LinkedIn - Gopher

All job types use the /api/v1/search/live POST endpoint and follow the same structure: a top-level type to define the data source, and a set of arguments defining the parameters of the job.

Profile Search

Search LinkedIn profiles with advanced filtering

Professional Data

Extract detailed professional information

Contact Discovery

Find contact information and company details

Talent Research

Research professionals by role, industry, and experience

Overview

The LinkedIn API provides comprehensive profile search capabilities with advanced filtering options. It supports three different scraper modes to balance data depth with performance, and offers extensive filtering by professional criteria.

`searchbyprofile`

Searches LinkedIn profiles based on professional criteria including experience, seniority, industry, function, and location. This is the primary job type for LinkedIn data extraction. Use Cases:

Talent acquisition and recruitment
Professional network analysis
Market research and competitive intelligence
Lead generation and sales prospecting
Industry trend analysis

Parameters

Common Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
`type`	string	Yes	-	The job type: `searchbyprofile`
`profileScraperMode`	string	No	`"Short"`	Scraper mode: `"Short"`, `"Full"`, or `"Full + email search"`
`searchQuery`	string	Yes	-	Search query or keywords
`maxItems`	integer	No	`10`	Maximum number of profiles to return (max 1000)

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
`locations`	array[string]	No	-	Filter by location (e.g., “San Francisco, CA”)
`currentCompanies`	array[string]	No	-	Filter by current company names
`pastCompanies`	array[string]	No	-	Filter by past company names
`currentJobTitles`	array[string]	No	-	Filter by current job titles
`pastJobTitles`	array[string]	No	-	Filter by past job titles
`schools`	array[string]	No	-	Filter by educational institutions
`firstNames`	array[string]	No	-	Filter by first names
`lastNames`	array[string]	No	-	Filter by last names
`recentlyChangedJobs`	boolean	No	-	Filter for profiles that recently changed jobs
`startPage`	integer	No	-	Starting page for pagination

Professional Criteria Filters

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Description
`yearsOfExperienceIds`	array[string]	No	-	Years of experience (see Experience Levels)
`yearsAtCurrentCompanyIds`	array[string]	No	-	Years at current company (see Experience Levels)
`seniorityLevelIds`	array[string]	No	-	Seniority levels (see Seniority Levels)
`functionIds`	array[string]	No	-	Job functions (see Job Functions)
`industryIds`	array[string]	No	-	Industries (see Industries)

Scraper Modes

`"Short"` (Default)

Returns basic profile information including:

Name, headline, location
Current position summary
Basic profile metrics
Profile URL and public identifier

Best for: Quick searches, large result sets, basic contact information

`"Full"`

Returns comprehensive profile data including:

All Short mode data
Complete work experience history
Education details
Skills and endorsements
Certifications and projects
Publications and patents
Recommendations

Best for: Detailed professional analysis, comprehensive talent research

`"Full + email search"`

Returns all Full mode data plus:

Email addresses (when available)
Company website information
Enhanced contact discovery

Best for: Lead generation, sales prospecting, direct outreach

Experience Levels

ID	Description
`"1"`	Less than 1 year
`"2"`	1-2 years
`"3"`	3-5 years
`"4"`	6-10 years
`"5"`	More than 10 years

Seniority Levels

ID	Description
`"100"`	In Training
`"110"`	Entry Level
`"120"`	Senior
`"130"`	Strategic
`"200"`	Entry Level Manager
`"210"`	Experienced Manager
`"220"`	Director
`"300"`	Vice President
`"310"`	CXO (C-Level)
`"320"`	Partner

Job Functions

ID	Function	ID	Function
`"1"`	Accounting	`"14"`	Legal
`"2"`	Administrative	`"15"`	Marketing
`"3"`	Arts and Design	`"16"`	Media and Communication
`"4"`	Business Development	`"17"`	Military and Protective Services
`"5"`	Community and Social Services	`"18"`	Operations
`"6"`	Consulting	`"19"`	Product Management
`"7"`	Education	`"20"`	Program and Project Management
`"8"`	Engineering	`"21"`	Purchasing
`"9"`	Entrepreneurship	`"22"`	Quality Assurance
`"10"`	Finance	`"23"`	Real Estate
`"11"`	Healthcare Services	`"24"`	Research
`"12"`	Human Resources	`"25"`	Sales
`"13"`	Information Technology

Industries

The LinkedIn API supports 100+ industries. Here are some key categories:

Technology & Software

"4" - Software Development
"3" - Computer Hardware Manufacturing
"96" - IT Services and IT Consulting
"6" - Technology Information and Internet
"8" - Telecommunications

Financial Services

"43" - Financial Services
"41" - Banking
"42" - Insurance
"45" - Investment Banking
"106" - Venture Capital and Private Equity

Healthcare & Medical

"2081" - Hospitals
"13" - Medical Practices
"12" - Biotechnology Research
"17" - Medical Equipment Manufacturing

Professional Services

"1810" - Professional Services
"47" - Accounting
"10" - Legal Services
"11" - Business Consulting and Services
"80" - Advertising Services

[Note: This is a partial list. The API supports 100+ industry categories.]

Examples

Basic Profile Search

{
  "type": "linkedin",
  "arguments": {
    "type": "searchbyprofile",
    "searchQuery": "software engineer",
    "maxItems": 20
  }
}

Advanced Filtered Search

{
  "type": "linkedin",
  "arguments": {
    "type": "searchbyprofile",
    "searchQuery": "machine learning",
    "profileScraperMode": "Full",
    "maxItems": 50,
    "locations": ["San Francisco, CA", "New York, NY"],
    "currentCompanies": ["Google", "Microsoft", "Apple"],
    "seniorityLevelIds": ["120", "130"],
    "functionIds": ["8", "19"],
    "industryIds": ["4", "96"],
    "yearsOfExperienceIds": ["3", "4"]
  }
}

Lead Generation Search

{
  "type": "linkedin",
  "arguments": {
    "type": "searchbyprofile",
    "searchQuery": "marketing director",
    "profileScraperMode": "Full + email search",
    "maxItems": 25,
    "locations": ["Austin, TX"],
    "currentCompanies": ["Dell", "Tesla"],
    "seniorityLevelIds": ["220", "300"],
    "functionIds": ["15"],
    "recentlyChangedJobs": true
  }
}

Industry-Specific Search

{
  "type": "linkedin",
  "arguments": {
    "type": "searchbyprofile",
    "searchQuery": "data scientist",
    "profileScraperMode": "Full",
    "maxItems": 30,
    "industryIds": ["43", "4", "96"],
    "functionIds": ["8", "24"],
    "yearsOfExperienceIds": ["3", "4", "5"],
    "schools": ["Stanford University", "MIT", "UC Berkeley"]
  }
}

Geographic Talent Search

{
  "type": "linkedin",
  "arguments": {
    "type": "searchbyprofile",
    "searchQuery": "product manager",
    "profileScraperMode": "Short",
    "maxItems": 100,
    "locations": ["Seattle, WA", "Portland, OR"],
    "currentJobTitles": ["Product Manager", "Senior Product Manager"],
    "seniorityLevelIds": ["120", "130", "200"],
    "yearsAtCurrentCompanyIds": ["1", "2"]
  }
}

Use Case Examples

Talent Acquisition

Find senior software engineers in specific locations:

{
  "type": "linkedin",
  "arguments": {
    "type": "searchbyprofile",
    "searchQuery": "senior software engineer",
    "profileScraperMode": "Full",
    "maxItems": 50,
    "locations": ["Remote", "San Francisco, CA"],
    "seniorityLevelIds": ["120", "130"],
    "functionIds": ["8"],
    "industryIds": ["4", "96"],
    "yearsOfExperienceIds": ["4", "5"]
  }
}

Competitive Analysis

Research professionals at competitor companies:

{
  "type": "linkedin",
  "arguments": {
    "type": "searchbyprofile",
    "searchQuery": "marketing",
    "profileScraperMode": "Full",
    "maxItems": 30,
    "currentCompanies": ["Competitor A", "Competitor B"],
    "functionIds": ["15"],
    "seniorityLevelIds": ["200", "220", "300"]
  }
}

Market Research

Analyze industry trends and talent distribution:

{
  "type": "linkedin",
  "arguments": {
    "type": "searchbyprofile",
    "searchQuery": "artificial intelligence",
    "profileScraperMode": "Short",
    "maxItems": 200,
    "industryIds": ["4", "96", "43"],
    "functionIds": ["8", "24", "19"],
    "yearsOfExperienceIds": ["2", "3", "4", "5"]
  }
}

Best Practices

1. Query Optimization

Use specific, relevant keywords in searchQuery
Combine multiple filters for more targeted results
Start with broader searches and narrow down with filters

2. Scraper Mode Selection

Use "Short" for large-scale searches and basic contact info
Use "Full" for detailed professional analysis
Use "Full + email search" only when contact discovery is critical

3. Filter Strategy

Combine location and industry filters for geographic targeting
Use seniority and experience filters to target appropriate levels
Leverage company filters for competitive analysis

4. Performance Considerations

Set appropriate maxItems based on your analysis needs
Use pagination with startPage for large result sets
Cache results to avoid redundant API calls

5. Data Quality

Validate filter values against supported IDs
Use multiple related search terms for comprehensive coverage
Consider both current and past company filters

Response Data

The LinkedIn API returns detailed profile information including:

Basic Profile Information

Personal: Name, headline, location, profile photo
Contact: Profile URL, public identifier
Metrics: Connection count, follower count, premium status

Professional Information

Current Position: Company, title, tenure, location
Experience: Complete work history with descriptions
Education: Schools, degrees, fields of study
Skills: Endorsed skills and expertise areas

Additional Data (Full Mode)

Certifications: Professional certifications and licenses
Projects: Personal and professional projects
Publications: Research papers and articles
Patents: Intellectual property and inventions
Recommendations: Received professional recommendations

Contact Information (Email Mode)

Emails: Professional email addresses
Company Websites: Associated company domains

Limitations

Maximum 1000 profiles per request (maxItems limit)
Search results depend on LinkedIn’s search algorithm
Some profile data may be limited by privacy settings
Email discovery success varies by profile privacy settings
Rate limiting applies to prevent excessive API usage

Error Handling

Common Error Scenarios

Invalid Filter Values

Ensure all filter IDs match the supported values:

Experience IDs: "1" through "5"
Seniority IDs: "100", "110", "120", "130", "200", "210", "220", "300", "310", "320"
Function IDs: "1" through "25"
Industry IDs: Various values (see industries list)

Invalid Scraper Mode

The profileScraperMode must be one of: "Short", "Full", or "Full + email search".

Exceeding Limits

maxItems cannot exceed 1000
Large requests may timeout or be rate limited

Missing Required Parameters

searchQuery is required for all searches
type must be "searchbyprofile"

Notes

All filter arrays accept multiple values for OR logic
String filters (locations, companies, etc.) support partial matching
Boolean filters (recentlyChangedJobs) work as exact matches
Pagination is supported via startPage parameter
Results are returned in LinkedIn’s default sort order

Data API

Profile Search

Professional Data

Contact Discovery

Talent Research

​Overview

​searchbyprofile

​Parameters

​Common Parameters

​Search Filters

​Professional Criteria Filters

​Scraper Modes

​"Short" (Default)

​"Full"

​"Full + email search"

​Experience Levels

​Seniority Levels

​Job Functions

​Industries

​Technology & Software

​Financial Services

​Healthcare & Medical

​Professional Services

​Examples

​Basic Profile Search

​Advanced Filtered Search

​Lead Generation Search

​Industry-Specific Search

​Geographic Talent Search

​Use Case Examples

​Talent Acquisition

​Competitive Analysis

​Market Research

​Best Practices

​1. Query Optimization

​2. Scraper Mode Selection

​3. Filter Strategy

​4. Performance Considerations

​5. Data Quality

​Response Data

​Basic Profile Information

​Professional Information

​Additional Data (Full Mode)

​Contact Information (Email Mode)

​Limitations

​Error Handling

​Common Error Scenarios

​Invalid Filter Values

​Invalid Scraper Mode

​Exceeding Limits

​Missing Required Parameters

​Notes