How to Opt Out of Spokeo: Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

Spokeo is one of the best-known people-search websites, and one of the first places your name, age, address history, phone numbers and relatives may appear. If you searched for yourself and found a detailed profile, the good news is that Spokeo offers an opt-out process that takes about five minutes. This guide walks through it carefully, explains the mistakes that make people think the opt-out failed, and shows what to do after you are removed, so your listing stays gone.

1. What Spokeo is and why people opt out

Spokeo is a people-search engine. It collects information from public records, social media, marketing data and other commercial sources, then organizes it into profiles that visitors can search by name, phone, email or address. Sample information that may appear on a profile includes:

Current and past home addresses
Phone numbers and email addresses
Age or birth year
Names of relatives and associates
Estimated home value or household information
Social media usernames

The reasons to remove a listing are practical. A stranger, an ex-partner, a scammer or a harasser can find where you live using a few keystrokes. Our overview of how online information makes stalking easy and what’s the big deal if someone has your address explain the risks in more detail.

A note on legality

Spokeo operates lawfully because it uses information that is public or commercially available. In 2012 the FTC reached a settlement with Spokeo over marketing its profiles for employment screening without complying with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The result is that today Spokeo states that it is not a consumer reporting agency and that its data cannot be used for credit, employment, insurance or tenant screening (FTC). The site is legal, but legality does not mean your family wants a profile online.

2. Before you start: what you need

The web address (URL) of every Spokeo listing that shows your information
An email address you can access. Use a dedicated or alias email to keep opt-out confirmations separate; see how to set up an alias email address
About 10 minutes, and a spreadsheet or note to track what you submitted

3. How to opt out of Spokeo, step by step

Step 1: Search for your listing

Go to Spokeo’s website and search your name, then add your city or state to narrow the results. Open the result that matches you. Check the details: age, relatives and previous addresses should line up. If the profile is not yours, do not submit it.

Step 2: Copy the listing URL

With the profile open, copy the address from your browser’s address bar. It will be a long link beginning with Spokeo’s domain and containing your name. You will need this exact URL.

Step 3: Open the official opt-out page

Go to Spokeo’s official opt-out page. Paste the URL into the field, enter your email address and complete any verification the page asks for.

Step 4: Confirm through the email link

Spokeo sends a confirmation message. Open it and click the link inside. Without that click the request is not complete, which is the number one reason people believe the opt-out failed.

Step 5: Repeat for every listing

Many people have several listings: one per name variation, one per old address or one for a spouse. Repeat the process for each separate URL.

Step 6: Verify after a few days

Wait three to five days, then search again. If the profile no longer appears, you are done. If it still shows, check your spam folder for the confirmation or resubmit.

Expert tip: Take a screenshot of the confirmation page and save the confirmation email. If the listing returns, the record shows when you submitted the request.

Curious what’s already out there? Wiperts’ 100% Free Diagnosis shows which data brokers are listing your name, home address and phone number. Check your exposure free — it takes about a minute.

4. Why a Spokeo opt-out sometimes seems not to work

The five most common causes are simple to fix.

You did not click the email link. The request stays pending until you confirm.
There is a second listing. Spokeo may hold separate profiles for “Jon” and “Jonathan” or for old addresses.
The search result is cached. Google can show an old Spokeo snippet for weeks. Use a removal request for outdated content; see how to remove your personal information from Google.
The email was already used. Some forms reject an address that was used for a previous request. Try another address.
The profile was recreated. New data can build a fresh listing. See why information keeps getting re-added.

If you need more depth, our companion guide covers multiple listings and family members on Spokeo.

5. What a Spokeo opt-out does not do

Spokeo is one site in a much larger network. Removing the listing does not:

Remove your data from other people-search sites that purchase or license similar information
Delete your information from marketing databases that feed those sites
Erase public records such as property deeds or court filings
Prevent Google from showing cached copies for a while

What you did	What it removes	What remains
Spokeo opt-out	The Spokeo listing	Other brokers’ listings
Google removal request	A search result	The source page, if it still exists
Social media privacy settings	Visibility on that platform	Broker copies
Credit freeze	Ability to open new credit	Public listings

6. Opt-out, account deletion and subscription cancellation are different things

People often confuse three different Spokeo tasks, and doing the wrong one wastes time.

Goal	What to do	Result
Remove your public listing	Submit the opt-out form with the listing URL	Profile removed from search
Close a Spokeo membership you bought	Cancel through the account or billing method you used	Charges stop; listing may remain
Stop marketing email from Spokeo	Use the unsubscribe link in the message	Fewer emails; listing may remain

Cancelling a paid membership does not remove your listing, and removing your listing does not cancel a subscription. If you were charged unexpectedly, review your bank or app store statement and cancel through the same channel that billed you.

7. Special cases: when removal matters most

Some people have stronger reasons to be thorough, and a few extra steps help.

Survivors of abuse or stalking. A listing that shows your home address can undo a safety plan. Submit the opt-out for every listing, including those that show only a previous address, and ask a trusted person to double-check from a different device. Read how to prevent stalkers by removing personal information.
Public servants and professionals. Teachers, healthcare workers, real estate agents and law enforcement officers are frequent targets. Remove listings that show the home address and keep the business contact separate.
Parents. Profiles can show the names of children as relatives. Request removal of the parent’s listing, and check whether a child has an entry.
People who share a name. If a listing is not yours, do not opt it out; you cannot remove another person’s profile, and submitting the wrong one only confuses the process.
People who recently moved. Wait a few weeks, then search for your new address and submit it, because it will usually be added to a new profile.

How long will you stay removed?

There is no promise of permanence. Spokeo and other people-search sites refresh their data from public and commercial sources, so a new record can generate a new profile. A reasonable pattern is to search again after one week, one month and three months, then twice a year. Each time you find a new listing, repeat the opt-out. This is the work that monitoring services take over.

8. Other sites to tackle next

Spokeo is often paired with many similar sites. Move on to Whitepages (see how to remove your information from Whitepages), MyLife and the rest of the most popular people-search sites. For a view of the whole landscape, browse the data broker directory. If you want a prioritized workflow, our 7-day removal plan shows the sequence.

9. Safety tips while you opt out

Use the official domain. Search results sometimes show lookalike sites that ask for money or data.
Do not upload an ID unless you have verified the site’s instructions.
Avoid paying for “premium removal” on any people-search site.
Keep a record of dates, URLs and confirmation emails.
If your address is already being misused, report it through the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov and read how to report identity theft.

10. Where Wiperts fits in

An opt-out for one site is simple. The challenge is that a typical person appears on dozens of them, and listings return when brokers refresh their data. Wiperts handles that work: it scans more than 100 data brokers and people-search sites for your name, address and phone number, submits removal requests, and keeps checking around the clock so a removed profile does not quietly reappear.

You can see where you stand without paying. Run the free diagnosis, review your exposure, and decide whether you want to handle the rest yourself or hand it off.

100% Free Diagnosis: Check Your Exposure

Find out what data brokers have on you. Enter your details in the free scanner on the Wiperts homepage:

First Name
Last Name
Select State
Email Address
Website

Scan Databases Now — no payment is needed to see your exposure report.

11. A quick checklist

Search your name on Spokeo and copy each listing URL.
Submit the official opt-out form for each listing.
Click the confirmation link in each email.
Re-check in three to five days.
Re-check again at 30 and 90 days.
Move on to other people-search sites.

12. Key takeaways

Spokeo’s opt-out is free and takes about five minutes per listing.
You must confirm by email for the request to count.
Repeat for every listing, including name variations.
The opt-out affects Spokeo only; other brokers need their own requests.
Monitor for relistings, or let a service do it.

Pick the Wiperts plan that fits your household

Plan	Covers	One-time deep scrub	Then
Individual	1 person	$89	$14/month
Couples (most popular)	2 people	$149	$24/month
Family	Up to 4 people	$199	$39/month

Every plan includes removal of your name, date of birth, salary, home address and phone number from 100+ data brokers and people-search sites, Google and Bing search-result removal, home blurring on maps, and 24/7 monitoring that re-removes your data if it reappears. See plans and start your removal

13. Frequently Asked Questions

How do I opt out of Spokeo?

Find your listing on Spokeo, copy its web address, open Spokeo’s official opt-out page, paste the URL, enter an email address and submit. Spokeo then emails a confirmation link; click it to finish. Repeat for any other listing that shows your information.

How long does it take Spokeo to remove my listing?

The listing is generally taken down within a few days of confirming the email. Search engines may continue to show the old page for longer until they refresh their cached copy.

Do I need to pay to opt out of Spokeo?

No. Opting out of Spokeo is free. Be wary of any page that asks for payment or a subscription before it will process an opt-out request.

Why is my information still on Spokeo after I opted out?

Common causes include a second listing under a name variation, an unconfirmed email, a cached search result or a profile that was re-created from new data. Search again, copy any remaining URLs and submit them.

Does opting out of Spokeo remove me from other sites?

No. Spokeo’s opt-out affects only Spokeo. Other people-search sites need their own requests, and many sell or license similar data.

Is Spokeo legal?

Yes. People-search sites compile information from public and commercial sources, which is generally lawful in the United States. However, Spokeo is not a consumer reporting agency, and its data cannot lawfully be used to decide on credit, employment or housing, a rule the FTC enforced in a 2012 case.

Sources

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