How to Find a Company's Email and Phone Number (Legally)
Most businesses publish their contact details themselves. Check, in this order: the contact page and footer of their website, the legal notice page, their public business listing, their social media pages, and professional directories. Prefer the generic address they publish (contact@, info@) and use details only for messages related to their business.
Start with the company's own website
A business's website is the most reliable source, because the business chose to publish those details to be contacted. Look in several places, since contact details are often scattered.
- The contact page: email, phone, sometimes a form only. If there is only a form, it is a legitimate channel too.
- The footer of every page: many small businesses put the email and phone there.
- The legal notice page: in France, websites of businesses must display the publisher's identity and contact details, which often include an email and phone number, plus the name of the publication director.
- The team or about page: names and roles, sometimes direct email addresses.
- Booking or quote pages: some trades and practices list a dedicated email or number there.
- PDF price lists, brochures or menus linked from the site.
Other public sources
If the website gives nothing, or if the business has no website at all, other public sources usually do.
- Public business listings on maps and review sites: phone number almost always, website link, sometimes an email.
- The company's social pages: the contact or about section often shows an email or phone number.
- Business directories and official registers: legal name, address and directors, rarely an email but useful to identify the decision maker.
- Professional body directories: regulated professions are often listed with their practice contact details.
- Trade fair exhibitor lists and chamber of commerce member lists.
- The storefront itself: a phone number on the window or the van, a card at the counter.
Generic or named address: which one to use
A generic address (contact@, info@, hello@) reaches the business, and the CNIL treats it as the contact details of a legal entity. A named address (marie.dupont@) reaches a person and is personal data under GDPR.
In a small business, the generic address is usually read by the owner anyway, so it is often the right choice for a first message. A named address is appropriate when the business has published it for that kind of contact, for example a sales or purchasing manager listed on the team page.
Avoid guessing addresses by combining a name with the domain. Even when the guess works, you are writing to someone who did not publish that address, which makes your message feel intrusive and makes it harder to explain where you got it.
Check before you write
Contact details go stale. A few quick checks save you bounces and embarrassment.
- Compare the details on the website and on the business listing. If they differ, the website is generally more up to date.
- Check that the business is still open: recent reviews, current opening hours, an active website.
- Make sure the email is on the business's own domain or a plausible address, not an old personal address left in an archive page.
- Note where you found each detail and when, so you can tell the person if they ask.
- Check your “do not contact” list before writing.
What the law allows
Finding a published contact detail is not the problem; how you use it is. In France, the CNIL allows B2B email prospecting without prior consent when the message relates to the person's profession, you identify yourself and explain how you got their details, and you offer a simple way to opt out. Phone calls to professionals follow a similar logic: relevant to their job, clear identification, respect for refusal.
Two things to avoid: harvesting personal details unrelated to the business (a private mobile found on a forum, a personal social account), and using contact details for something other than professional contact. When in doubt, use the channel the business clearly chose to publish.
Where LeadsIt fits
LeadsIt does this lookup for many businesses at once: it finds businesses in public listings, then visits each one's own website and collects the emails, phone numbers and social links it publishes. It does not guess addresses, so a business that publishes nothing will simply show no email.
Frequently asked questions
Is it legal to use an email address found on a company website?
In France, yes for B2B prospecting, provided the message relates to the recipient's professional activity, you identify yourself, you say where you found the address and you offer a simple opt-out. Generic addresses like contact@ are treated by the CNIL as company contact details.
What if the business only has a contact form?
Use the form. It is the channel the business chose, so your message is expected there. Keep it short, mention why you are writing to this specific business, and leave your own email and phone so they can answer through the channel they prefer.
How do I find the owner's name?
Look at the legal notice page of the website, the about or team page, the official company register, and professional directories. In small businesses, the name of the manager or publication director is often listed. Use it to personalise your greeting, even when writing to a generic address.
Should I use email-guessing tools?
It is better to avoid them for local businesses. A guessed address is one the person never published, which makes your message feel intrusive and can be hard to justify. Prefer the generic address or the phone number the business displays publicly.
Sources: www.cnil.fr/fr/la-prospection-commerciale-par-courrier-electronique-sms-mms-et-automate-dappel · cnil.fr/fr/prospection-commerciale-par-telephone-hors-automate-dappel-quelles-sont-les-regles