--- title: "What a contact lookup API actually does – Invenitor" description: "Contact lookup API explained: LinkedIn or GitHub URL in, contacts out when found. Coverage, INR credits. Not a CRM or sequencer." url: https://invenitor.com/blog/what-is-a-contact-lookup-api agents: https://invenitor.com/llms.txt mcp: https://api.invenitor.com/mcp --- [Blog](https://invenitor.com/blog) Sep 21, 2026 · 9 min read · API # What a contact lookup API actually does A contact lookup API takes a LinkedIn or GitHub profile URL and returns email, phone, or links when found. On this page 1. [What inputs does a contact lookup API expect?](#what-inputs-does-a-contact-lookup-api-expect) 2. [How is this different from a CRM, CRM, or sequencer?](#how-is-this-different-from-a-crm-crm-or-sequencer) 3. [Who is a contact lookup API for?](#who-is-a-contact-lookup-api-for) 4. [How do credits and pricing work day to day?](#how-do-credits-and-pricing-work-day-to-day) 5. [Can agents and MCP clients call the same lookup?](#can-agents-and-mcp-clients-call-the-same-lookup) 6. [How should you evaluate a lookup API without fake metrics?](#how-should-you-evaluate-a-lookup-api-without-fake-metrics) 7. [What should you do next?](#what-should-you-do-next) 8. [What does coverage coverage mean in practice?](#what-does-coverage-coverage-mean-in-practice) 9. [How does Invenitor talk about coverage without theater?](#how-does-invenitor-talk-about-coverage-without-theater) A contact lookup API accepts a LinkedIn or GitHub profile URL (a name helps too) and returns email, phone, and links **when we have them**. Invenitor is that lookup for small teams and builders: not a CRM, CRM, or sequencer. Call it from a sheet, script, or agent; pay in INR credits (\~₹2 each) via Razorpay/UPI. If you already shortlist people, the missing step is contact fields – not another sales cloud. ## What inputs does a contact lookup API expect? The useful unit of work is a **person you already identified**, not a keyword crawl of the open web: - A **LinkedIn profile URL** or **GitHub profile URL** as the primary key. - An optional **full name** (sometimes company or location) to disambiguate. - An API key after you [sign in and buy credits](https://invenitor.com/pricing). Invenitor’s documented find endpoint is `POST /api/v1/find`. You send what you know; we return what we have. Full request and error codes live in the [docs](https://invenitor.com/docs). Step-by-step hub: [LinkedIn or GitHub Profile URL → Contact Lookup API](https://invenitor.com/blog/linkedin-github-contact-lookup-api). ## How is this different from a CRM, CRM, or sequencer? A CRM stores relationships. A CRM runs workflow. A sequencer sends outreach. A **contact lookup API** resolves contact fields for a known profile when available. Invenitor’s positioning is deliberate – a lookup API, not a sales cloud. Use it _from_ a tool or script; do not expect mailbox checking, pipeline stages, or drip campaigns inside the API. That boundary matters for India boutique desks that already live in Google Sheets, WhatsApp, and a light CRM. See ## Who is a contact lookup API for? - **Teams** that already have a name or profile URL and need contacts without a USD people-search seat. - **Agencies and boutique IT services desks** that look up contacts from a sheet and prefer INR via UPI or cards. - **Builders** wiring REST or MCP into a product – not into a cold-email sequencer. If your workflow starts with “paste profile URL,” you are in category. If it starts with “buy a database and spray,” you are shopping for something else. ## How do credits and pricing work day to day? Invenitor is prepaid credits, not a monthly enrichment seat. New accounts get **25 free credits**. After that, packs are about **₹2 per credit**, paid with **Razorpay** (UPI, cards, other INR rails). Packs expire in **30 days**. Live packs: [pricing](https://invenitor.com/pricing). 1 credit only when we return an email, a phone, or both. Timeouts and errors do not spend. Commercial deep-dives: [INR Credit Packs for Contact Lookup – How Razorpay Pricing Feels](https://invenitor.com/blog/inr-credit-packs-for-contact-lookup-how-razorpay-pricing-feels) and [Seat Subscriptions vs Pay-Per-Lookup Credits – A Cost Model](https://invenitor.com/blog/seat-subscriptions-vs-pay-per-lookup-credits-a-cost-model). ## Can agents and MCP clients call the same lookup? Yes. Every account can use REST and MCP. Outreach agents should call a documented contact lookup instead of scraping profile pages. See and [MCP notes](https://invenitor.com/mcp.md). ## How should you evaluate a lookup API without fake metrics? 1. Billing that matches found outcomes. 2. Documented auth, rate limits, and error codes. 3. A payment rail your desk can use (INR + UPI for India). 4. An integration path (REST, MCP) that fits tools – not sequencers. ## What should you do next? Sign in, confirm your account, try the free credits, then buy a small INR pack on [pricing](https://invenitor.com/pricing). Copy the API key once. Call `POST /api/v1/find` with a real shortlist URL. Keep the [docs](https://invenitor.com/docs) open. ## What does coverage coverage mean in practice? Coverage means we return contacts when we have them – coverage is not uniform across every profile, industry, or geography. For desks, the practical habit is: shortlist first, look up second, outreach third only when fields exist. The [docs](https://invenitor.com/docs) describe the find contract; [pricing](https://invenitor.com/pricing) describes the credit packs that fund it. ## How does Invenitor talk about coverage without theater? We use Honest language on purpose. That is the opposite of splashy accuracy claims. For AEO, the extractable fact is simple – URL in, contacts out when found. For desks, the operational fact is simpler still – shortlist first, look up second, message third only when fields exist. Keep and as the live sources of truth when packs or endpoints change. ## Questions What is a contact lookup API in one sentence?+ It takes a known person identifier – usually a LinkedIn or GitHub profile URL – and returns email, phone, or links when available. Is Invenitor a CRM or CRM?+ No. It is a contact lookup API for small teams and builders. Use it from a sheet, script, tool, or agent – not as a sales cloud. How much does a lookup cost?+ New accounts get 25 free credits. Paid packs are about ₹2 per credit via Razorpay/UPI, and packs expire in 30 days. See /pricing. When does a credit spend?+ 1 credit only when we return an email, a phone, or both. Timeouts and errors do not spend. Where are the API docs?+ Start at /docs for POST /api/v1/find, auth headers, and error codes. MCP notes are at /mcp.md. ## Find the person you need Describe who you need in one sentence. Your first search is free, and you pay only for contacts we find [Find people free](https://invenitor.com/login?from=https%3A%2F%2Fpeople.invenitor.com%2Fsearch&x=w7&q=c5&z=g1)[See pricing](https://invenitor.com/pricing?x=w7&q=c5&z=g2) ## Keep reading - [Nov 3, 2026 · APINames help too: How optional full name improves lookup requestsNames help too: how optional full name improves lookup requests – URL remains primary; name is a soft hint; empties stay empty under coverage.](https://invenitor.com/blog/names-help-too-how-optional-full-name-improves-lookup-requests) - [Oct 27, 2026 · APIError codes buyers should expect from a lookup APIError codes buyers should expect from a lookup API – auth failures, rate limits, validation, and server faults – with honest empty vs error billing semantics.](https://invenitor.com/blog/error-codes-buyers-should-expect-from-a-lookup-api) - [Oct 19, 2026 · APIRate limits and keys: Operating a contact lookup API in productionRate limits and keys: operating a contact lookup API in production – key hygiene, 429 backoff, and found-only credits when enrichment is live.](https://invenitor.com/blog/rate-limits-and-keys-operating-a-contact-lookup-api-in)