Background Information: What to Know

Brandon Way - February 15, 2025

man holding laptop with internet graphics

Background information can be valuable, and learning someone’s background information can tell you a lot about a person. You can even research background information on a company or entity, learning everything there is to know about the history of a company and other relevant details, such as their contact details. If you are curious about how to find background information, you’re in the right place. Our article will tell you everything you need to know about finding background information online.

Table of Contents

What Is Background Information?

Background information is any kind of information that gives you context or details about someone’s history. Background information can apply to a company or a person, or it can apply to a historical event and be considered research. When you are searching for background information on a person, you may be looking for any of the following details:

The person’s name, or alternate names a person uses
A person’s contact details, including their email address, phone, and home address
Criminal and civil records
Online accounts or social media accounts

If the person you are looking for background information on has passed, you may also be interested in finding obituaries, gravesite locations, and other historical details.

When you are researching a company, you may be looking for formation dates, policies and values, and other relevant background information details.

Can Anyone Look Up Background Information?

Anyone can look up background information about virtually anything, as the majority of background information is found on the public record. Public record items are viewable by anyone in any state, and as long as someone does not have parts of their record hidden, which can occur due to certain court orders or privacy laws, you will be able to view all of the details about someone.

Is Background Information Different From a Background Check?

While both a background check and background information might show you the same thing, there is an important difference between simply researching background information and running a formal background check on someone.

With a background check, you will need to obtain someone’s consent according to state and federal laws, and you may need to provide them with an official copy of their background check report. Typically, only employers, official organizations, and educational facilities will request background checks from applicants regularly.

However, if you plan to hire someone for household help or a similar service and you want to run a background check on them, you will need to obtain official consent. Background information would simply be researching the person providing the service and finding their contact details, reviews, or other public record information; you cannot use background information to make a hiring decision about anybody without informing them that you are accessing their background details.

What Do I Need to Search Background Information?

In order to properly search for background information, you will need at least someone’s name and the general location or area where they live. These two things will help you get started with your search and direct you to other information that you can use to narrow down your search results.

If you can’t find someone’s full and accurate name, your background information search results might not be as relevant or effective.

Where Can I Find Reliable Background Information?

There are plenty of different places to find reliable background information about a person, or even about a company. We recommend using the following sources to gather all of the background information that you might need.

People Search Tools

People search tools are one of the best ways to find reliable background information about someone, as these search tools typically use items that are on the public record. When you search for someone’s name and general location in one of these tools, the tool will quickly scan public records and compile a report that gives you all of the applicable information you might need to know about someone.

With a tool like this, you can learn about relevant background information such as someone’s name, address history, online or social media accounts, and contact details.

County Records

County records can give you plenty of background information about someone, and you may be able to look through property records, criminal records, and civil records online or in person, depending on your county’s laws. You will need to access the county records office in the same jurisdiction that the person you are searching for lives in, and you may need to pay a small fee to access this information.

Typically, you can simply use a person’s name to search these records and find the background information you want to know.

Historical Records

If the background information you are looking for is more historical in nature, or if you are trying to research something and need context on the overall event, historical records are the best way to go. You can find historical records online by using websites like the National Archives or the US Census records, or you can visit the town historical society for historical records applicable to the town or county you are researching.

Library Records

If you are searching for factual background information and details on historical events or your town’s history, among other things, the library is typically the best place to visit. Your library will hold a number of books that contain background information on different things, and you can conduct research without needing to spend lots of time searching through different webpages.

As an alternative to in-person library records, you may be able to find background information about someone or something by using online library records and encyclopedias. Just make sure when looking up information online that you are using a reliable website and not one that can be edited and influenced by outside sources without credentials, as this can result in mixed information and less accuracy.

Social media searches are one of the newest and most effective ways to find background information, but you should always treat this type of search with caution. It is easy to make profiles using a social media website, and people are not always honest about what they post online.

That being said, by searching your chosen social media website and viewing the “about” information of a person’s profile, you may be able to discover information such as their location, known relatives, and contact details. If you choose to search a website like LinkedIn that is targeted to professionals, you may be able to find reliable background information on a company or business.

What Can I Do With the Background Information I Find?

Looking for background information is one thing, and you may be wondering if you can actually do anything with the background information you find instead of just using it to sate your own curiosity. In general, once you discover background information about someone, you can use it just for your own knowledge. You could use the addresses or phone numbers you discover about a person to contact them, but you can’t use these details to harass them or repeatedly make unwanted contact.

Additionally, you can use the background information you find about a person to make sure your neighbors or other people around you are safe, and you can use this information to make an informed decision about where to live or where to let your children play. However, you should remember that you cannot use the background information you learn about someone to act hatefully, maliciously, or with discrimination, as this can have serious legal consequences.

What If I Can’t Find Background Information About a Person?

If you are looking for background information on a person and you are having trouble finding it, you may not be looking in the right places, or the details you may be using to search with are incorrect. Plenty of people use different names in their personal and professional lives, and you may need to research a person further to ensure you have their name and general location correct.

To make sure that you are using the right details when searching for someone, you can take more time looking at the person’s company page or social media accounts in addition to searching for their details using their known email address or phone number. We recommend a people search tool to help you gather these details.

If you still can’t find background information on a person even after reviewing these details, there is a good chance that the person you are looking for does not have an online preference, or they are taking steps to hide their details as much as possible.

Can a Private Investigator Help Me Find Information on a Person?

Private investigators are professionals who are hired to search for information on someone or something, and these individuals are typically hired as a last resort. You should only work with a private investigator if you really need to find information about someone, such as their address, in order to mail them legal documents.

While it can be tempting to hire a professional to help you gather background information, this can be expensive, and we recommend only doing it if the background information you are looking for is essential to your day-to-day life.

Gathering the Background Information You Need to Know

Gathering background information on someone or something can seem difficult at first, especially if you aren’t too sure where to start and what you need to be looking for. However, in today’s world where almost everything is available online, you can quickly figure out where to look for the background information relevant to you. We recommend using one or more of the search methods in our article to guide your search and find all of the background information that you might need to know.