To opt out of ContactOut, go to contactout.com/optout, enter the email address on your ContactOut record, solve the CAPTCHA, and submit. Click the verification link ContactOut emails you, then repeat the process for every email address you have used professionally. Removal usually completes within 24 hours (ContactOut lists an outer limit of 30 days). Because ContactOut re-scrapes LinkedIn continuously, you need ongoing monitoring to stay off.
What Is ContactOut and Why It Has Your Data
ContactOut is a recruiter and sales tool that markets contact data for over 300 million professionals across 30 million companies. It works as a Chrome extension and SaaS app that overlays personal email addresses, phone numbers, and social profiles on top of LinkedIn — data that would otherwise stay private.
A typical ContactOut record can include:
- Personal Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud, or Outlook addresses
- Direct mobile phone numbers and work extensions
- Full name, current title, and complete work history
- Employer names, industries, and education details
- LinkedIn, GitHub, X/Twitter, and other social profiles
The data comes from a mix of public sources, web scraping, third-party data partnerships, and user-submitted contact lists — collected without your consent, then sold as a recruiter subscription starting at around $99/month.
Why Removing Your ContactOut Listing Matters
- Personal inbox exposure: ContactOut often surfaces personal Gmail addresses next to your work email, inviting cold outreach to a private address.
- Recruitment and sales spam: Recruiters and SDRs use ContactOut for bulk outreach — one exposed profile can drive dozens of unwanted contacts per month.
- Phishing and social engineering: A verified personal email plus your work history is exactly what a targeted spear-phishing attack needs.
- No consent, no notice: ContactOut never notifies you when it adds a record — most people learn about the listing after they are already receiving cold DMs and calls.
Fast Fact
ContactOut claims contact data for 300 million professionals — roughly 3x the size of LinkedIn's US userbase. If you have any professional presence online, assume you are in it.
How to Opt Out of ContactOut: Step-by-Step
Step 1: Locate Your Profile
- Go to contactout.com.
- Search your full name; add your current company to narrow the results.
- If you find your record, copy its full URL — you will paste it into the opt-out form.
- If a public listing is not visible, continue anyway. ContactOut's private database still likely holds your data.
Step 2: Submit the Opt-Out Form
- Go to contactout.com/optout.
- Enter the email address on your ContactOut record (repeat later for any other addresses of yours they may hold).
- Solve the CAPTCHA.
- Submit the form.
Step 3: Verify Your Email
- Open your inbox — the confirmation email usually arrives within 5 minutes.
- Click the verification link inside.
- You will be redirected to a page confirming your request was received.
- Removal typically completes within 24 hours; ContactOut lists an outer limit of 30 days for full propagation.
Step 4: Repeat for Every Email You Own
ContactOut indexes multiple email addresses per person — personal, work, alumni, and old employer emails. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 for every address you have ever used professionally to fully purge your record. Missing even one lets ContactOut keep the record active under a different key.
Use an Alias Email When Contacting Data Brokers
Every submission adds a validated email to the broker's system — sometimes their opt-out address itself becomes an intake channel. Use a masked email alias (from a service like SimpleLogin, Firefox Relay, DuckDuckGo Email Protection, or Apple's Hide My Email) so you do not hand over a fresh personal address in the process.
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Alternative Removal Methods
Direct Email to Privacy Team
If the online form fails or you want a written record, email privacy@contactout.com or support@contactout.com with:
- Your full name and every email address to remove
- A statement invoking your CCPA (California) or GDPR (EU/UK) rights
- A request for written confirmation once deletion completes
CCPA / GDPR Formal Deletion Request
California residents are covered by CCPA/CPRA; EU and UK residents are covered by GDPR. Both give you the legal right to demand deletion. Reference the specific statute in your request and note the required response window: 45 days for CCPA, 30 days for GDPR. Non-compliance carries regulator-level penalties, so companies typically respond.
What Happens After You Opt Out
Once ContactOut processes your request:
- Your profile disappears from the ContactOut search interface.
- The Chrome extension no longer surfaces your email or phone on your LinkedIn profile.
- Your contact record is removed from paid recruiter exports.
The problem: ContactOut re-scrapes LinkedIn and other sources continuously. Update your LinkedIn headline, change jobs, or launch a personal site, and your data can be re-added weeks later. Ongoing monitoring is the only durable fix.
Stop Data Brokers From Re-Listing You
ContactOut is one of dozens of B2B contact databases: Lusha, RocketReach, SignalHire, Kaspr, Apollo.io, ZoomInfo, Cognism, Seamless.ai, and more. Opting out of each one individually — every 3–6 months, for every email you have used — is a full-time hobby.
PrivacyOn automates the whole cycle. We continuously monitor 100+ data brokers and B2B contact databases and submit removals whenever your data reappears. Family plans cover up to 5 people, and pricing starts at $8.33/month. Start with a free PrivacyOn scan to see how many broker sites currently list you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does ContactOut take to remove my profile?
Most opt-outs complete within 24 hours of email verification. ContactOut's official policy allows up to 30 days for full propagation across all internal systems and cached exports. If your record is still visible after a week, resubmit the opt-out form — occasional email verification failures are the most common cause.
Is opting out of ContactOut free?
Yes. ContactOut's opt-out is free by law — CCPA and GDPR both prohibit charging for a data deletion request. You should never pay a third-party service that claims to "unlock" a ContactOut opt-out.
Will my ContactOut profile come back?
Yes, eventually. ContactOut continuously scrapes LinkedIn, GitHub, company websites, and third-party data feeds. Any time your public profile changes — new job, new headline, new email domain — the site can rebuild your record. Plan to re-opt-out every 3–6 months, or use an automated service like PrivacyOn.
Can ContactOut collect my personal email even if it is not on LinkedIn?
Yes. ContactOut buys and licenses data from multiple third-party providers and enrichment vendors, so personal Gmail or iCloud addresses tied to your name can end up in their system even if you never listed them anywhere public. That is why you should submit opt-outs for every email address you have used professionally, not just the one you find in their search.
Does opting out of ContactOut hide me from LinkedIn recruiters?
No. Removal from ContactOut only affects the ContactOut extension and dataset. Your public LinkedIn profile stays visible to LinkedIn Recruiter and other tools. If you want to reduce recruiter visibility on LinkedIn itself, switch your profile to "open to work: recruiters only" or set your public profile visibility to private in LinkedIn's settings.
What is the best way to stay off ContactOut long-term?
Automated ongoing monitoring. Manual opt-outs are one-time removals; ContactOut re-scrapes public profiles constantly. A service like PrivacyOn watches 100+ brokers including B2B contact databases and re-submits opt-outs automatically when your data reappears — from $8.33/month with family plans covering up to 5 people.