DEV Community: Proxycurl

30 (+1) Top LinkedIn Scrapers for 2025 with Pros & Cons

Proxycurl — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 09:52:47 +0000

If you think LinkedIn scraping is tough, it's because you are not equipped with the right tool. LinkedIn has their own paid API, but it's not as simple as paying and getting what you need. You have to apply for access, go through an unreasonably long approval process, and even then chances are you might get rejected. If you do manage to secure API access by a miracle, the data you get is limited.

Fortunately, there are plenty of B2B data providers and LinkedIn scrapers available. But with so many options, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. I mean, where do you even start looking?

I understand the conundrum. What you need is a thoughtfully curated list of LinkedIn scrapers, categorized to tailor your specific needs, so you can easily pick the right tool for you.

Welcome to the only guide on LinkedIn Scrapers you will ever need. In this article, I will go through:

30+1 of the best LikedIn Scraping Tools in 2025; categorized based on their nature.
Pros and Cons of each scraper.
How do I find the best LinkedIn Scraper?
Is LinkedIn Scraping Legal?
My Recommendation (with explanation)
Final thoughts

I'll start with an overview of all the LinkedIn scraper categories. This will give you a clear roadmap of what to expect and help you find out which category best suits your needs.

Now, let's look at each of our 31 entrants in the list. Each of these LinkedIn scrapers are categorized and are weighed based on their price and free version availability.

Full Scale/Enterprise LinkedIn Scrapers

These scrapers are designed to serve large corporations that require high-scale data extraction. Most of them are focused on detailed analytics, integrations with CRMs, lead generations and much more; everything to be a complete data solution for organizations.

1. Proxycurl

The biggest reason you'd want to use Proxycurl is because it's an incredibly versatile API that's designed to be built into your existing systems and workflow. You won't need any VPNs, proxies, a rotating index of LinkedIn accounts, or anything else. Proxycurl gives you access to rich B2B data from more data sources than just LinkedIn.

It is a developer-friendly platform, but the vast number of API endpoints are easy to use and incorporate. Plus, you have detailed documentation on each API as a reference. I mean, what is a few pages of documentation to get access to all the B2B data you could ever possibly need on people and companies?

With a data freshness guarantee, you can be rest assured, you get the freshest data available. Better yet, you can use the use_cache=if-recent parameter that's available on our profile scraping-related endpoints, such as our Person Profile Endpoint or our Company Profile Endpoint.

Let me show you how easy it is to pull a freshly scraped and accurate personal profile from LinkedIn using a simple Python script and our Person Profile Endpoint:

import requests
import json
api_key = 'Your_API_Key_Here'
headers = {'Authorization': 'Bearer ' + api_key}
api_endpoint = 'https://nubela.co/proxycurl/api/v2/linkedin'
params = {
 'linkedin_profile_url': 'https://www.linkedin.com/in/vickygill/',
 'extra': 'include',
 'github_profile_id': 'include',
 'facebook_profile_id': 'include',
 'twitter_profile_id': 'include',
 'personal_contact_number': 'include',
 'personal_email': 'include',
 'inferred_salary': 'include',
 'skills': 'include',
 'use_cache': 'if-recent',
 'fallback_to_cache': 'on-error',
}
response = requests.get(api_endpoint,
params=params,
headers=headers)

# Check if the request was successful
if response.status_code == 200:

 # Parse and print the content of the response in a formatted manner
    data = response.json()
    print(json.dumps(data, indent=4))
else:
    print(f"Error: {response.status_code}")

The script returns a scraped and enriched profile, that's fresh, and includes data points like:

Full name
Work history
Salary expectations
Similar profiles
Education
A summary of the individual
Email
Phone number
And more.

In fact, here's a full demo of using a few Proxycurl APIs with real-life use-cases (including one using ChatGPT to build personalized email), by our very own CEO, Steven.

Alternatively, we also hold a publicly scraped LinkedIn dataset, LinkDB, a collection of over 492,805,659 (and increasing) LinkedIn profiles (however, these profiles will not be as fresh as profiles enriched via our API - see how often is LinkDB updated).

Proxycurl Pros

A plethora of B2B data, everything you could possibly need.
API crawls are dispatched on-demand and are made in real-time for the latest data.
Flexibility in data freshness.
High scale crawl, scraping about a million pages per day.
Affordable price plans.

Proxycurl Cons

The API endpoints can be a bit intimidating for non-developers, and there might be a bit of a learning curve involved.
Businesses requiring extensive hands-on customization might need additional support.

Proxycurl Pricing

Plans	Details
Free	10 credits on sign-up (100 credits on work email)
Basic Paid	$49/mo
High-end Paid	Starts from $2000/mo

2.

A cloud-based scraping and automation tool that supports LinkedIn among other platforms. PhantomBuster advertises itself as the platform for all things lead generation, without the need for any coding skills.

PhantomBuster allows scraping for both public and private data, but you have to use your own accounts to scrape for private data. Private profiles return additional data that you can't get from public profiles, but with its own limitations: Low rate limit and legal risk. Customers can only scrape 80 profiles per day before their account gets blocked by LinkedIn.

You get 5 'Phantom slots' on your free trial and for the starter plan, which can be bumped up to 50 if you subscribe to their highest tiered plan. A Phantom is a single automated action for a specific lead generation objective. A Flow is a set of these Phantoms that allow integrated lead generation sequences that save you time.

One of them is the LinkedIn profile scraper:

On it, you can submit a LinkedIn profile or a desired list of profile URLs. The data it exports includes things like name, LinkedIn profile URL, company, and beyond, but you'll have to use a separate Phantom, the email extractor, to get an email address.

PhantomBuster Pros

Supports automation on repetitive tasks.
Supports business scaling by providing valuable insights through data analysis.
Supports integration with multiple platforms.

PhantomBuster Cons

Overcompensating UI; it can get super confusing.
Only supports Hubspot, and limited options for other CRMs.
Rate-limiting issues for high-volume operations
Unable to bypass LinkedIn's limit or connection invite restrictions.
Safety concerns as Phantom Buster requires you to download a Chrome extension and access your cookies to enter LinkedIn.

Plans Details Free Trial 2hrs execution time, 1k AI credits Basic Paid $56/mo High-End Paid $352/mo

3.

A big player in the data solutions market, People Data Labs (PDL) is geared toward large-scale businesses that require enriched data for analytics, hiring, or marketing. It scrapes public LinkedIn data and works with third-party partners to get private data. Then it packages this data into datasets that customers can call using APIs.

People Data Labs Pros

Large datasets on multiple data points.
Tier based scalable solutions for different levels of enterprises.
Plug-and-play model allows for immediate consumption.

People Data Labs Cons

Even if there are different tiers, it's hardly affordable for small businesses and startups.
Data freshness is a big issue, as they offer pre-collected data updated monthly by default.

Plans Details Free Up to 100 records Basic Paid $98/mo High-end Paid Custom Pricing

Note: You cannot sign up with a personal email. Signups are only validated using work emails, making it tough to get a free trial.

4.

While not exactly a LinkedIn Scraper, Zoominfo leverages data from LinkedIn to provide company and individual data. Like most in this list, it deals with B2B data; extensive company and contact information, and is equipped with advanced search capabilities and integration options.

ZoomInfo Pros

Supports integration with CRM platforms and workflow automation.
Provides a granular view with advanced search options, along with intent data.

ZoomInfo Cons

Not ideal for developers looking for customizable scraping solutions.
Expensive plans, suitable for organizations with larger budgets.

5. LinkedIn Sales Navigator API

Like I prefaced earlier, LinkedIn has their very own paid API that grants access to LinkedIn's network and professional data.

So why not just use that? You can't! You have to file an application for access with details on how you're going to use the data. Once you have applied, it goes through an approval process. LinkedIn carefully reviews API access applications to ensure they align with their guidelines and terms of service. The approval process can take several weeks, and there is no guarantee you will be approved.

If you want to learn more, check out this article on How I Accessed LinkedIn Sales Navigator API.

Linkedin Sales Navigator API Pros

Allows fetching real-time data and enrich your platform.
Supports data syncing of newly fetched data with your existing customer information.
Advanced search options with numerous fields filters.

LinkedIn Sales Navigator API Cons

Lengthy approval process, hard to get access
Harsh rate limits.
Expensive venture, need an active subscription to access.

6. Zopto

A LinkedIn automation and scraping tool designed for omni-channel outreach, Zopto is everything they advertise. With Zopto you can create multi-step campaigns with automated connection requests, follow-up messages, and InMail responses to nurture leads over time.

It is the perfect tool if you're looking to scale your LinkedIn outreach while maintaining a degree of personalization.

Zopto Pros

Supports integration with Linkedin Sales Navigator
Simple and easy to follow UI
Supports integration with GPT

Zopto Cons

Automated campaigns pose risk triggering LinkedIn's anti-automation policies
Steep pricing for small businesses or individual users.

Plans Details Free No Free Trials ❌ Basic Paid $197/person/mo High-end Paid $237/person/mo

Open-Source LinkedIn Scrapers

If you are a developer, this might be your category of choice. The public projects in Github are an excellent choice to look for sources that are free to use and customizable. These are ready-to-use tools usually built by independent developers and come with varying levels of documentation and community support.

But 'free' is not truly free. Open source LinkedIn Scrapers offer flexible modifications and are free, but it demands a lot of your time and requires technical expertise.

Those who are up for the challenge, I present to you a list of some projects that I deem are perfect for LinkedIn scraping.

7. `LinkedIn_Scraper` by joeyism

LinkedIn_Scraper is designed to automate the extraction of data from LinkedIn user and company profiles. It is proudly sponsored by Proxycurl, as a tip of the hat to the developers' spirit and ingenuity. It is one of the reasons the repository is still free.

Linkedin_Scraper makes the process of scraping LinkedIn with Python so much easier. How?

Let me show you.

Install the Python library by running the following command:

pip3 install --user linkedin_scraper

After installing the library, here's an example of how you can scrape a person's profile:

from linkedin_scraper import Person, actions
from selenium import webdriver
driver = webdriver.Chrome()
email = "some-email@email.address"
password = "password123"
actions.login(driver, email, password) # if email and password isnt given, it'll prompt in terminal
person = Person("https://www.linkedin.com/in/joey-sham-aa2a50122", driver=driver)

And that's how you do it! Be advised, you still have to circumvent LinkedIn's blocking policies. I could tell you how we do it here at Proxycurl but then I'll have to silence you, and I want us to be friends so..... good luck on that!

LinkedIn_Scraper Pros

Absolutely Free.
Doesn't require a LinkedIn login or API access.

LinkedIn_Scraper Cons

It's not a one time setup. It is continuous work and you'll need to frequently update the scraper if LinkedIn changes its page structure.
You have to parse HTML manually and navigate the complexities of DOM trees.

8. `LinkedIn-API` by tomquirk

Another feature scraper brought to you by yours truly is the LinkedIn-API by Tomquirk. A highly favored tool among developers for its flexible, code-based approach to scraping LinkedIn profiles, job listings, and more.

Let me show you how you can pull up a LinkedIn profile through this tool using Python.

First, install the LinkedIn API package.
pip install linkedin-api

Then, authenticate your LinkedIn account using email and password (use this responsibly to comply with LinkedIn's terms of service).

from linkedin_api import Linkedin
# Authenticate with your LinkedIn credentials
api = Linkedin('your_email@example.com', 'your_password')

Fetch a person's LinkedIn profile data using their public profile URL or unique identifier.

# Example of extracting a profile
profile = api.get_profile('Sese-Limbu-12345')  # Replace with the LinkedIn username or profile ID
print(profile)

What you get is a clean and structured output in JSON format.

{
    "firstName": "Sese",
    "lastName": "Limbu",
    "headline": "Technical Writer at Proxycurl",
    "location": "Vancouver, BC",
    "industry": "Information Technology",
    "summary": "Super cool guy with an innate hunger for personal growth.",
    "experience": [
        {
            "title": "Technical Writer",
            "company": "XYZ Corp",
            "duration": "3 years"
        },
        {
            "title": "Intern",
            "company": "ABC Inc.",
            "duration": "6 months"
        }
    ],
    "education": [
        {
            "degree": "Bachelors in Business Administration",
            "institution": "Kathmandu University School of Management",
            "year": "2021"
        }
    ]
}

By the way, Proxycurl is sponsoring this one too! As a developer-focused company, we are just trying to look after the community. Enjoy!

LinkedIn-API Pros

Clean and structured JSON output.
No parsing required.

LinkedIn-API Cons

Requires LinkedIn credentials, risking account suspension.
Limited to what the API endpoints provide access to.

9.

Here's how you can scrape Linkedin using LinkScrape.

Since the tool is primarily focused on employee enumeration, let's go ahead and see how we can pull that data.

Start by cloning the LinkScrape repository from GitHub to your local environment.

git clone https://github.com/rosstripi/LinkScrape.git
cd LinkScrape

Then, install the necessary Python libraries specified in the requirements.txt file in the repository.

pip install -r requirements.txt\
Remember, you will need valid LinkedIn session cookies. Obtain your session cookie li_at from your browser and configure it in the script.

Now, get your target's LinkedIn company profile URL and run the script.

from linkscrape import LinkedInScraper
# Initialize scraper with your LinkedIn cookie
scraper = LinkedInScraper("your_li_at_cookie")
# Extract employee data
company_url = "https://www.linkedin.com/company/apple/"
employee_data = scraper.scrape_employees(company_url)
# Print results
for employee in employee_data:
    print(f"Name: {employee['name']}, Position: {employee['position']}")

What you get is a structured output in JSON format.

[
    {
        "name": "Claire Spencer",
        "position": "Marketing Manager"
    },
    {
    "name": "Ahmed Mansoor",
    "position": "Software Engineer"
    },
    {
        "name": "Carla Jensen",
        "position": "HR Specialist"
    }
    ]

LinkScrape Pros

Targeted scraping; Designed for company-based scraping rather than broad profile searches.

LinkScrape Cons

Targeted scraping yes, so it makes the tool limited.
LinkScrape lacks the extensive session handling of other tools, which might result in faster session expirations.
With fewer users and contributors, troubleshooting and enhancements may take longer compared to more established open-source projects like LinkedInScraper.

10.

Let's go through how you can extract data using this scraper.

First, clone the GitHub repository and install the required dependencies via pip install -r requirements.txt.

Then, log into LinkedIn and retrieve the li_at cookie from your browser's developer tools. Update the configuration file or pass the cookie directly when running the script.

Now, use the command line to specify the type of data you want to scrape. For today, I will show you how to scrape an individual profile.

from tufayel_scraper import LinkedInScraper
# Initialize the scraper
scraper = LinkedInScraper(li_at="your_li_at_cookie")
# Scrape a specific profile
profile_data = scraper.get_profile("https://www.linkedin.com/in/example-profile/")
print(profile_data)

The output generated is in JSON and containing fields like

Full name
Job title and company
Education history
Skills and endorsements

LinkedIn-Scraper Pros

Supports scraping jobs and company pages in addition to individual profiles, offering more functionality than narrower tools like LinkScrape.
Robust HTML parsing techniques, minimizing errors in capturing structured data.

LinkedIn-Scraper Cons

Depends heavily on the li_at cookie; frequent session expirations can be expected.
TufayelLUS Scraper has a smaller community resulting in slow troubleshooting or enhancement requests.
No built-in rotation for proxies or accounts; scraping larger volumes of data may lead to faster bans.

Browser Extension LinkedIn Scrapers

Browser extension LinkedIn scrapers are an ideal option if you're working alone or in a small team. They're lightweight, easy to set up, require no advanced technical skills, and deliver quick results.

11.

Evaboot is an extension based Linkedin scraper that requires a LinkedIn Sales Navigator subscription.

Once you install the extension, you can perform Sales Navigator searches and then export the data back to Evaboot.

They export data points like full name, company, role, LinkedIn profile URL, and then they have an additional feature to obtain email addresses.

Evaboot Pros

Great documentation and tutorials to assist new users.

Evaboot Cons

Requires LinkedIn Sales Navigator access.
Credit-based system for emails and exporting data.
Restricted to data scraping only, with no additional automation features.

12.

For whatever reason, Meet Alfred refused to successfully link with my LinkedIn. Not a great first impression.

The silver lining is Meet Alfred doesn't require a Google Chrome plugin like the others. It just relies on one central dashboard and offers a couple of options for scraping LinkedIn:

So, for example, you could specify a search URL, or input your own specified search query:

Afterwards you could conduct outreach campaigns or export the scraped profiles which includes data points like name, phone number, and email.

Meet Alfred Pros

Provides a variety of ways to search for LinkedIn profiles.
Pretty simple UI.

Meet Alfred Cons

Focus more on omnichannel outreach rather than scraping LinkedIn profiles (it wants you to keep the data in-house).

Plans Details Free 14 Days Free Trial ✅ Basic Paid $59/person/mo High-end Paid $99/person/mo

13.

Octopus CRM advertise themselves as "the all-in-one LinkedIn automation tool". Bold claim for a LinkedIn scraper operating using Google extension. But on closer inspection, it's actually not very hard to extract data.

But like with other extension based scrapers, the primary purpose seems to be more on LinkedIn marketing and outreach than LinkedIn scraping. That said, there is a provision to export emails and phone numbers into a .CSV file.

Octopus CRM Pros

Supports integration with just about any tool.
Pricing is on the cheaper side.

Octopus CRM Cons

Hyper-simplistic UI.
Higher priority towards outreach than scraping or exporting data.

Plans Details Free 7 Day Free Trial ✅ Basic Paid $9.99/mo High-end Paid $39.99/mo

14.

Waalaxy is a freely downloadable LinkedIn scraper that works through Google Chrome extension. The free version allows you to send 80 invitations per week, but that means 80 messages, 80 visits, 80 follows and 80 message requests.

After enabling, all you have to do is perform a person search on LinkedIn, so, for example, I searched "SaaS founders" and then exported the data:

The data then goes over to the Waalaxy dashboard through the chrome extension:

After that, you can export the desired profiles in a similar fashion to Evaboot. However, I will admit the data isn't very rich. It's mostly just name, role, LinkedIn profile URL, and then some contact information.

Waalaxy Pros

Beginner friendly UI, almost too simple.
Inbox management system
Affordable pricing tiers

Waalaxy Cons

Hardly any useful data is extracted. More for outreach rather than extracting data from LinkedIn.
Simple yes, but too simple. Barely basic scraping functionalities compared to dedicated scrapers.

Plans Details Free Free Trial (80 invites/mo) Basic paid $59/mo High-end paid $179/mo
15.

The final extension based LinkedIn scraper, Dux-Soup is a great shout if you're looking to optimize your outreach, without using complex tools. You have the option to choose if you want to work with your LinkedIn account, Sales Navigator or Recruiter account.

Once downloaded, you can create 'Drip' campaigns to automate LinkedIn connection invitations, follow and endorse profiles, send InMails, and messages.

If a prospect responds, they are moved from your campaign into your pipeline for you to close. The Dux-Dash campaign statistics provide a clear overview of areas that need improvement to optimize your LinkedIn lead generation efforts.

Dux-Soup Pros

Short yet detailed tutorial upon using the platform for the first time.

On the more affordable side of pricing.

Dux-Soup Cons

Weirdly enough, the extension doesn't work if the browser is closed.

They guarantee safety of your LinkedIn account, but it is open to restrictions if usage limits are exceeded.

More about outreach than scraping.

Plans Details Free 14 Days Free Trial ✅ Basic Paid $11.25/mo High-end Paid $74.17/mo
Lead Generation and Email Discovery LinkedIn Scrapers

Plans	Details
Free	Free Plan Available ✅ (50 emails/5 phone numbers)
Basic Paid	$49/person/mo
High-end paid	Customizable usage and price

By now, it's clear that not all LinkedIn scraping tools are made for a single purpose. The scrapers in this category are for generating leads and discovering verified contact details, indispensable for sales and marketing professionals.

16.

Hunter.io is made to find and verify emails, to support email campaigns, making it an essential resource for marketers, recruiters, and sales teams looking to connect with key decision-makers and prospects.

You are greeted with a quick tutorial link as soon as you create a free account. It's simple to follow and you can extract email addresses associated with a certain domain, build a targeted contact list, automate your outreach message and scale your campaign.

Hunter.io Pros

Easy-to-follow tutorial and simple enough UI.

Email verification is excellent in dodging bounce rates.

Hunter.io Cons

Massive priority on email discovery and outreach, better tools available for dedicated scraping.

Can match false positives on email verifications.

Plans Details Free Free Plan Available ✅ Basic Paid $34/mo High-end Paid $349/mo
17. Lusha

Lusha sells access to its huge B2B database where businesses can find verified contact details. It works as both a Chrome extension and through an API, so you can extract professional data directly from LinkedIn or integrate it into your CRM systems like Salesforce and HubSpot.

Lusha Pros

Reasonable pricing for the quality of data it provides.

Interactive dashboard and supports integrations with popular CRM platforms.

Has a chrome extension where you can extract contact data directly from LinkedIn profiles while browsing.

Lusha Cons

Instances of wrong information being served; posing trust issues.

LinkedIn's data access limitations, especially with frequent scraping.

Lusha Pricing

Plans Details

Free Free Plan Available ✅ (50 emails/5 phone numbers)

Basic Paid $49/person/mo

High-end paid Customizable usage and price

Note: You cannot sign up with a personal email. Signups are only validated using work emails.

18.

With a database of 270M contacts, Apollo.io has one sole purpose; boost sales engagement to the max. It gathers verified emails and contact numbers from LinkedIn, trying to scan and suggest potential leads. Automation is another strength of Apollo.io, as the platform automates emails, marketing and sales processes, sequences touchpoints, and sales call dialing.

Apollo.io Pros

65+ advanced search filters.

Serious automation features; Almost every repetitive sales and marketing tasks can be automated.

Seamless integration with CRMs like Salesforce for workflow efficiency.

Apollo.io Cons

Full-on automation poses a risk of losing personal touch.

High tier pricing, hard to access for small businesses and startups.

Instances of outdated or incorrect data despite regular updates.

Plans Details Free Free Plan Available ✅
1,200 credits/year Basic Paid $59/person/mo High-end Paid $149/person/mo

Note: You cannot sign up with a personal email. Signups are only validated using work emails.

19.

A people's favorite, UpLead is the top-rated B2B data provider on G2. Instead of providing raw web scraped datasets, they provide a clean prospecting list, which you can then plug into your CRM. Uplead prides itself with its dedication to providing accurate data, backed up by real-time verified emails, mobile numbers and intent data.

UpLead Pros

Excellent tracking of lookups.

Credits are only charged for verified email addresses.

One stop solution; enriches profiles with important fields that cut down the need for prospecting.

UpLead Cons

The number of "valid" leads cuts down the amount of total leads. Even if a large amount of leads are generated, only a small % of them are pursuable "valid" leads.

The database lacks in volume in contrast to its cost.

Pricing Details Free 7 day free trial available ✅
5 credits Basic Paid $99/mo High-end Paid Customizable usage and pricing

Note: Free trials require credit card information to activate.

20.

A platform renowned for its exemplary interface, Lemlist is an email outreach and sales engagement platform, revolutionizing personalized outreach, deliverability, and multi-channel prospecting.

Lemlist has a cockpit management feature, which serves as a single dashboard, where you can manage your team accounts. Lemwarm, a free add-on specialized email deliverability service, is another standout feature that allows you to improve and maintain a high deliverability score as you reach out to your target audience.

💻 We built a Lemlist Clone App, with the full source code, check it out here: I Built a Lemlist Clone App That Personalizes My Email List at Scale

Lemlist Pros

A complete email solution with email templates, personalization options, automation and sequencing features with A/B testing.

Platform specific features like Lemwarm and cockpit management make it unique.

Lemlist Cons

Customer reviews are mixed; grievances about online customer support, billing, refunds, software crashes and bugs.

The platform lacks tagging features and inaccurate email tracking.

Pricing Details Free 14 Day Free Trial ✅
100 free verified emails Basic Plan $39/person/mo High-end Plan $159/person/mo

Note: You cannot sign up with a personal email. Signups are only validated using work emails.

21.

My final entry for the lead generation and email discovery LinkedIn scraper, is Snov.io. It is an outreach tool that allows you to collect leads, store them in your CRM platform and send out targeted cold emails. There is an email finder extension where you can hop on LinkedIn and find your prospects, their email addresses, and make lead generation seamless.

A quick look, and the app is geared for lead generation and GETTING YOUR MESSAGE OUT. The Snov.io is a great sales automation tool, small-scale CRM, email marketing tool, and lead generation tool.

The email finder feature in the platform is acclaimed among users, and I can see why. Combine that with the plugin, lead generation becomes easy.

Snov.io Pros

In-platform guides and tutorials are easy to follow through

Efficient lead generation process (Platform + Extension)

Snov.io Cons

No refunds.

For a LinkedIn scraper, it is weird the email finder doesn't work on LinkedIn.

Plans Details Free Free Plan Available ✅
50 credits & 100 email receipts Basic Paid $39/mo High-end Paid Customizable usage and pricing
Data Aggregation and Analytics LinkedIn Scrapers

Moving away from singular developer solutions, we are now talking large-scale. Data aggregation and analytics scrapers cater to professionals and businesses that need more than just what LinkedIn has to provide up front. These scrapers go beyond extracting individual data points and provide enriched datasets, trends, and predictive insights for market research, talent analytics, workforce planning, and competitive analysis.

If you are in human resources or market research for a firm, this category of LinkedIn scrapers might appeal to you.

22.

A tool that standardizes public employment records to create a comprehensive HR database, Revelio Labs is perfect for HR analytics and the data services industry. It provides workforce intelligence by analyzing publicly available workforce data. You also get predictive analytics that anticipate layoffs, growth, and role-specific demand, making it ideal for corporate strategy and workforce planning.

The platform is easy to navigate, and there were no hiccups signing up for a free trial either. The best thing here is definitely the workforce dynamics (aggregated workforce statistics). An overview of everything you need to know about the company and their employees. The filters are awesome and have a variety of fields where you can tune your search results.

Revelio Labs Pros

Comprehensive workforce analytics, tailored for enterprise needs.

Predictive insights give a competitive edge in talent acquisition.

Detailed historical data for benchmarking and trend analysis.

Revelio Labs Cons

No transparent pricing details available.

Limited to only providing workforce data and lacks broader B2B data.

Revelio Labs Pricing

The pricing is not publicly available. However, they provide a 7 day free trial on signup and their pricing roughly starts from $85,000 a year. That is a tall pricing point, not a number every firm can afford.

23.

Xverum provides paid access to its massive-scale open web data with an aim to empower ML and SaaS platforms. Their datasets they extract are focused on firmographic data (information about companies), individual profiles, and other relevant public data.

Not much data is available on Xverum. Customer reviews online are not large enough to hold as reference.

Xverum Pros

They offer robust API options, enabling smooth integration into marketing and sales tools.

Extensive targeting options, supporting businesses in building segmented, tailored lists.

Xverum Cons

Xverum does not publish its pricing structure openly, which can make budgeting and cost comparison challenging.

Data update periods are not transparent; businesses that rely on highly current data might need a provider with data freshness guarantee.

Xverum Pricing

No free trials and no public pricing available. Their pricing roughly starts from $5,000/year.

24.

Coresignal might not be your typical scraper, but it does sell scraped data. They're a major player in the industry and there's a reason why customers prefer their service for their data solutions. Their datasets also consist of public and private data from LinkedIn, which they either scraped themselves or acquired through third-party means.

Coresignal Pros

Large dataset, aggregates data from a significant number of sources.

Provides a lot of data formats: JSON, Parquet, CSV, Other (upon request).

Coresignal Cons

Reports of customers receiving out-dated data. See Proxycurl vs. Coresignal.

"Real-time" API does not return data immediately.

Plans Details Free Free Plan Available ✅
200 Collect credits & 400 Search credits Basic Paid $49/mo High-end Paid $1,500/mo
25.

TalentNeuron is another workforce analytics platform that offers insights into labor market trends, talent availability, and workforce planning. It combines LinkedIn data with other proprietary sources to provide global workforce intelligence. Assessing hiring approaches, site selection to evaluate locations, benchmarking against competitors, diversity tracking, and remote work strategy development are all features provided by TalentNeuron.

TalentNeuron Pros

Combines LinkedIn data with third-party sources for deeper insights.

Great for teams/departments planning workforce expansions and recruitment strategies.

TalentNeuronCons

Lacks direct data download options like other competing tools.

TalentNeuron Pricing

The pricing information is not publicly available and you need to contact their sales team to sign up. No free trials either.

26.

SeekOut combines LinkedIn data with other sources to offer a robust platform for diversity hiring, talent sourcing, and analytics. It is an AI powered talent search engine built to help sources find and hire the right talent, fast.

A lot of standout features in this tool, starting with the Boolean search, which allows you to combine keywords with modifiers like and, not, and or to get more relevant results. The platform also has an AI robot that can work on your behalf and search for potential candidates that qualify for a job.

SeekOut Pros

Advanced diversity filters make it stand out in hiring analytics; it can find talent even among your existing team.

AI powered search-engine like platform.

SeekOut Cons

Data heavily leaning towards the US and Canada.

Limited use cases beyond recruitment.

27.

Entelo is my last rendition of data analytics Linkedin scraper. Similar to Revelio Labs, Entelo provides predictive recruiting and workforce diversity analysis. It's interesting as the software uses predictive analytics by identifying candidates who are more likely to change jobs. You can identify high-potential candidates, particularly those open to new opportunities or with specific skill sets.

Entelo Pros

Predictive recruiting tools streamline proactive hiring efforts.

Simple UI and strong ATS integration simplifies recruitment workflows.

Entelo Cons

Limited in scalability compared to tools like Revelio Labs or Xverum.

Entelo Pricing

The pricing information and plans are not available on Entelo's website. But I have it in good authority that their pricing starts from $149/mo. No free trial available.

No-Code LinkedIn Scrapers

I'm here to let you know, anyone can scrape LinkedIn. Yes, even if you have 0 coding experience.

No-code LinkedIn scrapers are ideal for individuals and businesses that need data extraction without programming knowledge. These tools provide intuitive interfaces and pre-built workflows that help you to scrape LinkedIn efficiently.

28.

Behold, the first no-code LinkedIn scraper on the list, Octoparse. A multi-purpose tool that can scrape LinkedIn along with various other websites. The platform can handle tasks like extracting public profiles, job postings, or company information. The cloud-based platform also supports integration with apps like Slack via Zapier.

I am a fan of the website's point-and-click interface. It is super simple and easy-to-follow. You can choose from a selection of templates they have available. Each template is associated with a website and is designed to do one specific task; for instance, the Linkedin Job Scraper template allows you to pull job information like job title and description from a URL.

Octoparse Pros

An all in one web scraping tool.

Cloud scraping allows tasks to run even when offline.

Octoparse Cons

Limited scraping capabilities on dynamic LinkedIn data due to platform anti-scraping measures.

Advanced features are primarily available to enterprise-level users.

Plans Details Free Free Plan Available ✅
10 tasks, 10K data per export. Basic Paid $77/mo High-end Paid Customizable usage and pricing
29.

Bright Data is kind of unique, in the sense, it does not scrape data for you but provides proxies for your own scrapers. Its no-code data collector even allows users to bypass restrictions like CAPTCHAs and IP bans. In 2022, they launched a new line of dataset products, with variety that rivals or even exceeds that of Coresignal's datasets.

Bright Data Pros

Reliable and a variety of proxy services: residential proxies, ISP proxies, data center proxies, and mobile proxies.

Data collector and SERP API tools enable you to collect public data in real-time.

You get to build your own scraper!

Bright Data Cons

Setting and implementation can take weeks for everything to function properly.

Some proxies are quite expensive and might be beyond budget for startups and small businesses.

Plans Tier Details Free Free 7 Days Free Trial Available ✅
Proxy Infrastructure Basic Paid
High-end Paid $499/mo
$1999/mo Scraping Automation Basic Paid
High-end Paid $499/mo
$1999/mo Data and Insights Basic Paid
High-end Paid $500/mo
Customizable

Note: The pricing plans are anything but simple. There are a lot of subcategories and different pricing points. I suggest you visit the 30.

ParseHub is a versatile no-code that uses machine learning to identify page elements, making it easier to set up scraping tasks. The platform navigates and extracts data from sites using Ajax, JavaScript, cookies, sessions, and redirects.

I found ParseHub intuitive and powerful. The point-and-click interface is easy to figure out even if you don't have any instructions or tutorials. Just copy the URL you want to scrape from, and then use the browser interface inside the platform to point and click. All the data scraped is displayed below and you can even choose the format.

What's astonishing is this is all from the free version. I am quite impressed with what you can do with just the free version. ParseHub claims that the free version is worth $99, and I don't doubt it. You get 200 pages of data in 40 minutes and you'll be able to launch your projects without spending any time writing scraping scripts by yourself.

ParseHub Pros

Extract data from any website and create custom Excel files.

Smooth and user-friendly interface through a point-and-click method.

Supports cloud storage integration with popular cloud storage services like Dropbox and Amazon S3.

ParseHub Cons

Struggles with LinkedIn's anti-bot measures, leading to potential data gaps.

Difficulties in troubleshooting extraction failures or making necessary project adjustments.

Consumes a significant amount of system resources, particularly in the free version.

Plans Details Free Free Plan Available ✅
200 pages of data in 40 mins Basic Paid $189/mo High-end Paid Customizable usage and pricing
31.

Import.io allows you to pull data from LinkedIn or any website and have this data updated in real time. Just map the data on a page and the platform's algorithm will do the rest. What you get is an API that gives you real time access to the data on that website.

While it is a no-code scraper, it provides the option for tech savvy users to use their data extraction features to make custom crawlers, get data from behind a login, and combine multiple data sources and query them all at once with a single API call.

Import.io Pros

Supports scheduled scraping for regular data updates.

Integrates with data analysis tools like Tableau and Google Sheets.

Strong customer support for troubleshooting issues.

Import.io Cons

Limited LinkedIn-specific workflows.

Requires manual intervention for highly dynamic LinkedIn pages.

How do I find the best LinkedIn Scraper for me?

30+ different options to choose from, no wonder you might feel overwhelmed! To make it simpler, I've already categorized the scrapers. Now, let me break it down even further by highlighting key factors you should consider when selecting the right LinkedIn scraper.

Technical proficiency

If you're a developer or have a technical background, tools like Proxycurl or LinkedIn Scraper might be more up your alley. Depending on the volume of data and the time you are willing to invest, you would want to work with an enterprise level solution like Proxycurl or work by yourself on an open-source solution.

For those less technically inclined, no-code scrapers like ParseHub or Octoparse and browser extension-based tools like Waalaxy, Evaboot, or Octopus CRM might be more suitable.

Data depth and freshness

If you're looking for the most recent and in-depth data, Proxycurl stands out. Especially with its use_cache=if-recent parameter and a data freshness guarantee for your peace of mind.

For more basic data, tools like Dux-Soup and Waalxy might suffice.

Purpose

Each category of LinkedIn scrapers serve a different purpose.

If your focus is on data extraction and enrichment, Proxycurl offers a comprehensive solution.

For outreach campaigns, Waalaxy and Octopus CRM are designed with this primary function in mind.

If email maximization and lead generation is your game, go with Hunter.io or UpLead.

Budget

If you're on a tight budget, the open-source options like LinkedIn_Scraper and LinkedIn-API are free.

For those willing to invest for more features and ease of use, Proxycurl and PhantomBuster offer tiered pricing options.

Ease of Use

For a straightforward, user-friendly experience, Waalaxy, Lemlist and ParseHub are designed with simplicity in mind.

Tools like PhantomBuster and Coresignal might have a steeper learning curve due to their extensive features.

Scalability

If you're looking for a tool that can grow with your business, Proxycurl offers a scalable API that can be integrated into various systems.

Is LinkedIn Scraping legal?

Let me preface by saying web scraping is legal. The legality of scraping is based on different factors like the type of data, the website's terms of service, data protection laws like GDPR, and much more.

As per LinkedIn's policy, it is very clear that scraping isn't allowed. Using third-party software is strictly prohibited to scrape LinkedIn.

So, are we working beyond the law?

Absolutely not. The Proxycurl!, and transfer the liability completely.

My Recommendation

I've opened the playing field up, so everything is out in the open. My personal recommendation is Proxycurl. It stands out (yes out of all these tools) for its versatility, depth of data, and developer-friendly features.

Obviously, I might be a bit biased, but I back my words with facts.

With Proxycurl, you won't need any VPNs, proxies, a rotating index of LinkedIn accounts, or anything else. Zero LinkedIn scraping headaches involved!

You get access to rich B2B data from more data sources than just LinkedIn. We always link it back to a LinkedIn identifier, so it may seem like our API only relies on LinkedIn, but it doesn't.

That's just a part of the equation and is what often makes our data richer than our competitors.

Proxycurl will provide you with a simple and scalable API that you can build into whatever you need it to be, or into your existing systems. It easily solves the need of having to scrape LinkedIn profiles, and you gain access to even richer data than you could obtain by scraping LinkedIn alone.

You start off with 100 free credits upon signup, so test it out, have a look around. See if I am truly biased or just talking off of facts.

Final Thoughts

With this list, now you're equipped with the power of identifiable options. Weigh your needs and make an informed decision, because no one wants to change their providers midway. It's just too much hassle, takes too much energy, money and messes up with your datasets.

Your ideal LinkedIn scraper is there to support your purpose. With so many choices available, don't settle for anything less.

Ready to opt for a scraper without compromises? Sign up with Proxycurl today!

FAQs

Is it possible to scrape data from LinkedIn?

LinkedIn Scrapers exist for this purpose. The smart thing to do is to opt for a tool that automates the process. You don’t want to be stuck manually pulling or attempting to pull data from LinkedIn.

How to scrape leads from LinkedIn for free?

Go with open source LinkedIn scrapers if you have a coding background. If not, there are a lot of free plans or credits offered by many tools like Octoparse, Import.io, and Proxycurl. You can get to scraping straight away, although the service might be limited and might need a paid subscription to fully unlock all the features.

What is the limit of scraping on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn imposes the following scraping limitations:

80 profiles/day with a free account

150 profiles/day with a LinkedIn Premium account.

1000 profiles/day with a LinkedIn Sales Navigator account.

How does LinkedIn detect scrapers?

Activities that don’t seem “human” are flagged by LinkedIn’s algorithm. Keep in mind that LinkedIn is against unauthorized scraping, so say an account is browsing loads of profiles in a short amount of time, the activity is flagged by the automation detector.

Can I scrape LinkedIn data without being detected?

Most tools implement techniques like random delays or IP rotation to reduce detection risk. However, no scraper guarantees 100% undetectability, and LinkedIn actively works to detect and block scraping.

What should I do if my LinkedIn account gets banned?

If in case your account is banned, contact LinkedIn and plead for reinstatement. Be wary of LinkedIn’s Terms of use and use scrapers with moderation.

I Built a Diversity App to Pull Employee Composition of Any Company

Proxycurl — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 06:55:31 +0000

At Proxycurl, we don’t just believe in the power of diverse talent; we proudly embrace it. For that cause, we wanted something visual, something that would celebrate diversity in the workplace while serving as a medium for meaningful company insights.

As a developer, I spearheaded that challenge and coded a full interactive widget that takes a company's LinkedIn profile URL and instantly generates a vibrant pie-chart. This chart visually breaks down the company’s employee composition by country and job title, offering a clear picture of global representation. It’s a simple yet powerful tool to highlight what makes teams unique.

Here's the final product:

Note: Find the full code on our GitHub repo.

Today, in the spirit of celebrating diversity paired with functionality, I’ll guide you through how I developed this app, and how you can do the same using my source code.

The app will display your company's employee composition based on a company's LinkedIn profile URL. Specifically,

Composition by country (such as 85% US, 15% UK)
Composition by job titles (such as software engineer, designer, and account executive).

At Proxycurl, our dedication to fostering diversity inspired this project. But if you’re wondering how this app could serve you, the possibilities are huge:

Use case 1: for investment teams to identify investment signals

Let's say you're an early-stage VC firm, you can track startups with <10 employees and monitor for recent fast growth, which suggests that they're doing well and a potential for your investment.

Use case 2: for sales teams to identify buying signals

Let's say you're selling a service to optimize cloud cost in AWS, you can monitor for companies that are hiring lots of backend engineers and infer that they have heavy use of cloud server, potentially needing your service.

Use case 3: for marketing teams to track competitors' growth strategies

Let's say you're devising the marketing focus for the next quarter, and you observed that your competitor has been hiring aggressively for video content marketers, that would suggest that they're going after the video channel strongly.

Still not convinced? Here's an app demo to give you a push.

Prerequisites

Here's what you'll need to get started:

A basic aptitude for coding
Node v18+
Proxycurl API key - this is where we will pull the employee data based on their company LinkedIn profile URL
Basic knowledge of React.js & Next.js
Basic understanding of Tailwind CSS

Step 1: Create a new Next.js project

To start, you’ll need to create the foundation and structure of your app. Set up a new Next.js project.

npx create-next-app@latest employee-composition
cd employee-composition && npm run dev

Next, we’ll install essential UI components.

npx shadcn@latest add button card input

Now that we've set up the core framework and basic UI components, time to build from the bottom up!

Step 2: Pulling employee data via API

We will use Proxycurl to pull the entire employee list of a company input by the user. First, sign up for Proxycurl and get free credits. Under your dashboard, navigate to Company Endpoints, then find Employee Listing Endpoint. Here’s an example request:

import requests

api_key = 'YOUR_API_KEY'
headers = {'Authorization': 'Bearer ' + api_key}
api_endpoint = 'https://nubela.co/proxycurl/api/linkedin/company/employees/'
params = {
    'url': 'https://www.linkedin.com/company/microsoft',
    'coy_name_match': 'include',
    'use_cache': 'if-present',
    'country': 'us',
    'enrich_profiles': 'enrich',
    'role_search': '(co)?-?founder',
    'page_size': '10',
    'employment_status': 'current',
    'sort_by': 'recently-joined',
    'resolve_numeric_id': 'false',
}
response = requests.get(api_endpoint,
                        params=params,
                        headers=headers)

You can also choose to automatically enrich employee profiles with other data points using the enrich_profiles = enrich parameter.

Step 3: Create a Next.js API

Directly exposing your API key in the client is a security risk. So let's take a detour and create a Next.js API route that serves as a proxy for API calls. Add the following code to app/api/employeeListing/route.js:

import { NextResponse } from "next/server";

export async function GET(req) {
  const { searchParams } = new URL(req.url);
  const company_url = searchParams.get("company_url");
  const next_page_url = searchParams.get("next_page_url")
  const after = searchParams.get("after");

  const finalUrl =
    next_page_url && next_page_url !== 'undefined'
      ? `${next_page_url}&after=${after}&enrich_profiles=enrich`
      : `https://nubela.co/proxycurl/api/linkedin/company/employees/?url=${company_url}&enrich_profiles=enrich`;


  try {
    const response = await fetch(finalUrl, {
      headers: {
        Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.PROXYCURL_API_KEY}`,
      },
    });

    const data = await response.json();
    return NextResponse.json(data);
  } catch (error) {
    return NextResponse.json({ error });
  }
}

Step 4: Input company LinkedIn URL

You need to input a LinkedIn company URL to fetch employee data. For this, we’ll use the Input and Button components we installed earlier.

In app/page.js , add the input & button components from shadcn.

"use client"; 
import { Input } from "@/components/ui/input";
import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";  

const [companyUrl, setCompanyUrl] = useState("");  
const handleKeyPress = (e) => {     
    if (e.key === "Enter") {       
      handleSubmit();    
      }  
};

return (   
<div className="mx-auto w-full max-w-2xl min-h-[100vh] flex flex-col p-4">
    <div className="flex flex-col gap-4 mx-auto w-full sm:flex-row sm:w-auto">
      <Input
        className="w-full sm:w-96"
        placeholder="LinkedIn Company URL"
        value={companyUrl}
        onChange={(e) => setCompanyUrl(e.target.value)}
        onKeyPress={handleKeyPress}
      />
      <Button className="w-full sm:w-auto" onClick={handleSubmit}>
        Submit
      </Button>
    </div>
</div>

This creates an input field and a button for submitting the LinkedIn URL. It should look something like this:

Great! We are halfway there!

Step 5: Fetching employee data and handling pagination

Now let's define the handleSubmit in app/page.js. The handleSubmit function triggers the API call. Here’s how it’s implemented in app/page.js:

const handleSubmit = async (e) => {
    e.preventDefault();
    await fetchEmployeeListing();
};

API call done! But what about pagination? The logic here is if there's next_page URL in the response, we will call that URL until there isn't one, which is indicated by next_page being null.

The fetchEmployeeListing function handles API requests, including pagination. If next_page exists in the response, it fetches data until all pages are retrieved.

const fetchEmployeeListing = async (next_page_url) => {
    try {
      setIsLoading(true);
      const res = await fetch(
        `/api/employeeListing?company_url=${companyUrl}&next_page_url=${next_page_url}`,
        {
          method: "GET",
          headers: {
            "Content-Type": "application/json",
          },
        },
      );
      const data = await res.json();

      const cleanData = data.employees.filter(
        (employee) => employee.profile !== null,
      );

      const company_id = companyUrl.split("/company/")[1].replace("/", "");

      handleSaveQuery({
        company_id: company_id,
        employees: cleanData,
      });

      if (data.next_page !== null) {
        fetchEmployeeListing(data.next_page);
      } else {
        const employeeListing = JSON.parse(
          localStorage.getItem("employeeListing"),
        );

        const countryCount = {};

        employeeListing[company_id].employees.forEach((employee) => {
          const country = employee.profile.country_full_name;
          countryCount[country] = (countryCount[country] || 0) + 1;
        });

        const occupationCount = {};

        employeeListing[company_id].employees.forEach((employee) => {
          const occupation = employee.profile.occupation;
          occupationCount[occupation] = (occupationCount[occupation] || 0) + 1;
        });

        try {
          const res = await fetch(`/api/categorizeJobTitle`, {
            method: "POST",
            body: JSON.stringify({ job_title: occupationCount }),
          });

          const categorizedOccupationJSON = await res.json();
          const categorizedOccupationCount = JSON.parse(categorizedOccupationJSON);

          setCountryData({
            labels: Object.keys(countryCount),
            data: Object.values(countryCount),
          });

          setOccupationData({
            labels: Object.keys(categorizedOccupationCount),
            data: Object.values(categorizedOccupationCount),
          });
        } catch (error) {
          console.log(error);
        }

        setIsLoading(false);
        return;
      }
    } catch (error) {
      console.log(error);
    }
  };

Now, it's time to implement the functionality to store the results of the API calls in your local storage:

 const handleSaveQuery = ({ company_id, employees }) => {
    const storedEmployeeListing =
      JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem("employeeListing")) || [];

    if (storedEmployeeListing[company_id]?.employees?.length > 0) {
      const updatedEmployees = [
        ...storedEmployeeListing[company_id].employees,
        ...employees,
      ];
      localStorage.setItem(
        "employeeListing",
        JSON.stringify({
          ...storedEmployeeListing,
          [company_id]: {
            employees: updatedEmployees,
          },
        }),
      );
    } else {
      localStorage.setItem(
        "employeeListing",
        JSON.stringify({
          ...storedEmployeeListing,
          [company_id]: {
            employees: employees,
          },
        }),
      );
    }
  };

Step 6: Displaying the data in a pie chart

Now the fun part. After getting all of data, we want to be able to easily understand them, the various countries and job titles of the employees in their proper percentages.

For this, we'll use a pie chart component from ApexCharts.

First, create app/components/Pie.jsx:

'use client';
import React from 'react';
import dynamic from 'next/dynamic';

const Chart = dynamic(() => import('react-apexcharts'), { ssr: false });

function PieChart({chartData}) {

  const { labels, data } = chartData;

  if (!data || !labels ) return null;

  const options = {
    chart: {
      type: 'pie',
      foreColor: 'hsl(var(--foreground))',
      fontFamily: 'var(--font-geist-sans)'
    },
    labels: labels,
    colors: [
      'hsl(var(--chart-1))',
      'hsl(var(--chart-2))',
      'hsl(var(--chart-3))',
      'hsl(var(--chart-4))',
      'hsl(var(--chart-5))',
    ],
    legend: {
      position: 'bottom',
      fontSize: '12px',
      fontFamily: 'var(--font-geist-sans)',
      height: 'auto',
      offsetY: 10,
      labels: {
        colors: 'hsl(var(--foreground))'
      },
      markers: {
        width: 8,
        height: 8,
      },
      itemMargin: {
        horizontal: 8,
        vertical: 3
      },
      containerMargin: {
        top: 12
      },
      formatter: function(seriesName, opts) {
        return seriesName.length > 30 ? seriesName.substring(0, 30) + '...' : seriesName;
      }
    },
    tooltip: {
      style: {
        fontSize: '14px',
        fontFamily: 'var(--font-geist-sans)'
      }
    },
    responsive: [{
      breakpoint: 480,
      options: {
        chart: {
          width: 300
        },
        legend: {
          position: 'bottom'
        }
      }
    }]
  };

  return (
    <div className="w-[500px]">
      <Chart
        options={options}
        series={data}
        type="pie"
        width="500"
        height="500"
      />
    </div>
  );
}

export default PieChart;

What you'll get is this beautiful pie chart displaying all the data you have, in a slick and visually-aesthetic manner.

Congratulations! You now have a working employee composition App.

Wrapping Up

This project was a fun little way to express our values and I sure had fun on this project. But remember, nothing is set in stone and don't fret to add your own twist along the way.

Beyond Proxycurl's commitment to diversity, this project also serves an excellent example to what our API can do in terms of real-world use cases. Proxycurl’s API capabilities surpass just enriching employee and company data; it serves as powerful tools for applications requiring detailed professional insights.

Take the first step. Sign up for Proxycurl today!

What does diversity cover?

A diverse workforce represents the a vast range of people. People with different nationalities, ethnicities, religions, people with disabilities, and both men and women. It also means valuing and cherishing those differences.

How do you align yourself with workplace diversity?

The best way you can align yourself with diversity is to highlight your policies and initiatives to support the cause. Share stories and represent your commitment by integrating visual tools that highlight your team’s composition. It’s a simple yet impactful way to celebrate diversity and share your values with your audience.

Why do I need an employee composition app?

A commitment to celebrate and embrace diversity is a big reason enough. But if you are looking for more practical use cases:

For investors: Track companies with rapid growth as investment signals.
For sales teams: Identify potential leads based on hiring trends.
For marketers: Monitor competitor strategies based on hiring patterns.

Can the app handle large companies with thousands of employees?

Yes, the app supports pagination and retrieves data in batches to manage large datasets efficiently.

This Is How I Accessed LinkedIn Sales Navigator API: A Guide

Proxycurl — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 04:20:43 +0000

So you want to rank up your lead generation game. Cut through the noise towards prospects and ideal candidates. Well, LinkedIn Sales Navigator API does just that, and much more.

Today, I will share how I accessed the LinkedIn Sales Navigator API and everything you will need to know about it. From set ups with actual code snippets, to the challenges you might face, we will get through each aspect one by one. Lastly, I will introduce you to an alternative, Proxycurl. A paid API that covers those limitations and offers you more. Intrigued? Let's get right into it.

I'll kick this off with a quick demo on how you can start pulling sales data using LinkedIn Sales Navigator API.

import requests

headers = {
    'Authorization': 'Bearer your_access_token',
}

response = requests.get('https://api.linkedin.com/v2/salesNavigatorData', headers=headers)

print(response.json())

By the end of this article, you will be able to leverage LinkedIn's professional network (like I did!) and discover a new game changing tool, Proxycurl.

What is the LinkedIn Sales Navigator API?

In a sentence, LinkedIn Sales Navigator API is an advanced tool that grants access to LinkedIn's network and professional data. Tapping into that data means you get valuable insights for sales intelligence, lead generation, and market research.

Here's a simple use case. Let's say you're tracking a few candidates for a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) role at your company. With LinkedIn Sales Navigator API, you can create a custom dashboard to keep an eye on these individuals. The dashboard will automatically update whenever someone on your list changes jobs or updates their profile, so you're always in the loop.

With this API, you can:

Fetch detailed personal and company data

Personally, this was the reason why I tried the LinkedIn Sales Navigator API. The API allows you to fetch personal and company data from LinkedIn and enrich your platform by integrating these profiles into your platform. Everything from work history, skills, endorsements, mutual connections, will help you understand your prospect clients or possible networks.

Data Recency and Sync

LinkedIn Sales Navigator API allows you to sync the pulled data with your existing customer information. Plus, you can directly create contact records from these search results and build a robust contact database in no time. Now you've got a better market view to draw your strategies and make decisions.

What's better, using the real-time data sync feature of LinkedIn Sales Navigator API and synchronizing data directly from search queries, you can always pull the most current and accurate information on your platform.

Advanced Search Option

With LinkedIn Sales Navigator, you can filter your search based on criterias like industry, location, company, job title, experience, etc. Pair that with its data syncing capabilities, and you now have a custom contact record of potential leads in your database.

How to Access LinkedIn Sales Navigator API

Accessing the LinkedIn Sales Navigator API was not as straightforward as I thought. I went in with the assumption that you could just create an account and call an endpoint. There are a lot of restrictions and costs involved with the tool.

Follow these steps to access the tool:

Step 1: Get the Sales Navigator Subscription

The first step is to have an active Sales Navigator subscription. Head on over to Step 2: Apply for API Access

With a Sales Navigator subscription, you can now apply for API access through LinkedIn's Step 3: Wait for the Approval Process

Once you have applied for the access, it goes through an approval process. LinkedIn carefully reviews API access applications to ensure they align with their guidelines and terms of service. The approval process can take several weeks, so you have to be patient.

How to Authenticate with LinkedIn Sales Navigator API

Here's how to authenticate with the Sales Navigator API.

import requests

#Function to authenticate and get access token\
def  get_access_token(client_id, client_secret, redirect_uri, auth_code):\
url = "https://www.linkedin.com/oauth/v2/accessToken"\
params = {\
 'grant_type': 'authorization_code',\
 'code': auth_code,\
 'redirect_uri': redirect_uri,\
 'client_id': client_id,\
 'client_secret': client_secret\
}

response = requests.post(url, data=params)\
return response.json()

# Example usage\
client_id = 'your_client_id'\
client_secret = 'your_client_secret'\
redirect_uri = 'your_redirect_uri'\
auth_code = 'your_auth_code'

access_token = get_access_token(client_id, client_secret, redirect_uri, auth_code)\
print(access_token)

Pulling Data from LinkedIn Sales Navigator API - A Guide

Due to the access restrictions and limitations, fetching data directly from LinkedIn Sales Navigator requires a more complex approach. The approval process in itself is a headache. Once you're approved, you can use the API to fetch data.

Take a look at this instance, a snippet for retrieving a person profile.

import linkedin_sales_navigator # Assuming a library exists for the API

#Replace with your access token and person ID\
access_token = 'your_linkedin_sales_navigator_access_token'\
person_id = 'john-doe-123456'

client = linkedin_sales_navigator.Client(access_token)\
profile_data = client.get_profile(person_id)

# Returned data may include limited fields based on your access level\
print(profile_data) # This might only contain basic information like name, headline, etc.

The person profile returned by your request can have basic fields like the person's name, job title, location, and industry, or a greater number of fields including experience and education, depending on your subscription. Here’s what your output should look like:

{
  "name": "John Doe",
  "headline": "Senior Software Engineer at TechCorp",
  "linkedin_url": "https://linkedin.com/in/john-doe-123456/",
  "profile_picture_url": "https://media.licdn.com/profile-pic.jpg",
  "current_position": {
    "title": "Senior Software Engineer",
    "company_name": "TechCorp",
    "start_date": "2019-06"
  },
  "location": "San Francisco Bay Area",
  "connections_count": 500,
  "summary": "Passionate software engineer with over 7 years of experience in building scalable web applications and AI solutions.",
  "skills": ["Java", "Spring Boot", "Cloud Computing", "Machine Learning"]
}

Be advised the data returned might be limited by your access level (basic details) and could take longer to obtain due to the application process.

But that's not all. Here are a few major things to keep in mind while trying to pull data using LinkedIn Sales Navigator API:

Define the Scope

Determine what kind of data you want to extract. Is it lead data, company profiles, or job postings? Choose the fields you want so you know the right API endpoints to call.

API Documentation

Help yourself to the LinkedIn Sales Navigator API documentation to understand the API structure, endpoints, parameters, and best practices.

Rate Limits

Be mindful of the API rate limits. Don't fall for the same thing I did. You can only make a limited number of API calls within a certain time frame (e.g., per day). For instance, you may be limited to 1000 API requests per day, depending on your subscription tier. Go over and your application will stop functioning temporarily.

Is LinkedIn Sales Navigator API Free?

Just to be clear, LinkedIn Sales Navigator API is NOT a free service. The pricing for Sales Navigator is publicly available and may vary based on your use case. You can find more information about pricing and usage limits by contacting LinkedIn's " rel="nofollow">API documentation.

Difficulty in Using LinkedIn Sales Navigator API

There are a lot of problems that come with using LinkedIn Sales Navigator API. Some I expected, and some I faced along the way.

Here are some problems you should look out for:

Access Restrictions

As I stated before, the approval process is a lengthy one. It depends on your application as much as it depends on LinkedIn's process. The wait is not the worst part however, as it is hard to get approval. You may need to meet specific criteria, such as having a verified LinkedIn profile or being part of a business account. There is always a risk of rejection if your use case is not deemed appropriate. Check out API Rate Limits

I went overboard with my API calls and LinkedIn temporarily shut down my app. There are strict rate limits on the number of API calls you can make within a specific timeframe. The amount will depend on what subscription you paid for. Be careful with the amount of APIs you call if you don't want to go through the same thing I did!

It was an inconvenience for sure but the consequences can be tenfold for businesses than individuals. On a large scale, encountering these limitations can potentially hinder operations.

Cost

You'll need an active Sales Navigator subscription to access the API. It does not come cheap and so it can be very hard for startups or small businesses.

Technical Complexity and Steep Learning Curve

Integrating the LinkedIn Sales Navigator API into your systems is easier said than done. You also have to devote your time to understand the API's structure, endpoints, and best practices despite your technical expertise. Then again, you have to be on the lookout for API errors and rate limits.

Enter Proxycurl- The Better Alternative to LinkedIn Sales Navigator API

LinkedIn Sales Navigator API has a baggage of its own. There is no avoiding its shortcomings, especially when it comes to access, rate limits, and customization.

This is where Proxycurl steps in as a superior alternative API solution.

What is Proxycurl?

Proxycurl is an API product that allows businesses and developers to pull and enrich professional profile and company data from LinkedIn. Whether you're building a B2B sales tool, an HR application, or a data aggregator, Proxycurl provides the information you need with fewer barriers and greater customization options compared to LinkedIn Sales Navigator API.

Why is Proxycurl better than LinkedIn Sales Navigator API?

Proxycurl is BETTER than LinkedIn Sales Navigator API. Believe me. Let me prove it to you.

No Approval Process

You don't have to cast your application and hope you get approved while you're dangling for weeks on end. And LinkedIn's strict eligibility criteria does you no favors. Whether you're an independent researcher, a startup, a small business or a global enterprise, Proxycurl is open for all. Try it using free credits from signing up or subscribe to one of the available plans and get your data.

High API Rate Limits

In comparison, Proxycurl offers significantly higher rate limits than LinkedIn Sales Navigator API. Pair that up with a high degree of scalability, and you have got yourself a tool that grows alongside you.

Customizable Data Output

Proxycurl provides greater flexibility in data extraction. You can specify the exact fields and information you need, then customize the data output to match your specific requirements.

You also have the ability to access historical data as well. Proxycurl allows you flexibility in data freshness, with an option to extract freshly-scraped data, data 29 days old or younger or historical data that is older than 29 days.

Transparent Pricing Plans

Proxycurl's pricing plans are publicly available on the website. Along with plans, there are clear tiers and usage-based fees for those who are unsure about their usage. It also goes without saying that the cost is far more affordable than that of LinkedIn Sales Navigator.

Plans	LinkedIn Sales Navigator	Proxycurl
Free	N/A	100 free credits upon signup
Basic Paid	Core (for individuals) $99/mo	Starter $49/mo
High-end Paid	Advanced plus (for teams) $1,600 per person/year	Enterprise <$2,000/year

How to pull data using Proxycurl (The Easy Way)

Fetching data with Proxycurl is super simple. All you need is an API key and the target URL.

Here's a snippet using Proxycurl, doing the same thing as I did with the LinkedIn API, pulling a person profile.

import requests

#Replace with your Proxycurl API key\
api_key = 'your_proxycurl_api_key'\
person_linkedin_url = 'https://linkedin.com/in/john-doe-123456/'

url = f'https://nubela.co/proxycurl/api/v2/linkedin?url={person_linkedin_url}'\
headers = {'Authorization': f'Bearer {api_key}'}

response = requests.get(url, headers=headers)

if response.status_code == 200:\
profile_data = response.json()\
print(profile_data) # This could include richer data depending on Proxycurl's capabilities\
else:\
print(f"Error: {response.status_code}")

And that's it. Here’s what the output from Proxycurl looks like.

{
  "name": "John Doe",
  "headline": "Senior Software Engineer at TechCorp",
  "profile_picture_url": "https://example.com/profile-pic.jpg",
  "linkedin_url": "https://linkedin.com/in/john-doe-123456/",
  "current_company": {
    "name": "TechCorp",
    "position": "Senior Software Engineer",
    "url": "https://linkedin.com/company/techcorp",
    "start_date": "2019-06-01"
  },
  "past_companies": [
    {
      "name": "WebInnovators",
      "position": "Software Engineer",
      "start_date": "2016-08-01",
      "end_date": "2019-05-31"
    }
  ],
  "location": "San Francisco, California, USA",
  "education": [
    {
      "institution": "Stanford University",
      "degree": "Master's in Computer Science",
      "start_date": "2012-09-01",
      "end_date": "2014-06-01"
    }
  ],
  "skills": ["Python", "Java", "AWS", "Machine Learning"],
  "contact_info": {
    "email": "john.doe@example.com",
    "phone": "+1-234-567-8901"
  },
  "last_activity": {
    "date": "2023-10-15",
    "content": "Excited to announce the launch of our new AI-powered platform at TechCorp!"
  },
  "remaining_data": null
}

The Person Profile Endpoint here will return you their name, social media ids, personal email and much more. The data returned is more comprehensive and is readily available with a valid API key.

Proxycurl API vs LinkedIn Sales Navigator API- A Summary

Let's bring these two API solutions head-to-head and see the difference.

Feature	LinkedIn Sales Navigator API	Proxycurl API
Access	Lengthy approval process required	Instant access with API key
API Rate Limits	Limited number of API calls per day	High API rate limits for large-scale data pulling
Customization	Limited customization for data fields	Flexible and customizable data output
Pricing	Expensive, tiered pricing model	Transparent, affordable pricing
Real-Time Data	Data may not always be up-to-date	Accurate, real-time data
Ease of Use	Requires complex setup and management	Easy to use with simple API calls
Customer Support	Limited customer support	Responsive and developer-friendly support

Final Thoughts

The LinkedIn Sales Navigator API is a powerful tool that allows you to harness LinkedIn's vast pool of professional data. Follow along with the steps and you will get your data in no time using LinkedIn Sales Navigator API. Well of course, not mentioning the long approval process. Oh and there's also a high chance your application getting rejected. Bleak.

Proxycurl is here to save the day. Higher API rate limits, easier access, and more customization options at a lower cost. Pull the data you need, and do not look back.

No compromises, just fast and reliable data. Try Proxycurl today!

The LinkedIn API Pricing Guide You Need And How To Get Access

Proxycurl — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 04:44:12 +0000

If you're utilizing LinkedIn's professional data for profiles, business information, or job listings, you've undoubtedly encountered the same difficulties that many developers do. LinkedIn APIs come with hefty prices and stringent access limitations, making them a tough nut to crack.

Having worked in AI training, data processing, and content management, I've seen how these blockers can frustrate even the most data-driven organizations. LinkedIn offers APIs at several pricing points. The People Profile API costs more than $59 per month for it's pricing, while the Company Profile API costs more than $699 per month. And that's only the beginning; before you can even start, you'll need to be part of the notoriously-difficult-to-get-access-to LinkedIn Partner program.

Don’t just hear from me, see what some Redditors say too:

Definitely a waste of time. Its almost impossible to get access to their api, unless you are a well stablished business...even then… (Working-Finish-5560)
Agreed. We have clients, a full platform, users and funding from a venture capitalist in the UK and I can't even get a reply from their partnership team. (Ian_SalesLynk)

Here’s a quick comparison of the different APIs pricing structure:

LinkedIn API	Pricing	Uses	Access
People Profile API	(custom plans)	Retrieve individual LinkedIn profiles, work experiences, skills, etc.	Requires application and LinkedIn partnership
Company Profile API	(custom plans)	Retrieve company info such as size, industry, employee count	Requires LinkedIn partnership approval
Jobs API	Variable, based on usage volume	Extract job listings, search for relevant job postings	Limited to LinkedIn partner integrations
Sales Navigator API	$99.99 - $149.99 per month (per user)	Access to advanced search and insights for sales outreach	Via Sales Navigator subscription

But here’s the thing—while LinkedIn APIs can get the job done, their complex pricing and access requirements can be a real headache. That’s where Proxycurl steps in as a smarter, more affordable alternative. In this article, we’ll dive into the various LinkedIn API pricing tiers, access challenges, and how to set up.

Types of LinkedIn APIs/Tiers

Having worked on projects that require precise data handling and integration, I’ve had my fair share of navigating different APIs, including LinkedIn’s. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution here—LinkedIn offers a range of APIs, each designed for specific use cases, from retrieving user profiles to insights on company data. But figuring out the right option can feel like trying to untangle a set of complex instructions. The access you get depends not just on the API you choose but also on LinkedIn’s tiered system, which impacts the depth of data, how easy it is to access, and the overall cost. Let’s dive into the details and make sense of LinkedIn’s API landscape, so you can see what best fits your needs.

1. API for LinkedIn People Profiles

If you need detailed personal data from LinkedIn users—like work history, education, skills, and other profile insights—the People Profile API is your go-to. In my experience managing data collection projects, I’ve seen how valuable this level of access can be for building precise datasets. However, LinkedIn doesn’t make it simple. To use this API, you’ll need to be part of LinkedIn’s Partner Program, and getting in means navigating a long and detailed application process. It’s not just about access—it’s about proving you’ll use their data responsibly, which makes sense, given the sensitive nature of the information.