At Social Hunter, every time we find and confirm a profile, if a corresponding ID number is available, we include it. Finding and documenting this ID number is almost always overlooked in OSINT investigations, and is very rarely provided by other Social Media Research services such as ours. Not providing the ID numbers to the respective profiles is a disservice to you as a researcher, analyst, or investigator. It's time that you learn what they are and just how important they are in any social media investigation or research effort.

Seasoned OSINTers know that this ID number REALLY matters. ID numbers are static, meaning that they do not change. We've all been there. You are in the middle of performing an investigation or due diligence, and a profile URL stops working. Relying on a URL or handle is setting yourself up for failure. Usernames, handles, and display names can be changed instantly. Want to know what never changes? The profile ID number. This is something that can and should be used to ensure that when something else in the profile changes or the URL you are using stops working, you are still looking at the correct profile. This is also something that is very important to know for evidentiary purposes when submitting your social media investigations to court as evidence.

Let's give some examples for you to try and understand what we mean. Let’s use Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok profiles for ESPN as an example. We're going to show you the URLs that you are used to seeing and using, and then the ID derivatives. Both will lead you to the same place, however the ID derivatives will ALWAYS lead you to the correct profile, even if the username, handle, or vanity name changes. The only way the ID URL will not work is if the entire profile itself was deactivated or deleted.