Use CSV when you want to compare results in a spreadsheet, JSON when another tool needs structured data, and PDF when someone needs a report they can read. OSINTsearch Free includes all three formats for the results available to your account.
A useful OSINT report should let you return to a finding and understand where it came from. The format matters, but so do the source links, search context and decisions you make before downloading. Here is how to choose an export and prepare results for the next person who opens them, even if that person is you next week.
Which OSINT report format should you choose?
| Your next task | Format | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Sort profiles and add review notes | CSV | Work with rows in a spreadsheet and compare selected fields |
| Process results with a script or compatible tool | JSON | Keep structured groups of information together |
| Read, print or share findings with a colleague | Present the included evidence in a document |
You can keep more than one export. For an ongoing review, a CSV working copy and a PDF for reading serve different purposes. If you expect to process the results later, save JSON at the same time.
Choosing another format does not reveal extra account details. Each export reflects the information available to your account and the results included in the report.
CSV: compare profiles and record your review
CSV is a practical choice for reviewing several profiles side by side. You can sort the profile rows by platform, group the usernames you want to inspect, and add your own columns for observations.
Keep those observations separate from the returned data. Useful working columns include Reviewed on, Reason to keep, Reason to exclude and Next check. A note such as “Profile links to my current website” is easier to revisit than a label such as “match.”
OSINTsearch CSV exports can contain several sections with their own headings. Read those headings before sorting. Copy the relevant profile table into a working sheet instead of sorting the whole file as if every row were the same kind of record. Keep the original download alongside it.
Import identifiers as text
A username, profile identifier or phone number may look numeric without being a quantity. Spreadsheet software can change how such values are displayed or interpreted. Use the import preview and set identifier columns to text where appropriate. Check a few values against the original file before you start comparing them. Microsoft's text import guidance explains how to choose column formats during import.
Treat profile text as data when copying it between sheets. A cell beginning with a formula character can be interpreted as a formula by spreadsheet software. Keep imported text as text and review unexpected formula prompts or cells before proceeding. This is a general spreadsheet issue described by OWASP's CSV injection guidance.
JSON: keep results ready for further processing
JSON suits a workflow where you want to read the export with a script or a tool that accepts its structure. It can keep lists and related fields grouped together, which is useful when one profile has several links or former usernames. The JSON standard defines these structured objects and lists.
For example, you might want a local script to collect the profile URLs you plan to revisit. Start from the exported file, check which fields are present, and decide how your script should handle a missing value. An absent account date should remain unknown rather than turning into an invented date in your output.
Keep a copy of the original JSON before transforming it. Save derived lists separately so you can trace an entry back to the search it came from. JSON support in another product does not by itself mean that product accepts every JSON file, so check its import requirements first.
PDF: give someone a report they can read
Choose PDF when the next step is reading and reviewing the findings. It is useful for a personal research folder, a discussion with a colleague or a record of an audit of your own accounts.
Free accounts can download a PDF containing the available evidence. Eligible paid plans also offer an optional AI summary, subject to the account's AI allowance. The summary can help introduce a report, but you should still check its statements against the included findings. See current plan details for availability.
Open the PDF before sharing it. Check that the subject is right, the relevant profiles are included and the report gives the reader enough context. A search result is a lead, and a matching handle alone does not establish who owns the account.
Prepare the results before you export
The most useful improvement to a report often happens before the download. Decide what question the report is meant to answer. “Which profiles still show my old username?” gives you a clear reason to keep or dismiss a result.
- Let the search finish. Review its status before treating the result set as complete.
- Open the profiles that matter. Compare the available details with your question and record any uncertainty in your own notes.
- Hide unrelated results. Use Hide this result for a profile you want excluded. A text filter helps you browse; it is not a substitute for choosing which results belong in the export.
- Choose a format from Export. Select Export as CSV, Export as JSON or PDF report.
- Check the downloaded file. Confirm the subject, included profiles and any context you intend to rely on before passing it on.
If you are working in a spreadsheet, keep the source URL beside each observation. Record when you reviewed it and explain what led to your assessment. For a PDF you share, an accompanying note can state the question, the main finding and what still needs checking. That makes the report useful without asking the recipient to reconstruct your research.
Start with a Free search and keep a useful record
You do not need a paid plan to save useful findings. Free can show profiles, former usernames and account history where those details are available, and you can export those available results as CSV, JSON or PDF. The Free and paid results guide explains what Free provides and what paid cross-referencing adds.
Start with a username search or reverse email lookup. Review the results, hide unrelated profiles, then export in the format that fits your next task. Keep the original file and your review notes together so the next time you open them, you know what you found and why it mattered.
