The 118 712 is a telephone directory service that aggregates data from the White Pages and Yellow Pages. It allows you to find the contact details of a professional (artisan, doctor, business, company) based on a name, activity, or geographical location. The service operates via voice call and through a web interface that can be accessed for free from a browser.
Reverse search 118 712: identify an unknown professional number
The competitors of 118 712 often offer the classic search by name or activity. The reverse search deserves special attention because it meets a different need: you have a number in your call history and you want to know which professional it corresponds to.
On the site 118712.fr, the reverse search is performed by directly entering the phone number in the main search field. The system queries the database of unlisted subscribers and returns the name, address, and associated professional category.
This feature is particularly useful when an artisan or medical office has contacted you and you haven’t saved their contact details. Several tips detailed on the 118 712 white pages directory on RapidActu complement this approach to speed up the search.
One point to keep in mind: a mobile number rarely appears in the reverse directory. Operators only publish landlines by default (numbers starting with 01 to 05 or 09). Professionals using only a mobile phone will therefore not be findable through this means.
Filter by city and activity to refine results on 118 712
Typing just the name of a profession (“plumber”, “osteopath”) in the search bar returns thousands of results across the country. Geographic precision transforms the search.
Combine activity and location
The 118 712 engine accepts two fields: “Who/What” and “Where”. Filling in both drastically reduces the number of listings displayed. For example, entering “locksmith” in the first field and “Lyon 3” in the second targets a specific district.
For very common job names, adding the postal code rather than the city name avoids confusion between homonymous municipalities. France has several dozen municipalities sharing the same name, and the postal code removes the ambiguity.
Read the professional listing
Each result displays the postal address, the main phone number, and, if applicable, a fax number. Some listings include a link to the company’s website. Checking the postal address helps confirm that the professional operates within the searched area, which is useful when a company has its headquarters in one city but operates in another.
Directory 118 712 and telemarketing: rules to know before calling a professional
Finding a professional’s number via 118 712 to contact them as a client poses no legal problem. The situation changes radically if you use this number for commercial prospecting.
Decree No. 2026-662 of July 23, 2026, has tightened the conditions for telemarketing. A number found in a directory does not constitute consent to telemarketing. Professionals who prospect consumers must have free, specific, informed, and unambiguous consent, valid for a maximum of twelve months and retained for three years.
The authorized time slots for prospecting are also regulated:
- Calls allowed only from Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays
- Limited slots from 10 AM to 1 PM and from 2 PM to 8 PM
- Maximum of four solicitations per month for the same consumer by the same professional
These restrictions do not concern a private individual calling a professional for a quote or an appointment. They target companies that would extract numbers from the directory to fuel outbound calling campaigns.
Limitations of the 118 712 directory for finding certain professionals
The 118 712 database relies on information provided by telecommunications operators. This mechanism generates several blind spots that you need to be aware of to avoid wasting time.
- Professionals listed as unlisted do not appear, regardless of the type of search used
- Sole proprietors and micro-enterprises using their personal line without a dedicated professional subscription are often absent from the database
- Recently established liberal professions may take several weeks to appear, as it takes time for the operator to transmit the data to the directory publisher
- A professional who has opted out of telemarketing remains visible in the directory, but a specific icon (crossed-out headset) may indicate this opt-out
For highly specialized professions or recent structures, cross-referencing the 118 712 directory with a traditional search engine remains the most reliable method. The directory guarantees contact details verified by the operator, while a general search engine captures professionals present only on the web.
The voice service (calling 118 712) provides access to the same data as the website, with the added possibility of being directly connected to the professional. This voice service is charged, unlike the web consultation which remains free. Checking online first helps avoid unnecessary costs when the search is simple.