How to Export Holehe Results to a CSV File: CLI and Python Methods

Use the --csv or -C flag when running Holehe from the command line to automatically generate a timestamped CSV file containing all scan results.

Holehe is an open-source email enumeration tool developed by megadose/holehe that checks for account existence across hundreds of platforms. While it displays colored console output by default, you can export Holehe results to a CSV file for easier analysis, spreadsheet integration, and automated processing pipelines.

Command-Line CSV Export with --csv

The simplest way to export Holehe results to a CSV file is using the built-in command-line flag. When you append --csv (or the short form -C) to your command, Holehe writes a file to your current working directory after completing all module checks.

# Basic scan with CSV export

holehe user@example.com --csv

# Using the short flag

holehe user@example.com -C

According to the source code in holehe/core.py, the export_csv() function generates filenames following the pattern holehe_<timestamp>_<email>_results.csv, where the timestamp represents the current Unix epoch time. This naming convention prevents overwrites when running multiple scans.

How the CSV Exporter Works Under the Hood

The export_csv() Implementation

In holehe/core.py at lines 54-64, the export_csv() function utilizes Python's built-in csv.DictWriter to serialize results. Each row in the output file represents a single checked platform, with columns corresponding to dictionary keys such as domain, exists, emailrecovery, and phoneNumber returned by each module.

CLI Argument Registration

The --csv flag is registered in the argument parser within holehe/core.py at lines 92-94. When present, this boolean flag sets args.csvoutput to True, signaling the application to trigger file export after console output completes.

Execution Flow Trigger

After all platform modules finish executing and the pretty-printed table renders to the terminal, the main execution flow at lines 29-30 conditionally invokes:

export_csv(out, args, email)

The out parameter contains a list of dictionaries gathered from each site's response, making the CSV export a direct serialization of the internal results structure.

Programmatic CSV Export in Python

For automation workflows, you can export Holehe results to a CSV file directly from Python without invoking the CLI wrapper. Import export_csv from holehe.core and invoke it with your results list:

from holehe.core import export_csv

# Assuming 'out' is your list of result dictionaries from maincore()

args = type('Args', (), {'csvoutput': True})()
email = 'user@example.com'

export_csv(out, args, email)

This approach creates the same timestamped CSV file as the command-line interface, allowing you to integrate Holehe scans into larger data processing pipelines.

Summary

• Use the -C or --csv flag to export Holehe results to a CSV file automatically after scanning completes
• The implementation in holehe/core.py uses csv.DictWriter to create timestamped files named holehe_<timestamp>_<email>_results.csv
• Each row represents one checked platform with columns for domain, exists, emailrecovery, and other metadata
• Programmatic access is available via the export_csv() function for custom Python scripts and automation

Frequently Asked Questions

What filename format does Holehe use for CSV exports?

Holehe generates files using the pattern holehe_<timestamp>_<email>_results.csv where the timestamp is the current Unix epoch time. This ensures each scan produces a unique filename in the current working directory.

Can I specify a custom directory or filename for the CSV output?

The current implementation in holehe/core.py does not support custom filenames or paths through CLI arguments. The export_csv() function automatically constructs the filename and saves it to the directory where the command was executed.

What data columns appear in the exported CSV file?

The CSV contains one row per checked platform with columns derived from the result dictionaries, including domain, exists, emailrecovery, phoneNumber, and others depending on what information each module returns about the target email address.

Does the CSV export work when calling Holehe as a Python library?

Yes. When using Holehe programmatically, pass an object with a csvoutput attribute set to True as the args parameter to export_csv(), along with your results list and target email to trigger the file creation in your script's working directory.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
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}