Answers to the most common questions about Global Search — what it does, how it works, and who it's for.
Is it legal to search for someone using Global Search?
Yes. Global Search is designed for licensed private investigators, legal professionals, journalists, and corporate compliance and due diligence teams. Users are responsible for complying with applicable law in their jurisdiction. The platform is not intended for FCRA-regulated purposes (US employment, credit, insurance, or housing screening) or for consumer self-lookup.
What can I search for?
Name, phone number, email address, photo (face recognition), identity document (passport, national ID, tax number), or physical address. Any identifier can surface a cross-referenced profile from multiple sources.
How do I run a background check on someone?
Sign in to the cabinet, enter any known identifier — name, phone, email, or document number — and the engine cross-references it across records from 190+ countries. Results are assembled into a structured dossier in seconds.
Can I find someone by photo?
Yes. Upload a photo and the face recognition engine compares it against indexed records. Results include confidence scores. This works for portraits, ID document photos, and social media images. Learn more about face search →
What is included in a dossier?
A dossier may include: full name and aliases, date of birth, identity documents, addresses (current and historical), phone numbers, email addresses, employer and occupation, vehicle registrations, family connections, social profiles, and photos — depending on what records exist for that individual across indexed sources.
What countries are covered?
190+ countries across all continents. Deepest coverage in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Southeast Asia — including Brazil (CPF records), Argentina (CUIL/electoral rolls), France (NIR, court records), Philippines (voter ID, PhilSys), Israel (national ID), and Iraq (civil registry). New sources are added continuously.
Where does the data come from?
Aggregated and normalized from verified public records, government registries, electoral rolls, court records, and licensed data sources. Each source is verified before indexing. Records from different sources are cross-referenced through shared identifiers — the same phone number appearing in two sources links those records automatically.
How accurate are the results?
Accuracy depends on the source and country. For structured government registries (electoral rolls, tax records, vehicle registrations) accuracy is very high. For older or aggregated sources, results should be treated as investigative leads to be verified independently. The dossier shows the source and date for each data point so you can assess reliability.
How is Global Search different from Google?
Google indexes public web pages. Global Search indexes structured records — government registries, identity documents, phone directories, electoral rolls, and data sources that never appear on the web. A person with no web presence at all may have extensive records in national registries, utility databases, and court systems.
How much does it cost?
$0.30 per query. No monthly minimum. No annual contract. No seat fees. Purchase credit blocks and use them at your own pace. Credits do not expire. Volume pricing is available for high-frequency API customers.
Is there an API for developers?
Yes. The REST API supports all search types — name, phone, email, document, and face recognition — at the same $0.30 per query rate. API keys are provisioned immediately on account creation. Documentation is provided after sign-up. Standard rate limit is 100 requests per minute.
What is a Pipl alternative?
Pipl was a global identity resolution API used by investigators and fraud teams worldwide. It shut down around 2023. Global Search provides similar cross-source global identity lookup with the addition of face recognition search and transparent self-serve pricing. Learn more about switching from Pipl →
How do I get started?
Create an account at cabinet.global-search.at. Access is available immediately for professionals — no waiting period. First searches can be run within minutes of signing up.