Agent skill · security · nousresearch
sherlock
Find accounts for a username across 400+ platforms.
Why this skill is useful
Provides specific commands and usage patterns for the Sherlock OSINT tool that the AI wouldn't reliably generate on its own.
What it needs
Requires docker, sherlock-project installed locally. About 3k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-08-07. 226,679 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
Sherlock OSINT Username Search Hunt down social media accounts by username across 400+ social networks using the Sherlock Project. When to Use User asks to find accounts associated with a username User wants to check username availability across platforms User is conducting OSINT or reconnaissance research User asks "where is this username registered?" or similar Requirements Sherlock CLI installed: pipx install sherlock-project or pip install sherlock-project Alternatively: Docker available (docker run -it --rm sherlock/sherlock) Network access to query social platforms Procedure 1. Check if Sherlock is Installed Before doing anything else, verify sherlock is available: If the command fails: Offer to install: pipx install sherlock-project (recommended) or pip install sherlock-project Do NOT try multiple installation methods — pick one and proceed If installation fails, inform the user and stop 2. Extract Username Extract the username directly from the user's message if clearly stated. Examples where you should NOT use clarify: "Find accounts for nasa" → username is nasa "Search for johndoe123" → username is johndoe123 "Check if alice exists on social media" → username is alice "Look up user bob on social networks" → username is bob Only use clarify if: Multiple potential usernames mentioned ("search for alice or bob") Ambiguous phrasing ("search for my username" without specifying) No username mentioned at all ("do an OSINT search") When extracting, take the exact username as stated — preserve case, numbers, underscores, etc. 3. Build Command Default command (use this unless user specifically requests otherwise): Optional flags (only add if user explicitly requests): --nsfw — Include NSFW sites (only if user asks) --tor — Route through Tor (only if user asks for anonymity) Do NOT ask about options via clarify — just run the default search. Users can request specific options if needed. 4. Execute Search Run via the terminal tool. …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills nousresearch/sherlock