Guides

The start-to-finish workflow for a whole investigative domain, mapping the public tools and method before you go field-deep

Guides

Container tracking: how to trace a shipping container

Nov 8, 2026

•

9 min read

Container tracking: how to trace a shipping container

Trace a container by its number through the BIC register, carrier events, vessel data and trade records

Derek Bowler

Geospatial & Satellite

GPS coordinates: how to read, convert and check a location

Nov 7, 2026

•

7 min read

GPS coordinates: how to read, convert and check a location

Convert any coordinate format to decimal degrees, catch swapped or sign-flipped values and confirm the point on two maps

Derek Bowler

Guides

Business entity search: check a US company's state record

Nov 2, 2026

•

6 min read

Business entity search: check a US company's state record

Confirm status, formation date and registered agent on the state register before you cite a US company

Derek Bowler

Guides

Internet outage check: how to verify an outage or shutdown

Nov 2, 2026

•

7 min read

Internet outage check: how to verify an outage or shutdown

Test whether an internet outage is real, how far it reached and how long it lasted, using free traffic data

Derek Bowler

Legal & Court Records

FOIA request: how to file one and find released records

Nov 2, 2026

•

6 min read

FOIA request: how to file one and find released records

Search FOIA libraries first, then file a narrow request and track its 20 working day deadline

Derek Bowler

Guides

Nov 2, 2026

•

7 min read

Trademark search: how to find who owns a brand name

Use the USPTO, UK IPO, TMview and WIPO registers to name a brand's owner and trace it into company records

Derek Bowler

AI-Assisted Investigation

AI detector: how to check if text was written by AI

Oct 26, 2026

•

8 min read

AI detector: how to check if text was written by AI

Date the text, test it on two detectors and check every citation before you call it machine-written

Derek Bowler

Financial Intelligence

Campaign finance search: how to trace political donations

Oct 26, 2026

•

8 min read

Campaign finance search: how to trace political donations

Use free FEC, OpenSecrets and IRS records to see who funds a US candidate, then check each donor match

Derek Bowler

Financial Intelligence

Charity Commission search: check a charity's accounts

Oct 26, 2026

•

5 min read

Charity Commission search: check a charity's accounts

Confirm a charity is registered, read its income, trustees and filings, and cross-check UK and US records

Derek Bowler

Guides

License lookup: verify a doctor, nurse or pharmacist

Oct 26, 2026

•

6 min read

License lookup: verify a doctor, nurse or pharmacist

Confirm a licence on the issuing board's register, read status and discipline, and record the data date

Derek Bowler

Guides

Email header analyzer: check if an email is genuine

Oct 19, 2026

•

6 min read

Email header analyzer: check if an email is genuine

Read the Received path and SPF, DKIM and DMARC results to test where a suspect email really came from

Derek Bowler

Guides

QR code reader: how to check where a QR code leads

Oct 19, 2026

•

6 min read

QR code reader: how to check where a QR code leads

Decode a QR code from a photo, read the link as text and trace where it goes before anyone scans it

Derek Bowler

Guides

Translate image text: read signs, documents and screenshots

Oct 19, 2026

•

6 min read

Translate image text: read signs, documents and screenshots

Extract the text from a photo, confirm the language yourself and check the translation in a second engine

Derek Bowler

Guides

VIN check: decode and verify a vehicle from its VIN

Oct 19, 2026

•

7 min read

VIN check: decode and verify a vehicle from its VIN

Read a VIN from a photo or document, test its check digit, decode it with NHTSA and check free US records

Derek Bowler

Geospatial & Satellite

Weather history: check past weather to verify a photo

Oct 19, 2026

•

7 min read

Weather history: check past weather to verify a photo

Find the nearest station, read its hourly METAR record and test a claimed date against satellite imagery

Derek Bowler

Financial Intelligence

Sanctions list search: how to check who is sanctioned

Oct 18, 2026

•

4 min read

Sanctions list search: how to check who is sanctioned

Run one name across the OFAC, UK, EU and UN lists, match identifiers and record a result that holds up

Derek Bowler

SOCMINT

Meta Ad Library: how to investigate who is behind an ad

Oct 17, 2026

•

6 min read

Meta Ad Library: how to investigate who is behind an ad

Search the library, read Page transparency and pivot on disclaimers to trace who runs an ad and where

Derek Bowler

Guides

License plate lookup: identify a vehicle from its plate

Oct 12, 2026

•

6 min read

License plate lookup: identify a vehicle from its plate

Check a number plate against DVLA and MOT records, decode the VIN and test whether the vehicle really matches

Derek Bowler

Geospatial & Satellite

Google Street View history: how to see and date past images

Oct 11, 2026

•

5 min read

Google Street View history: how to see and date past images

Open earlier Street View captures, bracket when a place changed and narrow the window with free imagery

Derek Bowler

Guides

Scam website checker: how to check if a site is legitimate

Oct 10, 2026

•

6 min read

Scam website checker: how to check if a site is legitimate

Test a suspect site with scanners, domain age, archive history and company records before you trust it

Derek Bowler

Guides

Data breach check: how to verify a reported breach claim

Oct 5, 2026

•

5 min read

Data breach check: how to verify a reported breach claim

Test a breach claim against company statements, SEC filings, breach registers and Ransomware.live first

Derek Bowler

OPSEC

Metadata remover: how to strip metadata from your files

Oct 5, 2026

•

6 min read

Metadata remover: how to strip metadata from your files

Clear hidden names, locations and device details from photos, documents and video before you share them

Derek Bowler

SOCMINT

Video downloader for OSINT: save online video as evidence

Oct 4, 2026

•

5 min read

Video downloader for OSINT: save online video as evidence

Use yt-dlp, FFmpeg and SHA-256 hashing to save a full-quality copy of an online video with its metadata

Derek Bowler

Guides

Companies House search: check a UK company and its directors

Oct 3, 2026

•

6 min read

Companies House search: check a UK company and its directors

Read filings, trace directors and PSCs, and check identity verification on the free UK company register

Derek Bowler

AI-Assisted Investigation

Deepfake detector: how to check if a video is a deepfake

Oct 2, 2026

•

6 min read

Deepfake detector: how to check if a video is a deepfake

Provenance checks, keyframe searches and detector scores, combined into one defensible verdict on a video

Derek Bowler