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Data API Documentation

Data API lets you retrieve real-time LinkedIn data through an API interface, even if you don't have or don't want to connect your own LinkedIn account. Here, you’ll find an explanation of the API design philosophy and implementation details.

Workflows as basis

Data API is built around the concept of workflows. This means that any data retrieval operation you want to perform (such as searching for companies, retrieving person data, etc.) must be executed as a workflow.

Workflows are constructed using building blocks called actions. Each action represents a specific operation within your workflow. To learn more about this concept, see the actions overview and building workflows pages.

Request timing

Data API requests are not executed instantly. For example, simple actions like retrieving basic information about a person might take around 20 seconds, while more complex operations, such as fetching all company employees, can take several minutes.

URL normalization

Data API normalizes all LinkedIn URLs in responses, regardless of the format provided in the request body. Normalized URLs consistently follow these rules:

  • Use https protocol.
  • Include www subdomain.
  • Exclude trailing slash (/).

For example, if a request body includes a URL like http://linkedin.com/in/person1/, the response will return it as https://www.linkedin.com/in/person1. Consider this behavior when implementing URL comparisons or storage in your integration.

Handling missing values

When certain data is unavailable on LinkedIn, some fields in the API response may return as null or empty array ([]). Missing fields are always explicitly included in the response rather than being omitted.