When it comes to finding information online, Yahoo! remains one of the most trusted and versatile search engines. While people use it for general queries, Yahoo Search can also serve as a useful tool for finding individuals. Whether you’re trying to reconnect with an old friend, locate a professional contact, or gather information about a public figure, Yahoo! can help you uncover the information you need.

1. Start with a Basic Search

The easiest way to find someone on Yahoo! is to enter the person’s full name into the search bar. This works best if you know their first and last name. Simply type the name into the search field and hit “Search.”

Tips for Basic Search:

• Use Quotation Marks: To narrow down your results, enclose the name in quotation marks (e.g., “Jessica Smith”). This ensures that Yahoo! will only return results that include the full name exactly as it’s written.
• Add Details: If the name is too common, include additional details you know about the person, such as their city, workplace, or profession (e.g., “Jessica Smith Sydney photographer”).
• Check Variations: If the person has a nickname, alternative spelling, or goes by a maiden name, try searching for these variations as well.

A basic search often leads to online profiles, articles, and even old directories where the person’s name appears.

2. Search Social Media Profiles

Yahoo! is an effective tool for finding social media accounts. Start by typing the person’s name along with the platform name (e.g., “Jessica Smith LinkedIn” or “Jessica Smith Facebook”).

Why This Works:

Yahoo! indexes public social media pages, meaning you can find accessible profiles on platforms like Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and others. Public posts, comments, and even old forum discussions might show up in the results.

Bonus tip: Social media platforms can reveal much more than just photos. They often include job details, location, education history, and mutual interests.

3. Use People Finder Websites

Yahoo! offers results from third-party people finder websites such as Whitepages, Spokeo, and TruePeopleSearch. These sites specialise in helping locate people by providing information such as:

• Phone numbers
• Addresses
• Email IDs
• Social profiles

To use this approach, search for the person’s name followed by “people finder” (e.g., “Jessica Smith people finder”). Look for a relevant link in the Yahoo! search results and follow it to the appropriate website.

Keep in mind that some of these tools offer limited information for free. For detailed reports, you may need to pay a fee.

4. Use Yahoo! Image Search

Sometimes, images might provide the clue you’re looking for. If the person owns a business, has been featured in an article, or has a public social media account, there’s a chance their photo is online.

How to Use Yahoo! Image Search:

• Visit Yahoo! Search and click on the “Images” tab.
• Enter the person’s name (and other identifying details if needed).
• Scroll through results to see if any familiar faces or relevant images appear.

Image search is an underrated but powerful way to confirm someone’s identity, especially when searching for professionals or public figures.

5. Check News Articles

Yahoo! News is another valuable tool for finding information about someone, particularly if they’re a public figure, thought leader, or community member who’s been featured in news stories.
To find news articles related to your individual, pair their name with terms like “announcement,” “interview,” or “news” (e.g., “Jessica Smith interview”). Yahoo! will surface all relevant articles linked through its news aggregator.

6. Explore Yahoo! Answers and Forums (Legacy Content)

Although Yahoo! Answers is no longer active, old content sometimes remains accessible through search results. If the person you’re trying to find has participated in a forum or answered questions in the past, Yahoo! may still provide cached pages or archived discussions. Similarly, forums like Reddit often pop up in Yahoo! search results—be sure to check these as well.

7. Leverage Advanced Search Operators

For more focused searches, Yahoo! supports advanced operators that refine your search. Here are a few useful ones:

• site: Restrict searches to a specific website (e.g., “Jessica Smith site:linkedin.com”).
• filetype: Search for specific document types like PDFs or resumes (e.g., “Jessica Smith filetype:pdf”).
• intitle: Find pages where the name appears in the page title (e.g., “intitle:’Jessica Smith’”).

Using these operators alongside keywords can uncover hidden or specific information.