LinkedIn

LinkedIn Scraping: Techniques to unlock the full potential [Step by Step Guide]

Mihaela Cicvaric
LAST UPDATED
September 6, 2024
READING TIME
7 min.

The ability to use data effectively can give businesses a significant competitive edge. One such data goldmine is LinkedIn - a platform with over 700 million professionals worldwide.

LinkedIn scraping is a powerful technique for data extraction and profile scraping.

This data has plenty of potential, from lead generation to market research, talent acquisition, and more.

Whether you are a business owner, marketer, recruiter, or data scientist, understanding how to scrape LinkedIn profiles effectively can open up a world of opportunities!

This article will help you understand and apply LinkedIn scraping, from the basics to advanced techniques, ensuring you can unlock the full potential of this powerful data extraction method and grow your business.

What is LinkedIn scraping?

Before going into the specifics of LinkedIn scraping, it's crucial to understand the broader concept of web scraping.

Web scraping is a method used to extract large amounts of data from websites quickly and efficiently. It plays a significant role in extracting LinkedIn data.

The data extracted can be used for a variety of purposes, such as

  • market research,
  • lead generation,
  • and competitor analysis.

With the right tools and techniques, web scraping can be a powerful method for extracting valuable data from LinkedIn!

In the context of LinkedIn, web scraping involves extracting data from LinkedIn profiles, company pages, and other relevant areas of the platform.

LinkedIn uses a complex structure to organize and display data, which can make scraping a challenge.

However, with the right tools and techniques, it's possible to navigate this structure and extract valuable data efficiently.

Once you have a hold on the essentials of LinkedIn scraping, you can open a world of data and leverage it for your business or research needs!

The next sections of this guide will go deeper into the practical aspects of LinkedIn scraping, including the tools and techniques you can use to extract data effectively.

Top Tools for Efficient LinkedIn Scraping

The effectiveness of your LinkedIn scraping efforts largely depends on the tools you use.

There is a wide array of scraping tools available today, each with its unique capabilities and features.

Here’s our list of top tools to efficiently scrap your leads 👇

lemlist

The quickest way to import leads directly from LinkedIn to your outreach campaign is to use the lemlist Chrome extension.

The extension allows you can scrape all the leads from a LinkedIn or Sales navigator search.

It will collect information like first name, company name, or LinkedIn URL, and send them to the lemlist campaign of your choice without leaving the app.

You can also send leads individually from their profiles to lemlist with additional information such as job positions, certifications, industry, company information, etc. and edit their information.

On top of that, you can create an icebreaker for a lead from the Chrome extension and send it as a variable to lemlist.

If you want to make your message stand out with a custom image, you can use an extension to take a screenshot of leads’ profiles and include them in your campaign.

Here’s how to use lemlist Chrome extension to scrape LinkedIn profiles:

  1. Install the extension from the Google Chrome Store. Before proceeding, confirm you're logged into the correct lemlist and LinkedIn accounts you intend to link
  2. Open the extension and link your lemlist account with your LinkedIn account. With the new extension, you can now access it directly on your lemlist app on the right side of your screen
  3. Either go to a specific profile or do a LinkedIn search with as many filters as you want to target a group of prospects. (with or without Sales Navigator Search)
  4. Once you have the wanted result of your targeted search, click on the extension
  5. The form will open, and it will be automatically filled with all information found on the LinkedIn profiles of your leads
  6. You can choose to which lemlist campaign you want to import these leads to.

If you don't want to limit yourself to LinkedIn, check your leads' websitses and use this email extractor to help you out.

P.S. You can now continue with the Freemium plan, where you can find up to 100 emails per month free of charge with the option to purchase more credits as you go.

Taplio

You can identify high-quality prospects and scrape their LinkedIn profiles with Taplio.

It will collect information like name, job title, email, company, location, and number of followers. You can add them to your lemlist campaigns or reach out to them on LinkedIn.

Here’s how to use Taplio to scrape LinkedIn profiles:

  1. Access Taplio's database features.
  2. Filter the database by country, job title, industry post topics, and more. You can also tell Taplio's AI what you're looking for.
  3. Select relevant search results and push them to lemlist or add them to one of your Taplio's lists.
use Taplio for LinkedIn scrapping

If you add them to a list, you can ask Taplio will get you their email or write an icebreaker based on their profile information.

generate icebreakers on linkedin

You can also scale your outreach efforts and send personalized bulk DMs. You can personalize each message with your recipient's name, company, job title, city, etc.
Taplio can send up to 100 DMs daily, one DM every 10 minutes. This way, LinkedIn will not flag your account for unsolicited or spammy messages.

Phantombuster

Phantombuster is a powerful scraping tool that automates data extraction from LinkedIn. It offers a variety of features, such as the ability to scrape profiles, company pages, and groups.

Here's how you can use it to scrape LinkedIn profiles:

  1. Create an account on Phantombuster
  2. Navigate to the LinkedIn Profile Scraper
  3. Input the LinkedIn profile URLs you wish to scrape.
  4. You can either manually enter these URLs or use Phantombuster's LinkedIn Profile URL Finder to automate this process
  5. Set your scraping parameters. This includes the data fields you wish to extract, such as name, job title, company, and email address.
  6. Start the scraping process. Phantombuster will automatically extract the specified data from the provided LinkedIn profiles.

Whether you choose to use Phantombuster, lemlist, or another scraping tool, remember that successful LinkedIn scraping requires more than just the right tool.

It also requires a clear understanding of LinkedIn's data structure, a well-planned scraping strategy, and a commitment to ethical and responsible data use.

How to automate the LinkedIn scraping process

Having mastered the basics of LinkedIn scraping and familiarized yourself with tools such as lemlist and Phantombuster, it's time to take your data extraction skills to the next level.

In this section, we will go into advanced LinkedIn scraping techniques, including automation and methods to get around anti-scraping measures on LinkedIn.

One of the key advancements in the realm of LinkedIn scraping is the ability to automate the data extraction process.

Tools like Phantombuster offer automation features that save time and effort.

Here's how you can automate your LinkedIn scraping process with Phantombuster:

  1. Once you've set up your scraping parameters in Phantombuster, navigate to the settings tab.
  2. Enable the 'auto-repeat' option and set the frequency of your scraping sessions. This will instruct Phantombuster to automatically scrape the specified LinkedIn profiles at set intervals.
  3. Use the 'auto-save' feature to ensure that your scraped data is automatically saved to your preferred location.

How to Get Around LinkedIn’s Anti-Scraping Measures

While automation can significantly enhance your LinkedIn scraping efficiency, it's important to be aware of LinkedIn's anti-scraping measures.

LinkedIn has implemented several mechanisms to prevent excessive data scraping, and violating these measures can result in your account being restricted.

Here are some methods to avoid these anti-scraping measures:

  1. Use a VPN or proxy to mask your IP address. This can help prevent LinkedIn from detecting and blocking your scraping activities.
  2. Maintain a reasonable scraping frequency. Excessive scraping can trigger LinkedIn's anti-scraping measures, so it's important to limit your scraping activities to a reasonable level.
  3. Be mindful of the data you're scraping. Scraping sensitive or private information can violate LinkedIn's terms of service and result in penalties.

Advanced LinkedIn scraping techniques can significantly enhance your data extraction efficiency and effectiveness. However, it's crucial to employ these techniques responsibly and ethically, respecting LinkedIn's terms of service and the privacy of its users.

Maximizing the Value of Scraped LinkedIn Data

Once you have successfully scraped LinkedIn profiles and extracted LinkedIn data, the next critical step is to maximize the value of this data.

In this section, we will discuss techniques to analyze LinkedIn data, forge leads, and integrate the data with CRM tools for effective prospecting.

1. Analyze your scraped data to identify patterns, trends, and insights

The first step in maximizing the value of your LinkedIn data is to analyze it.

Analyzing the data can help you identify patterns, trends, and insights that can inform your business strategies. For instance, you might identify potential leads, understand industry trends, or gain insights into your competitors.

2. Use your analyzed data to find leads and target your sales efforts more effectively

Next, you can use your analyzed data to forge leads. By identifying potential clients or customers from your scraped data, you can target your marketing efforts more effectively.

For instance, you might use the data to personalize your email outreach, ensuring that your messages are relevant and engaging to your target audience.

3. Integrate your scraped data with CRM tools

CRM tools can help you manage your leads and customer relationships more effectively, and integrating your scraped data can provide you with a wealth of information to inform your CRM strategies.

4. Leverage your profile data for time-effective email outreach and lead generation.

Finally, leveraging profile data for time-effective email outreach and lead generation can significantly enhance your sales efforts.

By using the data to send targeted, personalized emails, you can increase your engagement rates and ultimately generate more leads.

The Do's and Don'ts of LinkedIn Scraping

While LinkedIn scraping holds immense potential for data extraction and lead generation, it's important to approach it responsibly.

In this section, we'll check the do's and don'ts of LinkedIn scraping, emphasizing data privacy, security, and high-quality data extraction.

1. Respect data privacy when scraping LinkedIn

Firstly, respect for data privacy is paramount.

LinkedIn users entrust their professional information to the platform with the expectation of privacy.
Hence, when scraping LinkedIn, ensure that you respect this trust by using the data responsibly and ethically.

❌ Avoid using the data for spamming, unsolicited outreach, or any form of harassment.

2. Ensure the security of your LinkedIn account when using scraping tools

Next, consider the security aspect.

The tools you use for LinkedIn scraping should be secure and reliable.

❌ Avoid tools that require you to share your LinkedIn login credentials, as this poses a security risk.

Instead, opt for tools that can scrape data without compromising your account's safety.

3. Strive for high-quality, accurate data extraction

Quality is key when it comes to scraping data.

Ensure that the data you extract is accurate, complete, and relevant.

❌ Inaccurate or incomplete data can lead to misguided decisions and strategies, which can be detrimental to your business.

Therefore, always verify the accuracy of your scraped data.

4. Manage your weekly scraping capacity to avoid LinkedIn account restrictions

It's also important to manage your scraping capacity.

LinkedIn may impose restrictions or penalties on accounts that excessively scrape data.

To avoid this, manage your weekly scraping capacity wisely.

Spread out your scraping activities over time and avoid scraping too much data at once.

You scraped your leads’ LinkedIn profiles - now what?

In this section, we go through the real-life implementations of LinkedIn scraping.

We will showcase how this technique can be used to drive business growth, sales, and success across diverse sectors.

We will also explore innovative uses of scraped LinkedIn profiles for company advancement.

LinkedIn scraping has been applied in various sectors to maximize sales and growth:

1. LinkedIn scraping in recruitment: Finding potential candidates that fit the job description

For instance, in the recruitment industry, LinkedIn data is scraped to find potential candidates that fit the job description.

Recruiters can then reach out to these candidates directly, saving time and resources in the hiring process.

2. LinkedIn scraping in sales and marketing: Generating leads and building prospect lists

In the sales and marketing sector, LinkedIn scraping is used to generate leads and build prospect lists.

By scraping LinkedIn profiles, sales teams can gather valuable information such as a prospect's job title, company, location, and contact information.

This data can then be used to personalize sales pitches and increase conversion rates.

For example, you can use lemlist to automate your LinkedIn outreach to your new leads. lemlist users can automate LinkedIn steps such as

  • LinkedIn profile visits → to increase the chances of prospects accepting your connection request
  • LinkedIn invites → to expose your personal brand and get in touch more easily
  • LinkedIn messages → to remind them of your message and stay on the top of their mind

Wanna save time on crafting your LinkedIn outreach?

Then leverage the power of AI and create fully customized multichannel sequences in seconds!

Additionally, lemlist's new AI Variables feature can help you maximize the value of your scraped LinkedIn data. With AI Variables, you can clean job titles or company names and segment up to 1000 leads in seconds.

3. LinkedIn scraping for company advancement: Analyzing industry trends, tracking competitors, and understanding the target audience

Moreover, scraped LinkedIn profiles can also be used for company advancement.

For instance, businesses can use the data to analyze industry trends, track competitors, and understand their target audience better.

This information can guide strategic decision-making and help companies stay ahead of the competition.

The Future of LinkedIn Scraping

In this section, we will take a look at the future of LinkedIn scraping.

We will explore how technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning will enhance LinkedIn scraping techniques. We will also predict upcoming trends and advances in LinkedIn scraping tools and automation.

→ AI in LinkedIn scraping: Identifying patterns for more targeted scraping

LinkedIn scraping is set to become even more powerful with the integration of AI and machine learning. These technologies can automate the scraping process, making it faster and more efficient.

For instance, AI can be used to identify patterns in the data, allowing for more targeted and effective scraping.

→ Machine learning in LinkedIn scraping: Improving the accuracy of scraped data

Machine learning, on the other hand, can help improve the accuracy of the scraped data by learning from past mistakes and continuously adapting to changes in the LinkedIn platform.

→ Advancements in tools and automation: Offering more features and freeing up time

Moreover, the future of LinkedIn scraping will see advancements in scraping tools and automation.

We can expect to see tools that offer more features, such as the ability to scrape data from private profiles or the ability to scrape data in real-time.

Automation will also play a crucial role in the future of LinkedIn scraping. With automation, businesses can schedule scraping tasks, freeing up time for other important tasks.

Conclusion

It's clear that LinkedIn scraping is a powerful tool for businesses. It allows for efficient data extraction from LinkedIn profiles, providing valuable insights that can be used for prospecting, lead generation, and company advancement.

With the right tools and techniques, you can leverage LinkedIn scraping to the fullest.

We encourage you to use the full potential of LinkedIn data extraction. With the right approach and adherence to ethical standards, LinkedIn scraping can be a game-changer for your business.

So why wait? Dive into the world of LinkedIn scraping and unlock the power of advanced data extraction!

P.S. Try out lemlist’s 14-day free trial to find and scrape your LinkedIn leads, contact them, and convert - all from 1 platform!

Mihaela Cicvaric
Content Marketing Manager @ lempire | Sharing everything you need to get replies to your cold emails
Get weekly outreach tips
SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Thanks! You've successfully subscribed to lemlist newsletter
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
G2 Rating
Price
Best for
Standout feature
Con
4.9
star
star
star
star
star
$30/mo
$75/mo
$2,999/mo
Large, distributed sales teams
AI evaluation precision, gamified KPIs
Lack of tracking system
4.6
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Sales operations and finance teams
Powerful configurability
Limited training resources and complex to navigate
4.4
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Mid-market and enterprise businesses
Comprehensive incentive management
Potentially high cost and steep learning curve
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
$15/user/mo
$40/user/mo
Enterprise: custom price
Complex sales structures and businesses of all sizes
Complex sales structures and businesses of all sizes
Steep learning curve
4.6
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Collaborative teams
Connected planning
Complexity and steep learning curve
4.6
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies with complex sales structures
Complex incentive compensation management (ICM) with high efficiency and accuracy
Complexity for smaller teams and potentially high costs
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies who want to automate commission calculations and payouts
Simplicity and ease of use
Lack of features like redirection
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
$30/user/mo
$35/user/mo
Custom: upon request
Businesses that need a comprehensive and user-friendly sales compensation management software
Ease of use and adoption
Lack of ability to configure the product based on user needs
4.8
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies with modern sales culture and businesses who want real-time insights
A built-in dispute management and real-time visibility
Users say it works slowly, customer support is slow
4.9
star
star
star
star
star
$30/user/mo
$50/user/mo
Smaller sales teams
Powerful automation
Lesser user base and average user interface
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies with scalable needs
Automated Commission Calculations
Lack of filtering by date, no mobile app
ERP vs. CRM
ERP
CRM
Summary
Backbone of a business's internal operations.
Backbone of customer-centric interactions and operations.
Goal
To centralize and streamline core business processes in a company.
To increase customer experience, satisfaction and loyalty, and boost sales.
Focus
Internal operations and processes across departments (finance, accounting, inventory, supply chain, HR, and sales).
All interactions with leads and customers.
Manages
Internal business data like financial data, inventory levels, production details, supply chain, HR info.
All customer data like contact info, purchase history, communication history, customer preferences and more.
Users
Finance, accounting, operations, supply chain, and HR departments.
Customer-facing teams like sales, marketing, and customer service.
Benefits
Streamlines operations, improves data accuracy, enhances decision-making, boosts collaboration, increases productivity.
Improves customer relationships, increases sales, strengthens customer service, personalizes marketing campaigns, provides insights.
Price
$150 per user per year on average.
$10 to $30 per user per month on average.
PRM Tool
Rating
Feature
Pro
Con
Mobile App
Integrations
Free Plan
Pricing
4.65
star
star
star
star
star-half
Org-wide alignment
User-friendly layout and database
Suboptimal as a personal CRM
square-check
Lack of tracking system
square-check
Team: $20/month
Business: $45/month
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Social Media Integration
Easy contact data collection
No marketing/sales features
square-check
Lack of tracking system
square-xmark
7-day trial
$12/month
4.75
star
star
star
star
star-half
Block Functions
High customization capability
Not a dedicated CRM
square-check
Limited
square-check
Plus: €7.50/month
Business: €14/month
N/A
Open-source
Open-source flexibility
Requires extensive manual input
square-xmark
Limited
square-check
Self-hosted
$9/month or
$90/year
3.1
star
star
star
Simple iOS app
Ideal for non-tech-savvy users
iPhone only
square-check
iOS only
Limited
square-xmark
1-month trial
$1.49/month or
$14.99/month
3.6
star
star
star
star-half
Smart Contact Management
Feature-rich and flexible
Reported bugs
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
7-day trial
Premium: $13.99/month
Teams: $17.99/month
4.4
star
star
star
star
star-half
Customizable Interface
Customizable for teamwork
Pricey for personal use
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
Standard: $24/member
Premium: $39/member
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Integrated Calling
Integrated Calling
Too sales-oriented & pricey
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
14-day trial
Startup: $59/user/month
Professional: $329/user/month
4.8
star
star
star
star
star
Business Card Scanning
Business Card Scanning
Mobile only
square-check
Limited
square-check
$9.99/month
4.45
star
star
star
star
star-half
160+ app integrations
Comprehensive integrations
No free app version
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
14-day trial
$29.90/month or
$24.90/month (billed annually)
Capterra Rating
Free Trial
Free Plan
Starting Price (excluding the free plan)
Maximum Price (for the most expensive plan)
Best for
4.5
star
star
star
star
star-half
square-check
14-day
square-check
€15/month/seat billed annually
€792/month/3 seats billed annually + €45/month for each extra seat
Versatility and free plan
4.2
star
star
star
star
square-check
30-day
square-xmark
But it offers reduced price to authorised nonprofit organisations
€25/user/month
€500/user/month billed annually (includes Einstein AI)
Best overall operational CRM
4.3
star
star
star
star
star-half
square-xmark
square-check
Limited to 3 users
Comprehensive incentive management
€52/user/month billed annually
Small-medium businesses and automation
4.5
star
star
star
star
star-half
square-check
14-day
square-xmark
€14/seat/month billed annually
€99/seat/month billed annually
Sales teams and ease of use
4.1
star
star
star
star
square-xmark
square-check
Limited 10 users
$9.99/user/month billed annually
$64.99/user/month billed annually
Free plan for very small teams up to 10
CRM goal
Increase the sales conversion rate for qualified leads from marketing automation campaigns by 10% in the next 6 months.
SMART Breakdown
1. Specific: It targets a specific area (conversion rate) for a defined segment (qualified leads from marketing automation).
2. Measurable: The desired increase (10%) is a clear metric, and the timeframe (6 months) allows for progress tracking.
3. Achievable: A 10% increase is possible based on historical data and potential improvements.
4. Relevant: Boosting sales from marketing efforts aligns with overall business objectives.
5. Time-bound: The 6-month timeframe creates urgency and a clear target date.
Actions
Step 1: Refine lead qualification criteria to ensure high-quality leads are nurtured through marketing automation.
Step 2: Personalize marketing automation campaigns based on lead demographics, interests, and behavior.
Step 3: Develop targeted landing pages with clear calls to action for qualified leads.
Step 4: Implement lead scoring to prioritize high-potential leads for sales follow-up.
Step 5: Track and analyze campaign performance to identify areas for optimization.
Outcomes
Increased sales and revenue
Improved marketing automation ROI
Marketing and sales alignment
Data-driven marketing optimization
Table
CDP Software
CRM Software
Approach
Data-centric
Customer-centric
Focus
Interactions across various channels and touchpoints, both online and offline.
Sales, marketing, and customer service interactions.
Functionality
Automatically collects, organizes, tags, and makes data available in real-time.
Helps businesses track customer interactions, sales pipelines, prospects, and service requests.
Goals
Personalized customer experiences across all channels.
Better customer relationships, streamlined processes, and improved profitability.
Benefits
Data integration, management, and accessibility, allowing for detailed analysis and segmentation.
Better communication within teams and with customers by organizing information about customer interactions and history.
Data Handling
Handles both identified and anonymous data, stitches together various data points.
Deals primarily with identified customer data.
Use Cases
Personalized marketing campaigns, targeted advertising, content customization across multiple channels.
Managing campaigns and leads, enhancing customer service, providing better customer support, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Examples
Insider, Bloomreach, Salesforce Marketing Cloud CDP
HubSpot, Salesforce Sales Cloud Lightning Professional, and Zoho CRM
CRM
Free plan
Best feature
Best for
Con
1. HubSpot CRM
square-check
Sales automation
Sales teams
Up to 1,000 contacts
2. Insightly
square-check
Custom fields
Basic needs
Not enough info about the free plan
3. Agile CRM
square-check
Deal and sales pipeline tracking
Small teams
Up to 10 users
4. Zoho CRM
square-check
Lead and contact management
Businesses of all sizes
Limited to 3 users
5. ClickUp
square-check
Unlimited tasks and unlimited members
Personal use
Up to 100MB storage
6. EngageBay
square-check
Live chat
Small and midsize enterprises
Up to 1,000 branded emails per month
7. Bitrix24
square-check
Unlimited users and 5 scrum teams
Big teams
Up to 5GB of cloud storage
8. FreshSales
square-check
Easy to use and simple setup
Beginners
Up to 3 users
9. Mailchimp
square-check
Very beginner friendly
Marketing teams
Send up to 500 branded emails per month
Type of Affiliate Marketing
Unattached
Related
Involved
Format
Paid advertising
Social media or YouTube channels
Dedicated website or blog
Focus
Quick income
Your niche
Your audience
Engagement with your audience
square-xmark
square-check
square-check
square-check
square-check
Very close connection with your audience
Pro
Little effort
Higher credibility thanks to your niche
Long-lasting and scalable
Con
Paid ads cost a lot
Potential for bias since you don’t use the thing you promote
Require time, effort, and dedication

What you should look at next

LinkedIn

5 Sales Navigator Chrome Extensions to Build the Perfect Leads List

You're getting the perfect lead list from Sales Navigator. Now you need a top Chrome extension to export them. We'll leave with our favorite 5 Sales Navigator Chrome extensions.
August 2, 2024
LinkedIn

3 ways to find someone’s email on LinkedIn (For free!)

Wondering how to find someone's email on LinkedIn for free? We bring you 3 different methods! Not a penny spent.
July 12, 2024
LinkedIn

5 steps to post a job on LinkedIn to find the perfect candidate

Looking for the perfect candidate for your company? Post it on LinkedIn following these 5 steps.
July 12, 2024
LinkedIn

How to Use Linkedin Sales Navigator (2024 Tutorial)

You decided to upgrade to LinkedIn's Sales Navigator, but you're still not making the most out of it. We'll tell you how.
June 21, 2024
LinkedIn

LinkedIn private mode: What it is and when to use it

Do you want to do some top-secret research on LinkedIn? Learn how to set up your LinkedIn private mode and when to use it in this guide.
June 14, 2024

What you should look at next

Receive weekly outreach tips in your inbox, sent to 210 000+ salespeople, marketers, founders, and entrepreneurs worldwide!

Subscribe to the lemlist newsletter
You've successfully subscribed to the lemlist newsletter!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.