Unlock the potential of the LinkedIn API with our comprehensive guide. In the realm of HR, software development, or any professional domain, you’ll discover valuable insights and practical benefits. From grasping the fundamentals of the LinkedIn API to exploring real-world applications and seamless integration, our guide provides comprehensive coverage.
Introduction to LinkedIn API Access.
LinkedIn API, short for Application Programming Interface, serves as the essential bridge between LinkedIn’s wealth of professional data and external software applications. Accessing LinkedIn APIs requires user authorization and API authentication, emphasizing the need for applications to be both authorized and authenticated to retrieve data from LinkedIn. It allows developers to tap into LinkedIn’s extensive network, providing a range of functionalities that are invaluable for businesses, recruiters, and professionals alike.
What is LinkedIn API ?
The LinkedIn API allows your users to streamline networking by inviting users, creating outreach sequences, and managing communications. They can engage with posts, access detailed profiles, and manage inboxes across various LinkedIn tools, enhancing their connections and marketing efforts.
What Are the Different Official LinkedIn APIs?
LinkedIn offers various official APIs for partners, including:
- Profile API: Retrieve user profiles.
- Connections API: Access user connections.
- Share API: Post content on behalf of users.
- Organization API: Manage company data.
- UGC API: Handle rich media content.
- Compliance API: Report policy violations.
LinkedIn’s API provides integration options with controlled access, available only to LinkedIn Partners since public access was removed in 2015.
Who Can Use LinkedIn APIs?
LinkedIn no longer offers public access to its APIs. Instead, businesses must join the LinkedIn Partner Program to gain access. The Marketing Developer Platform is crucial for developers looking to integrate marketing-related functionalities through Advertising APIs.
This program has four tracks:
Marketing Developer Program
Sales Navigator Solutions
Talent Solutions Partnership
LinkedIn Learning Partner Program
To become a partner, you need to create an app on the LinkedIn Developers page and apply for access. Approval is required, and LinkedIn may restrict access to specific APIs, often leading to a lengthy and complex process that may not guarantee full access to all desired features.
What You Can and Can’t Do with LinkedIn APIs: DIY Approach
The LinkedIn API allows you to access data, post content, and manage profiles, but it comes with restrictions. You may face rate limits, need user permissions, and only gain access to certain features if you’re a partner. The approval process can be time-consuming and limit your ability to implement custom solutions without LinkedIn’s approval.
Three Solutions to Access LinkedIn API
There are several ways to access LinkedIn data to perform tasks such as searching for profiles, searching for companies, sending invitations, sending voice notes, or sending InMails. Discover main approaches to accessing LinkedIn’s API:
| LinkedIn Partners | Do It Yourself Approach | Unipile API | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Features | Few like only sync Inmails on Sales navigator | Reverse by yourself | Full features |
| Ease of Setup | - | Requires significant coding effort | No coding, guided setup with dashboard |
| Time to Implement | Weeks to months | Months | Days to weeks |
| Cost | - | Low cost, High dev time | Affordable with fixed pricing |
| Support for Developers | Limited to LinkedIn Partners | Community-driven | Full API docs, personalized assistance |
| Maintenance | - | Effort required for manual updates | Automatic updates included |
| Additional Capabilities | Limited to LinkedIn features | Limited to LinkedIn features | Unified API: 1 integration for LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Telegram, email, etc. |
| Features | |
| LinkedIn Partners | Few like only sync Inmails on Sales navigator |
| Do It Yourself Approach | Reverse by yourself |
| Unipile API | Full features |
| Ease of Setup | |
| LinkedIn Partners | - |
| Do It Yourself Approach | Requires significant coding effort |
| Unipile API | No coding, guided setup with dashboard |
| Time to Implement | |
| LinkedIn Partners | Weeks to months |
| Do It Yourself Approach | Weeks to months |
| Unipile API | Days to weeks |
| Cost | |
| LinkedIn Partners | - |
| Do It Yourself Approach | Low cost, High dev time |
| Unipile API | Affordable with fixed pricing |
| Support for Developers | |
| LinkedIn Partners | Limited to LinkedIn Partners |
| Do It Yourself Approach | Community-driven |
| Unipile API | Full API docs, personalized assistance |
| Maintenance | |
| LinkedIn Partners | - |
| Do It Yourself Approach | Effort required for manual updates |
| Unipile API | Automatic updates included |
| Additional Capabilities | |
| LinkedIn Partners | Limited to LinkedIn features |
| Do It Yourself Approach | Limited to LinkedIn features |
| Unipile API | Unified API: 1 integration for LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Telegram, email, etc. |
1. Unipile API (Quick and Easy)
Overview
The Unipile API simplifies authentication by generating an authorization link for your app. We adopt an innovative approach by employing a headless browser. This browser replicates user interactions and establishes a direct connection with LinkedIn’s API. Although not officially endorsed, our objective is to enhance the messaging experience by syncing data directly into ATS/CRM. We work in a similar way to various outreach tools that have been on the market since long years without issue. I can confirm that none of our users have been banned from Linkedin. We respect all Linkedin users restrictions. So we don’t scrap data in bulk and we don’t try to break the limits that Linkedin has set for its users.
1. Sign Up to Unipile
2. Log to Dashboard
3. Get your DSN
Get your DSN (Data Source Name) which must be used by for your requests.
5. Connect LinkedIn Account
6. Integrate All Features Needed
You can experiment with every feature without writing a single line of code directly in the API Reference section of the documentation. Specify your DSN and your token for the route you wish to use, and then interactively fill in the parameters.
2.Official LinkedIn API (Complex)
Overview for developers
LinkedIn’s API offers powerful integration options but is tightly controlled. Since 2015, public access was removed, and access is now only available to LinkedIn Partners. Approved partners gain access to specific APIs, such as the Profile API, Connections API, and UGC API, among others, which allow for profile enrichment, content sharing, and network connections.
To build an application, developers must create a LinkedIn developer account. The complexity of using LinkedIn’s APIs, which are constructed on the Rest.li framework, requires understanding the provided library that simplifies requests and handles authentication for accessing LinkedIn’s services.
To use LinkedIn’s API, developers must go through LinkedIn’s OAuth process. Two key methods include:
- Sign In with LinkedIn: Requires user permission for profile data.
- Profile API: Reserved for approved partners, providing more extensive access to profile data.
OAuth Process for Access
To integrate with LinkedIn’s APIs, you need to create an application using a LinkedIn developer account. Here’s a streamlined process for getting started:
-
- Create a LinkedIn Developer Account: Go to the LinkedIn Developer website and sign in with your LinkedIn credentials. Navigate to the “My Apps” section and create a new app.
- Set Up Your Application: Fill in the required information, including the app name, description, and OAuth 2.0 Redirect URLs. Make sure to review and accept LinkedIn’s API Terms of Use and Developer Program Agreement.
- Get Your API Keys: Once your app is created, you’ll receive a Client ID and Client Secret, which are essential for making API requests. Keep these keys secure, as they authenticate your app.
- Request API Access: Access to LinkedIn’s more powerful APIs (like those for retrieving detailed profile data) requires approval from LinkedIn. Be prepared for this to take time, as LinkedIn is selective in granting API access.
Get Approved by LinkedIn Team
The process of getting this approval is slow and can be frustrating for businesses, especially startups.
-
- Strict Usage Policies: LinkedIn has strict guidelines for API use, including data privacy and usage restrictions.
- Limited Capabilities: Even after approval, the LinkedIn API has limitations on what data can be retrieved. For instance, you can only retrieve profile data using a profile ID, not a URL slug.
- Complex Integration: Integrating LinkedIn’s API can be complex, requiring thorough understanding and handling of OAuth for authentication.
Obtain Access Tokens
Use your application’s Client ID and Client Secret to request an access token. This token is required for making authenticated API calls.
const getAccessToken = async () => {
const LI_ACCESS_TOKEN_EXCHANGE_URL = 'https://www.linkedin.com/oauth/v2/accessToken';
const response = await axios.post(LI_ACCESS_TOKEN_EXCHANGE_URL, {
params: {
grant_type: 'client_credentials',
client_id: 'your-client-id',
client_secret: 'your-client-secret'
}
});
return response.data.access_token;
};
Fetch Profile Data
Start making API requests to retrieve profile data. LinkedIn API requires a profile ID for data retrieval.
const getProfile = async (accessToken, profileId) => {
const LI_PROFILE_API_ENDPOINT = `https://api.linkedin.com/v2/people/${profileId}`;
const response = await axios.get(LI_PROFILE_API_ENDPOINT, {
headers: {
'Authorization': `Bearer ${accessToken}`
}
});
return response.data;
};
Note
It’s crucial to note that LinkedIn’s official API only allows fetching profile data using a profile ID. This means that if you only have a LinkedIn profile URL or slug, the official API won’t be helpful. In such cases, using an unofficial API, like ScrapIn API, can be a solution, as it enables the retrieval of LinkedIn data using both the profile ID and profile URL.
3. Do It Yourself Approaches to LinkedIn API Integration
If the official LinkedIn API doesn’t meet your needs, particularly when you need to retrieve data using a LinkedIn profile URL or slug, unofficial APIs found on platforms like GitHub can serve as an alternative. These libraries allow you to interact with LinkedIn, including retrieving profile data and more, without the restrictions imposed by the official API. This approach offers greater flexibility for developers seeking additional LinkedIn functionality.
However, these integrations are often long, complex, and unofficial, meaning there is no official support available. Developers should expect numerous iterations and challenges during implementation. Additionally, using LinkedIn as an OAuth provider has its limitations, as it does not supply the key data many applications need, specifically the user’s LinkedIn profile information.
API Reference Features to Integrate Now with Unipile
| Features |
LinkedIn
|
|---|---|
| Account connection | |
| Hosted Auth: White label to connect your end users |  |
| Custom auth: connect user with credentials, cookies, your chrome extension | |
| Messages | |
| Send & Reply Messages API | |
| List Messages, Chats & Attendees API | |
| Reaction List API | |
| Track read receipts via API | |
| Attachements | |
| Send Voice Note API | |
| Send Files attachments API | |
| Receive Files attachments API | |
| Profiles | |
| Retrieve Users Profiles API | |
| Retrieve own profile API | |
| Webhooks | |
| Account status | |
| New message | |
| New reaction / read / event | |
| Outreach | |
| LinkedIn User Invitation API | |
| LinkedIn Outreach Sequence API | |
| LinkedIn Pending Invitations API | |
| LinkedIn Delete Invitations API | |
| Detect LinkedIn Accepted Invitations API | |
| Following Someone LinkedIn API | |
| List/Accept/Decline LinkedIn Incoming Invitation API | |
| Send InMail API | |
| Posts & Comments | |
| List LinkedIn Users/Companies Posts API | |
| Add Reaction on a LinkedIn Post or Comment API | |
| Send LinkedIn Comments API | |
| List LinkedIn Posts Comments API | |
| List LinkedIn Posts Reactions API | |
| Profiles | |
| Visit and Retrieve LinkedIn Users Profiles | |
| List of LinkedIn Contacts/Relations API | |
| Perform LinkedIn Search API & Retrieve Results (LinkedIn, Sales Navigator, Recruiter) | |
| Retrieve LinkedIn Company Profiles | |
| Get Own LinkedIn Profile Viewers | |
| Inboxes | |
| LinkedIn Classic Inbox API | |
| Sales Navigator Inbox API | |
| LinkedIn Recruiter Inbox API | |
| LinkedIn Company Page API | |
LinkedIn Features
| Features |
LinkedIn
|
|---|---|
| Account connection | |
| Hosted Auth: White label to connect your end users | |
| Custom auth: connect user with credentials, cookies, your chrome extension | |
| Messages | |
| Send & Reply Messages API | |
| List Messages, Chats & Attendees API | |
| Reaction List API | |
| Track read receipts via API | |
| Attachements | |
| Send Voice Note API | |
| Send Files attachments API | |
| Receive Files attachments API | |
| Profiles | |
| Retrieve Users Profiles API | |
| Retrieve own profile API | |
| Webhooks | |
| Account status | |
| New message | |
| New reaction / read / event | |
| Outreach | |
| LinkedIn User Invitation API | |
| LinkedIn Outreach Sequence API | |
| LinkedIn Pending Invitations API | |
| LinkedIn Delete Invitations API | |
| Detect LinkedIn Accepted Invitations API | |
| Following Someone LinkedIn API | |
| List/Accept/Decline LinkedIn Incoming Invitation API | |
| Send InMail API | |
| Posts & Comments | |
| List LinkedIn Users/Companies Posts API | |
| Add Reaction on a LinkedIn Post or Comment API | |
| Send LinkedIn Comments API | |
| List LinkedIn Posts Comments API | |
| List LinkedIn Posts Reactions API | |
| Profiles | |
| Visit and Retrieve LinkedIn Users Profiles | |
| List of LinkedIn Contacts/Relations API | |
| Perform LinkedIn Search API & Retrieve Results (LinkedIn, Sales Navigator, Recruiter) | |
| Retrieve LinkedIn Company Profiles | |
| Get Own LinkedIn Profile Viewers | |
| Inboxes | |
| LinkedIn Classic Inbox API | |
| Sales Navigator Inbox API | |
| LinkedIn Recruiter Inbox API | |
| LinkedIn Company Page API | |
Key Features of LinkedIn API by Unipile
List All Chats
curl --request GET \
--url https://api1.unipile.com:13111/api/v1/chats \
--header 'accept: application/json'
Advantages: Streamlines the process of chat message search and organization within LinkedIn, saves time by eliminating the need for manual filtering, and enhances user engagement by promptly surfacing relevant conversations.
Start New Chat
curl --request POST \
--url https://api1.unipile.com:13111/api/v1/chats \
--header 'accept: application/json' \
--header 'content-type: multipart/form-data'
Advantages: Facilitates seamless chat composition directly within the application, enhances workflow efficiency, and allows for the customization of message templates to maintain consistent communication branding.
Retrieve a profile
curl --request GET \
--url https://api1.unipile.com:13111/api/v1/users/identifier \
--header 'accept: application/json'
This API function facilitates the retrieval of user profiles, enabling detailed access to user information. You can gather a wealth of public profile information, such as the user’s email, job title, company, phone number, and address, whenever they are provided and publicly available.
The advantage of this feature is that it allows you to consolidate all available data within your own software, providing the opportunity to utilize it for automation, in-depth analysis, or other strategic initiatives.
How Can Developers Leverage LinkedIn API for Advanced Features?
Integrating advanced LinkedIn features into your applications is now a streamlined process with Unipile’s ready-to-use code snippets. Developers can sidestep the complexities of building from the ground up, using these pre-crafted codes to access the full capabilities of the LinkedIn API. Whether for automating profile data retrieval, analyzing network activities, or syncing with other systems, Unipile’s robust code repository acts as a catalyst for quick and smooth integration, shortening the development cycle and easing the path to deployment.
Create an Outreach Sequence
Automate your LinkedIn outreach by compiling a list of profiles to send invitations with a personalized touch.
1. Search for profiles using LinkedIn or LinkedIn Sales Navigator, apply filters, and copy the search URL.
2. Fetch raw data from the URL, handle pagination, and abide by LinkedIn’s rate limits.
3. Schedule and send invitations, monitor for LinkedIn’s acceptance limits, and store data for subsequent actions.
Extract List Search
Leverage the advanced features of LinkedIn, LinkedIn Recruiter, and LinkedIn Sales Navigator to build custom functionalities with the ‘Get raw data’ route (Magic route) using connected accounts.
1. Capture LinkedIn requests via browser tools to identify the desired data endpoint.
2. Use the provided cURL examples to extract people search results or Sales Navigator searches.
3. Integrate the raw data into your application, customizing for keywords and pagination.
Detecting Accepted Invitations
Track when your LinkedIn invitations are accepted to trigger follow-up actions without specific webhooks.
1. Use the ‘new message’ webhook to detect acceptances from invitations with messages.
2. Periodically check the list of sent invitations for updates, implying acceptance or rejection.
2. Record sent invitations and maintain comparison efficiency.
Voice Note Integration
Incorporating LinkedIn’s voice note feature into your software can greatly enhance user interaction and engagement. This integration allows users to easily send and receive voice messages, offering a more personal and effective way to communicate.
LinkedIn API Use Cases: Unleashing the Potential
The LinkedIn API serves as a transformative tool, reshaping the landscape for individuals and organizations across various industries. Let’s delve into two compelling use cases that showcase the day-to-day impact of LinkedIn API integration.
To recruit and sell faster, your users need to respond promptly to messages. That’s where real-time synchronization of received and sent messages comes into play. With this capability, they are always in the know and can reply promptly to leads, candidates, and clients. With the API, you can easily connect an unlimited number of LinkedIn accounts per user.
API for LinkedIn Recruiter
In the realm of recruitment, the Unipile’s LinkedIn API is a transformative tool, reshaping the landscape for hiring professionals. The API offers a suite of features tailored to meet the unique needs of the recruitment industry.
Consider a bustling recruitment agency, tasked with identifying top talent for a range of clients. The API for LinkedIn Recruiter and others streamlines candidate targeting, automates tedious tasks, and provides real-time insights, making it a versatile tool that complements a wide range of scenarios envisioned by software publishers.
API for LinkedIn Sales Navigator
Incorporating LinkedIn Sales Navigator into your CRM transforms sales strategies by providing direct access to valuable insights and connections. This fusion allows for personalized engagement, tailored to the unique needs and interests of each prospect. It streamlines the sales process by bringing comprehensive LinkedIn data into the CRM environment, enabling teams to act on precise, up-to-date information and forge stronger relationships. By adopting this integrated approach, CRM providers have observed a notable increase in user retention and satisfaction, underscoring the tangible value of this powerful combination.
Benefits of LinkedIn API Integration for Software Publishers
By seamlessly integrating the LinkedIn API, professionals can unlock the potential, opening doors for various industries. This integration is a significant asset for their clients, granting easy access to LinkedIn’s vast professional data, streamlining the integration process, and optimizing the use of LinkedIn API for various purposes.
Discover all the technical features and advantages within this comprehensive resource.
Linkedin API Integration: Save Time and Get Support
Integrating LinkedIn with Unipile allows publishers to effortlessly tap into a vast professional network, enrich user engagement, and elevate their platform’s value with streamlined connectivity features.
Unipile’s API: Advanced LinkedIn Functionality
Unipile API offers a suite of LinkedIn functionalities ready for immediate use. With just a single API link, you can now effortlessly send and receive LinkedIn messages, manage connections through LinkedIn invitations, interact with posts via comments, and utilize the power of InMails. These capabilities are at your disposal right away, streamlining your LinkedIn integration and enabling you to enhance your platform’s networking potential without the overhead of development time. Get started now to unlock a more connected and efficient professional environment.
Author
JULIEN CREPIEUX
Julien is the CEO and Co-founder of Unipile and Editor-in-Chief of our publications. Always attentive to our clients’ needs, he strives to seamlessly integrate innovative solutions that drive efficiency and value.
FAQs
Is the LinkedIn API free?
For those asking, “Is the LinkedIn API free?“, the answer is partially. While basic access to limited data is available at no cost, advanced features such as People Profile or Marketing API require paid plans and partner approvals.
What can the LinkedIn API do?
The LinkedIn API allows developers to integrate LinkedIn features into their applications. Common functionalities include retrieving user profiles, sharing posts, accessing company pages, and integrating LinkedIn Ads or Sales Navigator features.
How can I get LinkedIn posts using API?
To learn how to efficiently get LinkedIn posts using API, including step-by-step instructions and integration tips, check out our detailed guide here: How to Get LinkedIn Posts Using API.
What LinkedIn data can be pulled from their API?
You can pull various types of data using the LinkedIn API, including:
- User profile information (name, headline, location, etc.).
- Posts and shares from a user’s LinkedIn feed.
- Company information if you have proper permissions.
- Engagement metrics like comments, likes, and shares on posts.
Note that the specific data available depends on LinkedIn’s API tiers and your permissions. For a detailed breakdown of LinkedIn data pull from API, visit the full article on what LinkedIn data can be pulled from their API.
What functionalities does the Unipile API provide?
The Unipile API streamlines LinkedIn integration by generating an authorization link, enabling users to connect LinkedIn accounts, manage communications, and access various LinkedIn features directly. This process eliminates the need for complex code, making integration fast and efficient.
How much does LinkedIn Recruiter API cost?
The LinkedIn Recruiter API is generally available to LinkedIn Recruiter customers, and its cost is integrated into the LinkedIn Recruiter subscription plans. The exact pricing can vary based on the number of licenses, features needed, and specific integration requirements. For exact pricing details, it is best to contact LinkedIn’s sales team.
Can I extract data from LinkedIn?
Data extraction via the LinkedIn API is possible, but only for approved use cases and within their policy guidelines. Unauthorized data scraping or misuse of extracted data can lead to legal consequences or account suspension.
What are the restrictions on using LinkedIn API?
LinkedIn imposes several restrictions on the use of its API to protect user privacy and maintain the quality of its data. Only approved developers can access the full range of API features, and most data interactions require explicit user consent. Rate limits also apply, which restrict the number of requests an application can make within a given timeframe.
How do I get access to LinkedIn API?
To get access, you need to create a LinkedIn Developer account and register your application. Depending on the data and level of access you require, you may need to go through LinkedIn’s partner application process, which can involve submitting your use case for review. Alternatively, you can connect to the Unipile dashboard for simplified access and management.
What specific rate limits or data usage caps are imposed on the LinkedIn API? Are there any limitations on certain data fields or API endpoints?
The limitations and constraints of the LinkedIn API are specified by LinkedIn itself, and they vary according to the endpoints and types of usage allowed.
How does the LinkedIn API ensure data security and compliance, especially with regard to privacy laws like GDPR?
Unipile can only retrieve public user data from LinkedIn, adhering to privacy and data protection regulations, including laws like GDPR, to ensure the security of sensitive user information. Learn more about all features LinkedIn API.
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