# OSINT tools for each job, and one that keeps watch afterwards

> Free lookups cover search, archives, domains and images. AyeWatch covers the follow-up, alerting you when a public source changes.

URL: https://claudegpt.si/news/osint-tools-for-each-job-ayewatch  
Published: 2026-11-03T15:56:15.606Z  
Author: ClaudeGPT Si Newsroom  
Section: Guides  
Topics: OSINT, Open-source intelligence, Monitoring  
Publisher: ClaudeGPT Si

## Key takeaways

- OSINT tools split by job: search, archives, domain lookups, infrastructure, images and link analysis, and most first-pass lookups are free.
- AyeWatch handles the repeat work, watching public pages, topics and social accounts and alerting with a summary and source links; paid plans start at $9 a month.
- OSINT stays on public sources: follow site terms and the law, and never use these tools to track private individuals.

The right OSINT tools depend on the job: a search engine to find things, an archive for the past, lookup sites for domains, and a monitor for whatever changes next. AyeWatch covers that last step by watching public pages, topics and social accounts and sending a short summary when something new appears, while free tools handle the one-off lookups.

## What OSINT tools are for

OSINT, short for open-source intelligence, is the work of collecting and analyzing information that anyone can access: news, public filings, company websites, public social posts, domain records and archived pages. No single product covers all of it. Most investigators run a small stack with one tool per question, plus something that keeps checking after the first pass is done.

## The stack, job by job

| Job | Tool | Cost (as of November 2026) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Keep watching a subject, page or public account | AyeWatch | Free preview; paid plans from $9 a month |
| Find pages and documents | Google search operators | Free |
| See how a page looked before | Wayback Machine | Free |
| Check a domain's registration | ICANN Lookup | Free |
| Find subdomains through certificates | crt.sh | Free |
| Find exposed devices and services | Shodan | Free account; paid membership and API plans |
| Trace where an image appeared | TinEye | Free for non-commercial use |
| Map links between companies, people and domains | Maltego | Free Basic plan; paid yearly plans |

## Monitoring: AyeWatch

Most OSINT tools answer a question once. The part that eats time is asking it again next week. [AyeWatch](https://ayewatch.ai) is built for that repeat work. You describe a subject in plain English, paste a URL, or pick a public source such as an X profile, a subreddit or a YouTube channel. It checks on a schedule, with an Auto mode that speeds up while a topic is busy and slows down when it goes quiet, and alerts you with a summary and links back to the sources. Following a public X account needs no X login.

[AyeWatch's guide to a one-person OSINT desk](https://ayewatch.ai/blog/osint-ai-monitoring) suggests separate monitors for a target's news and filings, a key person's public statements, a company's new job postings in one department, and patent news. Alerts land in the feed and as push notifications on every plan; paid plans add email, Slack, Discord, webhooks and an API. Its glossary says it watches the surface web, so treat it as a public web monitor, not a dark web tool.

## Search and archives

Google's operators narrow a search fast: quotes for an exact phrase, site: for one domain, a minus sign to drop a word, filetype: for PDFs or spreadsheets, and before: or after: for dates. The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine shows earlier captures of a URL and lets you save a page yourself, which matters when a page might be edited or taken down.

## Domains, infrastructure and images

ICANN Lookup returns the current registration data for a domain name. crt.sh searches Certificate Transparency logs, and the certificate list can reveal subdomains a company never linked from its site. Shodan is a search engine for devices and services connected to the internet; security teams use it to check what their own networks expose. TinEye finds exact and edited copies of an image, which helps trace where a photo first appeared. It does not do facial recognition.

## Analysis and automation

When findings pile up, Maltego's graph view links organizations, domains, accounts and people so you can see the connections. SpiderFoot, a free open source program, automates many lookups against one target in a single scan.

## Stay on public sources

OSINT works only with public information. Respect each site's terms and your local law, keep the focus on organizations, topics and your own exposure, and do not use any of these tools to track private individuals.

## Where to start

Run the free lookups for the first pass, then put the subjects you need to follow into a monitor that alerts you. If you only need a single answer today, a search operator or an archive capture may be all it takes, and a monitor would be overkill.

## Frequently asked questions

### What are the most useful OSINT tools to start with?

Google search operators, the Wayback Machine, ICANN Lookup, crt.sh and TinEye cover most first lookups for free. Add AyeWatch when you need to keep watching a subject after the first pass.

### Can AyeWatch monitor social media for OSINT?

Yes, public sources only. It can follow public X profiles and searches, subreddits, YouTube channels, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok, and it needs no X login to follow a public X account.

### Is OSINT legal?

It depends on what you collect and how you use it. Each site's terms and your local law apply, so stay on public sources, keep the work on organizations, topics and your own exposure, and do not track private people. This is not legal advice.

## Sources

- [AyeWatch](https://ayewatch.ai), AyeWatch
- [AyeWatch pricing](https://ayewatch.ai/pricing), AyeWatch
- [OSINT with AI: run a one-person open-source intelligence desk](https://ayewatch.ai/blog/osint-ai-monitoring), AyeWatch
- [What is OSINT](https://ayewatch.ai/glossary/osint), AyeWatch
- [Refine Google searches](https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/2466433), Google
- [Using the Wayback Machine](https://help.archive.org/help/using-the-wayback-machine/), Internet Archive
- [ICANN Lookup](https://lookup.icann.org), ICANN
- [crt.sh certificate search](https://crt.sh), Sectigo
- [Shodan](https://www.shodan.io), Shodan
- [Is TinEye free to use?](https://help.tineye.com/article/239-is-tineye-free-to-use), TinEye
- [Maltego pricing](https://www.maltego.com/pricing/), Maltego
- [SpiderFoot on GitHub](https://github.com/smicallef/spiderfoot), GitHub