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

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": "[e-mail]",
    "phone": "[phone]"
  },
  "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!