open Measures for research purposes, it's imperative to consider the following ethical aspects: * **Privacy and Consent**: Although Open Measures archives public posts, researchers should be mindful of the privacy expectations of individuals who made those posts. Not all users understand or anticipate their contributions being analysed or quoted in research. * **Bias and Representativeness**: Acknowledge that the data collected from Open Measures may not be representative of broader populations or viewpoints. Research findings should be contextualised within the scope and limitations of the data source. * **The Oxygen of Amplification**_**:**_ Think carefully about what you publish so as not to unwittingly amplify some of the messaging present on fringe platforms. (_See_ [_The Oxygen of Amplification: Better Practices for Reporting on Extremists, Antagonists, and Manipulators Online_](https://datasociety.net/library/oxygen-of-amplification/) _by Whitney Phillips)._ Considering these ethical guidelines will help maintain the integrity of your research and protect the rights and dignity of individuals whose posts might be included in your study. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To effectively use Open Measures, especially for beginners or those looking to refine their skills, the following resources are highly recommended: **Official Wiki** * [https://docs.openmeasures.io/docs](https://docs.openmeasures.io/docs) * [https://blog.openmeasures.io/](https://blog.openmeasures.io/) **Tutorials and Articles** * [_A New Open-Source Tool for Tracking Disinformation_](https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/blog/new-open-source-tool-tracking-disinformation/) by Mozilla * [_The Social Media Analysis Toolkit (SMAT)_](https://counteringdisinformation.org/interventions/social-media-analysis-toolkit-smat) by Countering Disinformation * [_Far-Right Platform Gab Has Been Hacked—Including Private Data_](https://www.wired.com/story/gab-hack-data-breach-ddosecrets/) by Andy Greenberg for Wired * [_How the far-right harnessed tech in the lead-up to the Capitol riot_](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/harnessed-tech-lead-capitol-riot/story?id=74761628) by Samara Lynn for ABC News * [_How the far right tore apart one of the best tools to fight voter fraud_](https://www.npr.org/2023/06/04/1171159008/eric-investigation-voter-data-election-integrity) by Miles Parks for NPR **Use Cases** * [_Amidst the election, a new network map analyzes politicians’ tweets_](https://blog.opencollective.com/smat/) by Alanna Irving for Open Collective * [_War Criminals on VKontakte_](https://blog.openmeasures.io/p/vk-war-criminals) by Open Measures * [_Open-source intelligence for investigating war crimes_](https://blog.opencollective.com/open-source-intelligence-smat/) by Elena Rubashevska for Open Collective **Video Tutorials** * [_Social Media Analysis Toolkit (SMAT) | Open-Source Tool for Tracking Disinformation_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORnJcZWYDdM) by [TechForum](https://www.youtube.com/@Tech-Forum) on YouTube #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures#developer-resources) Developer Resources * [https://docs.openmeasures.io/docs/guides/public-api](https://docs.openmeasures.io/docs/guides/public-api) * Full API doc: [https://api.smat-app.com/docs](https://api.smat-app.com/docs) **Community and Support** * Support only for Pro and Enterprise options. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures#tool-provider) Tool provider ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Open Measures](https://openmeasures.io/about/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Bellingcat Volunteer Team Last updated 2 months ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/open-measures#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Whoxy | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whoxy.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whoxy#url) URL --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://www.whoxy.com/](https://www.whoxy.com/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whoxy#description) Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Whoxy offers several options to find information on domain names. It is free to sign up for an account but that is not a requirement for one or a few searches. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-68726bf90f4cfa34c6c3cd2318be2e005d3e400b%252FScreenshot%25202025-12-15%2520at%252021.23.43%2520%281%29.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=18d2f029&sv=2) There are 6 options to query information. * Enter a domain name for general whois: results will show the domain name itself, the registrar, the registered date, the date of when the registry was updated, and the expiry date. Also the domain status, name servers and contact details. * Enter a domain name to retrieve historical information. Results will show the same information as for a regular whois query, and further down on the page it is shown who owned that domain in the past. * Enter an owner name for reverse whois results on which domain names are linked to that owner. The results will show domain names which are linked to that particular name. If the amount of results is substantial, a subset will be shown with the remark to use the Reverse Whois API. * Enter a company name for reverse whois results on which domain names are linked with that company. The results will show a list of domain names. If the amount of results is substantial, a subset will be shown with the remark to use the Reverse Whois API. * Enter a valid e-mail address for reversed whois results on which domain names are linked with that e-mail address. * Enter a domain keyword (for instance "iPhone") for reversed whois results on which domain names include that specific keyword. The results will show a list of domain names with that keyword. If the amount of results is substantial, a subset will be shown with the remark to use the Reverse Whois API. \*\*\* The information shown for a regular whois query and a whois history query are available in whois format, but also as RAW, JSON and XML. When using the API, output is offered as JSON schema, XML schema, JSON live results and XML live results for easy incorporation into your research tools. \*\*\* To the right of the basic information when using the regular whois lookup, there is a smaller pane listing similar domains. There is a button to view all. The listed similar-named domains can sometimes lead to the discovery of pivot points, it can for instance provide information on the use of [typosquatting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typosquatting) . The complete range of services can be found on the homepage under the button "Our Services". \*\*\* Compared to other services that offer information on domain names, for instance DomainTools \* (which is part of the [Bellingcat Toolkit](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/domaintools-whois-lookup) ), Whoxy.com seems to be a cost-effective and comprehensive tool. Most services are free, and API access is very budget-friendly. \* DomainTools does not charge for singular whois lookups. They offer a personal membership for data access for the personal user for $99.00 per month. The services they offer in that membership are stated on their ["Join"](https://secure.domaintools.com/join/) page. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whoxy#cost) Cost ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid Single searches are free and do not require an account. Whoxy does not require a monthly fee, and has a "pay as you go" policy if an API is used. Pricing information for API access can be found [here](https://www.whoxy.com/pricing.php) , and is also visible on the front page, including comparisons to other tools. Free API access is available on request for academics, those working in non-profit organisations and researchers on non-commercial basis. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whoxy#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstar [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whoxy#requirements) Requirements --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You will need to create an account if you require an API key. A key can be obtained through the Account Manager page (login needed), from there look for API Settings. In order to create an account, Whoxy requires the following information: * a real and valid email address (temporary or disposable email addresses are not accepted) * a password * a full name * a mailing address * a city * a state * a ZIP/postal code * a country * a phone number. A company name and a tax ID are optional. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whoxy#limitations) Limitations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There are no limitations found while writing this description. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whoxy#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Personally identifiable information (abbreviated as [PII](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_data) ) is often redacted in order to adhere to privacy rulings. \* The results may still show names, addresses and contact information. Keep in mind that the names that are shown may not be the same person that is investigated on. Domain data may be incomplete or outdated so the information should always be checked against other sources before concluding the information is correct. ( \* There are multiple laws, rulings and articles which address the need for privacy protection in WHOIS data. See for instance [https://icann.org](https://icann.org/) , [https://www.eff.org/](https://www.eff.org/) , [https://gdpr.eu/](https://gdpr.eu/) or resources from domain registration companies which explain their WHOIS privacy services.) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whoxy#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Whoxy.com is mentioned on Rae Baker's website [here](https://www.raebaker.net/blog/10-free-osint-tools-for-beginners-and-pros) . Authentic8 also mentions it briefly in their blog [here](https://www.authentic8.com/blog/unmasking-website-ownership-using-osint) . Forensic OSINT by Ritu Gill offers a Youtube video [here.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVbrdnmQawc) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whoxy#tool-provider) Tool provider ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The tool provider is Whoxy.com, powered by [Autowhois.com](https://www.autowhois.com/) and [Bigdomaindata.com](https://www.bigdomaindata.com/) according to the statement at the bottom of the website pages. All 3 companies are based in the United States. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whoxy#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Lavache Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whoxy#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whoxy#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whoxy#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whoxy#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whoxy#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whoxy#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whoxy#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whoxy#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whoxy#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/whoxy#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Twitter Video Downloader | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-video-downloader.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-video-downloader#url) URL ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://twittervideodownloader.com/](https://twittervideodownloader.com/) (May 2026) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-video-downloader#description) Description -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twitter Video Downloader is a free website that converts a public X (formerly Twitter) post URL containing a video or animated GIF into a direct MP4 download link. Paste the full post URL into a single input box and download the returned media directly in your browser. The service does not require an account or API access and does not support protected/private posts. 1. Copy the URL of the tweet containing the video. 2. Paste the URL into the input field on the Twitter Video Downloader website. 3. Click the **Download** button. 4. Choose the video resolution you prefer (high, medium, or low quality). 5. The selected video will open in a new browser tab. 6. Right-click (or control-click on Mac) on the video and select **Save Video As**. 7. Rename the file if needed and save it to your desired location. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-e91233866e0d9c10399a05483153011d93391b3c%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=58c9c267&sv=2) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-video-downloader#cost) Cost ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Free [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-video-downloader#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ star This tool is easy to use and requires no technical knowledge. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-video-downloader#requirements) Requirements ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Internet, web browser [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-video-downloader#limitations) Limitations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * **No Batch Downloads**: Users must download videos individually. * **Limited to Public Tweets**: Videos from private or protected accounts cannot be downloaded. * **Possible Website Downtime**: Please note that this is a third-party tool, and its availability may be inconsistent. * **Potential for URL Changes**: If X (Twitter) modifies its media hosting structure, the tool may stop functioning until an update is made. * **No Audio Extraction**: This tool does not allow users to extract audio from videos. * **Legal/ToS:** Using third‑party downloaders can conflict with [X’s Terms](https://cdn.cms-twdigitalassets.com/content/dam/legal-twitter/site-assets/terms-of-service-2025-05-08/en/x-terms-of-service-2025-05-08.pdf) (updated **2025‑05‑08**), which restrict scraping/using non‑published interfaces; consider when downloading/redistributing. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-video-downloader#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Use only for lawful, necessary purposes and obtain permission where required. Minimize the collection of personal data and avoid redistributing sensitive content. For evidentiary work, follow recognized guidance such as the **Berkeley Protocol on Digital Open Source Investigations** for collection, preservation, and verification practices. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-video-downloader#similar-tools) Similar Tools ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tool Platform Key Features Pricing Last Updated Pros Cons [twittervideodownloader.com](https://twittervideodownloader.com/) Web-based • Paste tweet URL → direct MP4/GIF link• No ads or signup Free May 2025 • Fast, no-frills interface• No account required • No preview of file size/format• Occasional rate limits [SSSTwitter](https://ssstwitter.com/) Web-based • One-step download• Supports HD exports Free; donations Feb 2025 • Reliable for high-res videos• Minimal UI • Can hit rate limits• Some redirections/shortened links [SaveTweetVid](https://savetweetvid.com/) Web-based • Preview gallery (size, format)• Select MP4, WEBM or GIF Free Feb 2025 • Preview before download• Format choices • Extra click to view previews• UI ads [SnapSave](https://snapsave.app/) Web-based • Batch downloads• Folder organization• API access Free tier; paid Jan 2025 • Ideal for multiple downloads• Organize projects • Requires free account• API limits on free plan Twitter Video Downloader (v1.0.7) Browser ext. • Adds “Download” button under videos• Auto-detect URLs Free Apr 20 2025 • Seamless in-page integration• No copy-paste needed • Must trust extension• Chrome/Firefox only [X Saver](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.xsaver) Android app • Queue downloads• Background processing• Share to folder Free; ads Apr 25 2025 • Mobile-friendly• Batch queue on the go • Broad storage & network permissions• Ads in free version ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-video-downloader#guides-and-articles) Guides and Articles * Bellingcat Guide to Social Media Archiving * How to Download and Archive Social Media Videos * Internet Archive’s Guide on Media Preservation [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-video-downloader#tool-provider) Tool provider ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Developer/org:** **Unknown** — site and policy pages do not disclose a legal entity (footer refers only to “Team TwitterVideoDownloader.com”; contact link is obfuscated). [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-video-downloader#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page Maintainer Martin Sona Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-video-downloader#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-video-downloader#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-video-downloader#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-video-downloader#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-video-downloader#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-video-downloader#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-video-downloader#ethical-considerations) * [Similar Tools](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-video-downloader#similar-tools) * [Guides and Articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-video-downloader#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-video-downloader#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-video-downloader#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Snap Map | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map#url) URL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [https://map.snapchat.com/](https://map.snapchat.com/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map#description) Description ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-51c4e514fb0bea1289d4414243030be5ffacca1f%252Fsnapchat%2520%283%29.jpeg%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=afea2b13&sv=2) Snap Map is a feature within [Snapchat](https://www.snapchat.com/) that displays publicly shared Snaps on an interactive map. When a user posts a Story to "Our Story", Snapchat geotags that content so it appears as a hotspot on the map. The intensity of the hotspot reflects posting volume - warmer colours indicate higher activity. Clicking a hotspot opens the associated public Snaps for that location. Snap Map is only accessible via the Snapchat mobile app. Visiting map.snapchat.com on desktop redirects to snapchat.com and does not load the map. Mobile version supports keyword search, zoom-based exploration, and browsing of user-generated photos and videos. Available layers include My Places, Footsteps (locations the user has previously visited), themed event views, and Promoted Places (commercially sponsored business locations). Investigators should be aware that Promoted Places hotspots appear alongside organic user content and can inflate apparent activity in commercial areas. For open source research purposes, Snap Map is most useful for monitoring real-time situations - protests, natural disasters, armed conflict, or large public gatherings - by accessing short clips posted by people on the ground. It has been used by investigators and journalists to gather firsthand visual evidence from areas that are otherwise difficult to access, including during the [2023 conflict in Gaza](https://techcrunch.com/2023/11/03/snapchat-snap-map-israel-hamas-war-gaza-palestine/) . Each public Snap on the map is linked to the Snapchat account that posted it. Clicking through to a post allows investigators to view the poster's public profile, which may include their username, bio, and other publicly visible content - making Snap Map a useful entry point for human network investigations tied to a specific location. Certain venues such as museums, universities, and restaurants are automatically surfaced on the map. Users can also create Geo Stories, allowing multiple people in the same area to contribute to a shared location-tagged story - these can be particularly valuable for monitoring localised events with multiple contributors. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map#comparison-of-snap-map-views) Comparison of Snap Map Views The images below demonstrate two different visualization modes within Snap Map. The left image shows the standard map view focused on Neukölln, Berlin. Individual public Snaps and curated "Top Picks" appear as location-based markers, allowing investigators to examine user-generated content at district level. The filter tabs visible at the top - Footsteps and Visited - reflect newer navigation layers tied to the user's own history rather than public content. The right image shows the heatmap view at city scale. Activity is aggregated into colour-coded intensity zones, with the warmest area centred around Tiergarten. Location labels include both Top Pick and Trending this Week markers. Note that commercial locations such as McDonald's appear as Promoted Places alongside organic user content - investigators should factor this in when interpreting hotspot activity. Together, the two views support both granular location analysis and broader pattern detection across a city. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-c94e48d29e7414caa2148ae46952c231257836c8%252Fsnapchat2%2520%282%29.jpeg%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=db9689d8&sv=2) Snap Map standard view showing individual public Snaps and “Top Picks” in Neukölln, a district of Berlin. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-51c4e514fb0bea1289d4414243030be5ffacca1f%252Fsnapchat%2520%282%29.jpeg%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=29483372&sv=2) Snap Map heatmap view illustrating overall user activity intensity across Berlin. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map#how-to-use) How to use -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Open Snap Map on the Snapchat app by tapping the map icon on the action bar. 2. Orient yourself using the heatmap view first - warmer colour clusters indicate areas of higher posting activity. This is useful for identifying where content is concentrated before zooming in. 3. Switch to standard view by zooming into an area of interest. Individual Snaps and location markers will appear, labelled as Top Picks, Trending this Week, or Geo Stories depending on the content type. 4. Filter by keyword using the search bar to narrow results to a specific event, place name, or topic. Note that there is no date or time filter - results reflect recent posts only. 5. Click on a hotspot to view the associated public Snaps for that location. Content appears as short photos or videos posted by users in or near that area. 6. Follow through to the poster's profile by tapping on an individual Snap. The public profile may include the username, bio, and other publicly visible posts - useful as a starting point for further account investigation. 7. Archive what you find immediately using a screenshot or a third-party archiving tool. Most Snaps disappear within 24 hours and there is no native export function. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map#cost) Cost * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstar [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map#requirements) Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * A Snapchat account with a verified email or phone number is required. There is no functional web or desktop version - map.snapchat.com redirects to snapchat.com on desktop browsers. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map#limitations) Limitations ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * **Data availability varies:** Content appears only where users have recently posted; rural, restricted, or low-connectivity areas may have little to no coverage. * **Limited filtering:** Search is keyword-based only. There is no way to sort by date, time, or specific username unless you are friends with that user, making targeted searches difficult. * **Temporary posts:** Most Snaps remain visible for approximately 24 hours. There is no guarantee content will still be available by the time an investigator accesses it. * **Commercial content mixed with organic posts:** Promoted Places surfaces brand locations and sponsored content directly on the map alongside user-generated Snaps, which can distort activity signals in commercial areas. * **Possible inaccuracies:** User-generated posts may carry incorrect or spoofed location tags, and content may lack sufficient context to allow researchers to verify the location independently. * **No built-in archive:** There is no native export or save function. Investigators should capture references - screenshots, URLs, or use of a third-party archiving tool - while viewing, as content may disappear within hours. * **Country availability:** Snap Map may be restricted in certain jurisdictions and availability is subject to change. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map#similar-tools) Similar Tools -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following tools also allow investigators to discover and analyse user-generated, location-tagged content across other platforms: * [**Instagram Location Search**](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/instagram-location-search) - searches for geotagged posts on Instagram near specified coordinates, useful for finding user-generated content from a specific location across a different platform. * [**Strava**](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava) - surfaces user-generated GPS activity tracks publicly shared on the platform, which can reveal movement patterns tied to specific locations. * [**Liveuamap**](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/liveuamap) - a map-based aggregator of user-reported and open source content tied to specific locations, primarily used for conflict monitoring. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Public Snaps often reveal exact locations, daily routines, and identifiable details about individuals who may not fully understand their content is publicly visible. Investigators should handle this data with care and avoid any use that could enable doxxing or harassment. * Content from public gatherings, protests, or crisis situations may include minors or people in vulnerable circumstances. Exercise particular caution sharing or publishing such material. * Snaps appear on the map before moderation. Investigators should be prepared to encounter disturbing material, particularly when monitoring conflict zones or emergency situations. * Ghost Mode prevents friends from seeing a user's location on the map, but Snapchat continues to process location data internally per its privacy policy. Investigators should not assume that a user in Ghost Mode has no location footprint within the platform. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Sung, Morgan: People are turning to Snap Map for firsthand perspectives from Gaza, [https://techcrunch.com/2023/11/03/snapchat-snap-map-israel-hamas-war-gaza-palestine/](https://techcrunch.com/2023/11/03/snapchat-snap-map-israel-hamas-war-gaza-palestine/) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map#tool-provider) Tool provider -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Snapchat, Snap Inc., USA [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer tsvetelina Last updated 1 day ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map#description) * [Comparison of Snap Map Views](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map#comparison-of-snap-map-views) * [How to use](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map#how-to-use) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map#limitations) * [Similar Tools](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map#similar-tools) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Obsidian | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian#url) URL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [https://obsidian.md/](https://obsidian.md/) (version **1.12.7,** March 3rd 2026; as of May, 2025) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian#description) Description ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Obsidian is a knowledge management tool built on top of a local folder of plain text markdown files. It is designed to make writing and organizing your thoughts, ideas, and projects easy, effectively turning your collection of notes into a connected web of knowledge. This tool is aimed at helping individuals manage their notes and organize their knowledge. Inspired by Niklas Luhman's ["Zettelkasten"](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zettelkasten) principle, It allows users to create a network of interconnected notes, facilitating complex research projects by visualizing connections through a graph view and backlinking. Obsidian is designed to be part of your routine digital workflow and, over time, become an extension of your memory and mental models. The user interface is highly customizable, and the software is supported by a large community that can contribute to a core library of plugins. Obsidian supports different user groups' various individual needs, from academic research to personal note-taking to project management. One of the standout features of Obsidian is its streamlined capability to create and navigate links between notes. Additionally, it allows for the easy integration of various document types, such as PDFs, voice memos, and images, into markdown pages using simple cut-and-paste techniques. A synergy of interconnected pages, tags, and organized folder structures forms a dynamic information network. This network is easy to explore and expand and can be visualized as a comprehensive web of interconnected knowledge nodes. Although mastering markdown editing in Obsidian may initially challenge new users, the learning curve is manageable, and the basics of the software are straightforward to grasp. As users become more proficient in using advanced markdown features, program functionalities can be seamlessly integrated, enhancing Obsidian's interface and user experience to reflect individual preferences and needs. The tool also supports advanced Markdown editing, customizable themes, and community-developed plugins that extend its functionality further. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian#functionality) Functionality * **Speed and Performance**: Obsidian's use of markdown provides fast performance, especially when typing, searching, and navigating through links, which is crucial for efficiently handling large volumes of information. * **Link Creation**: The app facilitates the creation of new documents and links between them through intuitive commands (like double brackets), making it particularly suited to organizing and connecting thoughts and knowledge. * **Customization and Control**: Users can customize the interface and control settings, such as font size, across different devices, enhancing readability and user experience. * **Back-Linking Visibility**: Obsidian automatically displays back-linked files in documents, offering a way to navigate and understand the relationships between notes without additional clicks. * **Command Palette Accessibility**: The application provides multiple ways to access commands quickly, which can simplify the workflow and increase productivity. * **Graph View**: Though its practical utility may vary, the graph view in Obsidian has potential, especially for visualizing and discovering new connections between thoughts. * **Advanced Plugin Capabilities**: With plugins like DataView, users who enjoy deep customization can manipulate data and view connections uniquely, although this requires familiarity with YAML and programming-like languages. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian#use-cases) Use-Cases 1. **Research Organization**: It enables the consolidation of research notes, sources, and data all in one place, making it easier to manage and navigate through extensive information. 2. **Story Development**: Journalists can organize their story or article outlines, connecting different pieces of research and notes to flesh out their texts. 3. **Interview Management**: Keeping track of interview notes is simplified, as each interview can be linked to topics, stories, or other interviews, creating a web of information that is easy to reference. 4. **Archiving**: The platform enables journalists to archive their stories, notes, and sources in a searchable, interconnected format, facilitating easy retrieval and future reuse of information. 5. **Collaboration**: Though primarily designed for personal use, Obsidian's ability to work with local Markdown files means journalists can use third-party tools to sync and collaborate on files with colleagues. Markdown files are inherently safe. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian#cost) Cost -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid * **Free** (personal _and_ commercial use). Optional paid services and licenses below. * **Sync**: Standard **$4/user/mo (billed annually)** or **$5/user/mo (monthly)**; **Plus $8/$10** adds more vaults, storage, and history. * **Publish**: **$8/site/mo (billed annually)** or **$10/site/mo (monthly)**. [Obsidian](https://obsidian.md/publish) * **Catalyst** (optional early‑access license): **$25 one‑time**. * **Commercial** (optional org supporter license): **$50/user/year**. * Education and non‑profit employees get **40% off Sync/Publish**. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstar Low to medium. The core app is GUI‑driven and usable without coding, but effective use benefits from basic Markdown, internal links/backlinks, and properties. Advanced setups (e.g., complex properties/Bases, data queries, or larger plugin stacks) require some configuration literacy and careful plugin selection. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian#requirements) Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ There are no specific requirements, but additional features require setting up plugins or purchasing optional services. Obsidian is available on the following platforms: * MacOS * Windows * Linux * iOS * Android [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian#limitations) Limitations ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- While Obsidian is a powerful note-taking and knowledge-base application, its focus on being a text-based editor comes with a few disadvantages: * **Not collaboration-friendly**: Obsidian is primarily designed for personal use and offers limited built-in collaboration features. While its premium sync service allows device synchronization, it is not optimized for real-time collaborative work, unlike cloud-based alternatives. Users can still collaborate by using third-party tools to sync local Markdown files, which are inherently safe for sharing. For more details on Obsidian's sync service, refer to the [Obsidian Sync documentation](https://obsidian.md/sync) . * **Learning Curve**: At first glance, Obsidian's interface might appear plain due to its subtle integration of advanced customization options and markdown features. However, while mastering all available functions only comes with regular use, initial non-use of advanced functions does not compromise the software's effectiveness as a robust note-taking tool. That being said, users uncomfortable with markdown language might prefer a less powerful app. * **No Built-in Publish Feature**: Obsidian requires a paid service called Obsidian Publish to publish notes online. This service allows users to create simple websites with select pages, which can be secured with passwords. This limitation might be significant for users needing to share their work online without relying on third-party services. For more information, visit the [Obsidian Publish](https://obsidian.md/publish) page. * **Limited External Integration**: Out of the box, Obsidian's native integration with external services such as Google Calendar is not extensive. However, a wide range of functionalities can be achieved using plugins. * **Third-party plugins:** Advanced functionalities heavily rely on third-party plugins, posing potential security risks. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- While Obsidian as a tool focuses on enhancing personal and professional productivity through effective note-taking and knowledge management, it carries its own set of ethical considerations: * **Data Privacy**: Given its offline-first approach, users have significant control over their data. However, users must be vigilant about exporting or sharing their notes through external services, which may not uphold the same privacy standards. * While Obsidian is highly customizable and feature-rich, it is **not open-source**. This means that its source code is not publicly available for review or modification, which could be a consideration for users concerned about transparency, security, and data privacy. For those who prefer open-source solutions, [Logseq](https://logseq.com/) is an alternative that offers similar capabilities with full transparency. * **Plugin Security**: The capacity to extend Obsidian's functionality with plugins is powerful but also introduces the need to trust third-party developers. Users must exercise caution, ensuring they install reputable plugins to avoid potential security risks. * **Accessibility**: Although Obsidian offers a wide range of features, its learning curve and interface may pose accessibility challenges for users who are not tech-savvy or have disabilities. * **Sustainability of the Free Model**: While Obsidian’s core functions are free, the long-term sustainability of such a model depends on a sufficient number of users opting for paid features. * **Longevity and Exportability:** Ensuring long-term accessibility of data is important; reliance on proprietary plugins may pose challenges. * **Collaboration Equity**: Obsidian is conceptualized as a personal note-taking tool. While there are available plugins and workarounds, the limited real-time collaboration functionality makes it less than ideal for collaborative settings, especially in educational or low-income environments. * **Collaboration Ethics:** Respect for collaborators’ contributions and transparent changes in shared documents is crucial. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian#guide) Guide ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To effectively use Obsidian, especially for beginners or those looking to refine their skills, the following resources are highly recommended: **Official Wiki** * [**Official help and documentation**](https://help.obsidian.md/Home) : Obsidian Help site. **Tutorials and Articles** * _A Guide to Obsidian: Local, Markdown-Powered Networked Notes — SitePoint_ (2021). Available at: https://www.sitepoint.com/obsidian-beginner-guide/, https://www.sitepoint.com/obsidian-beginner-guide/ (Accessed: 12 April 2024). * Tietze, C. (2024) ‘Uncommon OSINT: Obsidian, Semantic Meaning and NLP’, _Medium_, 13 April. Available at: [https://medium.com/@farallon/uncommon-osint-obsidian-semantic-meaning-and-nlp-3339e1e51d70](https://medium.com/@farallon/uncommon-osint-obsidian-semantic-meaning-and-nlp-3339e1e51d70) (Accessed: 23 April 2024). **Video Tutorials** * _Obsidian for Beginners: Start HERE — How to Use the Obsidian App for Notes_ (2020). Available at: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgbLb6QCK88](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgbLb6QCK88) (Accessed: 12 April 2024). * _Obsidian Note Taking Tutorial for Beginners - Start HERE (w/ example)_ (2021). Available at: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3e7GWsqoU0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3e7GWsqoU0) (Accessed: 12 April 2024). #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian#developer-resources) Developer Resources * [**https://github.com/obsidianmd**](https://github.com/obsidianmd) **Community and Support** * [**User Forum**](https://forum.obsidian.md/) **:** help and support. * [**Discord**](https://discord.gg/obsidianmd) : community and support. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian#tool-provider) Tool provider -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dynalist Inc. [https://obsidian.md/](https://obsidian.md/) - Canada [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Martin Sona Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian#description) * [Functionality](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian#functionality) * [Use-Cases](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian#use-cases) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian#ethical-considerations) * [Guide](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian#guide) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/obsidian#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # OCCRP Aleph | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph#url) URL --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://aleph.occrp.org/](https://aleph.occrp.org/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph#description) Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aleph is a platform by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) to help journalists and investigators "follow the money". It provides access to many datasets on people and companies, and offers tools to organize and visualize data. Investigators can use Aleph to search sanctions lists, corporate registries, leaks, and more. They can also create workspaces to collaborate and upload their own data to cross-reference with Aleph's datasets. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph#how-to-search-and-filter-data) How to search and filter data Type the name of an individual, an organization, a company or a keyword in the search bar. The results will display the total number of mentions of your search term and the yellow highlights will show the context in which the search term appears. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-c7f76dedd1fc5a5dd787998e1ebe04bf651788c0%252FAle1.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=b7da98b&sv=2) The search term Dmitry Medvedev returns over 4,000 results. To narrow down the search results, use the menu on the left to filter by date, country, language of the document, and datasets. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-2a457d4ae89895cab68721d837f6cd84ccec56bf%252FAle2.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=c09b4db5&sv=2) Example of all the available filters. To view a particular entry, click on the hyperlink you are interested in. This opens a pop-up in the same window. From here you can review the document online or download it. . ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-e0336e3f92bdc65e40b854fb31127581034627f3%252FAle3.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=72261469&sv=2) View of a selected document from the results page The OCCRP Aleph website has a handy [video tutorial](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3AxSMBzJ14) on how to search and filter data as well as written detailed instructions on [search basics](https://docs.aleph.occrp.org/users/search/basics/) . ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph#how-to-perform-an-advanced-search) How to perform an advanced search In addition to basic keyword searches, Aleph offers advanced search capabilities, enabling users to find matches based on spelling variations, term proximity, and other sophisticated criteria. The advanced search options can be helpful in cases when there are too many results and you need to narrow down your search further. You can use the fields in the advanced search, or you can use search operators. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-e7fff51d0ae1f6a5ff65d08d7354efcec4d3d62d%252FAle4.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D969789f2-6b10-4a50-8dd5-8cdf6974e961&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=ef1b7325&sv=2) Advanced search options on the Aleph website Some examples of search operators that can be used instead of the advanced search form above:[](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph#some-examples-of-search-operators-that-can-be-used-instead-of-the-advanced-search-form-above) _**""**_ _Quotations - putting a phrase within quotations will prompt the search to find the exact match of that phrase, for example_ _**"money laundering"**_ _will return results for this same search term._ _**~**_ _Proximity variant 1 - this is useful when you need to search for slight variations in a search term, for example launder~3 will search for launder, but also matches that that include up to 3-letter variations of "launder" - launder__**ed,**_ _launder__**ing**__, laund__**ers**__. These variations include adding, removing, and changing a letter._ _**~**_ _Proximity variant 2 - used to find words in proximity to each other and is helpful when you need higher relevance for the results, for example "fraud minister"~5 will search these two words within a given distance from each other. In this case it will search for matches where_ _**fraud**_ _and_ _**minister**_ _are five or fewer words apart from each other._ _**+/-**_ _Inclusion/exclusion of keywords - finds matches that contain one search term but exclude another, for example +Moscow -Medvedev will search documents that contain the word Moscow, but will exclude that contain Medvedev. Please be aware that in this case it will also exclude documents that contain BOTH Moscow and Medvedev._ _**AND**_ _operator - searches matches in which each result must contain both the keywords, but won't return matches that only contain just one of those keywords, for example_ _**Russia AND Medvedev**__._ _**OR**_ _operator - searches all matches that contain one or the other search keyword, or both, for example_ _**Russia OR Medvedev**__._ _Searches can be as intricate as you want them to be, for example +Medved~2 AND (Moscow OR Kremlin OR Krasnodar) -Putin. Additionally, these searches work in Cyrillic._ OCCRP Aleph does provide a step-by-step tutorial on advanced searches [here](https://docs.aleph.occrp.org/users/search/advanced/) . ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph#how-to-search-within-datasets) How to search within datasets At the top of the Aleph page there is a menu called Datasets which opens a search for each dataset in the OCCRP databank. You can use the search bar to find a specific dataset and browse its contents. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-22423a2e1c247cf2f9c2c9deb98e0ff4d77aeb7b%252FAle5.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=fab95983&sv=2) The top right menu Datasets takes you to the search bar. Use keywords to find datasets you are interested in. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-22f768aa8b865e41c3fb429798dd18b8faaf4fd8%252FAle6.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=cfc200d&sv=2) View of a specific dataset. Each of the names, emails, and entity types above is hyperlinked and opens a new page for the selected item. Use the Source Documents menu to review each uploaded file in this dataset. The documents are all available for download. Additionally, you can chose the Cross-reference menu to check for different spellings of names, or variations in the names. The cross-reference results are also available for download and can help clear out uncertainties in your research. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-3fa6ca99bf59c826e07efcc0d1ad8a2d90fc5163%252FAle7.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=4d7dd4bc&sv=2) Example of the Source documents view ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-cd6341d18901b29cd44d87464fec0253e8b1585e%252FAle8.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dc525eb04-abad-4f1c-82b9-fdf07b4c024b&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=cbbd6566&sv=2) Example of the Cross-reference view If you have created an account for Aleph, you can also make use of their Investigation workspaces. Here is a [detailed guide](https://docs.aleph.occrp.org/users/investigations/overview/) on how to create and handle a workspace. You can find the [languages supported on Aleph here](https://docs.aleph.occrp.org/developers/reference/languages/) and which ones have an [OCR](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_character_recognition) feature. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph#cost) Cost ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstarstar Aleph provides a range of tools and mechanisms to aid investigations. They are simple to use, but familiarizing yourself with the different tools and their functions may take some time. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph#requirements) Requirements --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No account is necessary to browse Aleph data. However, if you need to export search results, you need to create a free account. This requires the submission of evidence of relevant previous work (reports, articles, etc.), the name of the organization you are affiliated with and your role there. The same goes for creating research project spaces. Some datasets are only accessible to approved users. To be approved, fill out [this form](https://occrp.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portal/14) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph#limitations) Limitations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The OCCRP has restricted access to certain datasets. Access to protected materials can be granted to investigative journalists, activists, or researchers. Leaked datasets by nature are not always complete, and are thus imperfect sources. Some data types are not compatible with Aleph. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- While leaked datasets can provide valuable insights and foster transparency, they often involve sensitive and personal information obtained without consent. Thus, making use of these datasets can harm individuals whose data has been exposed. It is therefore imperative to weigh the public interest against privacy violations and ensure data is handled responsibly, with respect for legal and ethical standards. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Aleph User Guide](https://docs.aleph.occrp.org/users/) Aleph's [technical documentation](https://docs.aleph.occrp.org/developers/) for developers, including an architecture overview, API usage, ingest pipelines, named entity and pattern extraction, development and operations guides. OCCRP: [How to Search, Use Filters, and Set Alerts](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3AxSMBzJ14) Humber College's StoryLab: [Using OCCRP’s Aleph for Dark Web Data Analysis](https://humberstorylab.ca/projects/general/using-occrps-aleph-for-dark-web-data-analysis/) A detailed introduction to Aleph Associação Brasileira de Jornalismo Investigativo: [Learn how to use Aleph in your journalistic investigations](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WEQvkOZWEw) (video in Portuguese) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph#tool-provider) Tool provider ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The [Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP)](https://www.occrp.org/en/about-us) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer LPetrova Last updated 7 months ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph#description) * [How to search and filter data](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph#how-to-search-and-filter-data) * [How to perform an advanced search](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph#how-to-perform-an-advanced-search) * [How to search within datasets](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph#how-to-search-within-datasets) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/occrp-aleph#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # PixPlot | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pixplot.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pixplot#url) URL ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://github.com/YaleDHLab/pix-plot](https://github.com/YaleDHLab/pix-plot) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pixplot#description) Description --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PixPlot is a visualization tool that allows users to explore large image collections in an interactive, graphical way. Developed to handle thousands to millions of images, it employs dimensionality reduction and clustering algorithms to organize images based on their visual similarities. This can make it a useful tool for open source researchers, digital humanities researchers, archivists, and anyone looking to categorize or find patterns in extensive visual datasets. The tool can be installed and run locally on a laptop or desktop and it can be installed and hosted on a web server to allow public access and visualisation. The Digital Methods Initiative currently provide an instance of PixPlot here: [https://pixplot.digitalmethods.net/](https://pixplot.digitalmethods.net/) where users can upload and visualise their own images. The example below shows clusters of 2020 Instagram Conspiracy Posts; ![PixPlot Screenshot of clusters of 2020 Instagram Conspiracy Posts](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-982d52a5e764568d885d57d71a0e30655650cb12%252FScreenshot%25202024-04-15%2520at%25202.54.52%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=8d05245&sv=2) PixPlot Screenshot of clusters of 2020 Instagram Conspiracy Posts ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pixplot#use-cases-for-open-source-researchers) Use Cases for Open Source Researchers PixPlot can serve open source researchers in numerous ways, some of which include: * **Pattern Recognition:** Researchers can use PixPlot to identify visual patterns across large image datasets, aiding in the discovery of trends or anomalies within a specific domain of study. * **Data Categorization:** By visually clustering similar images, PixPlot simplifies the task of categorizing images into meaningful groups, thereby facilitating easier data management and retrieval. * **Cultural Studies:** For those studying cultural trends, PixPlot can analyze and visualize the evolution of visual elements in media over time, offering insights into how cultural representations change. * **Archival Exploration:** researchers can leverage PixPlot to sift through extensive archives, enabling quicker identification of relevant materials by visual similarity rather than manual search. * **Biodiversity Research:** researchers studying biodiversity can use PixPlot to cluster images of flora and fauna, helping in the identification of species and understanding of ecological networks through visual data. Each of these use cases demonstrates how PixPlot can be used by open source researchers across different fields, enabling them to visualize and analyze large image datasets effectively. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pixplot#cost) Cost ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid * [MIT License](https://github.com/YaleDHLab/pix-plot/blob/master/LICENSE) - the software is free for use including commercial. * Self-hosting PixPlot on the web may incur web hosting fees. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pixplot#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstarstarstarstar [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pixplot#requirements) Requirements ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- See the installation cookbooks available here: [https://github.com/YaleDHLab/pix-plot/wiki](https://github.com/YaleDHLab/pix-plot/wiki) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pixplot#limitations) Limitations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PixPlot, while powerful, comes with its own set of limitations: * **Processing Power**: PixPlot requires a significant amount of GPU resources for processing large datasets, which might not be feasible for users with limited computational capabilities. * **Data Volume**: There is a practical limit on the amount of data that can be visualized efficiently, potentially excluding very large datasets from being fully analyzed without prior downsampling or segmentation. * **User Experience**: Users without a technical background may find the tool challenging to set up and use, as it requires familiarity with Python and data processing principles. * **Interactivity Scalability**: While PixPlot is good in visual granularity, navigating through thousands of images can become less intuitive, impacting the user experience in exploring very dense plots. * **Customization Flexibility**: Some users might find the customization options for visualization to be limited, affecting researchers who wish to apply very specific analytical lenses to their data. These limitations should be carefully considered by researchers to assess the feasibility and suitability of PixPlot for their specific project needs. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pixplot#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When employing PixPlot for visualizing datasets, it is crucial to address several ethical considerations: * **Privacy and Consent**: Given PixPlot's capability to analyze and visualize large sets of images, ensuring that the datasets do not infringe on individual privacy rights is paramount. Users must ensure that the images processed have been obtained with consent and in compliance with data protection regulations. * **Bias in Data**: Users should be aware of and address any inherent biases within their datasets. Since PixPlot visualizes data as-is, any underlying bias will be reflected in the output, potentially leading to misleading interpretations. * **Accessibility**: The accessibility of the generated visualizations for individuals with disabilities should be considered. Efforts should be made to ensure that the visual content is accessible to a broad audience, including those with visual impairments. * **Interpretation and Misuse**: The way visualized data is presented and interpreted can significantly impact the audience. Users of PixPlot should strive for accuracy and clarity to prevent misuse of data or misinterpretation, which could lead to misinformation or harm. By carefully considering these ethical aspects, users can ensure responsible and respectful use of PixPlot in their projects. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pixplot#guide) Guide --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To effectively use PixPlot, especially for beginners or those looking to refine their skills, the following resources are highly recommended: **Official Wiki** * [**https://github.com/YaleDHLab/pix-plot**](https://github.com/YaleDHLab/pix-plot) **Tutorials and Articles** * Yale Digital Humanities Lab (no date) _Yale DHLab - PixPlot_. Available at: [https://dhlab.yale.edu/projects/pixplot/](https://dhlab.yale.edu/projects/pixplot/) (Accessed: 15 April 2024). **Video Tutorials** * _PixPlot at Yale University. P. Leonard_ (2024). Available at: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P42hbBjAqiY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P42hbBjAqiY) (Accessed: 15 April 2024). * _Visualizing Large Collections of Images: PixPlot as a Tool for Digital Humanists (with Case Study)_ (2022). Available at: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv5LaX1uJws](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv5LaX1uJws) (Accessed: 15 April 2024). * _What is PixPlot? (DH Tools)_ (2021). Available at: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCwihTOnQv0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCwihTOnQv0) (Accessed: 15 April 2024). #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pixplot#developer-resources) Developer Resources * Yale Digital Humanities Lab (2024) ‘YaleDHLab/pix-plot’. Yale Digital Humanities Lab. Available at: [https://github.com/YaleDHLab/pix-plot](https://github.com/YaleDHLab/pix-plot) (Accessed: 15 April 2024). * Dockerised version of PixPlot [https://github.com/digitalmethodsinitiative/dmi\_pix\_plot](https://github.com/digitalmethodsinitiative/dmi_pix_plot) **Community and Support** * [https://github.com/YaleDHLab/pix-plot](https://github.com/YaleDHLab/pix-plot) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pixplot#tool-provider) Tool provider ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yale Digital Humanities Lab [http://dhlab.yale.edu/](http://dhlab.yale.edu/) - United States [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pixplot#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Bellingcat Volunteer Team/Unassigned Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pixplot#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pixplot#description) * [Use Cases for Open Source Researchers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pixplot#use-cases-for-open-source-researchers) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pixplot#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pixplot#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pixplot#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pixplot#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pixplot#ethical-considerations) * [Guide](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pixplot#guide) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pixplot#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/pixplot#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # OpenSanctions | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensanctions.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensanctions#url) URL ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://www.opensanctions.org/](https://www.opensanctions.org/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensanctions#description) Description --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OpenSanctions provides a structured database of people and entities subject to sanctions or other financial restrictions, politically exposed persons (PEPs) and other individuals and entities of interest. The database is curated by a team of researchers and journalists, and is designed to be easily accessible and usable by individuals, organizations, and governments. The data includes information on individuals, organizations, and vessels that are subject to sanctions, as well as the legal frameworks and sanctions regimes that apply to them. OpenSanctions is intended to help individuals and organizations comply with international sanctions laws, as well as to facilitate research and investigative journalism into financial crime and corruption. Most of the PEP data is collected via Wikidata and relies heavily on it as a data source. Wikidata contains more than 120 million entities. OpenSanctions over 320 separate dataset collections with multiple sources of data. All the data collected and provided by OpenSanctions is publicly available. The full list of sources can be found and explored [here](https://www.opensanctions.org/datasets/sources/) . Each dataset has its own page with a description, options for a bulk download of data and information on where the data has been sourced from. The page also features consolidated sanctions on 75,746 entities. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-b6bd21fb030a79d189f71776930b3e59ee0b3f90%252FScreenshot%25202025-01-09%2520at%252010.59.49%25E2%2580%25AFAM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=17c96a0a&sv=2) Schedule of updates frequency on the OpenSantions website. For basic desktop research, go to [https://www.opensanctions.org/research/](https://www.opensanctions.org/research/) and type the name of an entity, a person or a vessel in the search bar. **Example 1: Search for an entity** * Type the name of an entity in the search bar. In this case Ascotec Steel. The search returns 4 results, because this company has subsidiaries with the word Ascotec in the name, and because the data comes from separate data sources. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-d25fbce061ad18af002b99b9a459b15d57952ccb%252FOS1.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=f2a42945&sv=2) * Review all the results to locate the company of interest, in this case Ascotec Steel Trading GmbH. The profile for this company includes information on its incorporation date (November 11, 1999), jurisdiction (Germany), addresses and the sanctioning authority (OFAC). * Once you open a company profile, read through each line of the tables provided. Each line gives information on what the data represents. For example in the Relationships section the information lists two addresses, associated with Ascotec Steel Trading GmbH. The Data sources sections indicates where this information comes from. In this case from OpenSanctions databases compiled by scraping publicly available data from the US Trade Consolidated Screening List (a list of parties for which the U.S. government maintains restrictions on certain exports, reexports, or transfers of items), the U.S. SAM Procurement Exclusions (database of suppliers who have been excluded from participating in federal procurement), and the OFAC Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List (the primary U.S. sanctions list, specially designated nationals (SDN) part). ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-81b3bd96cf03e5513234b784d222e51d0fe7cb4f%252FOS2.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=a78c94f9&sv=2) Basic information on the company - addresses associated with it, when it was incorporated and where, its registration number with the German authorities (HRB 48319). ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-b989f7d377d6ab3aaf462a955a7eda008e311a6d%252FOS3.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=c90d155&sv=2) The sanctioning authority is located in the Sanctions section, in this case OFAC which is listed in two different ways - TREAS-OFAC and Office of Foreign Assests Control. * The little arrows next to each data point opens a pop-up window showing additional information regarding the type of sanction. For more details on a specific sanction, you can visit the websites provided in the URLs from OpenSanctions to conduct further research on the company. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-f967f5313c9d59bf904a67be08f45701c0ae54dc%252FOS4.1.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=e6df2c02&sv=2) Info on the specific sanction: what was the reason (an executive order for blocking property of the Government of Iran and Iranian financial institutions), the sanctioning authority (OFAC), sanction ID No. (11613) ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-fdbde23aef1cf6289fdb10efb9fa893bc1018c08%252FOS4.2.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=328488b0&sv=2) This sanction entry was sourced from the government procurement website of the US - SAM.gov and lists the fact that Ascotec Steel is prohibited from participating in public procurement bids. **Example 2: Search for an individual** * Type the name of an individual in the search bar. If you are uncertain about the full legal name, try using the individual's last name. In this case Ivanov. The search returns 531 results for a last name Ivanov. The results can be filtered by topics, data sources and countries using the lists on the right. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-32ed7b7069e169c5a58ac1f67f4f0fcf983300f9%252FOS8.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=e643c04a&sv=2) Results for searching by keyword 'Ivanov' * Once you have located the individual of interest, click on the name to open their profile. Please note that individuals appearing on the OpenSanctions website iclude sanctioned persons, as well as politically exposed persons (politicians, government officials, government employees). In this case the individual is a politician - member of a national parliament. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-cd51bf97ab386d09348f91f5b2f06e9e02afd84c%252FOS9.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=73f416db&sv=2) Profile for Momchil Ivanov with information about his date of birth, his full legal name and why he is a politically exposed person - member of the Bulgarian parliament. **Example 3: Search for a vessel** * Type the name of a vessel. In this case the vessel is Artemis Offshore. The search returns two separate results because the data comes from separate data sources. However, looking into each result indicates that this vessel was sanctioned by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-2324971a37ac0cdf442a19d810ed395a0c523c19%252FOS5.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=68178229&sv=2) Search results for the Artemis Offshore vessel * The first result does not provide a lot of information, other than the sanctioning authority and the data source for the entry. In this case the sanctioning autorithy - TREAS-OFAC refers to the Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC") of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. A sanctioning authority in this context is a government body with the power to impose sanctions. These may include the United Nations, the European Union, OFAC, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-eeead0e0385c954d14c0d35f7186250d3f346538%252FOS6.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=8b248268&sv=2) * The second result provides more detailed information, most importantly the call sign of the vessel (a unique ID number to ships and boats), under which flag it operates, and who owns it. In this case it is owned by the Russian Marine Rescue Service. This information can be used to cross-reference the vessel through other tools such as [VesselFinder](https://www.vesselfinder.com/) or [MarineTraffic](https://www.marinetraffic.com/) . ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-afc82cb70e26896e4eee645b401adf26d8e54267%252FOS7.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dff00cb71-cc7d-45d1-aecd-2efc6e59195a&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=955516f4&sv=2) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensanctions#cost) Cost ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid OpenSanctions is free for non-commercial users. Business and commercial users must either acquire a data license, or subscribe to the pay-as-you-go API service. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensanctions#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstar [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensanctions#requirements) Requirements ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No specific requirements for desktop research. Some requirements and set-up needed to use the API. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensanctions#limitations) Limitations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Does not cover a lot of jurisdictions when it comes to politically exposed persons (PEPs) - 28 countries, one European Union dataset collection and one global dataset with a total of 681,011 entries. Most of the datasets are reportedly updated daily. Possibly missing a lot of names of individuals that hold government positions in countries across the world. Possible duplication of entries in the databases - there is a possible overlap of data in different datasets. Although OpenCorporates claims do perform de-duplication to avoid overlap and confusion, this is still a possibility. The vessels database is very limited with just over 2,000 entries and researchers should use other available tools in addition to OpenSanctions to look for vessels. The search returns different number of results or no results at all if the searched keyword is typed in Cyrillic (e.g. using search term _Gazprom_ returns 44 results, while using _Газпром_ returns 327 results). This is an issue with desktop research if there are too many similar results and the researcher has to go through a number of them to locate a specific entity. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensanctions#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is usually masked or hidden and the information comes from public sources, usually government ones, however if PII has not been redacted, it should be used with caution. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensanctions#guide) Guide --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OpenSanctions API user and implementation [guide](https://api.opensanctions.org/#section/Introduction) . OpenSanctions datasets [collections](https://www.opensanctions.org/datasets/) in `.json` format that are downloadable, with the option to be integrated in other systems and databases. A [use-case article](https://www.opensanctions.org/articles/2024-05-03-guernsey-fiu/) on how the Guernsey Financial Intelligence Unit used OpenSanctions to fight money laundering and drug trafficking. Convier: [Sanctions screening of documents with OpenSanctions and Convier](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLVHuM6WLfY) Neo4j: [OpenSanctions Demo](https://www.youtube.com/live/T3uGVrrMeTo?si=wPPIUZG_-Z24cCzM&t=1319) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensanctions#tool-provider) Tool provider ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OpenSanctions Datenbanken GmbH, a for-profit entity based in Germany. From September 2021 to February 2022, the project received financial support from the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, BMBF) under grant identifier 01IS21S48. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensanctions#similar-tools) Similar tools ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There are various tools for researching sanctions on the web. Bellingcat also has descriptions and guides on SanctionsExplorer, EU Sanctions Map and OCCRP Aleph. Although they serve the same purpose, there are some major differences among them: ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-b3117d83982181cb53ac355311df5eb614d4ce28%252FScreenshot%25202025-05-01%2520at%25205.58.12%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=6ced5849&sv=2) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensanctions#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer LPetrova Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensanctions#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensanctions#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensanctions#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensanctions#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensanctions#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensanctions#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensanctions#ethical-considerations) * [Guide](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensanctions#guide) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensanctions#tool-provider) * [Similar tools](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensanctions#similar-tools) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensanctions#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Overpass Turbo | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#url) URL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [https://overpass-turbo.eu/](https://overpass-turbo.eu/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#description) Description ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overpass Turbo is a web application designed for querying and analyzing crowd sourced data from OpenStreetMap (OSM), providing an interface for conducting complex queries on OSM's expansive database. This tool is particularly valuable for users interested in geographic information systems (GIS), offering functionalities crucial for data mining and research in various fields like urban planning, disaster management, and environmental studies. Through Overpass Turbo, users can extract specific information such as the location of amenities, road networks, and geographical features, facilitating detailed analysis and visualization of geographic data across the globe. The full list of searchable map features is available [here](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Map_features) and a visual guide to OSM tags is available [here](https://taginfo.openstreetmap.org/) . **Features:** * **Current Location**: option to centre map at users location. * **Coverage:** Global but can be limited in some areas. * **Export**: options to export in numerous formats including for data (GeoJSON, GPX, KML, raw OSM data), Map (as a PNG image or interactive Map) or the query alone. Also supports conversion options. * **Help**: inline help. * **Language:** supports multiple languages. * **Location search:** search by location name. * **Raw Data**: toggle to preview the query as raw data. * **Sharing:** share the current code state and map state. * **Toggle Data**: display data overlay. * **Wide map**: Toggle Wide map * **Wizard**: includes a wizard for building queries. * **Zoom to data:** zoom to include all data points. * **Zoom tool:** zoom in and out on the map. The example below shows a query for Drinking Water fountain amenities: ![Screenshot of Overpass Turbo with a query for drinking water fountains and a map with the fountains highlighted in red.](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-066b6ff64c0917b453172de97b751a55425e2229%252FScreenshot%25202024-03-31%2520at%252012.44.00%2520PM%2520%281%29.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=bb614ade&sv=2) Screenshot of search results for a query for Drinking Water fountain amenities. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#example-use-cases) **Example Use Cases** Online Open Source Investigators can leverage Overpass Turbo in numerous ways to enhance their reporting and storytelling, particularly in investigative journalism. Some applications include: * **Tracking and Reporting Urban Development:** Journalists can monitor construction projects, changes in land use, and gentrification trends, providing data-backed reports on urban growth or decline. * **Investigating Environmental Issues:** By analyzing data on green spaces, pollution sources, and changes in natural landscapes, reporters can uncover stories on environmental degradation, conservation efforts, and climate change impacts. * **Transportation and Infrastructure Reporting:** Data on road networks, public transport facilities, and infrastructure developments can inform stories on transportation challenges, government spending, and urban mobility. * **Disaster Reporting:** In the aftermath of natural disasters, journalists can quickly gather information on affected areas, infrastructure damage, and relief efforts to provide accurate and timely news coverage. In each of these use cases, users can precisely tailor their queries to extract specific data points from the vast repository of geographic information available on OpenStreetMap, demonstrating the flexibility and utility of Overpass Turbo for various open source research applications. Latest features and changes: [https://github.com/tyrasd/overpass-turbo/commits/master/](https://github.com/tyrasd/overpass-turbo/commits/master/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#cost) Cost -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstarstar [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#requirements) Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Any modern web browser. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#limitations) Limitations ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * **Query Complexity and Performance:** Overpass Turbo might struggle with very complex queries or large data sets, leading to long response times or timeouts. There are some performance hints in [the documentation](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Overpass_API/Overpass_QL) . * **Learning Curve:** For new users, the query language (Overpass QL) has a steep learning curve. * **Resource Intensity:** Running intensive queries can put a significant load on the Overpass servers, potentially leading to throttling or temporary bans. More information on [rate limits and quotas](https://dev.overpass-api.de/overpass-doc/en/preface/commons.html) plus a some performance advice is available at the end of [_A Turbo Introduction to Overpass_](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/A_turbo_introduction_to_Overpass_(with_notes).pdf) . * **Data Currency:** While Overpass Turbo provides access to up-to-date OSM data, there may be a minor delay in data refresh rates which could impact real-time data analysis needs. See [Overpass Turbo Data Out of Date](https://www.reddit.com/r/openstreetmap/comments/jcamkz/overpass_turbo_data_out_of_date/) for more information. * **Geographical Limitations:** Performance and efficiency can degrade for queries that span very large geographical areas or the entire globe. * **User Interface:** While functional, the user interface may not be as intuitive or user-friendly for those not familiar with geographical information systems (GIS) or coding. * **Crowdsourced data**: availability of data depends on the data users have provided to OSM. There is evidence that data from Volunteered Geographic Information Research can be more current in times of humanitarian crisis (the 2010 [Haiti](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.2202/1948-4682.1069) earthquake for example) but this may not always be the case. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overpass Turbo has the following ethical considerations * **Privacy and Data Sensitivity**: While Overpass Turbo offers broad access to public OpenStreetMap (OSM) data, users should be cautious when querying or sharing data that could potentially reveal sensitive information about individuals or locations. * **Responsible Use of Resources**: Given the resource-intensive nature of some queries, users should consider the impact of their actions on the availability of Overpass Turbo for others. Excessive or unnecessary querying can lead to server strain, affecting the service for all users (see [Heavy Traffic](https://www.browserstack.com/guide/why-website-loading-slow) ). * **Data Accuracy and Misuse**: Users should be aware that data obtained from Overpass Turbo, as with any crowdsourced information, may not always be accurate or up to date. Misinterpretation or misuse of this data can lead to ethical concerns, especially if used in critical applications or decision-making processes. * **Open Data Ethics**: Engaging with Overpass Turbo and OSM data should align with the ethics of open data usage, including respecting licensing agreements, attributing data correctly, and contributing to the data's quality and richness where possible. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#guide) Guide ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To effectively use Overpass Turbo, especially for beginners or those looking to refine their skills, the following resources are highly recommended: #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#official-wiki) Official Wiki * [**Overpass API Language Guide**](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Overpass_API/Language_Guide) **:** A comprehensive guide to understanding the query language used in Overpass Turbo. * [**Overpass API By Example**](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Overpass_API/Overpass_API_by_Example) **:** Offers a wide range of example queries that can help users learn through practical scenarios. #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#tutorials-and-articles) Tutorials and Articles * [_Overpass Tutorial_](https://osm-queries.ldodds.com/tutorial/index.html) (no date). Available at: [https://osm-queries.ldodds.com/tutorial/index.html](https://osm-queries.ldodds.com/tutorial/index.html) (Accessed: 2 March 2026). * [_Learn Overpass._](https://osmlab.github.io/learnoverpass/en/) (no date). Available at: [https://osmlab.github.io/learnoverpass//en/](https://osmlab.github.io/learnoverpass/en/) (Accessed: 2 March 2026). #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#video-tutorials) Video Tutorials * [_A turbo introduction to Overpass_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9QI4AfwHoM) _\- MInh Nguyễn_ (2019). Available at: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9QI4AfwHoM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9QI4AfwHoM) (Accessed: 2 March 2026). #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#community-and-support) Community and Support * [**OSM Help Forum**](https://help.openstreetmap.org/) **:** A place where users can ask questions about Overpass Turbo and receive answers from the community. * [**Stack Overflow**](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/overpass-api) **:** Users can find or ask questions tagged with `overpass-api`, which includes topics on Overpass Turbo. By exploring these resources, users can build a strong foundation in using Overpass Turbo for their OpenStreetMap (OSM) data querying needs. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#tool-provider) Tool provider -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _Overpass Turbo_ is maintained by Martin Raifer (tyr.asd at gmail.com) [_Open Street Maps_](https://osmfoundation.org/wiki/About) United Kingdom [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Author: Bellingcat Volunteer Team Reviewer: Sophie Tedling. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#see-also) See Also ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [![Logo](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bellingcat.com%2Fapp%2Fthemes%2Fbellingcat%2Fassets%2Ficons%2Ffavicons%2Fapple-touch-icon-1024x1024.png&width=20&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=3468720&sv=2)Finding Geolocation Leads with Bellingcat's OpenStreetMap Search Tool - bellingcatbellingcat](https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/how-tos/2023/05/08/finding-geolocation-leads-with-bellingcats-openstreetmap-search-tool/) Bellingcat article [![Logo](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fosm-search.bellingcat.com%2Ffavicon.ico&width=20&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=8720d82a&sv=2)Bellingcat OpenStreetMap searchosm-search.bellingcat.com](https://osm-search.bellingcat.com/) Bellingcat tool Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#description) * [Example Use Cases](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#example-use-cases) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#ethical-considerations) * [Guide](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#guide) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#a-dvertising-trackers) * [See Also](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/overpass-turbo#see-also) Was this helpful? --- # SanctionsExplorer | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sanctionsexplorer.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sanctionsexplorer#url) URL --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://sanctionsexplorer.org/](https://sanctionsexplorer.org/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sanctionsexplorer#description) Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Explorer was developed by C4ADS as a "[comprehensive source](https://sanctionsexplorer.org/about) of all current and historical sanctions data across all major sanctioning authorities." Sanctions Explorer is a joint project between non-profits [Archer](https://archerimpact.com/about) and [C4ADS](https://c4ads.org/about-us/) . It includes sanctions imposed by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom (UK), the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and Japan. Sanctions Explorer persistently monitors the UN, EU, and OFAC websites for updates to the sanctions lists and publishes the new data to the website as it goes active. The database is updated daily. Sanctions Explorer derives its data from the following four sources: [Historical OFAC Data](https://ofac.treasury.gov/) , current [OFAC Data](https://sanctionslist.ofac.treas.gov/Home/SdnList) , [EU Data](https://data.europa.eu/data/datasets/consolidated-list-of-persons-groups-and-entities-subject-to-eu-financial-sanctions-fisma?locale=en) , and [UN Data](https://main.un.org/securitycouncil/en/content/un-sc-consolidated-list) . The data contains sanctioned individuals, entities, vessels and aircraft. To search for any of these categories, type a keyword in the search bar. The search is designed to also run "fuzzy" keywords - words that are only a few characters different than the search query. For example, the words 'Hong' and 'Hone' only differ by one letter. Matches are sorted by relevance and get more inexact the further you scroll. Source: [SanctionsExporer FAQ](https://sanctionsexplorer.org/faq) . ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-2482c6da7f06608ca4cbd6e8b2f2c2104e0a011f%252FSE1.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=f10c2413&sv=2) Search bar for keyword queries * Example of the results using the search query Defense Engineering. The filters on the left can be used to narrow results by organization, individual, vessel or aircraft. At the top right there is an option to export all the search results into a CSV file. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-54e84dc2a144a3445169b47e6683d1b50d24bad8%252FSE2.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=2b87539&sv=2) Results page for search query Defense Engineering Clicking on any of the Entity Names will open the profile for that specific entity. * An example of what a profile for an organization looks like. The information includes current and previous names of a company of organizations, the date they were registered or incorporated with the relevant authorities in the country, possible addresses and the sanctions they are subject to. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-de456a65a2d005f24ffb61a89c8ad3f7af4e73c5%252FSE3.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=3325a7e1&sv=2) Profile for Defense Engineering Solutions. Click to expand and view explanation notes. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-d0bd9725682a4e577a8b78ce6e603476c14b4dce%252FSE4.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=169edbbe&sv=2) Profile for Defense Engineering Solutions. Click to expand and view explanation notes. * An example of what a profile for an individual looks like. The information includes the full legal name of an individual including their aliases and variations of their name with different possible spellings, personal data like date and place of birth and the sanctions they are subject to. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-b31ffd14a36df9824073373e76947216fde9e74f%252FSE5.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=f27edd36&sv=2) Profile for Dmitry Lukashenko. Click to expand and view explanation notes. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-7c5a59aeb2fac13fb5569d7a488f7288bef5aa19%252FSE6.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Ded7752f8-b2b8-453e-b8f6-8bf0cad2da47&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=65c858b0&sv=2) Profile for Dmitry Lukashenko. Click to expand and view explanation notes. * An example of what a profile for a vessel looks like. The information includes the name of the vessel, the country responsible for it, its owner. However, information on vessels is quite limited and additional research is encouraged using other platforms such as [Marine Traffic](https://www.marinetraffic.com/) . ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-7ec3f43027d1d5fe4723bc10ee8f3f02381606c2%252FSE7.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=9e213251&sv=2) Profile for Hap Jang Gang vessel. Click to expand and view explanation notes. * An example of what a profile for an aircraft looks like. The information includes the manufacture date, the model of the aircraft (this usually includes the name of manufacturer, but not always), the current and sometimes the previous tail number, and the owner of the aircraft. Please note that to search for aircraft in Sanctions Explorer, you can use either the tail number, the name of the aircraft or the manufacturer (e.g. Airbus, Sikorsky, LockheedMartin, Bell Helicopter, Embraer, Bombardier), or the model (Phenom 300, CRJ100, etc.). ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-d303855dec89cdd7e51088d99d77f7a292baba12%252FSE8.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=547bb2c9&sv=2) Profile for MSN 615 aircraft. Click to expand and view explanation notes. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-cdd8dc04803dd92b74d2b2f0116f109518b6361f%252FSE9.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3De97b0c0d-75b9-42c9-b6f8-ae4cc0e02ae9&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=b4c4e02c&sv=2) Profile for MSN 615 aircraft. Click to expand and view explanation notes. * Sanctions Explorer has an [Analytics](https://sanctionsexplorer.org/analytics) section, where you can see statistics for the number of sanctions added over time, by type of entity (aircraft, vessel, individual, organization), the number of sanctions by authority, as well as an interactive map which shows the number of sanctioned entities year by year. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-d01f701d0ae625a191d319be9aa990ff531fb0d7%252FSE10.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=36ac1713&sv=2) Interactive map with the number of sanctioned entities by country and over time Searching for delisted/unsanctioned entities is available for data collected from OFAC. Delisted/unsanctioned entities by the EU and UN are included, but go back only to August 2020 when SanctionsExplorer started collecting this data. EU and UN do not publish historical data or announce when an entity has been delisted. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sanctionsexplorer#cost) Cost ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sanctionsexplorer#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstar [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sanctionsexplorer#requirements) Requirements --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Internet connection [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sanctionsexplorer#limitations) Limitations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our research shows that this resource only provides information on sanctioned entities. It does not provide information on politically exposed persons (PEPs). SanctionsExplorer does not have an API integration feature, so downloading data in bulk might be more difficult. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sanctionsexplorer#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Profiles of individuals often features their date of birth, full legal name and place of birth. These are considered Personally Identifying Information (PII) and while the data from SanctionsExplorer is publicly available, this information should be used with caution and redacted for privacy if needed. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sanctionsexplorer#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- C4ADS: [Sanctions Explorer: How We Built It](https://c4ads.org/commentary/2020-11-30-sanctions-explorer/) C4ADS: [Sanctions Explorer: a C4ADS Data Tool](https://c4ads.org/commentary/2020-11-30-sanctions-explorer-a-c4ads-data-tool/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sanctionsexplorer#tool-provider) Tool provider ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Center for Advanced Defense Studies - C4ADS. A 501 nonprofit research organization in Washington, D.C. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sanctionsexplorer#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer LPetrova Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sanctionsexplorer#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sanctionsexplorer#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sanctionsexplorer#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sanctionsexplorer#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sanctionsexplorer#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sanctionsexplorer#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sanctionsexplorer#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sanctionsexplorer#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sanctionsexplorer#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sanctionsexplorer#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Telegram Group Joiner | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner#url) URL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://bellingcat.github.io/telegram-group-joiner/](https://bellingcat.github.io/telegram-group-joiner/) (latest commit on **2023‑12‑18,** last checked May 2026) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner#description) Description ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A small, browser‑based helper that adds a Telegram **user account** to multiple groups or channels in one go. It works with both public t.me links and private invites, and you can preload a session by passing several links in a single `?links=` query string (semicolon‑separated). The app runs fully client‑side using **TDLib**, and the project is auto‑deployed as a static site on GitHub Pages. [GitHub](https://github.com/bellingcat/telegram-group-joiner) * **Supported features**: – Batch‑join multiple groups/channels from pasted URLs. [GitHub](https://github.com/bellingcat/telegram-group-joiner) – Accepts **private invite** links. [GitHub](https://github.com/bellingcat/telegram-group-joiner) – Preload links via `?links=` (semicolon‑separated). [GitHub](https://github.com/bellingcat/telegram-group-joiner) * **Optional**: Self‑hosting (Node/Yarn) if you prefer to run locally. [GitHub](https://github.com/bellingcat/telegram-group-joiner) ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-6fc7be15d8f5a34bff54d93c8ea3ca51338a387c%252Fgrafik.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=a2353b9e&sv=2) The tool allows preloading of group URLs by appending them to a base URL, separated by semicolons. This automation is executed fully client-side using tdlib for a robust Telegram API experience. It is worth mentioning that the tool only operates client-side, ensuring no data retention on servers. Github Project: [https://github.com/bellingcat/telegram-group-joiner](https://github.com/bellingcat/telegram-group-joiner) \\ [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner#cost) Cost --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid **Free** (open‑source, MIT‑licensed). [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstarstar Beginner–intermediate. No command line is needed if you use the hosted page, but you must create Telegram developer credentials (**api\_id**/**api\_hash**) at my.telegram.org and complete the normal login (which may include a 2‑step verification password and occasionally email verification). Familiarity with Telegram’s developer docs helps. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner#requirements) Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **Telegram API Keys:** [Obtain your API ID and API Hash](https://core.telegram.org/api/obtaining_api_id) from [my.telegram.org](https://my.telegram.org/) . This involves registering an application to receive these credentials. After entering the API ID and Hash, the tool will ask for your phone number and the 5-digit login code that Telegram sends you. If 2‑step verification is enabled, you’ll be prompted for the password; Telegram may also ask to set/verify a login email in some cases. Use a modern desktop browser such as Chrome, Firefox, or Edge. (The page relies on WebAssembly; very old browsers (and some locked-down corporate ones) won’t load it. Safari older than v15 may fail to load the page.) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner#limitations) Limitations ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **Account Blocking Risk:** There is a risk that Telegram may block the automated account used for group additions. To mitigate this: * Use a non-personal Telegram account dedicated to research purposes. * Consider using a dedicated phone number ("burner number") when setting up the account. * Utilize a VPN to enhance privacy and avoid potential geo-restrictions. * Accounts created or [logged in via TDLib can be flagged and suspended without warning](https://github.com/tdlib/td/issues/2920) ; use a spare account. * Telegram caps one account at roughly 500 groups/channels; after that, you’ll see ‘Limit reached’ errors. * **Join‑cap**: Telegram enforces an account‑level cap on the number of joined **channels/supergroups**; the values are exposed in the API config (`channels_limit_default` / `channels_limit_premium`) and widely tracked as ~**500** for free accounts and up to **1000** for Premium (numbers can change). [core.telegram.org](https://core.telegram.org/api/config?utm_source=chatgpt.com) * **Rate limits / flood control**: Rapid joins can trigger temporary errors; the project includes logic to handle rate limits (see “rate limits handling” commits). Pace additions. [GitHub](https://github.com/bellingcat/telegram-group-joiner/commits/main) * **Account risk with TDLib logins**: Some developers report temporary or permanent suspensions after authenticating via TDLib (e.g., `PHONE_NUMBER_BANNED`, `EMAIL_NOT_ALLOWED`). Use a research‑only account and follow Telegram’s rules. [GitHub](https://github.com/tdlib/td/issues/2920) * **Releases / maintenance**: No tagged releases; the latest repo change was **2023‑12‑18**. Treat the hosted page as the current build. [GitHub](https://github.com/bellingcat/telegram-group-joiner/tags) * **Legal/ToS**: Use must comply with Telegram’s Terms and API Terms; avoid spammy or abusive behavior. [Telegram](https://telegram.org/tos?utm_source=chatgpt.com) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Use only on accounts and groups you are authorized to access, for lawful research, and add only the minimum necessary groups for your purpose. Follow recognized guidance on handling digital open‑source information (e.g., the **Berkeley Protocol on Digital Open Source Investigations**) and the Toolkit’s own emphasis on neutral, well‑sourced descriptions. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner#guide) Guide ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner#general-usage) **General Usage** 1. **Access the Tool:** Visit the [Telegram Group Joiner](https://bellingcat.github.io/telegram-group-joiner/) webpage. 2. **Authenticate:** Enter your API ID, API Hash, **and then the 5-digit code Telegram texts you**. 3. **Prepare Group Links:** * You can preload group or channel links by using the `links` parameter in the URL. * Separate multiple links with a semicolon (`;`). **Example:** * **Links:** * Combined Links: `https://t.me/bellingcat;https://t.me/+privateInvite,123id` * Resulting URL: `https://bellingcat.github.io/telegram-group-joiner/?links=https://t.me/bellingcat;https://t.me/+privateInvite,123id` 4. **Join Groups:** * Use the tool interface to automatically join the specified groups or channels. #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner#helpful-links) Helpful Links **GitHub README** (usage, `?links=` examples, TDLib note). [GitHub](https://github.com/bellingcat/telegram-group-joiner) **Live tool page** (for quick use/testing). [bellingcat.github.io](https://bellingcat.github.io/telegram-group-joiner/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) **Telegram: Creating an application** (how to obtain **api\_id**/**api\_hash**). [core.telegram.org](https://core.telegram.org/api/obtaining_api_id?utm_source=chatgpt.com) **TDLib documentation** – **Web** (WASM/JS build overview). [core.telegram.org](https://core.telegram.org/tdlib?utm_source=chatgpt.com) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner#self-hosting) Self-Hosting ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner#tool-provider) Tool provider --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * **Developed by:** [Bellingcat](https://www.bellingcat.com/) * **Repository:** [GitHub - telegram-group-joiner](https://github.com/bellingcat/telegram-group-joiner) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Martin Sona Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner#ethical-considerations) * [Guide](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner#guide) * [Self-Hosting](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner#self-hosting) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? Copy https://t.me/bellingcat https://t.me/+privateInvite123id Copy # Installation (self-hosted dev) git clone https://github.com/bellingcat/telegram-group-joiner cd telegram-group-joiner yarn && yarn dev # or: yarn build --- # RootAbout | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout#url) URL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [http://rootabout.com/](http://rootabout.com/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout#description) Description ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RootAbout is a reverse image search tool that compares an uploaded image with images from the Internet Archive. It has over [37.3 million pictures](https://rootabout.com/faq.php#What%20has%20RootAbout%20indexed) from Internet Archive collections indexed and therefore does not need to host any photos itself. To use the tool, you just need to upload an image of your choice. Under the search option, click on “Internet Archive.” Sometimes, this search option doesn’t work. You can go to the advanced search tab to adjust the size, flip and rotate the image and try again. The Open Library search feature lets users compare book covers from its archives with an uploaded picture. As a project by the Internet Archive, [Open Library](https://openlibrary.org/) catalogs and creates web pages for books. Anyone can create an account and contribute to the catalog. RootAbout also provides details about image [metadata](https://rootabout.com/faq.php#What%20is%20RootAbout) after conducting the search, including its type, dimensions, creator, image type, the year it was published by its creator and its description. It also informs the user if the result is a strong match. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout#internet-archive-search) Internet Archive Search ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To test the tool, we uploaded the image “Doradus Nebula” from NASA's Hubble Space [collection](https://hubblesite.org/contents/media/images/2001/21/1080-Image.html) (Internet Archive version [here](https://archive.org/details/NIX-PIA04200) ). The search provided three results. The first result is shown here: ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-5344daac62792589d2a149539959d3eb540aa3fb%252FRoot%2520About%2520search%2520result.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=77ed5a96&sv=2) The first RootAbout match is from 2003. This result informs us that it is a “strong match,” suggesting the image is a near or an exact match with the photo we uploaded. RootAbout provides metadata for its results as found on the Internet Archive. For instance, the RootAbout description states that this image was published in 2003, which is also stated on the Internet Archive’s [page](https://archive.org/details/NIX-PIA04200) . It is owned/created by “NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA-JPL)." Finally, the size is 374,356 bytes and its unique identifier is "NIX-PIA04200." RootAbout displays all versions of the image it has indexed from the Wayback Machine. In this case, the second result which is also a strong match, was [published](https://archive.org/details/PLAN-PIA04200) in 2001. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-8e8de25def980e1ac44ec7fb3702b5ea04c136b1%252FScreenshot%25202025-01-19%2520at%25206.25.42%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=972a04b7&sv=2) The second match is the same image published in 2001. **Important note**: Apart from a few exceptions, RootAbout does not work with [photos from the Wayback Machine](https://rootabout.com/faq.php#What%20has%20RootAbout%20indexed) . For instance, we tested the images [here](https://archive.org/details/dr_future-map-of-the-world-10902000) , [here](https://archive.org/details/speed-1970_20220823_1758) , and [here](https://archive.org/details/contact_fingerlakes1_5381) and did not get any results. This limitation, along with other shortcomings of the tool, will be discussed in the **Limitation** section. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout#open-library-search) **Open Library search** ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To test this feature, we uploaded the cover of [Ghost Wars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Wars) by Steve Coll. The search yielded two results, the top result is shown below: ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-8af3e11b26665ea93f9e147b6d7f5cc2c377bc61%252FScreenshot%25202025-01-19%2520at%25204.34.53%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=b7292ee2&sv=2) The top result for the book cover of Ghost Wars using the Open Library Archive The search indicates that the top result is a “strong match". The description notes this book edition was published in 2008 (note the original version was published in 2004). It states that the file size is 31,842 bytes and it provides a link to Open Library’s [webpage](https://openlibrary.org/books/OL24251547M/Ghost_Wars) for the book. **Note**: This search also yielded a second “fair match” result. The publication date for this [version](https://openlibrary.org/books/OL7361460M/Ghost_Wars) is 2004, which shows that RootAbout can pull various versions of the same book that it has indexed from Open Library. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-46dcb6acf060d99cf671c75dfc708474ce20e4ef%252FScreenshot%25202025-01-19%2520at%25204.49.28%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=8702f942&sv=2) The second result shown by RootAbout [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout#cost) Cost --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout#requirements) Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The images must be in [JPEG or PNG](https://rootabout.com/faq.php#What%20can%20I%20upload) format. However, your web browser automatically converts other formats into PNG if you upload a picture. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout#limitations) Limitations ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * RootAbout only indexes the Internet Archive; so unlike TinEye, Google and other search engines [it does not focus on the whole internet](https://rootabout.com/faq.php#Why%20doesnt%20my%20image%20match) . * The tool is also not able to match photos with pictures from the [Wayback Machine](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive) which can be a crucial limiting factor for open source researchers. * The search is sometimes slow. This is because the tool does not store Internet Archive pictures but it finds them on the Internet Archive via a six step process which is explained [here](https://rootabout.com/faq.php#Why%20is%20RootAbout%20sometimes%20slow) . * According to the [RootAbout website](https://rootabout.com/faq.php#What%20kinds%20of%20pictures%20will%20match), the tool only matches pictures that are nearly identical: "If your picture differs by more than 10%, then it probably won't match. Even simple changes, like cropping an edge or rotating the picture by 5° can be enough to make the picture appear different." [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just like when you are using reverse image search features offered by search engines, you need to check the copyright of any result image that you get from RootAbout. On its [website](https://rootabout.com/faq.php) , RootAbout states: “Each picture's copyright is retained by the original copyright holder. Pictures in the search results are provided by the public collections at the Internet Archive.” Be particularly careful when you plan to use pictures from the results list elsewhere. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout#guide) Guide ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RootAbout has provided a guide for its usage in its [FAQ](https://rootabout.com/faq.php) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout#tool-provider) Tool provider --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The tool is provided by Hacker Factor, also known as Dr. Neal Krawetz. More details about Hacker Factor can be found [here](https://www.hackerfactor.com/about.php) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Anisa Shabir Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout#description) * [Internet Archive Search](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout#internet-archive-search) * [Open Library search](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout#open-library-search) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout#ethical-considerations) * [Guide](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout#guide) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rootabout#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # RuPEP | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rupep.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rupep#url) URL --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://rupep.org/en/](https://rupep.org/en/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rupep#description) Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RuPEP can help you to dig into the network of people and organisations around a politically exposed person (PEP). A [PEP](https://www.fatf-gafi.org/en/publications/Fatfrecommendations/Peps-r12-r22.html) is someone in a prominent public position, which makes them a higher risk for bribery and corruption (though this does not mean that they are actually involved in such activities). RuPEP is a database of PEPs that [also includes](https://rupep.org/en/about/) : * Family members and business partners of PEPs * Others associated with them according to media reports * People sanctioned by the EU, US and others, and their relatives and business partners * Shareholders and managers of Russian military companies, and their relatives * Heads of military-civilian administrations in Russian-occupied territories in the Ukraine * Organisations associated with PEPs. RuPEP also contains information on legal entities associated with PEPs and their relatives, and those associated with people on the EU, US and other sanctions lists. This includes legal entities that: * Have employed PEPs or other persons * Have PEPs or other persons as founders, co-owners, shareholders or beneficial owners * Provide PEPs or others with company or other property management services or nominee services. See the criteria for inclusion on [this page](https://rupep.org/en/about/) . An important note: PEPs are not necessarily involved in anything illegal - they have just been identified as being at greater risk of involvement in bribery and corruption. Being a PEP does not mean that they have been identified as having used their position for inappropriate gain. RuPEP says the data is collated from public sources. They detail their criteria for sources on their [About page](https://rupep.org/en/about/) . ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rupep#pep-information) PEP information A PEP's page will start with biographical and sanctions information: ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-8acc4e7b731821044b3c5373609815a90695deb1%252FScreenshot%25202026-05-06%2520at%252014.46.27.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=d359c216&sv=2) The top of a PEP's page On the left, the sections of information on this page are listed. On the right are listed alternative spellings for the PEP's name. In the centre, the sanctions information is well curated: It includes a last checked date, and hyperlinks to sources: ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-d959ad2a0fc5a25862ad2c3314dbd096c07ec393%252FScreenshot%25202026-01-12%2520at%252011.49.22.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=f89c43e6&sv=2) Click on the 'i' icon to get more information about those sanctions Lower on the page, each PEP has a network visualisation: ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-22b4ee6eb724ec254e3c4eca894c5cb6700809d6%252FScreenshot%25202025-10-22%2520at%252015.03.28.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=5aa9c587&sv=2) The network visualisation shows various entities (PEPs and organisations such as companies) and the relationships between them On the diagram you can: * Zoom in to see detail on the PEP's network (by using the scroll wheel on your mouse) * Click on a round icon to see the details * Hover over the arrows to see the nature of the relationship. RuPEP might indicate that more information is available in the Russian version of the site, so rather use that one if you can (e.g. by getting your browser to translate the page): ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-0db3fdc67b7466a711b1ce7765efbff951382bdc%252FScreenshot%25202024-09-27%2520at%252009.12.40.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=e8ead50b&sv=2) Sections in the PEP's page might say that more is available in the Russian version If you stick with the English version, keep an eye out for 'more information is available in ru version of the dossier' links (outlined in green above). ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rupep#legal-entity-information) Legal entity information You can also search RuPEP for legal entities (companies and organisations). Here are some of the results for a search on Gazprom: ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-a8ff3df6db14c2a1a408aa7fe68b915997716198%252FScreenshot%25202024-10-02%2520at%252009.29.10.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=a193b1c&sv=2) Legal entity search results for a search for Gazprom The legal entity page contains links to page sections on the left, and some basic entity information: ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-0cb9d5f41d6d71939798ddae2ee7f975ccccc644%252FScreenshot%25202026-05-06%2520at%252015.15.55.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=daaec05a&sv=2) Legal entity's page The legal entity network visualisation, like the one for PEPs, allows you to: Zoom in more more detail, click on the icons to see the details of the people or entities with which the legal entity has relationships, and view the nature of the relationship by hovering over the line: ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-102c3298e8cea1284e4689e865a7cd813ef305c3%252FScreenshot%25202024-10-02%2520at%252009.43.15.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=63b3e35b&sv=2) Legal entity network visualisation [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rupep#cost) Cost ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rupep#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rupep#requirements) Requirements --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You need to sign up for a free account to view the data. An e-mail address is required. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rupep#limitations) Limitations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There is a limit to viewing 20 profiles (person or organisation) per day. You can request a free daily increase if you are a journalist, civil society activist or representative of a non-profit organisation. They do not permit use of their data for commercial purposes - see the [terms and conditions](https://rupep.org/en/t-and-c/) . The data is obviously limited to Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. If you want to look at PEPs in other countries, [OpenSanctions](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensanctions) could be a good source. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rupep#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As mentioned above, a PEP is someone in a prominent public position, which makes them a higher risk for bribery and corruption - but it does not mean that they are actually involved in bribery or corruption. It is important for researchers to understand this to prevent any misinterpretation of the data provided by the database. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rupep#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \- [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rupep#tool-provider) Tool provider ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RuPEP.org [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rupep#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Katherine de Tolly Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rupep#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rupep#description) * [PEP information](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rupep#pep-information) * [Legal entity information](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rupep#legal-entity-information) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rupep#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rupep#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rupep#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rupep#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rupep#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rupep#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rupep#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/rupep#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Wayback Machine | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive#url) URL -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://web.archive.org/](https://web.archive.org/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive#description) Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Wayback Machine launched in 1996 and contains over 28 years of web history. According to the [Internet Archive](https://archive.org/projects/) , the Wayback Machine “contains over 2 petabytes of data compressed, or 150+ billion web captures, including content from every top-level domain, 200+ million web sites, and over 40 languages.” For example, here is how amazon.com looked in 1999 versus 2024: ![amazon.com in 1999](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-333e9ed89a43f91b3c6aad53c7de8f020884314c%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202024-07-14%2520at%25209.39.48%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=e34e2cf0&sv=2) amazon.com in 1999 ![amazon.com in 2024](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-8c9aa2c7cf844499dc1fa5725a61dfee8b66acf5%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202024-07-14%2520at%25209.41.30%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=96ee63f1&sv=2) amazon.com in 2024 The Wayback Machine can be accessed not only through the Internet Archive's website, but also through: * [Chrome Extension](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/wayback-machine/fpnmgdkabkmnadcjpehmlllkndpkmiak?hl=en-US) * [Firefox Add-on](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/wayback-machine_new/) * [Safari Extension](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wayback-machine/id1472432422) * [MS Edge Add-on](https://microsoftedge.microsoft.com/addons/detail/wayback-machine/kjmickeoogghaimmomagaghnogelpcpn?hl=en-US) * [iOS app](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wayback-machine/id1201888313) * [Android app](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.internetarchive.waybackmachine) Several APIs are also available to access information about Wayback capture data. [View the available APIs here](https://archive.org/help/wayback_api.php) . [Learn more about the Wayback Machine](https://help.archive.org/help/wayback-machine-general-information/) . ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive#the-internet-archive) The Internet Archive The Internet Archive includes numerous other projects. Some are designed for institutions and organizations with paid tiers, and others are free. [View other projects by the Internet Archive](https://archive.org/projects/) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive#cost) Cost ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive#requirements) Requirements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Wayback Machine requires an internet connection and a way to connect. However, the Internet Archive is working to bridge this gap through the [Offline Archive](https://archive.org/about/offline-archive) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive#limitations) Limitations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Wayback Machine is a powerful tool, but it has some limitations, including: * **Incomplete Archives**: Not all websites or web pages are archived, and some might have gaps in the timeline. * **Dynamic Content**: Interactive elements, dynamic content, and multimedia (such as videos and animations) may not be fully captured or functional. * **Legal Restrictions**: Some websites may block archiving or request the removal of their archived content, limiting access. [Learn more about requests to remove content from the Wayback machine here](https://help.archive.org/help/how-do-i-request-to-remove-something-from-archive-org/) . * **Loading Issues**: Archived pages can load slowly, and some resources (like images or scripts) might be missing. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Using the Wayback Machine may involve several ethical considerations: * **Accuracy and Context**: Archived pages may lack the context in which they were originally presented, potentially leading to misinterpretation or misuse of information. * **Consent**: Some websites may not consent to their content being archived. It's important to consider whether the website owner has explicitly requested exclusion from the archive. * **Copyright**: [The Internet Archive's Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and Copyright Policy](https://archive.org/about/terms.php) states: "You agree to abide by all applicable laws and regulations, including intellectual property laws, in connection with your use of the Archive. In particular, you certify that your use of any part of the Archive's Collections will be limited to noninfringing or fair use under copyright law." [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch an introduction video on [How to Use the Wayback Machine](https://help.archive.org/help/using-the-wayback-machine/) . ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive#how-to-save-pages-with-the-wayback-machine) How to Save Pages With the Wayback Machine: 1. Go to the Wayback Machine website at [https://web.archive.org/](https://web.archive.org/) 2. On the homepage of the Wayback Machine, locate the "Save Page Now" section. It's usually found near the top of the page. ![Save Page Now section on https://web.archive.org/](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-28de7f78fa8de2cc143c9a2076c5da9df9233566%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202024-07-07%2520at%25209.06.49%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=e50e1ce3&sv=2) Save Page Now section on [https://web.archive.org/](https://web.archive.org/) 1. Enter the URL of the website you want to archive. 2. Click the "Save Page" button. This will prompt the Wayback Machine to take a snapshot of the specified webpage. 3. The Wayback Machine will process the request and capture the webpage. Depending on the page's complexity and size, this might take a few seconds to a minute. 4. Once the snapshot is complete, the Wayback Machine will provide a link to the archived version of the page. You can click on this link to view the archived page. 5. Copy the provided link for future reference. This URL is a permanent link to the archived version of the page and can be shared or cited as needed. Learn more about [How to save pages with the Wayback Machine](https://help.archive.org/help/save-pages-in-the-wayback-machine/) . ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive#how-to-access-archived-pages-using-the-wayback-machine) How to Access Archived Pages Using the Wayback Machine: 1. Go to the Wayback Machine website at [https://web.archive.org/](https://web.archive.org/) . 2. Enter the website URL you want to view an archived version of. 3. After entering the URL, you will be taken to a calendar view. This calendar shows the dates on which the Wayback Machine has website snapshots. Select a year in the timeline above the calendar to narrow down your options. 4. Once you have selected a year, click on a specific date highlighted on the calendar. These highlighted dates indicate that snapshots of the site are available for that day. They may be different colors, but you will usually want to select the blue dots or links, as they indicate successful responses to the capture. The colors you may see and what they mean include: * Blue: The web server returned a successful response (status code 2nn). * Green: The web server redirected the request (status code 3nn). * Orange: There was a client error (status code 4nn). * Red: There was a server error (status code 5nn). 5. After selecting a date, you can narrow it further by time of day if multiple snapshots are available from the same day. Once you choose, the Wayback Machine will display the archived version of the website as it appeared on that day and time. You can navigate the website as if browsing it on that particular date. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive#tool-provider) Tool provider ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Internet Archive, United States [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Bellingcat Volunteer Team Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive#description) * [The Internet Archive](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive#the-internet-archive) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive#guides-and-articles) * [How to Save Pages With the Wayback Machine:](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive#how-to-save-pages-with-the-wayback-machine) * [How to Access Archived Pages Using the Wayback Machine:](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive#how-to-access-archived-pages-using-the-wayback-machine) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/internet-archive#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Twitter Location Search | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#url) URL --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://twitter.com/exploretwitter.com](https://twitter.com/explore) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#description) Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Users can discover posts from specific geographic areas by utilizing X's built-in location search tool. This feature enables targeted searches based on proximity, allowing users to find relevant content within a designated radius. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#how-does-it-work) How does it work? Understanding how location data is incorporated into the platform is key to effectively leveraging location-based searches. [According to X](https://help.x.com/en/using-x/post-location) , users have the option to share location details on posts. The platform seems to figure out where a tweet is from by looking at a few things: (1) the location information a user provides, (2) guessing by user profile, (3) using a user’s device location, if enabled. #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#self-reported-location-vs.-profile-location) _**Self-reported location vs. Profile location**_ X frequently uses these two types of location data. 1. Manual User-Added Location: This allows users to directly add a location to posts and is displayed below the post. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-07f20818f5a91b3ff71961faf7e561b7acd9e9a2%252FScreenshot%25202024-07-29%2520021003-marked2.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=726c4f53&sv=2) This post shows a post with an explicit location reported by the user. This location info appears at the bottom of the post. For example, we are interested in discussions about the art community around Estes Park, Colorado. On the search bar, we enter our search term "art" and the location we are interested in, "near:estes-park" 1. Profile Location: In the absence of a user-specified location, X may approximate it based on factors such as the location the user specifies on his/her account profile. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-0c3e455cfb2658dc6b842a249c625132f3cf45a2%252FScreenshot%25202024-07-29%2520015213-marked.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=d760687a&sv=2) On the other hand, user profiles sometimes indicate where they are based as shown in this image. The platform may then use this information when generating location-based search results. #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#location-from-the-users-device) _**Location from the user's device**_ If users choose to enable location settings on their devices, X can [identify](https://developer.x.com/en/docs/x-api/v1/geo/places-near-location/api-reference/get-geo-search) the GPS coordinates of this device at the time of the post. This is particularly helpful when users want to take advantage of the search results near their respective locations. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-9d53201a5357bbb867c075f3aed38c0e9b61f2b6%252FScreenshot%25202024-07-29%2520024311.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=969dbf5d&sv=2) If you're looking to find posts near your current location, there's a quicker method available. Use the “posts near me” location feature. Here are the steps: Open X on a browser or the mobile app, and enter a hashtag or search term. Choose “Near you” under the “Location” heading to filter the search results to show only posts from nearby. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#how-to-use-geocode-location-search-operators) How to use geocode location search operators On the search bar, users can use the following search operators in addition to their subject-matter keywords: * Use keywords like "**near:\[cityname\]**" to search within a certain area. For example, "**near:Chicago**" finds tweets around Chicago. * You can also set a distance using "**within:\[radius\]**" to narrow down results within a certain radius in [mi or km](https://developer.x.com/en/docs/twitter-api/tweets/search/integrate/build-a-query) , for example “**within:2mi**” * Combine both search operators "**near:chicago within:2mi**" For more specificity, use latitude and longitude coordinates. Search using "**geocode:\[latitude,longitude,radius\]**" For example, "**geocode:40.7128,-74.0060,10mi**" for New York City. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#what-problem-does-it-solve) What problem does it solve? For open-source researchers, this tool helps find the signal through the noise. X's location-based search feature enables users to narrow down posts originating from specific geographic areas among a vast amount of content. This functionality facilitates the discovery of local trends, events, and conversations. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#use-cases) Use cases Open-source researchers may find this tool helpful for tracking crises and events: * Real-time Monitoring: Pinpointing locations of protests, conflicts, or natural disasters. * Identifying Affected Areas: Determining regions experiencing human rights violations or humanitarian crises. * Corroborating Ground Reports: Verifying claims of incidents through geolocated content. * Spot relevant local conversations and identify possible local experts or leads in a location in question. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#cost) Cost ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstar [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#requirements) Requirements --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. A user account in X/Twitter 2. Mobile or desktop device 3. Internet connection [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#limitations) Limitations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. **The Reliance on the Users’ Reports of Data/Location Spoofing** Self-reported location affects the reliability of results in two ways primarily: (1) Incomplete data set: X relies on users to share their location, but many don't. This means location data can be incomplete. (2) Location spoofing: It is possible that users report an incorrect or misleading location. And because the location is entered manually, it can be easy to fake this information. It's essential to remember that X's location estimates aren't always accurate. NOTE: Location spoofing may be mitigated by a new [feature rolled out](https://x.com/xDaily/status/1991728882857525261) that now shows where the account is based and which regional app store it is connected to. However, the platform acknowledges that this new feature may be unreliable at times because it changes frequently. It is not based on the user's actual residence but on the user's recent travel or temporary IP changes. This new feature doesn't currently affect the way location search works. There are no new operators that particularly search for this information. The "near:" operator (see above) still relies on indexed self-reported location on the bio page or the device's GPS location if turned on. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-2a9620c05c716296026616acfb4581c4539ee398%252F2025-12-04_11-28-48-ed.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=88200e3b&sv=2) New feature rolled out by X to show where the account is based in. This can be acccessed by going to the user's main profile and clicking on "About this account". Please note that the "Account based in" information may continuously change. 1. **Limited Historical Data** Geocoded searches are more effective for recent posts. Older posts often lack location tags, reducing the volume of retrievable data. For instance, [Bellingcat found](https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2021/05/19/geofenced-searches-on-twitter-a-case-study-detailing-south-asias-covid-crisis/) user profile location information used to georeference tweets only for the most recent week, leading to a drop in older tweet volumes. The 2021 study finds that: "user profile location information is only used to georeference tweets for the most recent week (seven to eight days, approximately). The effect of this is that recent tweet volume appears much greater than that from more than a week ago." In a separate test done by a Global Authentication Project volunteer in July 2024, the tool was tested to find historical location data. The conclusion was that this limitation still exists. 1. [**Radius limited to 25 mi (40.23 km**](https://developer.x.com/en/docs/twitter-api/tweets/search/integrate/build-a-query) **)** According to [X’s guide](https://developer.x.com/en/docs/twitter-api/tweets/search/integrate/build-a-query) to building a query, distance-based searches can be limited to 25 mi. This means they can exclude relevant tweets just outside the specified area. For instance, an investigator is researching environmental impacts in a 50-mile radius around an industrial site. X’s search may only allow a smaller radius, potentially missing relevant tweets from just outside the boundary. 1. **Transparency** According to [this case study,](https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2021/05/19/geofenced-searches-on-twitter-a-case-study-detailing-south-asias-covid-crisis/) it's important to note that the platform's methodology for determining a tweet's location is not fully transparent, potentially impacting the precision of location-based queries. To mitigate these limitations, users should avoid location-only searches and take advantage of other search filters provided by the platform. 1. **Inability to Distinguish Between User-Reported Location and Profile Location** Based on our tests, the **"near:"** search operator sometimes produces irrelevant results due to the platform's limitations in accurately determining post locations. The tool sometimes struggles to differentiate between a user's profile location and the actual location where a post was created. This leads to results that include posts from people who simply live in the area, not necessarily those related to a specific event or topic being searched. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Individual Privacy: Even though tweets are publicly posted, it is necessary to respect users' privacy by avoiding the disclosure of personal information without consent. * Transparency: If sharing findings publicly, consider anonymizing personally identifiable information to protect individuals' privacy. * Data Reliability: Be aware that Twitter's location data is not always accurate. Avoid drawing definitive conclusions based solely on location data without corroboration from other sources [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#tool-provider) Tool provider ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- X.com, USA [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#guide) Guide ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- See Bellingcat’s Case Study into tweets during the COVID-19 crisis in India, showing the lack of precise geolocation data, requiring multiple geocoded queries to approximate geographic distribution: [https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2021/05/19/geofenced-searches-on-twitter-a-case-study-detailing-south-asias-covid-crisis/](https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2021/05/19/geofenced-searches-on-twitter-a-case-study-detailing-south-asias-covid-crisis/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page Maintainer Afton Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#description) * [How does it work?](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#how-does-it-work) * [How to use geocode location search operators](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#how-to-use-geocode-location-search-operators) * [What problem does it solve?](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#what-problem-does-it-solve) * [Use cases](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#use-cases) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#ethical-considerations) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#tool-provider) * [Guide](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#guide) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/twitter-location-search#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # MW Geofind | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#url) URL -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://mattw.io/youtube-geofind/location](https://mattw.io/youtube-geofind/location) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#description) Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MW Geofind is an online tool designed for identifying YouTube videos tagged with a geographical location. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#how-to-use) How to use You can search for YouTube videos by keywords, location name, or coordinates. Additionally, you can filter results by timeframe ("past hour", "past 30 days" etc.), video duration, and language. * To optimize the keyword search, have a look at the [documentation](https://github.com/mattwright324/youtube-geofind/wiki/YouTube-Keyword-Operators) for YouTube keyword operators. * When searching by location, users can set a radius between 1 and 1000km. * Search results are automatically visualized on a map, which shows icons from the YouTube videos. Click on the icon to see the video's title, channel, and other details. Alternatively, scroll down the page to see the same details listed. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-81f4ca0dd19ec8379285d44322d637c25492b5d5%252Fmap.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=9782de10&sv=2) Search results visualized on a map, for YouTube videos geotagged within 20km of the Hungarian State Opera House in Budapest. A radius of 20km is shown (in the green circle). Each icon represents a YouTube channel. Note that the map also shows some videos geotagged beyond the 20km radius. * Under **Geotags**, user can find a list of the search results, including a thumbnail, the video title, upload date, duration, and an excerpt of the video description. Due to restrictions from YouTube, an export function is not directly available. * Under **Share,** a link can be copied and shared so that others can access the search results. How to access video metadata[](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#how-to-access-video-metadata) To access the metadata, scroll down to view the search results and click "View metadata". This opens a new tab in your web browser, showing the metadata through another tool, [MW Metadata - Bulk](https://mattw.io/youtube-metadata/bulk) , by the same developer. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-2560b0a6919f69f2507efd9701a620bbdbed9922%252Fgeofind_ex.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=7a56eb73&sv=2) View metadata - marked in blue Here is an excerpt showing some of the JSON data available. (JSON is a format for structuring and storing data, where information is stored in text and as name-value pairs.) For each video, you will find metadata such as the date and time of upload, the geotag, and other information such as counts for the number of views, likes, favorites, and comments for the video. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-66636f0d45fd7f5e036eebaf9b61ea0b6f7fad3b%252Fjson%2520ex.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=eba59415&sv=2) Unfortunately, a bulk export function is not available [due to Youtube policy](https://github.com/mattwright324/youtube-metadata/discussions/150) . ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#understanding-geotags-in-youtube-videos) **Understanding geotags in YouTube videos** On YouTube, geotags are [set manually by the video creators](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/7638112?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop) , and [not derived from the videos' EXIF data](https://github.com/mattwright324/youtube-geofind/wiki) . When video creators upload their content, they can choose whether to specify a location. (Typically, they start typing the name of the location, and a dropdown list becomes available for selection. This selection mechanism can sometimes lead to inaccuracies.) Importantly, geotags are optional, i.e., video creators can leave it blank. Geotags can also be [imprecise](https://github.com/mattwright324/youtube-geofind/wiki) , as [YouTube's metadata](https://developers.google.com/youtube/v3/docs/search/list) are set up such that the same coordinates can refer to multiple locations (e.g., "Manhattan, New York" and "United States" can have the same coordinates). Researchers should set the radius in MW Geofind to specify the search parameters. Video creators can intentionally enter an inaccurate geotag. From the creators' perspective, geotagging is [one of many factors that influence Youtube's location-based recommendation and ad targeting](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/7638112?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid) . For example, creators located in country A may wish to attract viewers or subscribers from country B. To achieve this goal, they could choose to provide a geotag in country B. Therefore, geotags do not directly indicate the video upload's actual location. Given these caveats, researchers should use the search results from MW Geofind as one of many reference points and seek to independently verify any location information. #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#available-format) Available format MW Geofind is available in the web browser: [https://mattw.io/youtube-geofind/location](https://mattw.io/youtube-geofind/location) Find the code and latest commits on Github: [https://github.com/mattwright324/youtube-geofind](https://github.com/mattwright324/youtube-geofind) ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#similar-tools) Similar tools Using Google dorking (or the equivalent in other search engines) can lead to more results. For example, use `intitle:"keyword"` or `intext:"keyword"` to find videos whose title or text description mention your targeted location. Another approach is to use YouTube's search by location function. How to do a location search on YouTube[](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#how-to-do-a-location-search-on-youtube) 1. Enter a location name in the search bar. 2. Click "Filters". 3. Select "Location". ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-9ef403a6da81cee6f32b53606cbeb6d2d5c75847%252Foptions.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=509e9604&sv=2) Based on our testing, searching directly on Youtube can lead to more comprehensive search results (i.e., more videos found). However, the search on Youtube also comes with a few disadvantages, as discussed in the [MW Geofind documentation](https://github.com/mattwright324/youtube-geofind/wiki) : * On YouTube, the user can only search by location name and not by coordinates. * On YouTube, geotags are in the video creator's chosen language. E.g., a French speaker may geotag their video "États-Unis" instead of "United States". If you search by location name, you would need to use the French name if you want this video to show up in your search results. However, if you type in "United States", it will never show up in your results. In comparison, if you use MW Geofind and search by coordinates, the language a creator chose does not affect the search results. * On YouTube, the time frame selected must be recent (i.e., the choices are limited to "last hour", "today", "this week", "this month", "this year"). MW Geofind allows more flexibility (e.g., between Jan 1 to Feb 15, 2017), enabling searches for older videos. For those comfortable with using command line tools, [yt-dlp](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp) might be preferable with its broader functionalities (e.g., faster downloads, audio extraction). To load the video's metadata, use: `yt-dlp --print-json [VIDEO_URL]` The metadata would include the video location only if the video was geotagged by the creator. Note that since September 2025, [additional JavaScript components are required](https://github.com/yt-dlp/yt-dlp/issues/14404) for yt-dlp to function properly. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#cost) Cost ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#requirements) Requirements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * **Web:** any web browser. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#limitations) Limitations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * **API rate limits:** Usage of MW Geofind is subject to [Youtube API rate limits](https://github.com/mattwright324/youtube-geofind/issues/11), which means that a few users with high-volume searches can exhaust the quota for the day. The rate limits are reset daily around 9am US Pacific time. Therefore, users who find MW Geofind unresponsive or not functioning should check back again the next day. * **Location information may be inaccurate**: MW Geofind makes an initial search and then makes additional calls to get `recordingDetails` and `locationDescription` from the YouTube [API](https://developers.google.com/youtube/v3/docs/videos#recordingDetails). Users should understand that the coordinates do not necessarily refer to a precise location, as the same coordinates can refer to a country, city, landmark, address, or point of interest. Again, users should seek to independently verify the location information. You can find a discussion about this issue in MW Geofind's [project wiki](https://github.com/mattwright324/youtube-geofind/wiki) . * **Search results are not comprehensive**: MW Geofind is a tool specific to finding for geotagged videos. As discussed above, the video creator can choose to omit geotagging (i.e., leaving it blank), or provide inaccurate or imprecise geotags, or geotag in a different language. Therefore, search results from MW Geofind can be seen as a narrow subset of all possible videos uploaded from a location. If researchers wish to find all possible videos relevant to a location, they may be better off simply typing the location name into Youtube's search bar, then adjusting through "Filters" (see [Similar Tools](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#similar-tools) above) for the upload date or other criteria. This generic Youtube search will show videos where the location name appears in the video's title, description, chapter titles, and channel name and descriptions, in addition to any algorithm-driven personalization. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Video creators could have deliberately or inadvertently provided wrong location information and other identifying details in their video content, including in the metadata. Always verify any location information independently. When using information from publicly uploaded videos, researchers should weigh privacy interests of the video creator or any individuals appearing in the video against the need for research publications in the public interest. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **Official Wiki** **from the developer** * [https://github.com/mattwright324/youtube-geofind/wiki](https://github.com/mattwright324/youtube-geofind/wiki) **Tutorials** _How to find geotagged videos on YouTube | Geofind OSINT Tool Tutorial_ (2023). • Video: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WdeRiy1dvI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WdeRiy1dvI) • _Article:_ [https://gralhix.com/2022/04/21/how-to-find-geotagged-videos-on-youtube/](https://gralhix.com/2022/04/21/how-to-find-geotagged-videos-on-youtube/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#tool-provider) Tool provider ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Matthew Wright [https://mattw.io/](https://mattw.io/) - United States [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer river\_n Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#description) * [How to use](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#how-to-use) * [Understanding geotags in YouTube videos](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#understanding-geotags-in-youtube-videos) * [Similar tools](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#similar-tools) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mw-geofind#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # OpenAerialMap | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#url) URL ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://openaerialmap.org/](https://openaerialmap.org/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#description) Description --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OpenAerialMap (OAM) is a platform providing open access to a wide range of satellite and aerial imagery, including high-resolution (10-30cm resolution) imagery captured by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Potential use cases for open-source researchers include: * Change detection, e.g., identifying [new construction](https://theconversation.com/how-drones-can-improve-scientific-research-in-the-field-54696) , damage or [shoreline changes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuETN1pek9Y) . * Geolocation * Mapping of humanitarian or [weather events](https://research.noaa.gov/drones-are-helping-scientists-understand-major-weather-events/) Note that OAM provides static imagery that can be aligned onto a map layer. This is not a platform for accessing drone videos. Anyone can [upload aerial or UAV imagery](https://docs.openaerialmap.org/uploader/uploader-form/) to OAM. Through various initiatives, OAM imagery have been provided by [humanitarian organizations](https://www.hotosm.org/en/news/collaborating-and-reaching-greater-impact-in-emergency-response/) , [drone operators](https://uav-guidelines.openaerialmap.org/pdfs/09-after-the-flight.pdf) (including individuals), satellite imagery providers, and government [surveying](https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/439981584943367620/pdf/Technical-Guidelines-for-Small-Island-Mapping-with-UAVs.pdf) [agencies](https://www.elrha.org/projects/openaerialmap-diffusion) . All imagery are publicly licensed, and should be attributed to the [Open Imagery Network](https://openimagerynetwork.github.io/) (OIN) of the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team. See Licensing information on the [About](https://openaerialmap.org/about/) page. Compared to aerial imagery captured by aircraft, UAV (or drones) fly at lower altitudes, allowing granular close-ups of small, specific sites. However, UAV imagery will be limited in [range](https://beyondsky.xyz/blog/hardware/how-far-do-drones-fly-explore-flight-range-and-real-world-limits-in-2025) and [weather conditions](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-91325-w) . #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#oam-basic-navigation) OAM - Basic navigation On [openaerialmap.org](https://openaerialmap.org/) , click “Start Exploring”. The interface will display a world map in a grid. Darker-color squares indicate a larger number of images available. If you know the specific location you are checking, enter the coordinates in the search bar. Alternatively, pan and zoom into your area of interest, or click on the relevant part of the grid. Latest uploads are also displayed on the sidebar (left side). ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-aa9f116dfcb4460066842b431fbf8100ca6cd69c%252Fopening_OAM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=67223db3&sv=2) Mosaic layer shown after "Start Exploring" from the page openaerialmap.org Note: **Searching by entering keywords in the search bar is not recommended**, as this may yield irrelevant or incomplete results (or no results). This is because the search term (e.g., country name) may not appear in the text metadata of the imagery. Also imagery metadata can be in languages other than English. From the world map, when hovering over a grid, a number will be shown to indicate how many images are available in that tile. Below, there are 775 images available in that area of the grid. Click to see those available images in the sidebar, shown as tiles of colored polygons. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-a0fc37dee9a41c029760040cdebf81a968cadcc9%252Fgrid.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=abe11f17&sv=2) #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#viewing-the-imagery-in-the-browser) Viewing the imagery in the browser An example image is shown below. ![Example imagery of the University of Eswatini](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-d4e8d5b99d748f53749d16b474411feb4e2c6719%252Fueswatini%2520%283%29.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=c0de2f18&sv=2) Example: image of University of Eswatini uploaded by Mdumiseni Wisdom D. Dlamini. Marked in the orange rectangle, click the download button (left) to download the raw [.tiff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TIFF) file. Or click the zoom button (right) to fit the imagery on the screen. The imagery is aligned to the map layer. **Tips**: * Coordinates can be found in the URL. For example, the above image's URL is: [https://map.openaerialmap.org/#/31.307988166809082,-26.4788802356307,16/square/300301322/5ca678b9b21ec90007944d55](https://map.openaerialmap.org/#/31.307988166809082,-26.4788802356307,16/square/300301322/5ca678b9b21ec90007944d55?_k=oyqwad) Thus the coordinates are: 31.307988166809082, -26.4788802356307 When entering into OpenStreetMap or Google Maps, enter these coordinates in the reverse order, i.e., -26.4788802356307, 31.307988166809082. * If you are on a slow internet connection, the high-resolution imagery can take 30 seconds or longer to load on the browser. While waiting, you may be shown a message saying that "0 imagery is available". **Metadata** shown on the sidebar will include: * Date of capture * Image resolution (in cm) * Sensor — meaning the type of equipment (e.g., UAV model) used for image capture * Source, attribution and license type (e.g. CC-BY-4.0 or other open licenses) #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#using-oam-imagery-in-qgis) Using OAM imagery in QGIS **Using TMS (Tile Map Service) data**[](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#using-tms-tile-map-service-data) TMS data are large photos pre-cut into small, fixed-size squares (tiles, often 256x256 pixels) and organized in a zoomable pyramid. The simpler structure allows fast, efficient web delivery and display. Click "TMS" to copy the URL. **Step-by-step guide** \[insert image\] 1. **Add a New XYZ Tile Connection** * Go to the Browser panel (on the left side of QGIS). Right-click on XYZ Tiles and select "New Connection...". 2. **Enter TMS Connection Details** * In the dialog box, give your connection a name (e.g., "Location - aerial imagery"). * Enter the TMS URL in the URL field, using the format provided by your TMS provider (e.g., `https://{server}/{z}/{x}/{y}.png`). You may need to adjust the y-axis. 3. **Save and Add the TMS Layer** * To save, click OK. To add the TMS layer, either double-click the new connection in the Browser panel > XYZ Tiles, or drag it onto the map canvas. The aerial imagery tiles will now appear as a background layer on your QGIS map. 4. **Adjustments and trouble-shooting** * If needed, use the Layer Properties to adjust display settings, opacity, or coordinate reference system. **Using WMTS (Web Map Tile Service) data**[](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#using-wmts-web-map-tile-service-data) WMTS is more complex, with features including discovery, standardized metadata, and support for interoperability across different GIS systems. Click WMTS to copy the URL from OpenAerialMap. **Step-by-step** 1. Go to **Layer > Add Layer > Add WMS/WMTS Layer** (globe icon), or open the **Data Source Manager** and select **WMS/WMTS**. 2. Click **New** to create a new connection. Enter a name for the connection and paste the WMTS URL. 3. Click **OK** to save, then click **Connect** to load available layers or tilesets. 4. Select your desired layer, verify the Coordinate Reference System (CRS) and image format (PNG/JPEG), then click **Add**. 5. The WMTS layer should now appear in your **Layers** panel and display on the map. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#cost) Cost ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstar [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#requirements) Requirements ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Any modern web browser. Login is not required to access the imagery. (A user account is needed for API access and for uploading new imagery.) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#limitations) Limitations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * **Coverage:** Not all locations will have up-to-date or high-resolution imagery. * **Licensing:** Most content is openly licensed under Creative Commons, but some datasets may have attribution or use restrictions; check the metadata. * **Delay:** Compared to low-res satellite imagery, there may be a significant delay between drone image capture and upload to the platform. * **Data accuracy considerations**: Researchers should be aware that drone imagery could have been uploaded with inaccuracies in date/time stamps and GPS coordinates. Inaccuracies can be caused by [GPS drift](https://pocketfinder.com/docs/drift-inaccurate-tracking/) , firmware bugs, incorrect software settings, or manual input errors, leading to misalignment. As always, researchers should inspect images for missing data or corruption, and use checkpoints (known points not used in processing) to verify the image-to-map accuracy. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * **Privacy considerations**: Given the high resolution of drone imagery, where the imagery covers human activities or large public gatherings, researchers would need to be mindful of privacy considerations. This is particularly relevant if they need to reuse or republish part of the drone imagery. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#documentation-and-official-blog) Documentation and official blog * [OpenAerialMap User Guide](https://docs.openaerialmap.org/browser/user-guide/) #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#guides) Guides (Oct 23, 2023). Simple GIS Software Tutorials - Displaying OpenAerialMap Imagery in Simple GIS Client, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woDsyAQQMko](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woDsyAQQMko) (Feb 16, 2024). Download High-Resolution (1 cm to 30 cm) Aerial Images from Open Aerial Map for Free, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0QDzChfJ-0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0QDzChfJ-0) (Mar 1, 2023). Search and Visualize OpenAerialMap Imagery Interactively with Leafmap, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P51j9robY98](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P51j9robY98) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#tool-provider) Tool provider ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT)](https://www.hotosm.org/en/tools-resources/tech-product-suite/open-aerial-map/) , United States. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#similar-tools) Similar tools ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **DJI SkyPixel**: DJI's community platform [SkyPixel](https://www.skypixel.com/) has drone imagery publicly available and searchable. However, the metadata may be incomplete, especially the coordinates shown may not allow researchers to easily map a drone video to the map. Coverage also tends to be focused on scenic locations and tourist sites. For those who need to reuse or republish imagery, there may be licensing or usage rights issues. **OpenTopography**: If the research involves checking elevation, [OpenTopography](https://opentopography.org/) offers high-resolution point cloud datasets or LiDAR data covering more than 500,000 km² globally. However, users would need to have experience loading large datasets, and reading and interpreting LiDAR data. * The website has a graphical user interface where users can request the dataset they need — users will specify the location (coordinates or indicate on map), data output type (e.g., ARC ASCII Grid, GeoTiff), and the type of visualization needed. The DEM (Digital Elevation Model) from LiDAR data will then be available for download. **Environmental monitoring purposes**: [Global Forest Watch](https://www.globalforestwatch.org/map/) currently offers low resolution Sentinel-2 (10m res) & Landsat 8 (30m res) imagery for near real-time checks. See the [Bellingcat Toolkit guide to Global Forest Watch](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/global-forest-watch) here. **National portals of geodata:** At the national level, sites such as the [USGS Earth Explorer](https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/) or [UK Environment Agency’s LIDAR portal](https://environment.data.gov.uk/DefraDataDownload/) have some aerial imagery, but usually from aircrafts and not from UAVs. **For historical research:** local governments and societies may have archives of satellite and aerial imagery. For example, Scotland's National Collection of Aerial Photography (NCAP) is developing an Air Photo Finder ([https://airphotofinder.ncap.org/homepage](https://airphotofinder.ncap.org/homepage) ; in beta and subject to subscription), which will feature historically significant aerial photos dating back to the 1920s. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer river\_n Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#tool-provider) * [Similar tools](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#similar-tools) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/openaerialmap#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Strava | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava#url) URL ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://www.strava.com](https://www.strava.com/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava#description) Description -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Strava is a fitness app that allows users to record and publish outdoor activities - including running, cycling, and hiking - on an interactive map using GPS data. Each activity is automatically mapped and tagged with metrics such as distance, duration, pace, and elevation. Beyond activity tracking, Strava functions as a social network, with users maintaining public profiles, following each other, and interacting through comments and kudos (the platform's equivalent of a like). For open source investigators, Strava is valuable because its default privacy settings favour visibility. New accounts are set to public by default, meaning activities, routes, and profile information are openly accessible to anyone - including non-registered users browsing the [global heatmap](https://strava.com/maps/global-heatmap?3d=false&cPhotos=true&gColor=blue&gOpacity=100&labels=true&poi=true&sport=All&style=dark&terrain=false) . Even users who have partially adjusted their privacy settings may unknowingly expose sensitive data through segments, leaderboards, and the [Flyby feature](https://labs.strava.com/flyby/) . Strava is accessible via desktop at [strava.com](https://strava.com/) and via mobile app on iOS and Android. The global heatmap is partially accessible without an account, but street-level detail and key investigative features require a registered account. #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava#key-investigative-entry-points) Key investigative entry points: 1. **Profile Analysis** - Each public Strava profile includes a username, profile photo, location (city or region), and activity history. Reviewing a subject's activity history can reveal routines, frequently visited locations, home and work areas, and travel patterns over time. Timestamps on activities establish patterns of behaviour that can be cross-referenced with other data sources. 2. **Global Heatmap** - Strava aggregates all public user activity into a global heatmap available at [strava.com/maps/global-heatmap](https://strava.com/maps/global-heatmap) , filterable by sport type. The heatmap is updated monthly for yearly data and every 24 hours for weekly data. In populated areas it shows well-used running and cycling routes. In restricted or sensitive areas - military bases, government compounds, conflict zones - unusual activity patterns or the absence of activity can itself be investigatively significant. Street-level zoom requires a registered account. 3. **Segments and Leaderboards** - Segments are user-defined stretches of road or trail on which Strava records and ranks times. Any registered user can view a segment's leaderboard, which lists every athlete who has completed it along with the date of their most recent effort. Clicking through from a leaderboard entry leads directly to that user's public profile. This makes segments a powerful tool for identifying individuals active in a specific location - including sensitive locations where only a narrow group of people would plausibly be running. 4. **The Fake Run Technique** - Investigators can log a fake GPS activity in a specific location to surface other Strava users who also exercise there. By choosing a location where only a specific group of people - such as security personnel or military staff - are likely to run, researchers can begin identifying members of that group from the users who appear in the resulting Flyby or segment data. 5. **Flybys** - The Flyby feature shows other users who were active near the same location at the same time as a recorded activity. This is directly applicable to witness identification - investigators can upload a route corresponding to a known incident location and time, then use Flyby to surface individuals who were present. 6. **Connections and Networks** - Strava's social layer allows investigators to map relationships between accounts through public follower and following lists, kudos interactions, and comments on activities. Clubs and groups - organised by location, sport type, or institutional affiliation - can surface additional profiles linked to a specific place or organisation, even when individual activities are set to private. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava#cost) Cost ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Free * Partially Free * Paid Strava operates on a freemium model. The free tier is sufficient for most open source investigations - it provides access to the global heatmap, segment leaderboards, public profiles, and user search. Some features relevant to investigators, such as community photos on routes, are restricted to paying subscribers. The paid subscription (Strava Premium) is oriented toward personal athletic performance and adds training analysis tools that have limited investigative value. Current pricing in the United States is $11.99 per month or $79.99 per year. A Family Plan is available at $139.99 per year. Pricing may vary by region. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava#level-of-difficulty) Level of Difficulty ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ starstar [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava#requirements) Requirements ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The global heatmap is partially accessible without an account - investigators can browse at city or regional scale without logging in. However, zooming to street-level detail triggers a login prompt, as shown in the screenshots below. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-8522a5619f8977e94f3fa039aa2927bd93bc51ae%252Fstrava-heatmap-without-login.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=af55a4b5&sv=2) Strava's global heatmap as seen without a registered account. City and regional scale activity is visible, but zooming to street level requires login. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-5fe303ec9ddb5e166031277441a07040469e1e2a%252Fstrava-zoom%25C3%259Foption-without-login.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=2c81c5bb&sv=2) Attempting to zoom into street-level detail without an account triggers this prompt. A free registered account is sufficient to unlock full heatmap access. A free Strava account registered with an email address, Google, or Apple ID is required to access street-level heatmap data, segment leaderboards, individual profiles, and the Flyby feature. No paid subscription is needed for investigative use. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava#limitations) Limitations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Using Strava for open source research has several limitations: 1. **Privacy settings:** Many users have set their profiles to private or followers-only, limiting visibility to non-connections. Activities marked "Only You" or "Followers" are excluded from the heatmap automatically. 2. **Hidden start and end points:** Strava hides the first and last 200 metres of activity maps by default after a user's first login, and users can extend this to up to one mile. This can obscure home and work locations. 3. **Hidden start times:** Users can also choose to hide the start time of their activities, limiting the ability to establish precise behavioural timelines. 4. **GPS inaccuracies:** Activity data [accuracy](https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/articles/216917917-Why-is-GPS-data-sometimes-inaccurate) varies depending on GPS signal strength and signal obstruction. [Timestamps](https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/articles/216515918-My-Activity-Has-the-Wrong-Date-or-Start-Time) may also be unreliable depending on a user's timezone settings. 5. **Incomplete data:** Users may record only some activities, use the app sporadically, or switch to a private account after earlier public activity - leading to gaps in the available record. 6. **Manipulated data:** Users can manually edit or fabricate activity data, either intentionally or unintentionally, which can produce false or misleading information. 7. **Desktop vs mobile:** More detailed heatmap data is available on desktop. The weekly heatmap is only accessible on desktop. 8. **Flyby availability:** The Flyby feature has been subject to privacy restrictions and may not be available for all users or activities depending on individual privacy settings. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Strava displays user-generated location data that individuals may have shared without fully understanding the implications of the platform's default public settings. 1. **Default visibility:** New Strava accounts are set to public by default. Many users - including military personnel and security staff - may be unaware that their activities are publicly accessible and aggregatable by third parties. 2. **Patterns of life:** Even individually innocuous data points - a morning run, a regular cycling route - can, when aggregated over time, reveal highly sensitive information about a subject's home address, workplace, daily routine, and travel schedule. Investigators should handle this data with proportionality. 3. **Sensitive locations:** Investigations involving military bases, government facilities, or conflict zones may surface data about individuals in vulnerable or dangerous positions. This data should not be published or shared without careful consideration of the risks. 4. **Opt-out mechanisms:** Users can exclude their data from the heatmap and restrict profile visibility through Strava's privacy settings, but many are unaware of these options. The existence of opt-out does not reduce the investigator's ethical responsibility. 5. **Real-world consequences:** In 2024, a former [Russian submarine commander](https://nypost.com/2023/07/11/russian-submarine-captain-killed-by-assassin-on-morning-run/) was reportedly assassinated with the help of information obtained from his public Strava profile. The use of Strava data carries potential real-world consequences that investigators must weigh carefully. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava#how-to-use-it) How to use it ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Strava's investigative value lies in moving systematically from broad geographic patterns down to individual activity data. The workflow below follows that logic - starting with the regional heatmap and working toward street-level detail and segment analysis. **Step 1 - Log in and zoom to city level**. Create a free account at strava.com and log in. Search for your target location and zoom in to city level. With both Heatmaps and Segments active, the map shows a dense overlay of activity - orange lines indicate named segments, blue lines show aggregated heatmap activity. At this scale investigators can begin identifying areas of concentrated activity, unusual route patterns, or the presence of segments inside restricted or sensitive locations. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-400eda524326ca73f2af5d6040cedee356559587%252Fstrava-login-zzom-sa.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=e88f929d&sv=2) San Francisco at city scale with both Heatmaps and Segments filters active after login. Orange lines are named segments; blue lines show aggregated GPS activity from all public users. The density of segments in a civilian urban area illustrates the volume of data available — in a more restricted location, even a small number of segments can reveal significant information about who is present and what routes they use. **Step 2 - Zoom to street level and filter by activity type.** Zoom further into your area of interest. At this scale individual segment names become readable and the heatmap shows activity at street and path level. Use the sport type filter to narrow results -switching from All Sports to **Walk** or **Run** isolates the relevant activity type for your investigation. This is particularly useful when investigating security personnel or military staff, who are more likely to be running than cycling. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-8f5d5ad6685d78b9c2ac1d30afc8f55ea1f30bce%252Fstrava-zoomed.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=384567ce&sv=2) Street-level view of the Presidio and Golden Gate area with Heatmaps and Segments active. The density of named segments in this area — a former US Army base — illustrates how Strava data can surface activity patterns in locations with restricted access. Each orange segment line is clickable and leads to a leaderboard of users who have recorded activity there. **Step 3 - Switch sport filters to refine results.** Use the sport type dropdown to isolate specific activity types. The screenshot below shows the same area filtered to **Walk** only, revealing foot traffic patterns along the coastal path at maximum zoom. At this level of detail, regular routes, entry and exit points, and areas of concentrated activity become clearly visible - information that can help establish patterns of life for individuals active in that location. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-fda53ffc2f54db77c6418efe906cfdd9d5c5d21a%252Fstrava-details-spots.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=d3ecf054&sv=2) Maximum zoom near Fort Point with the Walk filter active. The blue heatmap trail shows foot traffic patterns along the coastal path with high precision. The sport filter visible in the toolbar illustrates how investigators can isolate specific activity types to refine results. At this zoom level, individual paths and access routes become distinguishable. **Step 4 - Click a segment to access the leaderboard.** Click on any named segment (orange line) to open its detail panel. The leaderboard lists every athlete who has completed that segment, along with the date of their most recent effort. This is one of the most powerful investigative features in Strava - it converts geographic data into a list of identifiable individuals who have been physically present in a specific location. From the leaderboard, click through to any public profile to view the user's activity history, home region, profile photo, and social connections. Do not click through to profiles of individuals you have not already identified as relevant to your investigation - unnecessary profile views can in some cases be visible to the account holder. **Step 5 - Archive.** Users can change their privacy settings at any time, making previously public profiles and activities inaccessible without warning. Screenshot or archive any relevant profiles, activity data, or leaderboard entries as soon as you find them. There is no native export function. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava#similar-tools) **Similar Tools** ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following tools in the Bellingcat toolkit similarly surface user-generated, location-tagged content that can be used to identify individuals or map activity in specific areas: * [**Snap Map**](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/snap-map) — real-time geotagged public Snaps on an interactive map, useful for situational awareness and human network investigations. * [**Instagram Location Search**](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/instagram-location-search) — searches for geotagged Instagram posts near specified coordinates. * [**Mapillary**](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapillary) — crowdsourced street-level imagery tagged to precise locations, useful for visual verification of routes and locations identified via Strava. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava#guides-and-articles) Guides and Articles ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Toler, Aric: How to Use and Interpret Data from Strava's Activity Map at [https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/how-tos/2018/01/29/strava-interpretation-guide/](https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/how-tos/2018/01/29/strava-interpretation-guide/) . * Snejana, Farberov: Russian submarine captain on Ukraine blacklist killed by assassin after sharing jogging route on Strava workout app, at [https://nypost.com/2023/07/11/russian-submarine-captain-killed-by-assassin-on-morning-run/](https://nypost.com/2023/07/11/russian-submarine-captain-killed-by-assassin-on-morning-run/) * GIJN: Running Into Open Secrets — How to Investigate Using the Strava Fitness App, April 2025 at [https://gijn.org/stories/investigations-using-strava-fitness-app/](https://gijn.org/stories/investigations-using-strava-fitness-app/) . * Bourdon, Sébastien & Schirer, Antoine: #StravaLeaks investigative series, Le Monde, 2024 at [https://www.lemonde.fr/en/stravaleaks/](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/stravaleaks/) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava#tool-provider) Tool provider ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Strava Inc., USA [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer tsvetelina Last updated 1 day ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava#cost) * [Level of Difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava#ethical-considerations) * [How to use it](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava#how-to-use-it) * [Similar Tools](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava#similar-tools) * [Guides and Articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/strava#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Search by Image | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image#url) URL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Github](https://github.com/dessant/search-by-image) | [Firefox](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/search_by_image/) | [Chrome](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/search-by-image/cnojnbdhbhnkbcieeekonklommdnndci) | [Edge](https://microsoftedge.microsoft.com/addons/detail/search-by-image/hckehkfhdkpmdlonmjaagiodlpjbonmc) | [Safari](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/search-by-image-for-safari/id1544552106?platform=mac) | [Opera](https://addons.opera.com/extensions/details/search-by-image/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image#description) Description ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **Search by Image** is a browser extension that enables reverse image searching on multiple search engines, including Google Lens, Bing, Yandex, and TinEye. It allows users to reverse search an image directly from the contextual menu (right-clicking on the image) or from the toolbar. After selecting an engine, the tool opens a new tab with the search results. Users can also search across all supported engines simultaneously, opening multiple tabs for broader results. This tool is designed to support journalists, investigators, and fact-checkers in verifying image origins, finding higher resolutions, and locating similar images across the web. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image#how-to-use-it) How to use it 1. **From the context menu shortcut:** * Open the image's context menu (right-click on Windows and most Linux platforms, Control + Click or Two-finger click on the trackpad on Mac) * Hover over "Search by Image" * Select the search engine of your choice ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-565f62877c5b13452c428fa4bf1697a1931ebf57%252F1.webp%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=960f85fd&sv=2) Reverse searching an image from the contextual menu 1. **From the Extension Menu - Select URL (default mode):** Queries the selected engine using the image URL. * Open the extension's menu from the toolbar * Select the "Select URL" mode * Select your target search engine * Select the image from the web page **Note:** this is equivalent to the contextual menu shortcut in the default settings. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-10e566f477eb888859d8dd3bcbcc55181ee469be%252F2.webp%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=e9238922&sv=2) Select URL Mode 1. **From the Extension Menu - Select Image:** Uploads the image to the selected engine: this is useful when reverse searching images from sites where contextual menu is disabled (Pinterest) or where images cannot be accessed by their URL (Instagram). * Open the extension's menu from the toolbar * Select the "Select Image" mode * Select your target search engine * Select the image from the web page ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-6975486321e4f8f715c02b3b9f0cb93ee4fa5c42%252F3.webp%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=44717563&sv=2) **Select Image Mode** 1. **From the Extension Menu - Capture:** Allows you to capture and search a specific area of an image/the web page. * Open the extension's menu from the toolbar * Select the "Capture" mode * Select your target search engine * Select the area you want to reverse search ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-bd47a2d26a7476daee4f2f7e3ddc42dd2ca6450d%252F4.webp%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=c32c1725&sv=2) **Capture Mode** 1. **From the Extension Menu - Browse:** Enables you to upload an image from your local files (supports copy/paste). * Open the extension's menu from the toolbar * Select the "Browse" mode * Select "Browse" * Select your target search engine * Select the image from your local files **Note:** in this mode you can also paste an image from your clipboard by selecting "Paste" instead of "Browse". ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-d57570965b17115c25954ee780a4d096c70753b7%252F5.webp%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=a4a0becf&sv=2) **Browse Mode** 1. **From the Extension Menu - URL:** Allows you to paste a URL for querying. * Open the extension's menu from the toolbar * Select the "URL" mode * Paste the image URL in the field * Select your target search engine ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-be5332f6b26634bfb34c75187ab837e0ddf89281%252F6.webp%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=74632a29&sv=2) URL Mode ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image#additional-features) Additional Features * **Support for** [**44 search engines and image services**](https://github.com/dessant/search-by-image/wiki/Search-engines) in addition to the default options. You can toggle and re-order them in the extension’s settings. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-60186a78c09d08d745a4593bd2e7153454ef2c8a%252F9.webp%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=890d18d&sv=2) You can add additional search engines in the Options * Reverse search an image in multiple search engines at once ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-8c16c23616855174ffc05de438b078d04f37c6c2%252F8.webp%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=d2bf06d2&sv=2) Reverse search an image in multiple search engines at once * **Changing the new tab default behavior:** By default, selecting a search engine to use on an image will open the results in a new tab and switch focus to it. If you prefer to open the tab in the background and view the results later, you can adjust this behavior in the Options. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-d9e1386c4817f01011e0955a9ff49a22323b80e7%252Fimage%2520%281%29.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=44b289a7&sv=2) Toggle this option to open new tabs in the background * **Changing the context menu default behavior:** You can set the context menu default behavior to either use the URL (default), Image or Capture mode. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-2aac45953c23a2e7a4c2de6efa9fcbecbcb44726%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=b3aac2a3&sv=2) Change the Context menu default behavior In case right-clicking an image does not work: use the Search by Image extension from the toolbar. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image#mechanics) Mechanics **Search by Image** detects images by parsing the entire web page, identifying images embedded in various ways (like canvas, CSS, or object elements) rather than relying solely on `` tags. This approach ensures compatibility across diverse websites, capturing images regardless of how they’re embedded. Read [this post](https://github.com/dessant/search-by-image/wiki/Why-is-the-extension-always-visible-in-the-context-menu%3F) for more details. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-084fa3628342d77607c10d9d8cf6ab5aa3034809%252FScreenshot%25202026-06-06%2520at%252017.06.52.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=f7ea84fb&sv=2) Enable 'Use deep search' for harder to reach embedded images. In case the extension does not find the right image because it’s protected for download, embedded or layered in a non-standard way, try the (default disabled) toggle ‘Use deep search when selecting images’ under ‘Options’. This may surface several image candidates. Note that deep search works within what's already loaded in your browser, it will not go past logins or paywalls. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image#cost) Cost --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid The tool is free and [open-source](https://github.com/dessant/search-by-image) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image#requirements) Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Most search engines need Javascript to be enabled. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image#limitations) Limitations ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Not all features are available for each search engine; some are restricted by local data protection laws, such as people and face recognition (lenso.ai), or require a paid account for full functionality (PimEyes). * Even though the extension seems to be actively maintained, certain events—such as browser updates, engine inaccessibility, or changes in how an engine processes image queries—may require updates to the extension. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Especially for sensitive or unpublished imagery, be aware that using the ‘select image’ function uploads the file to third party servers, and can mean a wider exposure than intended. Search engines with less transparent privacy policies may retain or reuse the images. * Make sure you have the right to use the selected search engines in your location. * Engaging in doxxing, harassment, or sharing explicit content without consent is illegal and carries serious consequences under many jurisdictions' laws. Use images as leads for verification, as reusing images found through deep search may infringe copyright. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [This guide](https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/how-tos/2019/12/26/guide-to-using-reverse-image-search-for-investigations/) does not use this specific extension but explains how to use reverse image searches in investigations. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image#tool-provider) Tool provider --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Armin Sebastian ([@dessant on GitHub](https://github.com/dessant) ) is an EU based developer specializing in open source browser extensions that enhance user experience and accessibility. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. The Search by Image Extension does not use tracking cookies but most of the search engines do. For your privacy, make sure to check the search engines' privacy policies. Read the extension's [privacy policy](https://github.com/dessant/search-by-image/wiki/Privacy-policy) here. Page maintainer Bellingcat Volunteer Team / Lavache Last updated 11 days ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image#description) * [How to use it](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image#how-to-use-it) * [Additional Features](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image#additional-features) * [Mechanics](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image#mechanics) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/search-by-image#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # TelegramDB | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb#url) URL -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://www.telegramdb.org/](https://www.telegramdb.org/) (May 2025, [github](https://github.com/TelegramDB/TelegramDB) ) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb#description) Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TelegramDB (“TgDB”) is a searchable index of public Telegram spaces exposed through two products: **TgDB Search Lite** (a free bot at `@tgdb_search_bot`) and **TgDB Search Plus** (a web bot/webchat at tgdb.org for advanced/credit‑based queries). Core functions include keyword discovery of public channels, groups and bots, resolving IDs/usernames, and footprinting a user’s public group/channel history. Recent additions include network/affinity discovery (similar users or “near” users; groups with similar communities) and expanded result volumes for paid searches. The bot lets you: 1. **Look up public chats** by keyword, name or username. 2. **Check a user’s public footprint** (`/where`) and see which groups they’ve joined. 3. **Export data** (CSV) such as full member lists, overlapping users or “near” users for network analysis tools. 4. **See live stats** on the TelegramDB index (`/stats`). Usage has grown fast – TelegramDB passed **1.5 million monthly active users in April 2025** ([TGStat.com](https://tgstat.com/channel/%40tgdatabase) ). &#xNAN;_Notable 2024-25 updates:_ a redesigned menu (`/search`), searches that can now return **up to 1 000 results** instead of 20, a contact-picker for user-centric commands, and a new website where you can manage your account and buy credits. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb#commands) Commands As of 2025, TelegramDB straddles a freemium model: a free “Search Lite” bot for basic discovery and a “Search Plus” web bot for premium features and heavy usage. Telegram’s bot info page shows a public monthly-user count for TgDB Search Lite (@tgdb\_search\_bot); treat this as a rough indicator that changes over time. Full Command Overview[](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb#full-command-overview) **Free Commands** * `**/search**` – Search for public channels and groups (first 20 results free; more via credits). (The legacy keyword search functionality is now under `/title`) * `**/title [name]**` – Search for public groups and channels by title or keyword (text-based search). * `**/resolve [id or @username]**` – Convert a user, group, or channel ID to its username (and vice versa) and display additional information such as past usernames, Telegram Premium status, verification badge, or scam flags. * `**/group [name]**` / `**/channel [name]**` – Find public groups or channels by name. (Free mode returns limited results.) * `**/bot [name]**` – Search for public bot accounts by name. * `**/help**`, `**/faq**`, `**/terms**`, `**/support**`, `**/language**` – Access help and info: usage instructions, FAQs, terms and conditions, a link to the support chat, and language settings (English, Italian, etc.). * `**/cancel**` – Cancel the current operation or menu. **Premium Commands (Credits Required)** * `**/where [id or @username]**` – Reveal the public groups in which a user has been a member. (Requires credits for a full list; without credits, it will only report the count of groups, up to 5 uses per day​.) * `**/members [id or @username]**` – Export a CSV list of members of a specified group. * `**/network [chat]**` – Identify related chats (groups/channels) and export results to CSV. * `**/near [id or @username]**` – Find ‘nearest’ users to a given user and export results to CSV. * `**/credits**` – Check your credit balance and purchase additional credits through the bot’s payment interface​. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb#cost) Cost ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * **Partially Free** * **Free tier** (Search Lite): discovery commands remain 100% free on @tgdb\_search\_bot. [Telegram](https://t.me/s/tgdatabase?before=318&utm_source=chatgpt.com) * **Paid tier** (Search Plus): advanced commands use a credit system. Credits are purchased via the /credits flow (Telegram’s payment system) and/or via the TgDB website account; available payment methods can vary over time. Search costs scale with result volume. Example (from TelegramDB’s GitHub README): /search is free up to 20 results, while /where has a base credit cost plus additional credits per extra results; the bot previews cost/results before you spend credits. #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb#free) Free Basic keyword searches (/search, /title) * Limited results (up to ~20) * Basic info from `/info` #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb#paid) Paid * Premium commands: `/where`, `/members`, `/network`, `/near` * Larger result sets (beyond the free limit) * Historical data, CSV exports, user overlap analytics Specific pricing for premium credits is not provided directly but operates on a credit-based payment system, including support for cryptocurrencies. (If you have used the pay functionality or know more, please do let me know) * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstar * For most workflows this is **easy**: you interact with a Telegram bot or a simple web UI—no CLI, coding, or API keys. Investigators should be comfortable with Telegram usernames/IDs and basic search/refinement. Advanced outputs (CSV exports, larger result sets, user/network analysis) require using the web bot and credit management. * Premium features (CSV exports, group network mapping) can be used for deeper OSINT investigations or data analytics. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb#requirements) Requirements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * **Platform/runtime:** Any modern browser (tgdb.org web bot) or Telegram app (bot). [tgdb.org](https://www.tgdb.org/bot?utm_source=chatgpt.com) * **Access & install:** No local install. Start the bot at @tgdb\_search\_bot (Lite) or use TgDB Search Plus via the web bot (tgdb.org/bot; some announcements also reference tgdb.org/page/bot). [Telegram](https://t.me/tgdb_search_bot) * **Auth / tokens:** TgDB Search Lite requires a Telegram account. TgDB Search Plus uses a TgDB website account; credits are purchased via /credits and availability of payment methods can vary over time. [GitHub](https://github.com/TelegramDB/TelegramDB) * **Telegram Account**: You must have Telegram to interact with the bot [@tgdb\_bot](https://t.me/tgdb_bot) . * **Credits**: Needed for premium features (purchased in-bot) * **Data Analysis Skills**: Helpful for interpreting CSV files, especially if you plan to load them into visualization tools (e.g., Maltego). [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb#limitations) Limitations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Public Content Only: TelegramDB indexes only publicly accessible Telegram groups/channels. It cannot search private chats or hidden groups. (All data is obtained by crawling public groups/channels visible to anyone, and TelegramDB is not affiliated with Telegram itself.) * Availability/maintenance: TgDB Search Plus has periodic maintenance windows and occasional outages; if results look inconsistent, check the TgDB News channel for service announcements. * Search behavior changes: Recent updates reverted channel/group search to “precise match” results only; a broader search mode is planned, so search behavior may change again. * **Unfiltered Data:** TelegramDB does not moderate or filter collected content, so search results may include pornography, hate speech, graphic violence, or other illegal or offensive material on Telegram. Users should exercise caution; content takedown requests can be made to remove personal data (see `/terms`)​. * **API Constraints:** The service relies on Telegram’s infrastructure (APIs and network). Data may be subject to Telegram’s rate limits or outages, and information might not instantly reflect edits or deletions. For example, if a user leaves a group or a message is removed, it may still appear in TelegramDB’s cache until the next update or a removal request​. * **Search Costs:** Extensive querying can become costly in credits. High-volume searches or bulk member exports may consume credits quickly, which can be a practical limitation for some users (though result previews and incremental costs are provided). * **Data Accuracy:** Information retrieved might not reflect very recent changes on Telegram. There can be lag in indexing new groups or updating member lists, and some data (like historical usernames or group membership) may be incomplete if the crawler didn’t capture it in time. Always double-check critical information on Telegram itself if possible. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb#terms-and-conditions-key-points-summary) Terms & Conditions (Key Points Summary) * **Age Requirement:** You must be at least 18 years old (or the legal age in your jurisdiction) to use TelegramDB services and the @tgdb\_bot. * **User Obligations:** Users must not use automated scripts or bots to scrape TelegramDB’s data without permission. All usage must comply with applicable laws – you may not use TelegramDB to harass, stalk, or inflict harm on others or for any unlawful purposes. * **Prohibited Activities:** Unauthorized mass collection or resale of TelegramDB’s data is forbidden, as is any attempt to commercially exploit the service’s data or to post abusive content via the bot. Attempts to circumvent the bot’s security or access controls are strictly prohibited. * **Governing Law & Disputes:** Use of TelegramDB is governed by the laws of Italy. In the event of disputes, the Terms specify resolution via arbitration in Milan, Italy, conducted in English (unless otherwise required by law). * **Account Termination:** TelegramDB reserves the right to suspend or terminate your access for violations of the Terms of Use. If an account is terminated, creating substitute accounts to bypass the ban is not allowed without explicit permission. _(Refer to the full Terms of Service via the_ `_/terms_` _command in the bot for complete details. TelegramDB’s policies also outline GDPR compliance – personal data removal requests can be sent to the admins if content has been removed from Telegram but remains on TelegramDB​_ [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * **Data Privacy:** Even though TelegramDB only uses publicly available data, be mindful of privacy implications. Avoid using the tool to expose private individuals unnecessarily, and remember that public membership in a group does not always imply endorsement. * **Compliance:** Ensure your use of TelegramDB aligns with data protection laws (e.g. GDPR) and ethical OSINT guidelines. If you retrieve personal data (like lists of users), handle it responsibly and respect any deletion requests. * **Content Verification:** Results from TelegramDB might include misinformation, extremist propaganda, or spam accounts. Always verify content and identities through additional sources. Treat data as leads or clues rather than absolute facts until confirmed. * **Responsible Usage:** Use TelegramDB for **lawful, proportionate and necessary** OSINT only. Minimize collection of personal data, preserve context, and document methods. For methodology and evidentiary handling, see the **Berkeley Protocol on Digital Open Source Investigations** (OHCHR) and related guidance. Toolkit volunteers should also follow Bellingcat’s internal standards on neutrality and updates. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb#guide) Guide ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * TelegramDB – **README / product overview** (commands, credits, policies). [GitHub](https://github.com/TelegramDB/TelegramDB) * TelegramDB – **Introduction** (service summary). [telegramdb.org](https://www.telegramdb.org/article/introduction?utm_source=chatgpt.com) * TgDB Search Lite – **Bot page** (`@tgdb_search_bot`). [Telegram](https://t.me/tgdb_search_bot) * TelegramDB – **Data removal / GDPR page** (process & contact). [tgdb.org](https://www.tgdb.org/page/data_removal?utm_source=chatgpt.com) * Authentic8 – **Understanding Telegram for OSINT research** (contextual how‑to, 2025‑06‑05). [authentic8](https://www.authentic8.com/blog/telegram-osint-research?blaid=7711207&utm_source=chatgpt.com) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb#tool-provider) Tool provider ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [TelegramDB.org](https://telegramdb.org/) maintains the service and its infrastructure (the developers have not publicly disclosed organizational details). The service operates [servers in Europe​](https://telegramdb.org/article/introduction). But they're listening to the community: ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-5ffb655b0beda292a81e8ca6f1b708063b09d8a3%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=3954e781&sv=2) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not yet been checked for advertising trackers. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Martin Sona Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb#description) * [Commands](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb#commands) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb#limitations) * [Terms & Conditions (Key Points Summary)](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb#terms-and-conditions-key-points-summary) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb#ethical-considerations) * [Guide](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb#guide) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegramdb#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # OpenSecrets | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensecrets.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensecrets#url) URL --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://www.opensecrets.org/](https://www.opensecrets.org/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensecrets#description) Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OpenSecrets is a nonpartisan, independent, and nonprofit organization tracking money in U.S. politics and its impact on elections and public policy. The page has four main categories: Candidates & Officeholders, Elections & Fundraising Data, Industries & Interest Groups, and Lobbying. **Candidates & Officeholders - this section is divided into five subsections:** * [Candidates & Officeholders Overview](https://www.opensecrets.org/candidates-officeholders) \- this section includes lists on current and former individuals who held political positions on federal and state level in the U.S. - judicial officeholders, governors, state commissioners, members of congress. The data is presented as lists with the name of the individual, the state they represent and their current position. * [Members of Congress](https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress) \- lists the names of current and past members of congress, including new ones joining and outgoing ones and shows how much they have managed to fundraise for their campaigns and how much they have spent so far. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-cfe7c8816cd247bf2a86a59d3b1245cf408e1089%252FScreenshot%25202024-08-30%2520at%25206.49.49%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=379a700&sv=2) Members of both chambers of the current U.S. Congress * Each name on the list is hyperlinked to a separate profile with additional spending and fundraising data, including names of donors. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-7a780cce5ed94f5086597ad80f1c2abce4494811%252FScreenshot%25202024-08-30%2520at%25206.52.07%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=56d9831e&sv=2) Profile of House Representative Adams showing who donated to her campaign * This section also includes spending by Leadership [PAC](https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/what-is-a-pac) s (Political Action Committees). Each PAC is hyperlinked to a separate profile with additional spending by party and by election cycle. * [Congressional Committees](https://www.opensecrets.org/cong-cmtes) - shows cumulative donation data to each committee broken down by industry. * [Presidential Administrations](https://www.opensecrets.org/presidential-administrations) \- a deep dive into the three most recent administrations with articles, reports, names of appointees by the administrations. Each profile contains different information and the administrations only include the Biden, the Trump and the Obama administrations. * [Personal Finances](https://www.opensecrets.org/personal-finances) - ranks members of congress by richest and poorest by their own income, net worth, financial liabilities and assets. Each name is hyperlinked to a profile with additional information. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-54a185b9affbe2feb4d2e5ef6351ae29690c3036%252FScreenshot%25202024-08-30%2520at%25207.04.18%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=5dca459f&sv=2) Profile of House Representative Meuser from Pennsylvania's 9th congressional district **Elections & Fundraising Data - this section includes spending by candidates in presidential and congressional elections.** The two most relevant subsections are: * [Outside Spending](https://www.opensecrets.org/outside-spending) - data reported by outside spending groups to the Federal Election Commission. There is a separate section devoted to dark money groups – politically active nonprofits that aren't required to publicly disclose their donors. The information includes data on political recipients, however it only shows the amounts received and rarely the donors. * [Donor Lookup](https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup) \- a search by name of a donor - these are individuals and companies. This is the most user-friendly and useful feature for small investigations as it allows searching by keyword. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-d7b80edecda5e000d6b778045adad70698e35f5f%252FScreenshot%25202024-08-30%2520at%25207.15.56%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=1f498ae2&sv=2) Donors search with filters ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-4ee81a73056476a8d7d4da60216498cfa3417d18%252FScreenshot%25202024-09-03%2520at%25206.51.58%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=c45b4df7&sv=2) [Donor profile for Elon Musk](https://web.archive.org/web/20220722103823/https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-tesla-spacex-secret-service-special-agent-filing-donation-2021-4) who donated twice to the Republican National Committee in 2021 **Industries & Interest Groups - political action committees, industries, non-governmental organizations who spend money to support political candidates and issues** * [Political Ads](https://www.opensecrets.org/political-ads) \- allows tracking of political spending online (Facebook and Google) by advertiser and each advertiser has its own separate profile with specifics (Including which Facebook pages ran the ads); and by TV and Radio - contains pdf files submitted to the Federal Communications Commission by broadcasters around the country. * [Dark Money](https://www.opensecrets.org/dark-money) - sub-page with articles on dark money as well as who spent [dark money](https://www.opensecrets.org/dark-money/basics) and where that dark money went. * [Industries](https://www.opensecrets.org/industries) - cumulative data on which industries spent money. Also for each interest group there is a summary of political giving dating back to the 1990 election cycle (breakdowns by type of contribution & political party top contributors); a list of organizations (usually U.S. companies) that have given the most from that industry through their employees and political action committees; a list of candidates that have received the most from a particular industry. * [Organizations](https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/all-profiles) - Each organization profile tracks campaign contributions from the organization's employees and members, its PAC and from the organization itself, only when it gives to outside groups. Each profile also tracks the organization’s lobbying activity to influence public policy, as well as its outside spending to influence elections. * [527s](https://www.opensecrets.org/527s) - groups, formed under section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code, primarily are involved in issue advocacy. Some organizations, including labor unions, use 527 accounts to support or oppose state and local candidates and contribute to other committees. The data is presented as simple lists with contributors' names and amounts. * [PACs](https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs) \- includes data in Super PACs and leadership PACs. This subsection is useful when tracking whether a candidate received money for a specifically formed action committee dedicated to them and whether a PAC has donated to more than one candidate. Information like this can uncover links between donor spending and political issues they might want to achieve through funding a candidate. * [Issue Profiles](https://www.opensecrets.org/news/issues/) \- OpenSecrets' own research on specific topics with lots of articles and data. For example the climate change issue delves deep into spending, environmental groups activism and environmental lobbying. **Lobbying - Companies, labor unions, trade associations and other influential organizations' spending on Congress and federal agencies to lobby for special interests.** * [Lobbying Overview](https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying) \- includes top lobbying contracts, agencies, issues lobbied, bills that lobbyists worked on, contracts between lobbying firms and companies. Also allows to search by name: ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-819f66763a5305e3eca55484b639432b2ffd69f6%252FScreenshot%25202024-08-30%2520at%25207.41.49%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=c724e646&sv=2) Search and results for KPMG ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-53300bf6716cae17670c5055a929d20fec8fe15b%252FScreenshot%25202024-08-30%2520at%25207.46.25%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=a225cead&sv=2) Profile for KPMG LLP's clients for 2024 * [Foreign Lobby Watch](https://www.opensecrets.org/fara) \- uses the semi-annual reports foreign agents are required to file with the Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) to calculate the countries with the highest spending. Allows search by country and the results provide detailed information on which companies and individuals spent money on lobbying and advocacy. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-4ae17954ac8b1567f034ecb73eb6ee9e88ebc7e2%252FScreenshot%25202024-08-30%2520at%25207.50.10%25E2%2580%25AFPM%2520%281%29.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=c43220f1&sv=2) 2023 Spending by Russian individuals and entities * [Revolving Door](https://www.opensecrets.org/revolving-door) : database documenting the individuals who have worked in both the public sector and lobbying firms and may have conflicts of interest. Allows search by name of individuals, congressional committees, lobbying firms, or employment positions. This submenu can be used to research which PR or lobbying firms have hired former staffers of the White House, congressional or house committees, or which former members of the House or the Congress are lobbying for particular interests. **Other ways to get data from OpenSecrets** You can get bulk data from the OpenSecrets database [here](https://www.opensecrets.org/bulk-data) . This is where you can download compressed text files of the data OpenSecrets creates from raw data provided by various government agencies. You can also get [customized data sets](https://www.opensecrets.org/contracts) . OpenSecrets offers custom data request and licensing on federal and state-level datasets for a price. According to the website, the data spans more than 30 years, and includes political contributions, expenditures, candidate lists and lobbying activities. The information can be delivered as summary data, itemized transaction data or customized research depending on the needs. OpenSecrets did not specify the pricing for this, but it appears payment go through PayPal. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensecrets#cost) Cost ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensecrets#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstarstar [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensecrets#requirements) Requirements --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RESTful API functionality is available only after registration, the user must accept the terms of use and should access the data for non-commercial purposes only. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensecrets#limitations) Limitations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Registrations for the API have been [discontinued](https://www.opensecrets.org/api/admin/index?function=signup) as of April 2025. According to OpenSecrets' [own website](https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying) , employment histories for registered lobbyists may be incomplete prior to 1998 because the Senate Office of Public Records has not made registrations and reports available electronically for those years. According to OpenSecrets' [own website](https://www.opensecrets.org/about) the content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Materials written by them are free to distribute or cite, but OpenSecrets should be credited. For permission to reprint for commercial uses, contact OpenSecrets: info@opensecrets.org. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensecrets#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The data is publicly available, but OpenSecrets does ask to be cited or credited if data collected by them or their own reports is being used. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensecrets#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OpenSecrets has a youtube series on lobbying: [Lobbying Masterclass Series](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKKE_wvn2lEH2_5JDmqxSfgUcfY7vd3Te) (video) OpenSecrets: [Foreign Lobby Watch Demonstration](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJs3Xp9hmno) (video) OpenSecrets: [What is dark money](https://www.opensecrets.org/dark-money/basics) (article) OpenSecrets: [Learning center](https://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/) OpenSecrets: [Open data](https://groups.google.com/g/opensecrets-open-data?pli=1) with questions from other users, answers from the organization - a FAQ resource of sorts, but better. OpenSecrets: [Python](https://github.com/opensecrets/python-crpapi) , [PHP](https://github.com/opensecrets/php-crpapi) and [Ruby](https://github.com/grempe/opensecrets) libraries uploaded on Github. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensecrets#tool-provider) Tool provider ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OpenSecrets is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization based in Washington, DC. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensecrets#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer LPetrova Last updated 7 months ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensecrets#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensecrets#description) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensecrets#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensecrets#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensecrets#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensecrets#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensecrets#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensecrets#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensecrets#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/opensecrets#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Telegago | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago#url) URL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [https://cse.google.com/cse?cx=006368593537057042503:efxu7xprihg](https://cse.google.com/cse?cx=006368593537057042503:efxu7xprihg) – Official Telegago Google Custom Search Engine (as of May 2026) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago#description) Description ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-6b78b91e105a39aaeb452f72bd422105d9d3bd84%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=cd01f1fc&sv=2) Telegago is a Google Custom Search Engine (CSE) designed for Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) research on public Telegram content. By focusing on Telegram’s publicly available web domains (e.g., **t.me** and **telegram.me**), it allows users to perform targeted and precise searches without requiring a Telegram account. **Key Features** * **Tailored Searches:** Utilizes custom search parameters to enhance the accuracy and relevance of results within Telegram’s public content (only searches Telegram-related domains). * **No Account Required:** Provides access to publicly shared Telegram information without needing to sign up or log in to Telegram. * **User-Friendly Interface:** Leverages Google’s familiar search interface for ease of use, making Telegram searches feel like a regular Google query. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago#guide-on-how-to-use-telegago) Guide on how to use Telegago **Usage Guide** 1. **Access Telegago:** Open the Telegago search engine page in your web browser (use the official link above). 2. **Enter Search Terms:** * Type your desired keywords into the search box. * Use Google search operators to refine your search (see Tips below for examples). 3. **Execute the Search:** Click the search button or press **Enter** to view the results. 4. **Review Results:** Browse the list of public Telegram profiles, channels, and groups that match your query. The results come from Telegram URLs (such as channel pages or group invite links) that Google has indexed. 5. **Optional – Join Groups or Channels:** If you find a Telegram group or channel of interest, you can join it using tools like Bellingcat’s [**Telegram Group Joiner**](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegram-group-joiner) , which automates joining specific channels or groups using the invite or channel links from your search results​. (This requires a Telegram account, but the search itself does not.) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago#advice-for-more-effective-searches) Advice for More Effective Searches: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (tips courtesy of [Jane Lytvynenko](https://www.janelytv.com/) ) * **Exclude Unwanted Terms:** Apply a minus sign before terms you want to remove (e.g., `European Parliament -AfD`) to filter out irrelevant results. * **Search Within Specific Sites or Formats:** Usually, you can utilize `site:` (e.g., `site:t.me`) to limit results to a specific domain (already automatically included in this CSE) or `filetype:` (e.g., `filetype:pdf`) to locate particular document types. The `filetype:pdf` operator may be less helpful unless you suspect the content you’re looking for is posted or linked to a publicly accessible PDF hosted elsewhere. If you know specific channels share documents, you might try combining `site:` with `filetype:pdf` and relevant keywords, but it’s not guaranteed to yield many results since Telegram’s web previews usually don’t directly index PDF files. * **Leverage Additional Operators and Filters:** Tools like `inurl:`, date filters (such as `before:` or `after:`), and language settings refine results to your exact needs. * **First-Person Keywords for Eyewitness Content:** Include first-person pronouns like "I," "me," or "my" alongside location or event terms to find firsthand accounts. For example, searching `"I saw" European Parliament protest` can uncover direct eyewitness posts. (Jane L., thanks for the tip, I hope you're safe.) * **Experiment with Synonyms and Alternate Spellings:** Expand beyond a single keyword. If a search for `"protests"` is too narrow, try synonyms like `"demonstrations"`, `"rallies"`, or `"marches"`. Different communities and regions may favor different terms for similar events. * **Contextual and Localized Keywords:** To target content shared by communities and experts directly involved, add relevant place names, organizations, hashtags, or language indicators. Many place names, personal names, and organizations appear in multiple languages and alphabets. Experiment with different transliterations to uncover sources that English-only or single-spelling searches might miss. * For the Ukrainian capital, often spelled "Kyiv" in English, you can also try: * The Russian transliteration: `"Kiev"` * The Ukrainian Cyrillic form: `"Київ"` * The Russian Cyrillic form: `"Киев"` * **Local Language Keywords:** Incorporate terms in the region’s native language. Eyewitnesses or local groups often post in their mother tongue. For instance, if you’re searching for updates from Ukraine, try Ukrainian or Russian terms: * `"я зняв"` (Ukrainian for “I filmed”) * `"я видел"` (Russian for “I saw”) Same goes for other countries * `"European Parliament" "protests"` (English) * `"Parlement européen" "manifestations"` (French) * `"Europäisches Parlament" "Demonstrationen"` (Deutsch) **Example Queries** * `"European Parliament" "I saw"` * `"Kyiv" "I recorded" explosion` * `Київ "я зняв" протест` * `"Ukraine front line" -rumor -speculation` * `("refugees" OR "migrants") "my photo"` * `“Kyiv protest” after:2023-01-01 before:2023-03-31` * _(Shows results mentioning “Kyiv protest” published between January and March 2023.)_ * `"European Parliament" "I saw" after:2022-05-01` * _(Finds recent references to eyewitness accounts involving the European Parliament after May 1, 2022.)_ * `“Kyiv explosion” "I recorded" after:2023-02-01 -rumors` * _(Shows recent firsthand video posts about Kyiv explosions while excluding the word “rumors.”)_ ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago#alternative-tools-for-telegram-searches) Alternative Tools for Telegram Searches If you want to expand your search or use other Telegram-focused search tools, [here](https://gijn.org/resource/tipsheet/tipsheet-latest-tools-investigating-with-telegram/) [are](https://www.osintme.com/index.php/2022/10/18/the-osint-me-ultimate-guide-to-telegram-osint-and-privacy) some alternatives that are relevant and useful for Telegram OSINT: * [**Lyzem**](https://lyzem.com/) – A search engine for Telegram content **and** Telegraph posts (Telegraph is Telegram’s publishing tool). Lyzem allows keyword searches across both platforms​. * [**TgramSearch**](https://en.tgramsearch.com/) – An unofficial Telegram channel catalog and search engine. It lets you query a database of over 700,000 Telegram channels to find channels that match your keywords​. (Supports multiple languages with region/language-specific versions.) * [**Tlgrm.eu**](https://tlgrm.eu/channels) – An English-language Telegram channel search portal. It provides a directory of Telegram channels grouped by category and allows searching for channels by name or topic​. * [**OSINT.ME Telegram CSE**](https://cse.google.com/cse?cx=6c3e0c0d3da8e3b4a) – A Google-based custom search engine for Telegram created by the OSINT.Me team. Like Telegago, it indexes Telegram’s public content; using a different index, it may surface slightly different results​. Each tool works on the same principle of searching public Telegram data, but their indexes and features may vary. It can be worth trying your query on multiple engines to ensure you’re not missing relevant results. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago#cost) Cost -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago#requirements) Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ No technical expertise is required beyond basic internet browsing skills. * **Internet Connection:** An active internet connection. * **Web Browser:** Any modern web browser. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago#limitations) Limitations ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * **Public Content Only:** Telegago indexes only publicly accessible information on Telegram. Private or deleted content will not appear in search results. * **CSE preview limitations:** Search results usually show channel-level pages; single messages don’t always appear * **Search Effectiveness:** The quality of results depends on the specificity and effectiveness of your search terms. * **EU limitations:** Some links are hidden in the EU (from EU IPs) due to legal takedown requests. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * **Privacy Compliance:** Users should respect privacy rights and adhere to legal standards when accessing and using data from Telegram profiles and groups. * **Responsible Use:** Ensure your OSINT activities are ethical and do not infringe upon individual privacy or violate any laws. * **Assess Source Credibility:** If you find eyewitness content, verify its authenticity. Look for multiple sources reporting the same event, check metadata or original posting times when possible, and see if trusted reporters or analysts have acknowledged it. OSINT verification techniques—like reverse image searches on images or keyframes from videos—add another layer of confidence. * **Watch for Disinformation Patterns:** Be aware that some channels may be dedicated to spreading misleading or false information. Consistent terminology, unusual posting frequency, or too-similar narratives across various accounts might signal coordination or inauthentic activity. * **Use Archival Tools for Ephemeral Content:** Since posts or messages may be deleted or altered over time, consider using archival services (e.g., the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, or local backups) to capture the state of content when you first discover it. This ensures you have a record to refer back to if the source disappears or changes. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago#guides-and-resources) Guides & Resources -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Telegram OSINT Basics: 5 Tips Anyone Can Do Right Now. (2022, August 3). _@hatless1der_. Retrieved February 9, 2025, from [https://hatless1der.com/telegram-osint-basics-5-tips-anyone-can-do-right-now/](https://hatless1der.com/telegram-osint-basics-5-tips-anyone-can-do-right-now/) _Tipsheet: Latest Tools for Investigating with Telegram_. (April 16, 2024). [Alexa van Sickle](https://gijn.org/staff-member/alexa-van-sickle/) . Retrieved February 9, 2025, from [https://gijn.org/resource/tipsheet/tipsheet-latest-tools-investigating-with-telegram/](https://gijn.org/resource/tipsheet/tipsheet-latest-tools-investigating-with-telegram/) _The Osint Me ultimate guide to Telegram OSINT and privacy. (_2022, October 3). _Matt - osintme.com_. Retrieved February 9, 2025, from [https://www.osintme.com/index.php/2022/10/18/the-osint-me-ultimate-guide-to-telegram-osint-and-privacy/](https://www.osintme.com/index.php/2022/10/18/the-osint-me-ultimate-guide-to-telegram-osint-and-privacy/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago#tool-provider) Tool provider -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Telegago is a Google Custom Search Engine. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Martin Sona Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago#description) * [Guide on how to use Telegago](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago#guide-on-how-to-use-telegago) * [Advice for More Effective Searches:](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago#advice-for-more-effective-searches) * [Alternative Tools for Telegram Searches](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago#alternative-tools-for-telegram-searches) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago#ethical-considerations) * [Guides & Resources](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago#guides-and-resources) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/telegago#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # what3words | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words#url) URL -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [http://what3words.com/](http://what3words.com/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words#description) Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-d7ade25c7f4f9e8e3d9f4e51770776f341c94a56%252Fscreenshot1.JPG%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=9ed6f38a&sv=2) THE **WHAT3WORDS INTERFACE, SHOWING THE 3M X 3M SQUARE ON MAGDALEN BRIDGE IN OXFORD, UK, WHICH CORRESPONDS TO THE EXAMPLE 3-WORD PHRASE** _**BLEAT.MENTAL.LOCATE**_**.** what3words is a simple, clear and rapid way to communicate locations on earth. The world has been divided into 3m x 3m squares (around 57 trillion of them), and an unique identifier combining three words is assigned to each one. The app is available for mobile phones and PC browsers and an API ([Application Programming Interface](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/API) ) is available to automate the conversion between what3word addresses and geographic co-ordinates. what3words can be used to communicate locations without numeric format geographic co-ordinates, which is particularly helpful when communication channels are poor quality, or unreliable. It is usable in many countries to summon the emergency services, e.g. Mountain Rescue, pinpoint meeting places, specify accurate deliveries, e.g. [Hermes](https://ti-insight.com/hermes-partners-with-what3words-in-the-uk/) and [Ikea](https://www.reuters.com/article/technology/ikea-invests-in-mapping-technology-startup-what3words-idUSKBN2BG2IB/) use it, and advertise accurate locations. Its use in Open Source research can cover any of these applications for the technology, as part of an investigation, or simply as a device to share locations between researchers. **LANGUAGE:** It is possible to use what3words in a large range of languages. The 3-word phrase assignment across the grid squares is entirely different and unrelated in each language. Therefore there is no relationship between the 3-word phrases in different languages for the same grid square. They are **not** translations of word meanings between languages. When a user sets up a Second Language in the mobile app, two sets of 3-word phrases are displayed simultaneously, with the Second Language phrase below the First Language phrase. \[However the what3words features where a 3 word address can be input by speaking it or scanning it are not available in the second language\]. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words#the-interface) The Interface ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There is considerable variation between the app version of what3words and the PC browser version and some functions only exist in one version of the app, e.g. the compass function only exists in the mobile app version. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words#use-cases-for-nasa-firms-with-input-data-output-data-and-data-input-options...-click-each-tab-to-see) Use Cases for what3words with Input Data, Output Data and Data Input Options...(Click each tab to see further information) USER INPUT DATA WHAT3WORDS OUPUT USE CASES INPUT FORMAT OPTIONS * A tile square geographic location on the map (map options are [Google Maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-maps) , MapBox, OSM, Tomtom and Esri) * A what3words location phrase * A text address * A pair of numeric location co-ordinates * A tile square geographic location on a map (map options for output apps are [Google Maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-maps) , [Bing Maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/bing-maps) , Waze, City Mapper) * A what3words location phrase * Input a location and convert it to another format (co-ordinates, map pin, postal address or phrase) * Input a location and share it via a selection of media * Input a location and see the Street View there * Save a location to a user account * Navigate a journey using a location * Copy a location * Type into the Search box ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-2461d2ba2882d71721b8ba02bdd17f2ea6f15d91%252Fscreenshot2.JPG%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=6ce0f188&sv=2) **FORMAT OPTIONS ARE PROVIDED IN THE SEARCH BOX, WITH AUTOCOMPLETE CHOICES DISPLAYED BELOW** * a pair of numerical geographic co-ordinates * a 3 word phrase with the prefix ' ///' ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-d36a4fbd2e4165f7854dbbd7674d613437f80512%252Fscreenshot6.JPG%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=6dba2862&sv=2) **LEFT MOUSE CLICK ON THE MAP SELECTS THE 3M X 3M SQUARE AT THE LOCATION UNDER THE CURSOR.** * A tile square geographic location on the map The interface comprises two main menus on the left and right hand sides of the screen. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-795073f612a7e6e9ba03786d6a745b1a0f7da5c6%252Fscreenshotinterface.jpg%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=32d2b13f&sv=2) **TWO MENUS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS IN THE WHAT3WORDS INTERFACE** The user can select the source of the background map of the earth in the Map type option in the right hand menu. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-76c90c3aceb2a12791b0812e40091e79b768bed6%252Fscreenshotmaptypemenu.JPG%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=ab6b524e&sv=2) **THE USER CAN TOGGLE BETWEEN DIFFERENT SOURCES FOR THE BACKGROUND MAP** Dragging and dropping the yellow pin man icon on the map displays any Google Maps imagery relating to the location selected. The app will not draw the 3m square within the StreetView imagery, only on aerial map or satellite views. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-1f2a4e014594ae8ec1933a3382352d8a70ba9ab4%252Fscreenshot3.JPG%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=8d7c69bc&sv=2) **THE WHAT3WORDS LOCATION EXAMPLE** _**BLEAT.MENTAL.LOCATE**_ **BEING SHOW ON GOOGLE MPAS BY DROPPING THE YELLOW PIN MAN ICON ONTO THE STREET MAP IN THE APPROPRIATE SQUAR**E. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words#cost) Cost ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words#requirements) Requirements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Users wishing to use the facility to save locations will need an account, which is free to set up. * Apps and browsers need permissions to detect the user's current location for certain functionality to be available. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words#limitations) Limitations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Very similar phrases for proximate squares could cause error/confusion: At the time of writing 11/11/24, recent [research on what3words reported by the BBC](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-56901363) has revealed some flaws in the system regarding its aim not to assign similar 3 word phrases to nearby areas. This similarity also includes homophones, i.e. words which sound similar, rather than look similar. This is because what3words is used to communicate over voice channels, particularly for the emergency services, so similar-sounding or similar-looking phrases at proximate squares is likely to lead to errors in location. The BBC reported that a researcher had found 'thousands' of 3 word phrases which were either very similar looking, or similar sounding, had been assigned to locations less than 1km apart. On entering a 3 word address in the Account Setup page, for example, the 3 word address of the user's own home, the locations of other similar addresses are displayed to allow checking of their proximity. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-3b93387a17101463792e22da1d315c32e570f044%252Fscreenshot7.JPG%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=1957cdba&sv=2) **WHAT3WORDS INTERFACE SHOWING AUTO-COMPLETED OPTIONS FOR A USER-INPUT, 3-WORD LOCATION PHRASE WITH THEIR DIFFERING GEOGRAPHICAL DETAILS** * The accuracy of what3words is restricted to a 3m square, whereas geographical grid co-ordinates theoretically references a single point and can offer greater accuracy. In practice, the 3m square level of accuracy is satisfactory for very many purposes. * what3words help is structured around a set number of use cases and [FAQ](https://support.what3words.com/en/categories/328642) , which, understandably, are not focused on Open Source research. Its natural language help interface often returns that nothing is found in response to queries which correspond to tutorial material available online. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words#guide) Guide ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ what3words provides a [How to Use](https://what3words.com/how-to-use-the-what3words-app) guide for the mobile app. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words#tool-provider) Tool Provider ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [what3words Limited](https://what3words.com/contact-us) , based in London, UK. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer:- Sophie Tedling. Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words#description) * [The Interface](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words#the-interface) * [Use Cases for what3words with Input Data, Output Data and Data Input Options...(Click each tab to see further information)](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words#use-cases-for-nasa-firms-with-input-data-output-data-and-data-input-options...-click-each-tab-to-see) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words#limitations) * [Guide](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words#guide) * [Tool Provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/what3words#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Tencent Maps | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#url) URL ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Main site, [http://map.qq.com/](http://map.qq.com/) API documentation, [https://lbs.qq.com/service/webService/webServiceGuide/webServiceOverview](https://lbs.qq.com/service/webService/webServiceGuide/webServiceOverview) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#description) Description -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tencent Maps provides detailed maps, satellite imagery, street view, directions for driving, public transport and walking, and real-time traffic conditions. In Q1 2025, a Deepseek AI assistant was [piloted in the mobile app](https://www.thestandard.com.hk/market/article/70227/Tencent-shares-surge-as-DeepSeek-joins-WeChat) for users to ask for recommendations and real-time information. In Tencent Maps, user-generated reviews and photos are integrated with [Dianping](https://www.dianping.com/) , the Chinese equivalent of Yelp which also offers food and daily products delivery. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#basic-search-map-and-satellite-imagery) Basic search: Map and satellite imagery Search for the location and select the layer (e.g., satellite imagery) or function (e.g., ruler). ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-d4244af745f41c49c7d15e2d56c575effbe073ee%252Ftencent_web%2520%281%29.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=57d2ad7a&sv=2) Web browser view: The example shows the area of Shanghai South Railway Station. Click the buttons on the top-left corner of the map to switch between map and satellite view. Annotated menu - mobile[](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#annotated-menu-mobile) ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-055a356f288c06d37f5dcc7add8d70707d229beb%252Flayers_annotated_tencent%2520copy%2520%281%29.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=3f7b4575&sv=2) Basic mobile app menu. You may be seeing more or fewer options depending on your settings and location. Information on how to access street views can be found further below. 2D / 3D modes (mobile app)[](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#id-2d-3d-modes-mobile-app) When sufficiently zoomed in, a 2D / 3D selection button will become available in the lower right side of the screen. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-a6b7aa0ff2064a286fa87615de60ed900a11856b%252F3d_models.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=50b24f05&sv=2) 2D (top) and 3D (bottom) maps of the same area in Dandong City. Tencent Maps has API documentation available for [switching between 2D/3D models](https://lbs.qq.com/webDemoCenter/glAPI/glMap/map3d) and for [showing 3D buildings](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#url) . ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#getting-coordinates) Getting coordinates Search on this page in the web browser: [https://lbs.qq.com/getPoint/](https://lbs.qq.com/getPoint/) For background: China uses a coordinate system called [GCJ-02](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restrictions_on_geographic_data_in_China#GCJ-02) (colloquially known as Mars coordinates), whereas the rest of the world uses [WGS-84](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Geodetic_System) (Earth coordinates). GCJ-02 uses an encryption algorithm to apply random offsets to the latitude and longitude of locations. Obfuscating the geographic data is for [national security purposes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restrictions_on_geographic_data_in_China) . ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#street-view-available-in-mobile-app-only) Street View - available in mobile app only Steps: 1. Select **Layers > Street View** (see [**Annotated Menu - mobile app**](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#annotated-menu-mobile) ). The blue lines along the roads indicate that street view is available. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-c25373ff569e5e3f822f52f4ab343033acb8b6d9%252Fstreetview_bluelines%2520%281%29.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=34b1b4a4&sv=2) (English annotation added) The blue lines indicate where street views should be available. Notice that the pin is always in the middle. Move the map, not the pin. 1. Move the map to where you want to see the street view. Please note: **To see the street view of another location,** _**move the map, not the pin**_**.** 2. A location description is shown. Click the rectangle to enter street view. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-91b0a2b3609645a6ef57ee794c7bd6c138c7ff46%252Fstreetview_example.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=a4b91833&sv=2) Example of Tencent Maps street view Two limitations to be aware of: 1. Street views may be outdated, restricted or unavailable. In such cases, there may be glitches. 2. Metadata such as the date of image capture or the approval reference are not available. Due to a [2021 merger between Tencent and Sogou](https://www.techinasia.com/tencent-completes-merger-chinese-search-engine-sogou) , older street view imagery captured by SOSO Maps was integrated into Tencent Maps. (SOSO Maps, now defunct, was formerly a subsidiary of Sogou.) Tencent Maps users still often see SOSO Maps' vehicles in the street view imagery (as shown above), indicating that the image was taken some time before the merger. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#lite-version-in-wechat) Lite version in WeChat If the researcher is an existing user of WeChat (international version) or Weixin (China-only version), a lite version of Tencent Maps is available as a [mini program](https://walkthechat.com/wechat-mini-programs-simple-introduction/) . For general consumers, the mini program offers conveniences in navigation, ride sharing, and location sharing. However, for the purpose of research it has limited functionality: the mini program does not support extracting coordinates and does not show street view. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#similar-tools) Similar tools ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Researchers can compare results across the three Chinese mapping tools: Tencent Maps, [Gaode Maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/gaode-maps) , and [Baidu Maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/baidu-maps) . For researchers based outside of China, Tencent Maps might be the most challenging to use as street view is only available on the mobile app. If researching business establishments or user perceptions of popular locations (e.g., transport hubs), the user-generated reviews in Tencent Maps and Gaode Maps tend to include many photos and long comments. Researchers should be aware that these may be heavily curated (e.g., [users are incentivized by marketing campaigns](https://www.theworldofchinese.com/2023/03/the-shady-world-of-chinese-online-reviews/) to generate content). Nonetheless, such user-generated content may be useful, for example where street view imagery is unavailable or outdated. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#cost) Cost ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#requirements) Requirements ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * **Web:** web browser. * **Mobile:** iOS, Android, or HarmonyOS (Huawei's operating system). For researchers outside China, the mobile app is not available in the app store. Instead, install by APK. More about APK[](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#more-about-apk) APK, or Android Package Kit, refers to the core format which Android uses to distribute and install apps. The easiest way is simply to do a Google search for Tencent Maps apk (or in Chinese: 腾讯地图 apk). Please apply the usual security precautions when downloading software online. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#limitations) Limitations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * **Street view imagery can become outdated quickly**: Researchers should be aware that street view imagery available from China's map services can become outdated within 2 to 3 years and therefore could be unreliable for verification. This applies to both urban and rural areas, due to [urban development](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adw3443) , [poverty alleviation](https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2022/04/01/lifting-800-million-people-out-of-poverty-new-report-looks-at-lessons-from-china-s-experience) , and [demographic shifts](https://www.piie.com/blogs/realtime-economics/2024/will-chinas-latest-urbanization-push-work) . To verify geolocations, researchers are encouraged to additionally search for user-generated content in Chinese platforms (equivalents of Youtube), including [Bilibili](https://www.bilibili.com/) (nicknamed B站 in Chinese, meaning "B station"), [Youku](https://www.youku.com/) , [Tencent Video](https://v.qq.com/) , and [Baidu Kaokan](https://haokan.baidu.com/) . Also check short-form social media (equivalents of Tiktok), including [Douyin](https://www.piie.com/blogs/realtime-economics/2024/will-chinas-latest-urbanization-push-work) and [Kuaishou](https://www.kuaishou.com/) . * **Geographical restrictions to account registration and API access**: A QQ account is required for registering for API access. In order to register a QQ account, a Chinese phone number is needed. Given this, international users will find it difficult to create an account by which they can obtain API access keys. QQ is the consumer-interfacing brand name for Tencent's services. Similar to Google users having a single sign-in for various Google services, in the Chinese internet, users have an overarching QQ account for accessing Tencent's online games, music, movies, microblogging, movies and other services. * **Maps only available for China**: Other countries appear blank. * **Geoblock and access speeds**: [VPNs are banned in China](https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-30982198) , and VPNs are blocked from loading Tencent Maps' web version. Also, due to [limited gateways for international internet traffic to interact with Chinese websites](https://www.thousandeyes.com/blog/deconstructing-great-firewall-china) , overseas users may experience slower speeds and more frequent prompts to login — on both web and mobile. * **Limited functionalities on web browser**: The app's more extensive features, including street view, are only available on the mobile app. * **Language barrier**: The app, including documentation and support are only available in Chinese. * **API Rate Limits**: API calls are capped at a concurrency limit: 5 times/second/interface/Key Daily and calls: 10,000 times/interface/Key. For researchers requiring high-frequency data access, this might pose a limitation ([documentation](https://lbs-qq-com.translate.goog/faq/accountQuota/faqKey?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_hist=true) , in English via Google Translate). [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * **Privacy Concerns**: Like many mapping services, Tencent Maps gathers user data, which raises questions about data privacy and protection. (An [April 2021 notice from the Cyberspace Administration of China](https://www.cac.gov.cn/2021-04/30/c_1621370239178608.htm) named all leading Chinese mapping tools among 33 apps which extensively collect user data, going beyond what is relevant to their service provision.) * **Censorship and Content Control**: Under the government censorship laws, Tencent Maps' content and functions will be omitted or geofenced for users outside of China. For a general discussion on content control, please see the [About Maps and Satellites](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/about-maps-and-satellites) page. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Official Wiki**, [https://map.qq.com/help/index.html](https://map.qq.com/help/index.html) ([English translation](https://map-qq-com.translate.goog/help/index.html?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en) ) **Developer Resources**, [https://lbs.qq.com/](https://lbs.qq.com/) ([English translation](https://lbs-qq-com.translate.goog/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en) ) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#tool-provider) Tool provider ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tencent Holdings Ltd. [https://www.tencent.com/](https://www.tencent.com/) - China [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Author: river\_n Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#description) * [Basic search: Map and satellite imagery](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#basic-search-map-and-satellite-imagery) * [Getting coordinates](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#getting-coordinates) * [Street View - available in mobile app only](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#street-view-available-in-mobile-app-only) * [Lite version in WeChat](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#lite-version-in-wechat) * [Similar tools](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#similar-tools) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/tencent-maps#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Web Archives | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#url) URL ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://github.com/dessant/web-archives](https://github.com/dessant/web-archives) [Chrome](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/web-archives/hkligngkgcpcolhcnkgccglchdafcnao) | [Firefox](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/view-page-archive/) | [Edge](https://microsoftedge.microsoft.com/addons/detail/web-archives/apcfghlggldjdjepjnahfdjgdcdekhda) | [Opera](https://addons.opera.com/extensions/details/view-page-archive-cache/) | [Safari](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/web-archives-for-safari/id1603181853?platform=mac) (current version: 7.3.0, May 2026) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#description) Description -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Web Archives is a browser extension that opens archived or cached versions of a URL across multiple services (e.g., Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, Archive.today, Memento). You trigger lookups from the toolbar or the context menu; the extension then **sends the selected URL to the chosen archive** and opens results in a new tab. It does not crawl or store pages itself. Typical pivots include checking historical versions, retrieving removed pages, and comparing captures across archives. **Example use case:** You are investigating a website that frequently updates its content or might remove sensitive pages. Web Archives enables you to quickly check archived versions from different platforms to track changes or retrieve deleted content. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#how-to-use) How to use ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ You can start searches directly from the context menu or the browser toolbar. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#fetch-the-archives-of-a-current-page-from-the-extension-menu) Fetch the archives of a current page from the extension menu Open the extension menu and select the desired engine. This will open a new tab with the results. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-1c0f60cfaf2178ea98561a9b4535ec6f51090035%252Fdemo%2520%285%29.gif%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=900de41d&sv=2) You can also fetch on all engines simultaneously ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#fetch-the-archives-for-a-link-using-the-context-menu) Fetch the archives for a link using the context menu If your target is a link available in the current page, you can right-click on the link, select "Web Archives" context menu and then select the desired engine. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-7b2caab37a8c4318257c8079ced8c37b210b4d8d%252Fdemo2%2520%281%29.gif%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=42f74643&sv=2) You can use Web Archives' context menu on a link ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#fetch-the-archive-of-a-given-url-from-the-clipboard) Fetch the archive of a given URL from the clipboard From the extension menu, select the URL Mode and then copy-paste the target URL. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-b1fb963ee4df1f8a31cea0e59207ead3e69f6497%252Fdemo3url%2520%281%29.gif%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=7760f51&sv=2) The URL Mode allows you to fetch for a URL without opening it, that makes you check a resource passively, without interacting with the target. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#change-behavior-to-open-new-tabs-in-the-background) Change behavior to open new tabs in the background By default, Web Archives will open the results in a new tab and switch focus to it. If you prefer to open the tab in the background and view the results later, you can adjust this behavior in **Options > Miscellaneous >** _**Open new tabs in the background**_. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-f62cd4680cd4c01355da89a5d333c0bafad1bad8%252Fdemo4%2520%281%29.gif%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=ff966499&sv=2) Now tabs will open in the background and you can switch focus to it later. You can also choose the desired engines and re-order them in the Options. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#cost) Cost ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Free * Partially Free * Paid The tool is free and open source. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#requirements) Requirements ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * **Platforms/browsers**: Chrome, Firefox (also on Android), Edge, Opera, and Safari (macOS). **Safari requires macOS ≥12.0**. [Mozilla Add-ons](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/view-page-archive/) * **Install**: Store listings — **Chrome** v7.1.0 (updated **2025‑10‑13**), **Firefox** v7.1.0 (updated **2025‑10‑12**), **Safari** v7.1.0 (updated **2025‑10‑13**). **Opera** listing currently **v4.1.0 (2023‑07‑20)**. Edge listing exists, but the version/date isn’t visible in the static page capture here. _To verify_: open the Edge listing in a browser for the precise version/date. * **Auth/tokens**: None. The tool only forwards the URL you choose to the selected archive. [Mozilla Add-ons](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/view-page-archive/) * **Supported engines/features** (examples): – [Wayback Machine](https://web.archive.org/) ; Archive.today (aka [**archive.is**](https://archive.is/) **/ archive.ph**); [**Memento Time Travel**](https://timetravel.mementoweb.org/) ; [**Megalodon**](https://megalodon.jp/) (JP); [**Perma.cc**](https://perma.cc/) ; [**Ghostarchive**](https://ghostarchive.org/) ; [**WebCite**](https://webcitation.org/) ; [**Yandex Cache**](https://www.yandex.com/) . [GitHub](https://github.com/dessant/web-archives/wiki/Search-engines) – **New in v7.1.0**: search archived repositories on **Software Heritage**. [Apple](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/web-archives-for-safari/id1603181853?mt=12) – Search modes: **Tab** (current page) and **URL** (custom). Trigger via toolbar or right‑click. [Mozilla Add-ons](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/view-page-archive/) * **Permissions**: Requires access to tabs and to read the current page URL; on Firefox, “Access your data for all websites” is listed. Chromium‑based variants may need a setting to allow access to search results pages (Opera notes this explicitly). [Mozilla Add-on](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/view-page-archive/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#limitations) Limitations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Results depend entirely on third‑party archives’ coverage and uptime; no capture is guaranteed. Wayback’s help notes gaps and that some pages aren’t archived or may only have nearest‑date captures. [help.archive.org](https://help.archive.org/help/using-the-wayback-machine/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) * **Google Cache is deprecated**: Google removed cache links (Feb 2024) and later killed the `cache:` operator (Sep 2024), so any “Google cache” engine entries will not work. [The Verge](https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/2/24058985/google-search-cache-feature-discontinued?utm_source=chatgpt.com) * Archives may exclude pages due to robots policies or site‑owner/legal requests; password‑protected or form‑gated content generally isn’t archived. [help.archive.org](https://help.archive.org/help/wayback-machine-general-information/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) * Privacy context: the extension **sends the URL you select** to the chosen service (discloses investigative interest to that service). [Mozilla Add-ons](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/view-page-archive/) * Store version skew: [Opera’s public listing](https://addons.opera.com/extensions/details/view-page-archive-cache/) is older (v4.1.0, 2023‑07‑20) while Chrome/Firefox/Safari are on 7.1.0; confirm Edge store version manually if needed. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Use lawfully and proportionately. Be mindful that querying archives can reveal interest in a target resource to third‑party services; minimize unnecessary lookups and avoid soliciting or sharing sensitive personal data. For methodology and evidentiary handling, align with the **Berkeley Protocol on Digital Open Source Investigations** (OHCHR) and your organizational policies. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles **GitHub README (project overview & screenshots),** dessant/web‑archives. [GitHub](https://github.com/dessant/web-archives/blob/main/README.md) **Search engines list (official wiki),** supported archives and notes. [GitHub](https://github.com/dessant/web-archives/wiki/Search-engines) **Firefox Add‑ons “About this extension”**, usage, permissions, modes. [Mozilla Add-ons](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/view-page-archive/) **Chrome Web Store overview**, description, version/date, privacy declaration. [chrome.google.com](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/web-archives/hkligngkgcpcolhcnkgccglchdafcnao) **Wayback Machine help: Using the Wayback Machine**, how captures/coverage work. [help.archive.org](https://help.archive.org/help/using-the-wayback-machine/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#tool-provider) Tool provider ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Armin Sebastian ([@dessant on GitHub](https://github.com/dessant) ) is an EU-based developer specializing in open source browser extensions. Presences: [**armin.dev**](https://armin.dev/) (listed on Chrome store). **License**: **GPL‑3.0‑only,** see LICENSE in the repository and AMO license field [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Extension declares **“no data collected”** on the Chrome Web Store, and **“Data Not Collected”** on the Mac App Store. Individual archive services set their own cookies/policies; not assessed here. The tool itself does not use tracking cookies but the archving sites/search engines may use them. Be mindful of the their privacy policies. Page maintainer Martin Sona Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#description) * [How to use](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#how-to-use) * [Fetch the archives of a current page from the extension menu](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#fetch-the-archives-of-a-current-page-from-the-extension-menu) * [Fetch the archives for a link using the context menu](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#fetch-the-archives-for-a-link-using-the-context-menu) * [Fetch the archive of a given URL from the clipboard](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#fetch-the-archive-of-a-given-url-from-the-clipboard) * [Change behavior to open new tabs in the background](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#change-behavior-to-open-new-tabs-in-the-background) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/web-archives#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Wikimapia | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia#url) URL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://wikimapia.org/](https://wikimapia.org/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia#description) Description ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wikimapia is a collaborative mapping project that combines an interactive map with a wiki system. While it aims to describe every location on Earth, researchers must understand that the tool is a historical archive, not a current map. The platform is [no longer actively maintained](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikimapia#Decline_and_current_status) , a fact supported by several key observations. Firstly, many of the site’s secondary features—such as the official Wikimapia Statistics pages—are still reachable but no longer functional. The interface loads, but the underlying data have not updated for years, leaving the charts empty. Archived versions (for example, [this 2023 Wayback capture showing historical user counts](https://web.archive.org/web/20231115072150/http://wikimapia.org/stats/action_stats/?fstat=6&period=3&year=2009&month=6) ) confirm that these pages once displayed detailed metrics such as total users and added places, but the feature itself has long since gone dormant. Secondly, while a live Countries Watchlist feed indicates that a small number of users continue to make minor edits, the rate of adding new, significant places remains very low—around 100–150 per week according to the New Places feed. This minimal level of ongoing activity means that the vast majority of Wikimapia’s data are several years old and can no longer be considered an accurate reflection of current ground conditions. Despite its age, Wikimapia's historical dataset can be a valuable source for open-source researchers in specific contexts: * **Historical Geolocation:** The platform is useful for investigating past events. For instance, "user tags" from 2014—crowdsourced labels that people created by drawing a shape around a location and adding a name or description—can help identify buildings or military positions in Ukraine that have since been altered or destroyed. * **Regional Focus:** The data on Wikimapia is most comprehensive in regions where it had a large user base, particularly in Russia, Ukraine, and other Eastern European countries. For research focused on this area in the 2007-2015 timeframe, it may contain labels and details not found on other maps from that period. We do not consider it the _best_ data source available for any region today, but it can be a unique source for historical context. The screenshot below with the view of [Donetsk International Airport](https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2015/02/a-year-of-war-completely-destroyed-the-donetsk-airport/386204/) demonstrates its value as a historical record. The main airport area is labeled "Ruined" on Wikimapia, a title updated by users following its destruction in 2014. The map is covered in detailed, user-added polygons that pinpoint specific locations, including historical events like the nearby "Il-76 shoot-down." ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-88d38b49645311fe920833b45d55990e37ecbdbd%252Fdonetsk_international_airport.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=ccb4cf90&sv=2) A screenshot of the Wikimapia interface displays the map of Donetsk International Airport in Ukraine. The tag "Ruined Donetsk International Airport" is an example of how the platform was used by Wikimapia users to try to document the real-world impact of conflict. The log shows user activity from the year 2014, specifically highlighting two key changes in response to the battle for the airport. First, at Revision 56, a user adds a protection status of "(destroyed)"; this is immediately followed by Revision 58, where the same user performs an "Edit title \[en\]", adding the word "Ruined" to the official name. This sequence demonstrates how Wikimapia was updated in near real-time by its users to try to document the consequences of a major conflict. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-bff570777a5d6afc9f48834155b8e8f7648ee03c%252Fwikimapia_airport_tag.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=3e34dbf2&sv=2) This screenshot captures the edit history for the Donetsk International Airport entry on Wikimapia, providing a clear example of user efforts to use it as a historical ledger. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia#features) Features: * **Search & Categories:** Search for locations by name or filter the map by dozens of pre-set categories (e.g., military, hospital, factory). * **Multiple Map Layers:** Switch between various base map providers, including [Google Maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-maps) , [Bing Maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/bing-maps) , and OpenStreetMap. * **Measurement Tool:** Includes a tool for measuring distances between points on the map. * **Measure distance:** measure distance between points in feet and metres. * **Multilingual Interface:** The user interface is available in multiple languages. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-6c5add74847990c46ca90021c357307ce2166bb8%252Fberlin_hospital_search.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=66bcf8ba&sv=2) This screenshot illustrates two of Wikimapia's features working together. The main map view shows the result of a category filter, displaying only locations tagged as a "hospital" in the Berlin area. By selecting one of these hospitals, the information panel on the left opens, revealing details about that specific place, including the "last modified" date located at the very bottom of the panel. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia#use-case-examples-for-open-source-researchers) Use Case examples for Open Source Researchers 1. **Corroborating Old Evidence:** Use the map's historical annotations to find supplementary information on claims or events mentioned in old news reports, videos, or documents from the 2007-2015 period. 2. **Discovering Informal Place Names:** Identify local, unofficial, or historical names for locations that do not appear on official maps, which can be crucial for keyword searching in local languages. 3. **Analyzing Historical Site Layouts:** Examine the detailed, user-drawn layouts of industrial sites, military bases, or critical infrastructure as they existed before being altered, expanded, or destroyed. 4. **Cultural and Historical Context:** Gain insights into the significance of local landmarks or historical sites based on what users were documenting and describing during the platform's most active years. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia#similar-tools-wikimapia-vs.-openstreetmap) Similar Tools: Wikimapia vs. OpenStreetMap ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ For nearly all modern mapping needs, OpenStreetMap (OSM) is the recommended alternative to Wikimapia. In our point of view, it is the tool that has effectively replaced Wikimapia as the leading global, collaborative mapping project. While both are crowdsourced, they are fundamentally different in their purpose and current state. Feature Wikimapia OpenStreetMap(OSM) **Primary Use** A historical archive for viewing past, user-generated labels. A live, current, and detailed global map for present-day use. **Data Freshness** Stale (mostly pre-2016 data). Continuously updated by active contributors. **Data Type** Simple polygons with informal text descriptions. Highly structured geospatial data (points, lines, relations) with standardized tags. **Community** Low activity. A small forum presence but no widespread map updates. Active global community with established editing rules and quality control efforts. **License** [Restrictive](https://wikimapia.org/terms_reference.html) , with unclear terms for data reuse. [Open Database License (ODbL)](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright) , allowing data to be freely used and redistributed. #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia#who-should-use-which-tool) Who Should Use Which Tool? * **Use Wikimapia if**: You are an open source researcher needing historical context for a specific time period (pre-2016) in specific regions (e.g., Eastern Europe), especially for finding informally labeled sites. * **Use OpenStreetMap if:** You need more current crowdsourced, and reusable map data for any other purpose, including analysis, visualization, navigation, or as a base layer for your own research. OSM is the standard for up-to-date, open-source geospatial information. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia#cost) Cost --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia#requirements) Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * **Web**: any modern web browser. * **Account:** requires email address. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia#limitations) Limitations ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Researchers must be aware of Wikimapia's significant limitations. The data should never be used as a standalone source and must be treated with extreme caution. * **Data Accuracy**: Wikimapia’s content is user-generated, leading to potential inaccuracies. In addition, there is no standardized validation process for user-submitted data, which means errors or assumptions may persist without correction. * **Outdated information:** This is the most critical limitation. The overwhelming majority of the data may not reflect the current reality of a location and must be verified using contemporary sources. * **Inconsistent Coverage:** Data density varies dramatically. While areas like Eastern Europe are heavily detailed with historical data, many other regions have sparse or non-existent information. * **API Rate Limiting**: There might be limitations on the number of API requests that can be made in a certain timeframe, impacting extensive data retrieval tasks. The actual [rate limits](https://api.wikimedia.org/wiki/Rate_limits) are not clearly documented at this time. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When using Wikimapia, ethical considerations include: * **Responsibility for Verification:** Given that the platform contains unverified, outdated, and potentially false information, researchers have an ethical responsibility to rigorously verify any claims before using them in publications or reports. Publishing unverified data from Wikimapia risks spreading misinformation. * **Handling Sensitive and Private Information:** The map's archive may contain labels for private homes or other sensitive locations added without consent. Researchers must be cautious not to amplify or republish information that could infringe on the privacy and security of individuals. * **Contextual use and attribution:** When Wikimapia data is referenced in analysis or reporting, researchers should clearly indicate that the information originates from a crowdsourced platform and does not represent an official or authoritative mapping source. Presenting such data without context or attribution may mislead audiences even when individual claims have been verified. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia#guide) Guide ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following resources are recommended for understanding how Wikimapia has been used in an open source research context. Note that most of these guides are several years old and should be viewed as examples of methodology rather than tutorials for a modern tool. * Open Source Research Case Studies (Highly Recommended): * Seitz, J. (2015) [_Automating Photo Retrieval for Geolocating - Part 2:Wikimapia_](https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2015/05/13/automating-photo-retrieval-for-geolocating-part-2-wikimapia/) , Bellingcat. This article is an excellent example of how the tool's data was used in geolocating workflows at its peak. * Sheldon, M. (2022) [_Meet the Irregular Troops Backing up Russia’s Army in the Kharkiv Region_, Bellingcat](https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2022/06/17/meet-the-irregular-troops-backing-up-russias-army-in-the-donbas) . This article shows the tool being used to identify the location of a Russian military base, demonstrating its value in conflict analysis. * Historical Guides: * [_Wikimapia Quick Start Tutorial.MP4_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbN36OxmX9A) (2014). This official video shows the basic functionality of the Wikimapia interface as it was during its most active period. * [_Wikimapia Forum_](http://wikimapia.org/forum/index.php) . The official forum, while having very low activity, is a place to see historical discussions about the tool. * Developer and User Resources (Advanced/Historical): * Disclaimer: The Wikimapia API is not actively maintained and may be unreliable. These resources are for archival purposes. * [Official Wiki](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Wikimapia) . * [Getting Started with wikimapia\_api (Python)](https://wikimapia-api-py.readthedocs.io/en/latest/) . * [GIS StackExchange](https://gis.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/wikimapia) : (Archive of technical questions). [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia#tool-provider) Tool provider --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wikimapia Ltd. [https://wikimapia.org/](https://wikimapia.org/) Wikimapia was created by the Russian software company Wikimapia Ltd., founded in 2006 by Alexander Koryakin and Eugen Saveliev. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer tsvetelina Last updated 2 months ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia#description) * [Features:](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia#features) * [Use Case examples for Open Source Researchers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia#use-case-examples-for-open-source-researchers) * [Similar Tools: Wikimapia vs. OpenStreetMap](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia#similar-tools-wikimapia-vs.-openstreetmap) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia#ethical-considerations) * [Guide](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia#guide) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/wikimapia#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Yandex Maps | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps#url) URL --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://yandex.com/maps/](https://yandex.com/maps/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps#description) Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-84a9434ed2adfbfb3428d4b029f696a4f177a1e4%252FYandexMirrors2.gif%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=630e6302&sv=2) "**MIRRORS" FEATURE IN YANDEX MAPS, SHOWING SERIES OF IMAGES TAGGED TO LOCATIONS UPLOADED BY A PEDESTRIAN & THE ABILITY TO 'PLAY' THEM IN SEQUENCE AS A JERKY VIDEO** Yandex Maps is a mapping service provided on the Russian-owned integrated Yandex platform, which also offers services on Image Search, Video Search, Translation/Interpretation, Weather,... Its stated focus is primarily on cities (but remote areas seem covered to a good standard also), and also organisations. Its global data is generally stronger and more detailed around Russia, Eastern Europe and Asia, in contrast with Google's mapping tools, which are stronger in Western Europe and North America. Yandex Maps has a different interface from Google mapping tools, most noticeably: Google Feature Yandex Maps Feature **No Google "Yellow Man" to fix a StreetView location:** The absence of the Google 'yellow man' figure to drag and drop into a location as a means of viewing "Streetview" imagery stored there. **Satellite Sources:** Some Yandex Maps imagery clearly differs from that provided by platforms like Google, though Yandex does not publicly disclose its satellite providers. **"StreetView" Type Route "Videos"**: The presence of "Mirrors" in Yandex Maps, i.e. sequences of Street level images which can be run like a video of a journey along a route. These are posted by users, and are generally more like the [Mapillary](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/mapillary) app, i.e. taken with a small field of view, usually from either a car dashcam showing only the road ahead in the direction of travel or a mobile phone moving with a pedestrian on a footpath. Yandex Maps allows filtering between Car and Pedestrian "Mirrors". **Geographic Orientation on Imagery:** The presence of Street Panoramas and Photos in Yandex Maps, which are similar to Google mapping tools functionality. HOWEVER, Yandex Maps includes graphic indicators on the direction and field of view of the imagery posted, which is not available for Google photospheres in Google Earth, and can be helpful for geolocation research. **Links and Embed Code for Panoramas:** Yandex Maps provides links and embed code to allow easy reference to a given panorama. **Restricted Historical Imagery:** Historical image data is available, as in Google tools, and it can be filtered by year, BUT it is generally restricted to one undated image per year without information which would pinpoint the season. **Categorised Aerial Views:** Yandex distinguishes surface photography from airborne photography, e.g. drones, hot air balloons, aircraft through the use of separate icons for each. **User Storage re Calendar and Business:** Yandex promotes user interaction, where users can store and open online appointments and bookings, promote their businesses, post advertisements, create custom maps, post reviews, upload photos and even edit the map. **Supported User Map Edit:** Registered Yandex Users are also provided with a mobile phone app and a training video on how to create and upload photos of cities or streets which don't yet have local imagery on Yandex. These are moderated after uploading, then added to Yandex Maps (see [https://www.yandex.com/support/mapeditor/start\_moder.html](https://www.yandex.com/support/mapeditor/start_moder.html) for details). **Moving Transport:** Yandex includes Real Time Public Transport simulation. Some map data is unavailable in Yandex Maps, e.g. some contemporary data on Ukraine, such that much of the only available data is dated around 2011 and no later on Yandex Maps. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps#open-source-research-with-yandex-maps-use-cases-data-input-yandex-map-outputs-how-to-enter-data...-c) Open Source Research with Yandex Maps: Use Cases, Data Input, Yandex Map Outputs, How to Enter Data... (Click Each Tab for More Information) Use Cases User Data Input Yandex Data Output Data Entry Options ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-a112a9bb7ff5c5971e3247b975341742357dd9cb%252FUseCases.jpg%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=75812d6b&sv=2) **YANDEX MAPS USE CASES WITH CORRESPONDING DATA INPUT AND OUTPUT** * New Location * Background view option from Map, Satellite or Map/Satellite Hybrid * View Rotation/Tilt * Map Scale * Start/End of Ruler * Area to measure * Co-ordinates or place name or organisation * Selection of panorama or photo * Selected route which has "Mirror" data * Route Start Location and Route End Location, Polygon route vertices * Transport Mode * Start Time * Arrival Time * Mode of Public Transport * Switch on/off Traffic Alerts * Map displayed with changed background type, focus location, orientation/tilt, scale, distance/area display with reading * 360 degree panorama view or photo displayed at selected location * Mirror view of sequential images along a selected route is displayed and can be 'played' like a video * Selection of alternative routes which meet the user criteria * Route time * Route distance * Real time dynamic map of the public transport services at the chosen location * Sidebar details of each selected service. * Map of traffic flow (shown by colour) * Traffic accidents, roadworks and road closures marked on map with identifying icons ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-0ca10afeb7fb68903d2322686c54f86f222429d6%252FDataInput2.jpg%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=1b41f2e3&sv=2) **DATA ENTRY INPUT OPTIONS FOR YANDEX MAPS** ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps#yandex-maps-interface) Yandex Maps Interface Many Toolbar Items and Features are only available at certain levels of map Zoom settings. e.g. Mirrors feature is only invoked upon zooming in on the map. Yandex Maps offers FIVE VIEWS from the five feature icon toolbar at screen top right: ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-1763f73df9645d6925d2effa22e31d4c875135f9%252FYANDEX5featuresmenu.JPG%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=67ccba60&sv=2) 5 FEATURE TOOLBAR AT SCREEN TOP RIGHT TRAFFIC STREET TRANSPORT MAP ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-08a89c5994210495e2ab910e37272c6f554d6917%252FYandexMapsTrafficAlerts.JPG%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=e1949b1a&sv=2) **TRAFFIC FLOW IS INDICATED BY COLOUR (GREEN IS FREE-FLOWING, AMBER IS SLOW, RED IS A JAM)** **ROADWORKS ARE SHOWN WITH THE RED TRIANGLE WITH WORKMAN SIGN** Street panoramas and photos (rotating person icon): ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-3f89bcc3ef622e421f767a562bb914b075c6c72c%252FYandexPanoramasoptimised.gif%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=391ee4d&sv=2) **PANORAMAS SHOW AS BLUE DOTS AND LINES. AIRBORNE PANORAMAS ARE MARKED WITH THE BALLOON ICON** ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-84a9434ed2adfbfb3428d4b029f696a4f177a1e4%252FYandexMirrors2.gif%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=630e6302&sv=2) "**MIRRORS" FEATURE IN YANDEX MAPS, SHOWING SERIES OF IMAGES TAGGED TO LOCATIONS UPLOADED BY A PEDESTRIAN & THE ABILITY TO 'PLAY' THEM IN SEQUENCE AS A JERKY VIDEO** "Mirrors" = Uploaded image sequences Public Transport (vehicle icon): ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-0ef04a981861d9512eb18fee0b662109e03cd180%252FYandexMovingTransport.gif%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=5521958c&sv=2) **EACH MOVING VEHICLE'S ROUTE CAN BE ACCESSED WITH LEFT MOUSE CLICK** ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-36159357da6878af1c395b523ca1b11f8524ad07%252Fimage%2520%2815%29.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=6c6630b3&sv=2) USE TABS TO SELECT ONE OF 3 BACKGROUND VIEWS: MAP, SATELLITE OR HYBRID [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps#cost) Cost ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid Basic Yandex Maps functionality can be used for free, but there is a Yandex Plus service which is a subscription service which will block users who are accessing it through a VPN. Yandex service offerings can be accessed here: [https://yandex.com/support/id/subscriptions.html](https://yandex.com/support/id/subscriptions.html) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstar Yandex Maps is relatively easy to use. It can be confusing that many features only appear at certain levels of Zoom magnification, rather than being shown a feature 'greyed out' as available but not in the current interface mode. Yandex features compare well with Google Earth tools, so only those users who are accustomed to the Google interfaces may have initial difficulty switching to Yandex Maps. The Help documentation provided for users of Yandex Maps explains concepts very clearly and provides case studies and examples. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps#requirements) Requirements --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yandex Maps tracks users, according to tests carried out by the author, and should therefore be used with a VPN when conducting Open Source research for reasons of Operational Security. Yandex Maps can be used without an account, but some functionality relating to writing reviews, editing the map, uploading imagery, etc. is only available upon login. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps#limitations) Limitations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Limited current photographic content is available in Yandex Maps in Ukraine, where the most recent of many (if not all) of the panoramas available are dated around 2011. By contrast, other countries in the region often have a range of dates available on some panorama content, and much of the content is less than 5 years old. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The ethical considerations in using Yandex Maps are those of any other mapping service. It is potentially more intrusive than similar tools because of its emphasis on personal appointments, advertising, etc. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps#guide) Guide ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- English language tutorials on using Yandex Maps for Open Source Research applications are not readily available, and much material focuses on smartphone navigational use. Brief Guide: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dSJO4zqO8g](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dSJO4zqO8g) Yandex Maps API: [https://yandex.com/maps-api/docs](https://yandex.com/maps-api/docs) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps#tool-provider) Tool provider ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yandex LLC. Headquarters in Russia NB Yandex was sold in 2024, so observers are checking to see if this affects data availability going forward. See [https://www.reuters.com/technology/yandex-nv-agrees-52-bln-sale-russian-assets-investor-consortium-2024-02-05/](https://www.reuters.com/technology/yandex-nv-agrees-52-bln-sale-russian-assets-investor-consortium-2024-02-05/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. The author's own checks in May 2026 showed Yandex using trackers. Page maintainer:- Sophie Tedling. Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps#description) * [Open Source Research with Yandex Maps: Use Cases, Data Input, Yandex Map Outputs, How to Enter Data... (Click Each Tab for More Information)](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps#open-source-research-with-yandex-maps-use-cases-data-input-yandex-map-outputs-how-to-enter-data...-c) * [Yandex Maps Interface](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps#yandex-maps-interface) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps#ethical-considerations) * [Guide](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps#guide) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/yandex-maps#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Shadow Finder | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder#url) URL ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://github.com/bellingcat/ShadowFinder](https://github.com/bellingcat/ShadowFinder) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder#description) Description --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-3c35b3772c25fafcf2700e02cc92ee8eb26ed44d%252FScreenshot%2520%281%29.JPG%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=ae1a2160&sv=2) **THE SHADOW & OBJECT MEASURED CAN ONLY LIE SOMEWHERE ON THE BRIGHT CIRCLE .** Enter shadow length and object height, (or, instead, the angle of elevation of the sun) for a research source image, then also the date and time of the image, and see the potential locations at which such a shadow could be created for that point in time as the bright area (circle) on the world map. * The bright yellow area of the circle marks all the locations which perfectly match your input information. * The purple areas of the circle mark locations within a 20% error band (included because your input information may not be perfectly measured). * The grey area shows the parts of the world in daylight. * The white area shows where the sun is below the horizon. [Accuracy of your input measurements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder#data-input-options) affects the size of the matching output area. A small output area is usually desirable for a researcher, since it reduces the search space of a geolocation. Note that the tool can be used to consider a range of inputs if the exact values are not known, since the outputs vary relatively smoothly with changes in input values. Shadow Finder is an open source tool which can be found on GitHub. It requires users to have a (free) GitHub account and to follow instructions on how to run the app. In this description, the method described for running the tool is to use [Google's Colab environment](https://colab.google/) because it runs in a browser, requires no setup to use and provides free access to computing resources. Shadow Finder needs the date and time of the source image containing the shadow to be able to generate potential locations. This is not always available, particularly as social media sites usually remove this type of metadata (called EXIF data) before allowing an image to be posted. Researchers also need to be aware that the time and date an image is posted online is not often the same as when it was taken. HOWEVER Shadow Finder may still be useful as a "What If?" tool to exclude potential locations. Step by step instructions for running Shadow Finder \[Click this box\]...[](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder#step-by-step-instructions-for-running-shadow-finder-click-this-box) 1. Sign up for a GitHub account if you don't already have one. 2. Log in to GitHub on a browser and type "Shadow Finder" in the search bar at the top of the Home page and press the Search button. 3. From the list which the search returns, select the "Shadow Finder" tool from Bellingcat with left mouse click: ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-fd7768a6279910ea222f9a196d928909138eaec7%252Fimage%2520%282%29.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=ddd77163&sv=2) 1. Scroll down the Shadow Finder page to README section and click the bright orange button labelled "TRY IT ON COLAB". This launches ShadowFinder in an easy-access environment called Colab. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-f2c726059a9381d5ead510d7c460f55624c2d11e%252Fimage%2520%281%29.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=632e1e18&sv=2) 1. Scroll down to enter your shadow measurement details into the app. Input EITHER a. both object height and shadow length (using the same units, whether thats mm, cm, m, feet, inches. Pixels in an image may be the easiest units - it doesn't matter because Shadow Finder just needs the ratio of object height divided by shadow length) OR b. the elevation angle of the sun in degrees ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-05c095ece5304ff2855e82666fd73dd5462ce0df%252Fshadowdetails.JPG%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=bc3d3be4&sv=2) **Definition:** The elevation angle of the sun is the inverse tangent of the ratio of the height of an object for which the sun casts a shadow to the length of that shadow. Shadow Finder needs that angle in degrees (not radians, be careful with units here). ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-80fd10b52115cfa8b2f85d326799fcd08ac038f7%252FSUNCALCTRAILSscjpg.jpg%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=f2475a6b&sv=2) 1. and then enter the date, time (and [time zone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_zone) you are using): ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-89f60a645b927be3adfc100752bd4efea4dc9220%252Fdateandtime.JPG%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=578bd3a0&sv=2) 1. Click the dark Right Arrow button in the white circle in the left margin to Run the tool, as instructed by the sentence "Click to find possible locations that match the below information". \[The white Left arrow on the square blue background is \*not\* a button you can press!\] ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-0b98f26ce7ab99c16e64fcd9874036c9a1324d3e%252Fimage%2520%282%29%2520%281%29.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=3035a2a8&sv=2) 1. If you get this warning message, click the "Run anyway" button if you're happy that the code isn't abusing your privacy. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-14d9121cdc8bdf8852cbb05095615da340c0274b%252FWarning%2520message.JPG%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=860bf7ee&sv=2) 1. Be aware that the code may not always run instantaneously and could 'queue' for a brief time. The elapsed run time will be shown whilst executing the code and the total time taken displayed upon completion next to the Run arrow button. The output takes the form of a world map (see top of page) showing all possible points satisfying the input conditions on date, time, object height and shadow length (the circular locus). 2. Change the input values at will and re-run as required. Using an object's height and the length of its shadow (or the angle to the sun) with the date and the time, the Shadow Finder code estimates the possible locations of that shadow. It plots all the possible locations (there will almost always be very many possibilities) on a world map as a bright line. The length of the shadow fed into Shadow Finder can only be measured directly from the image if the camera is at right angles to the shadow. If not, calculations/adjustments will need to be made to correct for any other camera perspective. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder#use-cases-for-nasa-firms-with-input-data-output-data-and-data-input-options...-click-each-tab-to-see) The Interface **Click the two tabs below** to see the different views presented to the user as they find Shadow Finder on the GitHub website (Tab 1) and then run it in Colab (Tab 2): 1\. GitHub Page: Press Orange Button > Colab) 2\. Colab Interface: Enter Data +Run ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-cc380b1e3a7c70024e21601e7a74af37aa2cfcb0%252FColabbuttonANNOTATED.jpg%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=fe636e98&sv=2) **THIS IS WHAT THE SHADOW FINDER PAGE LOOKS LIKE ON GITHUB. PRESS THE ORANGE 'TRY IT ON COLAB' BUTTON TO RUN SHADOW FINDER USING THE COLAB ENVIRONMENT.** ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-797a6849b2a24926e555a6e3030f77eda5abbb63%252FColabInterfaceANNOTATED.jpg%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=622ddbdd&sv=2) **THIS SHADOW FINDER INTERFACE APPEARS AFTER YOU PRESS THE ORANGE 'TRY IT ON COLAB' BUTTON. FILL IN THE TEXT BOXES AND THEN PRESS THE 'RUN' BUTTON OUTLINED IN YELLOW FOR A RESULT.** The first tab above (GitHub Page tab) shows what the Shadow Finder page looks like on GitHub, before running in Colab. The second tab above (Click on the COLAB INTERFACE tab) shows the Colab interface which will appear after the user Runs Shadow Finder in Colab using the Orange Button. There are multiple alternative routes to running the Shadow Finder code in addition to Colab, e.g. direct from Python. Colab is shown here because it is a simple route. ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder#shadow-finder-for-open-source-research-use-cases-data-input-shadow-finder-outputs-how-to-enter-data) Shadow Finder for Open Source Research: Use Cases, Data Input, Shadow Finder Outputs, How to Enter Data... (Click each of the four tabs for more detail) Input Data Shadow Finder Output Data USE CASES Data Input Options * Date * Time * EITHER Object and Shadow lengths OR Angle of sun elevation The path of points (called a [locus](https://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=locus) - in this case, the path is a circle) which satisfy the input criteria, drawn on a map of the world. This shows all possible locations where such a shadow could have been observed on that date at that time. Of course, the shadow would have a different orientation (azimuth angle) at different locations along the locus. * Given a photograph containing an object and its shadow at a known date and time, find the possible locations at which this could be observable. * Given the angle of elevation of the sun at a known dat and time, find the possible locations at which this could be observable. * Elimination of a potential geolocation of an image dependent upon the shadows it contains, i.e. rule out a potential location because it doesn't lie on the Shadow Finder locus for feasible dates and times. Data can only be input as numeric values into the text input boxes in Shadow Finder running in Colab. **Data Input Accuracy** Comparison of Outputs for the same time and date with different types of input Data. The input area on the right (for input as lengths) yields a narrower output area than the one on the left (for input as an angle). So for the same measurement error, two lengths give a more accurate output than one angle. INPUT DATA GIVEN AS AN ANGLE INPUT DATA GIVEN AS TWO LENGTHS i.e. The elevation angle of the sun in degrees. i.e. the height of the observed object and the length of the shadow it casts ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-1dc7aa52fbe38f8f2261e861aa50a00d38d02ec7%252FaNGLE%2520INPUT%2520comparison.jpg%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=b161f9e2&sv=2) ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-c36a5f816223713f564f9941fadc1abdba79fa5f%252FLENGTHS%2520INPUT%2520comparison.jpg%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=a932f7d7&sv=2) The output map appears at the bottom of the page when Shadow Finder code has been run in Colab. Compare the Shadow Finder output for a given date and time with [a map showing the world's daylight, darkness and sun and moon positions](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/sunearth.html?month=02&day=29&year=2024&hour=12&min=00&sec=0&n=%3A&ntxt=&earth=0) for the same point in time, shown below: ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-3c35b3772c25fafcf2700e02cc92ee8eb26ed44d%252FScreenshot.JPG%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=f5977ae7&sv=2) **SHADOW FINDER MAP OUTPUT FOR NOON ON 29/2/24 WHERE THE BRIGHT RING LOCATES THE PLACES WHERE OBJECTS CAST SHADOWS 80% OF THEIR HEIGHT** ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-36f8130eeddc74e5c10fede671961f9bd9b50caf%252Fcomparison%2520sun%2520location.JPG%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=b2474865&sv=2) [**TIME & DATE MAP**](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/sunearth.html) **FOR NOON ON 29/2/24 WITH SUN & MOON POSITIONS OVERLAID** The two representations concur on the daylight distribution and sun position for the same time and date shown: * The centre of the world map is in daylight on both maps, with either side in darkness over the Pacific Ocean and (roughly) the Arctic Circle. * The sun is above the Atlantic Ocean to the west of Central Africa in both maps, with the locus of the Shadow Finder map centering on the location of the sun in the "[Time and Date](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/sunearth.html) " website map. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder#cost) Cost ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstarstar Data input is remarkably simple, as is running the tool if the user is familiar with GitHub. There is some theoretical understanding of the relationship between sun position, date and time required to use the tool effectively. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder#requirements) Requirements ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GitHub code such as Shadow Finder requires a GitHub account so that a user can log in to access and run the code. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder#limitations) Limitations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shadow Finder cannot find possible location points of a shadow from its length alone: the height of the object casting the shadow must also be known (or the elevation angle of the sun). ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-1bbef3a3aa4d9858c6b714ab0a7ab10cb91080d0%252FsuncalcelevationSC.jpg%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=92b139a3&sv=2) THE VERTICAL ANGLE OF THE SUN IN THE SKY IS THE ELEVATION ANGLE Shadow Finder does not provide the direction of the sun (azimuth angle) at each potential location for the given date, time and elevation angle of the sun. This would only be useful if it was possible to establish the orientation of the source imagery to allow confirmation. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-5dc383b3c53c821225499ea4346919d4dd0eabb5%252FsuncalcazimuthSC.jpg%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=6dbe9870&sv=2) **THE HORIZONTAL DIRECTION OF THE SUN ON A COMPASS IS THE AZIMUTH ANGLE** [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [![Logo](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bellingcat.com%2Fapp%2Fthemes%2Fbellingcat%2Fassets%2Ficons%2Ffavicons%2Fapple-touch-icon-1024x1024.png&width=20&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=3468720&sv=2)Chasing Shadows: Geolocate Images with Bellingcat's Shadow Finder Tool - bellingcatbellingcat](https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2024/08/22/shadow-geolocate-geolocation-locate-image-tool-open-source-bellingcat-measure/?utm_source=discord) **DEMONSTRATION VIDEO ON USING SHADOW FINDER (YOU TUBE), INCLUDING AN INTERVIEW WITH THE MAIN AUTHOR, BELLINGCAT'S GALEN REICH** [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder#tool-provider) Tool provider ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bellingcat is the provider of this tool, authored by [Galen Reich](https://galen.reich.me.uk/#about) , Bellingcat Tech Community Facilitator, Jordan Gillard, Thomas Ellmenreich and Boris Nezlobin. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer:- Sophie Tedling. Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder#description) * [The Interface](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder#use-cases-for-nasa-firms-with-input-data-output-data-and-data-input-options...-click-each-tab-to-see) * [Shadow Finder for Open Source Research: Use Cases, Data Input, Shadow Finder Outputs, How to Enter Data... (Click each of the four tabs for more detail)](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder#shadow-finder-for-open-source-research-use-cases-data-input-shadow-finder-outputs-how-to-enter-data) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder#limitations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/shadow-finder#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # xIFr | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr#url) URL -------------------------------------------------------------------------- [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/xifr/](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/xifr/) | [https://github.com/StigNygaard/xIFr](https://github.com/StigNygaard/xIFr) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr#description) Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ xIFr is a Firefox extension designed to extract and display EXIF, IPTC, and XMP metadata from an image. This metadata can provide valuable insights on camera settings, timestamps, location (GPS data), copyright information, and editing history. If available, metadata can be useful for verifying the authenticity of images, understanding their origins, and analyzing their context. xIFr comes with a "Deep Search" feature that allows you to access metadata from images embedded in layers, set as backgrounds, or otherwise blurred or obscured. Geotagged images can be viewed on OpenStreetMap, [Google Maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/google-maps) , [Bing Maps](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/bing-maps) , and [Flickr (explore nearby photos)](https://www.flickr.com/map?) . **EXIF, IPTC and XMP** Digital images are enriched with metadata that provides both technical details and contextual information, primarily through standards such as EXIF, IPTC, and XMP. * [**EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format)**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exif) **:** A metadata standard that records technical details about an image. Primarily designed for digital photos, it includes information such as the **camera model**, **exposure settings** (aperture, shutter speed, ISO), and may also capture **GPS coordinates** if available, providing insight into the conditions under which the photo was taken. * [**IPTC (International Press Telecommunications Council)**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPTC_Information_Interchange_Model) **:** A standardized set of fields designed primarily for news and media applications. It embeds descriptive information into images and other media files—such as **captions**, **keywords**, **headlines**, and **credit lines**—to provide context, attribution, and other details. * [**XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform)**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extensible_Metadata_Platform) **:** XMP is an Adobe-developed metadata format designed to embed information about a media file's editing history, licensing, and other descriptive details. Newer versions of EXIF and IPTC metadata standards incorporate XMP, and it's widely supported by other software as well. While it's often used for images, it may also be used for other file types such as PDFs or videos. Both EXIF and IPTC serve to store metadata, but they were developed with different priorities in mind. Consequently, some metadata fields can overlap. For example, both can record the date and time the photo was taken or include location information. In such cases, the data might appear in both the EXIF and IPTC sections, ensuring that the relevant information is available to various applications and workflows. This might apply to other proprietary metadata formats as well. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr#how-to-use) How to Use ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- _For this guide, we'll use a photo taken by the tool developer himself as an example. The photo can be found in his guide_ [_here_](https://www.rockland.dk/xIFr/start/) _._ Right click an image and select "View EXIF data" next to the icon with a camera and a hint bubble: ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-7eec4883dd9633308c18c02c60a43a9394a24fb6%252Fimage%2520%282%29%2520%281%29.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=f0c4092b&sv=2) Viewing EXIF Data can be done via the context menu A popup will open with two tabs: Image data and Map. #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr#image-data-tab) Image Data Tab This first tab lists all metadata fields present in the image, although images found on the web may not include every field. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-201ca9b3e712752bb9b9201ecbca9dc7421e1aa8%252FFireShot%2520Capture%2520018%2520-%2520xIFr%2520-%2520Image%2520meta%2520data%2520-%2520.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=1b942541&sv=2) Metadata of a photo taken by Stig Nygaard, the tool developer, not very far from the _Mont Saint-Michel Tower_ in _Brittany, France_. Information in the example can be classified as follows: * **File & Basic Information:** Contains details like `File Name`, `Content-Type`, `Size`, `Last Modified`, and `Dimensions`, these fields are "file-specific" and not actual metadata. * **Descriptive Content:** Includes `Title`, `Description`, and `Keywords` for context, along with the EXIF `Date`, which shows when the photo was actually taken (distinct from the file's creation or modification date). * **Licensing and Attribution:** Provides licensing and legal details that might be used to identify the author through fields like `Credit Line`, `Copyright`, `License URL`, `Creator`, `Creator Country`, `Creator URL`, and `Camera Owner`. * **Capture & Technical Data:** Lists technical details such as `Date`, `Make`, `Model`, `Lens`, `Focal Length`, `Aperture`, `Exposure Time`, `ISO Equivalent`, `Flash Fired`, `White Balance`, `Distance`, `Exposure Mode`, `Exposure Bias`, `Metering Mode`, `FocalPlaneXRes`, `FocalPlaneUnits`, and `LensModel`, describing the conditions and equipment used. * **Location Information:** Shows geolocation data including `GPS Latitude`, `GPS Longitude`, `Country`, `Province/State`, `City`, and `Sublocation`, useful for mapping and verification. * **Post-Processing Data:** Contains information about any adjustments made after capture, like `Orientation`, `Software`, and `Color Space`. You can find a list of common EXIF and IPTC fields here: * [EXIF Metadata Fields](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exif#Exif_fields) * [IPTC Metadata Fields](https://www.iptc.org/std/photometadata/documentation/userguide/#field-reference-table) You can also notice small latin cross marks **✝** in front of the `GPS Longitude`, `GPS Latitude`, `Software` and `Color Space` fields. These are **clickable notices**. You can click on them to show additional data such as additional software or decimal latitude and longitude values. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-ce405fa8bf1223e48cfd5b538c9e895baf83a1b8%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=c2e16da4&sv=2) Before clicking on the notice ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-2a37b167a377436291e1242515c9009e0f83dc28%252Fimage%2520%281%29.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=52f84266&sv=2) After clicking on the notice Additionally, next to the GPS coordinates, you can find the **O**, **G**, **B** and **F** icons which allows you to open the GPS coordinates in _**O**__penStreetMap_, _**G**__oogle Maps_, _**B**__ing Maps_ and the _Explore Nearby functionality by_ _**F**__lickr_ respectively. Clicking any of these icons will open the results in a separate browser tab. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-be4d51c7df9347bec6e0d67bc416508ab534431a%252Fimage%2520%282%29.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=adbf74f1&sv=2) You can fetch the GPS coordinates on four different services using the O, G, B and F icons. #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr#map-tab) Map Tab If GPS data is available, the Map Tab will show up, allowing you to take a quick look on the location on OpenStreetMap. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-610809f0e71e42285e826214961a11801fe71c58%252Fimage%2520%285%29.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=4b818c13&sv=2) Location of the example above on [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=48.62388833333333&mlon=-1.5093333333333334#map=15/48.62388833333333/-1.5093333333333334) . #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr#options) Options At the bottom-right of the popup you'll find a **Copy to clipboard** icon next to an **Options** icon. The first one copies the metadata to your clipboard and the second one opens xIFr's settings. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-dd39b562bc1dddd092791f6721f98754813d2425%252Fimage%2520%286%29.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=94e6b269&sv=2) Copy to Clipboard and Options Icons When clicking on the Options a new tab opens with the following content: ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-c70352ecd3a5ba0e583cb0be2d7c37aee56a2bcb%252FScreenshot%25202025-02-26%2520at%252004-20-57%2520xIFr%2520Options%2520%281%29.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=38f7ab15&sv=2) xIFr's settings You can customize the following settings: * **Display Mode:** You can choose between a default (light theme), auto (system-preferred), or dark theme. * **Popup Position:** Multiple options let you decide where the popup appears (e.g., center of screen, top left/right, left/right), although multi-display setups might affect these placements. * **Deep Search:** This feature helps xIFr guess which image you intended to open when using the context menu. There's also a "force big" mode (activated with shift-click) that ignores smaller images. You can set the max value of the images to ignore. * **Map Links:** You can set other cartography services to view the GPS location with including MapQuest, Here WeGo or GeoHack. **Tip:** Some websites override the browser's default right-click context menu. You can [bypass this behaviour by holding down the Shift key while right-clicking](https://github.com/StigNygaard/xIFr) to access the browser's native context menu. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr#cost) Cost ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid The extension is free and open source. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- star [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr#requirements) Requirements -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Firefox browser [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr#limitations) Limitations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * The add-on is only available in Firefox. * Many platforms such as social networks automatically strip metadata from uploaded media. To find images that may still contain metadata, consider using [reverse image search tools](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/categories/image-video/reverse-image-search) to locate other instances of the same image that might have its original metadata. * Metadata fields are not static attributes; they can be altered by their authors to obscure contextual information or intentionally provide misleading details. Consequently, it's crucial to critically assess the metadata you find, cross-referencing it with other clues available in the image or in the context of your study. Never assume metadata is entirely reliable without verification. * xIFr primarily supports extracting metadata from JPEG images. When webpages provide multiple image formats (e.g., AVIF, WebP, and JPEG), modern browsers often display non-JPEG formats. However, xIFr attempts to detect and parse metadata from an available JPEG variant of the image when possible. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr#ethical-considerations) Ethical Considerations ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Metadata can expose sensitive information such as location data or device details. Make sure to respect privacy rights. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr#guides-and-articles) Guides and articles ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Stig Nygaard (tool developer): XIFr - [Getting started](https://www.rockland.dk/xIFr/start/) * Bellingcat's [EXIF articles](https://www.bellingcat.com/tag/exif/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr#tool-provider) Tool provider ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Developed and maintained by Stig Nygaard ([Mastodon](https://mastodon.world/@stignygaard) ), a developer and photographer from Denmark. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Page maintainer Bellingcat Volunteer Team Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr#description) * [How to Use](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr#how-to-use) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr#requirements) * [Limitations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr#limitations) * [Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr#ethical-considerations) * [Guides and articles](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr#guides-and-articles) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/xifr#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? --- # Sherlock | Bellingcat's Online Investigation Toolkit For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/llms.txt) . This page is also available as [Markdown](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock.md) . [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#url) URL ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [​https://github.com/sherlock-project/sherlock](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#url) (current version 0.16.0, published Sept 16th 2025, as of May 2026) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#description) Description ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sherlock is an open-source OSINT tool designed to find usernames across a wide range of social networks and websites. It can currently check for a given username across [400+ websites](https://sherlockproject.xyz/sites) and platforms, enabling investigators to quickly determine where a username is active. The full list of supported sites is available at [sherlockproject.xyz/sites](https://sherlockproject.xyz/sites) . Users can enter one or more usernames, and Sherlock will check each against a maintained list of sites to find profiles matching that username. [It supports](https://sherlockproject.xyz/usage) limiting the search to specific sites (using `--site` flags) and can output results in various formats, including writing found in account URLs to text files or exporting data as CSV and Excel (XLSX) spreadsheets. The tool also allows bulk username input via a JSON file and offers options to use proxies or Tor for the queries. Sherlock is designed to be straightforward for open source investigations: it does not require API keys or login credentials for the sites it checks; instead, it simply constructs the expected profile URL for each site and observes the response to determine whether the username [exists on a given platform](https://www.hackercoolmagazine.com/complete-guide-to-sherlock-tool/) . This means it only accesses publicly available information and cannot bypass privacy settings or account restrictions. Sherlock is primarily a CLI tool, so some familiarity with the command line is required to install and run it. However, installation is relatively accessible: the latest version is published on PyPI for one-command install (e.g. `pipx install sherlock-project` or `pip install --user sherlock-project`). There is also an official Docker image available (`sherlock/sherlock` on Docker Hub) for containerized use, as well as community packages (e.g. in [Homebrew for macOS](https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/sherlock-app) , [APT in Kali Linux](https://www.kali.org/tools/sherlock/) , [DNF in Fedora](https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/fedora/f40/system-administrators-guide/package-management/DNF/) , and BlackArch). Once installed, running Sherlock involves executing the `sherlock` command with the desired username(s) as arguments. For example, `sherlock user123` will search for “user123” on all supported sites, while adding `--csv` or `--xlsx` will save results to a file. The output lists each found profile URL (or indicates 'not found'), and by default, also saves each username’s results to a separate text file for review. ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-9ed9e5afc5261852dead1fb8fe24ed3aa813227c%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202024-06-06%2520at%25203.26.06%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=36906bb1&sv=2) A sample query on Sherlock looking for accounts that have the username "bellingcat" ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#cli-usage) CLI Usage #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#output-control) Output Control #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#saving-results-files-and-formats) Saving results (files & formats) #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#limit-the-scope-to-certain-sites) Limit the scope to certain sites #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#include-nsfw-targets-off-by-default) Include NSFW targets (off by default) #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#networking-opsec-and-performance) Networking, OPSEC & performance #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#data-source-control-site-list-json) Data source control (site list JSON) #### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#verbosity-version-and-help) Verbosity, version & help ### [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#third-party-implementations) Third Party Implementations In addition to the core CLI, there are **third-party web-based Sherlock integrations**. For instance, an [_Apify_ cloud actor](https://apify.com/misceres/sherlock) exists that can run Sherlock searches remotely – this allows using Sherlock via a web API or dashboard without local installation (Apify offers this free of charge within their platform’s limits). ![](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1607018381-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FFuL0vtRVpXHiKZgFkMFR%252Fuploads%252Fgit-blob-5bfc1653771b0681cebf1701ec1ece1d8ab6e58e%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=9aa41bb5&sv=2) You can run Sherlock on Apify on the website or from a Jupyter cell with an Apify API token + JSON input. 1) Put your Apify API token in the APIFY\_TOKEN env var (recommended), or paste it below. 2) Edit the usernames list as needed, then run this cell: Community developers have also created GUI front-ends; one example is [HandleFinder](https://www.reddit.com/r/DataHoarder/comments/z22hl1/i_built_an_app_that_scans_every_social_media/) , a now-defunct free web application that wrapped the Sherlock tool with a simple React interface, enabling username searches directly in a browser. Another integration is [**Sherlockeye**](https://www.sherlockeye.io/) , a for-profit web platform (launched 2023) that incorporates Sherlock’s username search functionality into a polished UI with additional data enrichment; Sherlockeye offers a limited free tier, but [full use requires a paid subscription](https://www.mariosantella.com/sherlockeye-ai-driven-osint-tool/) . These services can lower the technical barrier by providing a point-and-click interface; however, it is worth noting that they are external products. The core Sherlock CLI tool remains free and community-driven, and using it locally keeps the search entirely under the user’s control. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#cost) Cost -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Free * Partially Free * Paid Some third-party services built around Sherlock are freemium (e.g., Sherlockeye offers limited free searches with paid plans for full access) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#level-of-difficulty) Level of difficulty -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- starstarstar Using Sherlock requires basic familiarity with command-line usage and software installation. After installing Python or Docker, a user must install the Sherlock package and run it in a terminal. The tool’s syntax is straightforward, but non-technical users may need to learn a few command-line concepts to use it effectively. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#requirements) Requirements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * **Python 3.9+ environment** – Sherlock [requires Python 3.9](https://pypi.org/project/sherlock-project/) or higher installed on the system. (Earlier versions like Python 3.6 are no longer supported in the latest release.) Alternatively, Docker can be used to run Sherlock in a container, eliminating the need to install Python. * **Internet connection** – An active internet connection is required, since Sherlock needs to send HTTP requests to each target website to check for the username’s profile. The speed of results depends on network speed and the number of sites checked. * **No account/API keys needed** – Sherlock uses direct web requests and does not require creating any account or API key to use. All searches are against publicly accessible URLs. (Be mindful of each site’s terms of service; Sherlock generates web traffic that in some cases might be seen as automated scraping.) * **Optional – Tor**: If you wish to mask your requests or avoid hitting sites from your IP, Sherlock can route queries through Tor (with `--tor` or `--unique-tor` flags). Using these options **requires** that the Tor service is installed and running on your system, and accessible in your PATH [github.com](https://github.com/sherlock-project/sherlock) . Without Tor, Sherlock will use your direct internet connection. * **Optional – Proxy**: Sherlock also allows using a custom proxy (`--proxy`) for all requests, which could be a VPN or SOCKS proxy. If you plan to use this, you must have the proxy service set up; otherwise, there are no additional requirements. Local application works on MacOS, Linux and Windows. Python version 3.6 or higher required. An account must be created to use Sherlock in the browser via Apify. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#limitations-and-ethical-considerations) Limitations & Ethical Considerations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * **Exact username matching:** Sherlock only checks for _exact_ matches of a given username. It does not support fuzzy search, alternate spellings, or regular expressions (regex). The sole variation is a `{?}` wildcard, which substitutes common delimiters like underscores, hyphens, or periods (e.g. `john{?}doe` → `john-doe`, `john.doe`). If a user employs different aliases across sites, Sherlock must be run separately for each one. * **No content retrieval or login access:** Sherlock confirms whether a username exists but does not view private data or log in. Profiles requiring authentication are marked as “found,” but details remain inaccessible. Platforms that block automated username enumeration (e.g., Facebook, many dating apps) cannot be queried at all, and coverage on sites like Discord is minimal because usernames lack public URLs. * **Possible false positives or negatives:** Some sites may return “user found” even when no active profile exists, often due to ambiguous error pages. Conversely, valid profiles may be missed if site structures change or if common words confuse the detection logic. Although the community regularly updates its list of over 400 sites, occasional errors or outdated entries are to be expected. Always verify important results manually. * **Rate limits and timeouts:** Sherlock waits up to 60 seconds per site. Slow or blocked responses may trigger timeouts. Running through a single proxy or Tor circuit can slow results further or cause CAPTCHAs; the `--unique-tor` option reduces this risk but makes scans much slower. Large or repeated scans may require proxy rotation or spacing out requests to avoid temporary bans * **Incomplete site coverage:** The tool focuses on global and popular services, but cannot cover every regional or niche platform. Investigators targeting local or emerging sites may need to supplement Sherlock with other tools, such as _WhatsMyName_ or manual searching. The full list of supported sites is available at [sherlockproject.xyz](https://sherlockproject.xyz/) . * **No profile analysis:** Sherlock only reports where a username appears. It does not cross-reference or analyze the profile content. Determining whether matching usernames across platforms belong to the same person is left to the investigator. * **Outdated API:** There is no official Sherlock API. An experimental REST API exists but has not been maintained since 2021, and using it requires local setup. As of 2025, running Sherlock locally or via community web interfaces remains the recommended method. [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#guide) Guide ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * **Sherlock Project Documentation (Official)** – [_Sherlock Installation & Usage Guide_](https://sherlockproject.xyz/installation) on the official site. (Covers how to install via pip/pipx, how to run the tool with examples, and lists all command options and supported sites.) * **Anamar Taknev –** [**"Complete guide to Sherlock tool"**](https://www.hackercoolmagazine.com/complete-guide-to-sherlock-tool/) **(Hackercool Magazine, Dec 5, 2024):** A step-by-step tutorial intended for beginners, demonstrating Sherlock’s installation on Kali Linux and usage of various options (searching single vs multiple usernames, limiting to a site, using the `{?}` wildcard, saving output, etc.), with screenshots. This guide also explains how Sherlock works and its role in the OSINT process. * **Twisted Circuits –** [**"Sherlock: The OSINT tool to discover usernames"**](https://medium.com/@twistedcircuits/sherlock-the-osint-tool-to-discover-usernames-bdac2d82b431) **(Medium, June 12, 2023):** A short introduction to Sherlock for a hacking audience. It undergoes manual installation from GitHub and performs a basic search, highlighting the tool’s ability to find accounts on over 300 platforms. Good for a quick start, though note the number of supported sites has since grown. * [“Sherlock OSINT Tool – Find Social Media Accounts!”](https://osintteam.blog/sherlock-osint-tool-find-social-media-accounts-3153c3bfeae3?gi=190718162b88) by Shahzaib (OSINT Team blog, Sep 22, 2025) – an article discussing how Sherlock can trace a person’s digital footprint and the privacy implications, aimed at raising awareness for both investigators and the general public. The tool can be downloaded and used locally, or used free of charge in the browser via Apify: [https://apify.com/misceres/sherlock?fpr=sherlock](https://apify.com/misceres/sherlock?fpr=sherlock) . Additional documentation here: [https://sherlockproject.xyz/](https://sherlockproject.xyz/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#tool-provider) Tool provider -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The original creator is [Siddharth Dushantha](https://github.com/sdushantha) . The Sherlock Project has more than 200+ contributors. * [https://github.com/sherlock-project](https://github.com/sherlock-project) * [https://sherlockproject.xyz/](https://sherlockproject.xyz/) [](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#a-dvertising-trackers) Advertising Trackers ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * This tool has not been checked for advertising trackers yet. * This tool uses tracking cookies. Use with caution. * This tool does not appear to use tracking cookies. Since Sherlock is a Python CLI program, it doesn’t load ads or trackers – it simply sends web requests and prints results. (If using a third-party web service or GUI for Sherlock, be aware that those platforms might have their own analytics or cookies, but the Sherlock CLI itself has no such components.) Paige Maintainer Freya Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [URL](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#url) * [Description](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#description) * [CLI Usage](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#cli-usage) * [Third Party Implementations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#third-party-implementations) * [Cost](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#cost) * [Level of difficulty](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#level-of-difficulty) * [Requirements](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#requirements) * [Limitations & Ethical Considerations](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#limitations-and-ethical-considerations) * [Guide](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#guide) * [Tool provider](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#tool-provider) * [Advertising Trackers](https://bellingcat.gitbook.io/toolkit/more/all-tools/sherlock#a-dvertising-trackers) Was this helpful? Copy # Single username (saves a user123.txt by default) sherlock user123 # Multiple usernames sherlock alice bob charlie # Try common separators between name parts with the {?} helper # (expands to _ - . between tokens) sherlock john{?}doe Copy # Only print positives (found) sherlock user123 --print-found # Print everything, including not found + reasons sherlock user123 --print-all # Disable colored output (useful for logs/CI) sherlock user123 --no-color Copy # Save a single-user run to a specific text file sherlock user123 --output results/user123.txt # short form: -o results/user123.txt # When checking multiple users, store all their files in a folder sherlock alice bob -fo results/ # long form: --folderoutput results/ # Also create a CSV alongside text outputs sherlock user123 --csv # Or generate an Excel workbook (XLSX) sherlock user123 --xlsx Copy # Check only specific sites (add --site repeatedly) sherlock user123 --site GitHub --site Instagram # Site names with spaces must be quoted (use the names from the supported list) sherlock user123 --site "Archive of Our Own" --site "Docker Hub" Copy # Add NSFW sites from the default list to your run sherlock user123 --nsfw Copy # Set a longer/shorter request timeout (seconds; default is 60) sherlock user123 --timeout 90 # Send requests through a proxy (HTTP) sherlock user123 --proxy http://127.0.0.1:8080 # or SOCKS5 (Tor/Proxy) sherlock user123 --proxy socks5://127.0.0.1:1080 # Route via Tor (Tor must be installed & in PATH) sherlock user123 --tor # Use a new Tor circuit per request (slowest, but more isolated) sherlock user123 --unique-tor Copy # Force use of the local bundled data.json (instead of remote) sherlock user123 --local # short form: -l # Load a custom site-definition JSON (local file) sherlock user123 --json ./custom-sites.json # Load a custom site-definition JSON (remote URL) sherlock user123 --json https://example.org/custom-sites.json # short form: -j Copy # Extra debugging/metrics in console sherlock user123 --verbose # short forms also supported: -v -d --debug # Show installed version & dependency info sherlock --version # Built-in help sherlock --help Copy # If apify-client isn't available in the kernel, uncomment the next line: # !pip -q install apify-client import os, json from apify_client import ApifyClient APIFY_TOKEN = os.getenv("APIFY_TOKEN", "PASTE_YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN_HERE") client = ApifyClient(APIFY_TOKEN) # JSON input for the Actor run_input = {"usernames": ["user123", "alice"]} # Run the official Sherlock Actor and wait for it to finish, then fetch results run = client.actor("misceres/sherlock").call(run_input=run_input) items = list(client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items()) print(json.dumps(items, indent=2)) # Each item looks like: {"username": "...", "links": ["https://site.tld/user/...", ...]} ---