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People Search API Comparison
Not every use case needs the same depth of data. Searchbug’s three People Search API tiers let you match the tool to the task — and keep costs aligned with what your workflow actually requires.
Searchbug offers three People Search API tiers — api_nape, api_contact, and api_ppl — each returning verified U.S. contact data in real time via REST with JSON or XML output. api_nape is the lowest-cost option (~60% match rate) for high-volume name, address, phone, and email append. api_contact (~80% match rate) adds county and date-of-birth search filters and returns age/DOB, making it the most popular choice for CRM enrichment, lead verification, and telemarketing list cleaning. api_ppl (~87% match rate) is the premium skip trace and identity tier, returning aliases, prior addresses, phone line type, carrier, relatives, public-record indicators, and a background report token — with FCRA, DPPA, and GLBA regulated data available to approved accounts via the Restricted Access Add-On. All three APIs use pay-per-hit pricing with no charge on empty lookups, and volume-based rates apply across all tiers
Why Businesses Use People Search APIs
Whether you’re enriching a CRM, recovering a debt, or finding a property owner, a People Search API puts verified U.S. contact data directly into your workflow — in real time, at scale.
Sales and marketing teams integrate People Search APIs to fill gaps in CRM records — updating phone numbers, email addresses, and mailing addresses for leads and customers automatically, without manual research.
Real estate investors and agents use skip tracing APIs to find homeowners, absentee owners, and off-market sellers. With a name and address from a tax record, you can return current phone numbers and emails in seconds.
Contact centers and direct marketing teams use People Search APIs to append and verify phone numbers and emails on prospect lists — reducing bounce rates, DNC conflicts, and wasted outreach spend.
Financial services, insurance companies, and fintechs use People Search APIs to verify that applicants are who they claim to be — cross-referencing names, addresses, dates of birth, and phone numbers at onboarding.
Collection attorneys, recovery agencies, and creditors use skip tracing APIs to locate debtors whose contact information has gone stale — recovering current addresses, new phone numbers, and relative contacts.
Law firms, investigators, insurance carriers, and process servers use premium People Search APIs to build fuller identity profiles — aliases, previous addresses, relatives, and restricted-access data for qualified users.
Side-by-Side Comparison
All three APIs search verified U.S. contact data in real time. The differences come down to match rate depth, available search filters, data fields returned, and access tier.
| Feature | Entry Tier api_nape Lowest cost contact lookup | ★ Most Popular api_contact Stronger matching & filters | Premium Tier api_ppl Deepest identity data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Match Rate & Search Logic | |||
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Overall match rate
Percentage of lookups returning a result
|
~60% | ~80% | ~87% |
|
Match confidence level
|
Basic | Stronger | Strongest |
|
Handles common names well
Smith, Johnson, Williams, etc.
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Works with partial/incomplete input
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| Search Inputs Accepted | |||
Name + address lookup |
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Reverse phone lookup |
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Reverse email lookup |
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Business name search |
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County filter |
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Age / date of birth filter |
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| Contact Data Returned | |||
Current name & address |
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Phone number(s) |
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Email address(es) |
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Age / date of birth |
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Phone line type & carrier |
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Aliases / alternate names |
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Prior / historical addresses |
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Associated relatives |
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Date of death (when applicable) |
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Public-record indicators |
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Background report token (link) |
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| Restricted Access Add-On (Approved Accounts Only) | |||
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FCRA, DPPA & GLBA regulated data
SSN, driver's license, financial identifiers — for qualified permissible-use purposes
|
Approved accounts only | ||
| Pricing & Format | |||
Starting price (per hit) |
from $0.15 | from $0.50 | from $0.79 |
Annual plan low (per hit) |
$0.0425 | $0.20 | $0.33 |
Pay-per-hit (no charge on miss) |
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Response format |
JSON / XML | JSON / XML | JSON / XML |
| Best For | |||
Primary use case |
High-volume enrichment, list append | CRM enrichment, lead verification | Skip trace, identity, compliance |
Not sure which tier to start with?
Test all three APIs with your own data — no subscription required.API Deep Dive
Each tier is the right tool for a specific job. Here is what they do well — and where the next tier up starts to make sense.
Limitation to note: api_nape lacks county and date-of-birth filters, meaning it is less effective on common names or partial input records. For cleaner, higher-confidence matching on real-world CRM data, api_contact is the better choice.
View DocumentationWhy teams upgrade from api_nape: County and DOB filters dramatically reduce false positives on common names. The 80% match rate means meaningfully fewer records returned empty — important when every missed lead has a cost.
View Documentation*Restricted access data (SSN, driver's license, financial identifiers) is available only to accounts approved for the Restricted Access Add-On following business verification and site survey.
View DocumentationCost Optimization Strategy
Many Searchbug customers run a tiered lookup strategy — starting with the lowest-cost API and escalating only when a record needs more depth. This keeps average cost per successful result low while maintaining access to richer data when it matters.
For every record in your list, start with api_nape. At the lowest cost per hit, this covers the majority of clean, straightforward records with a usable result at minimal spend.
For records where api_nape returned nothing — or where you have a common name that needs a DOB or county filter to disambiguate — run api_contact. The stronger matching logic resolves a significant portion of the remaining gaps.
Reserve api_ppl for skip tracing, identity verification, or compliance workflows where a shallow result creates real risk — or where relatives, aliases, and historical address data make the difference between a resolved record and a dead end.
Compliance & Restricted Access
api_ppl is the only Searchbug People Search API that supports the Restricted Access Add-On. Approved accounts gain access to regulated data fields in the JSON or XML response — including identifiers governed by FCRA, DPPA, and GLBA — for permissible-use purposes.
This is designed for law firms, licensed investigators, collection agencies, financial institutions, insurance carriers, and other businesses with documented legal authority to access regulated personal data. Approval requires business verification and a site survey.
Not sure if your use qualifies? Contact our compliance team before integrating.
Governs use of consumer reports. Restricted access data from api_ppl may include identifiers covered by the FCRA for approved permissible purposes such as debt collection, insurance underwriting, and employment screening.
Regulates access to information assembled by Departments of Motor Vehicles, including driver's license numbers, vehicle registration, and associated personal identifiers. Available to accounts with documented permissible use.
Covers personal financial information held by financial institutions. Access to GLBA-regulated data through api_ppl is limited to accounts with qualifying business purpose — fraud prevention, compliance, or authorized financial services workflows.
Most api_ppl users do not need the Restricted Access Add-On. The standard tier covers skip tracing, contact enrichment, identity verification, and investigative research without accessing FCRA, DPPA, or GLBA regulated fields.
Pricing
All three Searchbug People Search APIs use pay-per-hit pricing. If a lookup returns no result, you are not charged for that query — which means you can test against real data before committing to a workflow.
Higher tiers cost more per successful hit because they access a wider range of data sources, apply stronger matching logic, and return more data fields. Volume-based pricing applies across all tiers — the more queries you run per month, the lower your per-hit rate.
You are charged only when a result is returned. Empty lookups are free.
Monthly query volume unlocks lower per-hit rates. High-volume accounts see the biggest savings.
Test any API tier against your own data with no subscription or credit card required.
No lock-in. Start with api_nape and upgrade to api_contact or api_ppl whenever the workflow calls for it.
Integration
All three People Search APIs use standard REST calls and return clean JSON or XML. There is no proprietary SDK to install — if your system can make an HTTP request, it can connect to Searchbug.
Connect directly to Salesforce, HubSpot, custom CRMs, case management systems, mobile apps, or internal data pipelines. Searchbug APIs are used by staffing agencies, HR departments, collection firms, law offices, real estate platforms, financial services firms, insurance carriers, and e-commerce operations.
// api_ppl — identity + skip trace lookup { "api": "api_ppl", "firstname": "Jane", "lastname": "Smith", "state": "CA", "dob": "1985-06-14" } // Response includes current + prior addresses, // aliases, phone line type, carrier, relatives, // public-record indicators, and background token. // Restricted fields returned for approved accounts.
FAQ
All three search U.S. people data in real time. api_nape is the lowest-cost option for basic contact append. api_contact adds stronger matching and search filters for messier records. api_ppl returns the deepest identity data — aliases, relatives, prior addresses, phone line types, and more — for skip tracing and identity workflows.
No. All three APIs use pay-per-hit pricing. If a search returns empty, you are not charged for that query. This makes it safe to test against real data before scaling up.
Start with api_nape for clean, complete records. Use api_contact for records with common names, missing fields, or where accuracy is more important than lowest cost. api_contact’s county and date-of-birth filters significantly reduce false positives in production CRM workflows.
For most real estate use cases — property owner lookups, absentee owner contact append, and homeowner outreach — api_contact delivers a strong balance of match rate and cost. For deeper investigative work or hard-to-locate individuals, api_ppl gives you historical addresses, relatives, and more data points to work from.
Yes, and many customers do. A common strategy is to run api_nape first for cost-efficient bulk matching, then escalate records that came back empty to api_contact or api_ppl. This keeps your average cost per successful result low while still accessing stronger data when it matters.
Approved accounts can unlock FCRA, DPPA, and GLBA regulated data fields — including SSNs and driver’s license numbers — for qualified permissible-use purposes. This requires business verification and a site survey. Contact Searchbug to apply.
Standard use of Searchbug People Search APIs is not subject to FCRA because the data is not a consumer report as defined under the Act. These APIs must not be used for employment screening, credit decisions, tenant evaluation, or insurance eligibility without the Restricted Access Add-On and appropriate permissible use certification.
You can start testing any API tier with your own data immediately — no subscription required. Sandbox access is available with a free account. Most teams have their first test query running within a few minutes of signup.
Related Resources
Full technical reference for all three People Search API tiers — parameters, response fields, and code examples.
Estimate your per-hit cost across all three tiers based on monthly query volume. Volume-based rates apply.
How skip tracing APIs work, who uses them, and how to choose the right data depth for debt recovery, legal, and real estate.
How People Search APIs improve data quality for CRM, marketing, identity verification, and patient verification workflows.
Test any tier free with your own data. No subscription, no contracts. Our team is available to help you choose the right fit.
Searchbug People Search APIs are intended for lawful, permitted business use only. These APIs are not consumer reports as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and may not be used for employment screening, credit decisions, tenant evaluation, insurance eligibility, or any other purpose regulated under the FCRA without the Restricted Access Add-On and appropriate permissible-use certification. Access to FCRA, DPPA, and GLBA regulated data fields is restricted to approved accounts following business verification. Customers are solely responsible for ensuring their use of data complies with all applicable federal and state laws. Searchbug does not sell phone numbers directly. First-party data is required as a starting point for enrichment lookups.
