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LinkedIn API guide

LinkedIn Recruiter API: Access, RSC and the User-Side Alternative

LinkedIn has no open Recruiter API: its recruiting APIs, RSC included, are for approved partners. Here is what they cover, and how to run Recruiter search, projects and InMail from your own app, on behalf of each recruiter.

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Short answer

Is there a LinkedIn Recruiter API?

Not one you can sign up for. LinkedIn's recruiting APIs, such as Recruiter System Connect (RSC) and the Job Posting API, are reserved for approved Talent Solutions partners. This guide is part of our LinkedIn API guide.

No self-serve sign-up. Access needs a partnership and a signed API agreement.
No Recruiter API key. There is nothing to generate from a portal.
No public candidate search. No official endpoint runs a Recruiter search for your backend.
The open path is user-side. Your app acts on behalf of each recruiter's own seat. See how.
Approved partners onlyLinkedIn Talent Solutions APIs
"The use of these APIs is restricted to those developers approved by LinkedIn."
Source: RSC documentation on Microsoft Learn. Last verified: 26 October 2026.
Access

How to get LinkedIn Recruiter API access in 2026

The official route is built for ATS vendors, and it takes four steps before the first API call.

  1. 1 Apply Send the partner request form.
  2. 2 Get approved Meet LinkedIn's criteria and sign an API agreement.
  3. 3 Build Job Posting first LinkedIn asks for it before RSC.
  4. 4 Certify RSC Pass test cases per module, then configure each customer.
A Recruiter seat (Lite, Professional Services or Corporate) unlocks the Recruiter interface, not API credentials.
Scope

What Recruiter System Connect (RSC) covers

RSC is the closest thing to an official Recruiter API. It keeps an ATS and LinkedIn Recruiter in sync for customers who switch it on. It is a sync layer, not a search API.

In-ATS IndicatorFlags members already in the ATS.In Recruiter
Rediscovered CandidatesBrings back past ATS candidates who match a search.In Recruiter
One-Click ExportSends a profile from Recruiter to the ATS.Recruiter to ATS
Enhanced Profile WidgetShows LinkedIn profile details in the candidate record.In the ATS
InMail historyRetrieves InMail exchanges once a member replies.In the ATS
Not included No candidate search for your backend No Recruiter projects as data Not for Recruiter Lite customers

RSC needs a Recruiter Corporate or Professional Services contract; ATS help centers such as Recruitee confirm Recruiter Lite is not eligible. Last verified: 26 October 2026, against the RSC overview.

The alternative

The alternative: Recruiter search on behalf of the user

Each recruiter links their own LinkedIn account, with its Recruiter contract. Your backend calls the Recruiter routes of the LinkedIn API, within what that recruiter can already see and do.

Your ATS
Sends the search the recruiter built.
Unipile API
Relays it for that one account.
Recruiter contract
Runs it with the recruiter's own filters and visibility.
Candidates come back to your ATS as JSON.
1 Link the account

Hosted Auth in your app, with the Recruiter product allowed.

2 Check the contract

Show Recruiter features only when a Recruiter contract is listed.

3 Search and page

Run the search, follow the cursor, test on a Development app.

How Unipile Operates

Unipile is an independent technical intermediary, not a Talent Solutions partner, and does not resell Recruiter seats. Each request runs on behalf of one connected recruiter, through their own account and contract: no shared credentials, no pooled seats.

One request

Search candidates in one request

Send the Recruiter filters as JSON, with your API key and the recruiter's account ID. Results come back 100 per page at most.

recruiter-search.sh
curl --request POST \
  --url "https://api.unipile.com/v2/{ACCOUNT_ID}/linkedin/recruiter/search/people?limit=100" \
  --header "X-API-KEY: {YOUR_API_KEY}" \
  --header "content-type: application/json" \
  --data '{
    "keywords": "backend engineer",
    "skills": [{ "name": "Kubernetes" }],
    "seniority": ["SENIOR"],
    "years_of_experience": { "min": 5, "max": 10 }
  }'
200 OK: data, total_count, next_cursor
POSTPaste a Recruiter URL Reuse a search the recruiter tuned in Recruiter. /v2/{account_id}/linkedin/recruiter/search
POSTResolve filter IDs Turn "Berlin" or a company name into the ID a filter expects. /v2/{account_id}/linkedin/recruiter/search/parameters
Follow the cursor Pass next_cursor as cursor until you have what the recruiter asked for.
Start building Recruiter search reference
Build it with Unipile

Connect a Recruiter account and run your first candidate search

Test it with your own Recruiter contract on a Development application.

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Beyond search

Projects, pipelines and Recruiter InMail

Recruiters work in hiring projects. The same linked account brings the rest of their Recruiter workflow into your ATS.

Hiring projects List, create and edit projects, one per requisition. /linkedin/recruiter/projects
Pipeline Read a project's candidates and save new ones to it. /projects/{project_id}/pipeline
Applicants and resumes Import a job's applicants with their resume. /projects/{project_id}/talent-pool/applicants
Job postings Draft, publish and close jobs, after checking job slots. /linkedin/recruiter/jobs
Recruiter profile Open a candidate as Recruiter shows it. /users/{user_id}?variant=linkedin_recruiter
Recruiter InMail Send InMail and read the credits left. /linkedin/inmail-credits

Paths start with /v2/{account_id}. Full list in the Recruiter projects and contracts docs, 26 October 2026.

Good to know: Recruiter and Sales Navigator cannot be activated on the same linked account: a recruiter who uses both connects twice. Going further: send InMail with the LinkedIn API and the LinkedIn job posting API.

Data Handling Note

Profiles, projects and pipelines come from the authenticated user's own Recruiter session, when your app asks. Unipile keeps no independent archive or talent database: your ATS decides what it stores, and for how long.

Limits

Limits to plan for

LinkedIn and the Recruiter contract set these caps, whatever API you call. More in our guide to LinkedIn API rate limits.

2,500 results max per search Narrow the filters instead of paging further.
100 results max per page Follow the cursor, stop at what you need.
30 InMail per month on Recruiter Lite Per license. Show the credits left before each send.
Recruiter Lite Candidate search and search from a URL Hiring projects and pipelines Same caps per search and per page
Recruiter Pro only Spoken language filter Employment type filter Scheduled InMail follow-ups

No Recruiter contract on the account? The Recruiter routes answer with an error: hide those features. Last verified: 26 October 2026, against the provider limits docs and LinkedIn's Recruiter Lite page.

Platform Limits and Responsible Use

Unipile relays these caps as they are: it does not lift them and adds no credits. How your ATS uses search, InMail and job postings is a customer-side decision. Make every write a recruiter action in your interface, never a background loop.

Pricing

LinkedIn Recruiter API pricing: two separate bills

LinkedIn publishes no price for its recruiting APIs. With a user-side integration, the seats and the API are billed separately.

Paid to LinkedInby the recruiter's company
Recruiter Lite seatNo public list price
Professional Services, CorporateOn quote
RSC, Job Posting APIsIn the partner agreement
Paid to Unipileby your company, per linked account
$55/ month up to 10 accounts
Beyond 10 accounts$5.50 down to $3.50 each
Per search, project or InMailNo fee
Example 15 recruiters link their account 15 × $5.50 = $82.50 / month See every volume tier

Last verified: 26 October 2026, against LinkedIn's Recruiter Lite page (free trial, no list price shown). LinkedIn prices exclude taxes and can vary by region.

Comparison

Official RSC vs user-side API: which one fits your ATS?

RSC suits an established partner ATS. A user-side API suits any product that needs Recruiter features in its own interface.

CriteriaOfficial RSCUser-side API (Unipile)
AccessPartnership and certificationSelf-serve, Hosted Auth
Candidate searchNot for your backendFilters, URL, saved searches
Projects and pipelineExport and In-ATS indicatorsRead, create and edit
InMailHistory in the ATSSend and read credits
Recruiter LiteNot eligibleSupported
Access
Official RSCPartnership and certification
User-side API (Unipile)Self-serve, Hosted Auth
Candidate search
Official RSCNot for your backend
User-side API (Unipile)Filters, URL, saved searches
Projects and pipeline
Official RSCExport and In-ATS indicators
User-side API (Unipile)Read, create and edit
InMail
Official RSCHistory in the ATS
User-side API (Unipile)Send and read credits
Recruiter Lite
Official RSCNot eligible
User-side API (Unipile)Supported

Not exclusive: an ATS can run RSC for customers who have it, and user-side features for everyone else.

Use cases

Common use cases

Three product patterns cover most Recruiter integrations. The recruiter keeps control; your product does the work around them.

Sourcing inside the ATS

Run a Recruiter search from the requisition and flag known candidates.

LinkedIn API for ATS platforms
Requisition to project

Each requisition gets its Recruiter project, pipeline and applicants.

LinkedIn API for recruiting software
Multichannel engagement

Recruiter InMail plus email through the Email API; a reply stops the sequence.

LinkedIn API for ATS and CRM software

Building with a coding agent? Try the LinkedIn Recruiter MCP server. Sales Navigator seats too? See our Sales Navigator API guide.

LinkedIn Recruiter API FAQ

Access, RSC, Recruiter Lite, pricing and responsibilities, answered for developers.

Not a public one. LinkedIn's recruiting APIs, such as Recruiter System Connect and the Job Posting API, are restricted to approved Talent Solutions partners. Without a partnership, your app works on behalf of each recruiter's own Recruiter contract.

Through the Talent Solutions partner program: apply, sign an API agreement, build a Job Posting integration, then certify RSC. There is no self-serve sign-up and no Recruiter API key. For Recruiter features now, each recruiter can link their own account through Unipile's LinkedIn API.

LinkedIn's official sync between Recruiter and a partner ATS: In-ATS Indicator, Rediscovered Candidates, One-Click Export, Enhanced Profile Widget and InMail history. Customers switch it on with a Recruiter Corporate or Professional Services contract. It is a sync layer, not a search API.

No, and Recruiter Lite customers are not eligible for RSC. On the user side, a Recruiter Lite account works with candidate search, search from a URL, projects and pipelines. The spoken language and employment type filters and scheduled InMail follow-ups need Recruiter Pro.

LinkedIn's partner docs are on Microsoft Learn: the RSC overview and the Job Posting API. For the user-side routes (search, projects, pipelines, applicants, contracts), see the Unipile Recruiter documentation.

LinkedIn publishes no price for its partner APIs. With a user-side integration, the recruiter's company pays for the Recruiter seat, and you pay Unipile per linked account: $55 per month up to 10 accounts, then $5.50 down to $3.50 each, with no fee per search or message. See the full breakdown.

Yes, in two ways. An approved partner ATS can build RSC. Any ATS can also let each recruiter link their own account and offer Recruiter search, projects, applicants and InMail in its own interface. Many products combine both.

No. Profiles, projects and messages come from the authenticated user's own Recruiter session when your app asks. Unipile keeps no independent archive, talent database or index of LinkedIn profiles. Your ATS decides what it stores.

Your company. Unipile relays each request without lifting any LinkedIn limit or adding credits, and how your ATS uses search, InMail and job postings is a customer-side decision. Make every write a recruiter action in your interface.

No. Unipile is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by LinkedIn, and is not part of the Talent Solutions partner program. It is an independent technical intermediary that lets your app act on behalf of each recruiter who links their own account.

Still have questions? Our team is here to help.

Talk to an expert

Run your first Recruiter search from your ATS

Link a Recruiter account, send one request, get candidates back as JSON.

Build Now Read the Recruiter docs

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