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Unlocking Insights with the LinkedIn Data Extraction API

5 May 2025
Unlocking Insights with the LinkedIn Data Extraction API

The LinkedIn Data Extraction API offers developers powerful tools to extract valuable data from LinkedIn, enabling efficient lead generation, recruitment, market research, and competitive analysis. By leveraging this API, developers can access detailed profiles, company personnel, and other insights that streamline their workflows and enhance decision-making processes. Whether you are looking to build a recruitment tool, analyze market trends, or gather data for sales leads, this API simplifies the extraction of crucial information, saving time and effort.

Prerequisites

Before diving into the capabilities of the LinkedIn Data Extraction API, you'll need an API key to authenticate your requests. Familiarity with basic API calls will also help you get started smoothly.

Search LinkedIn People

The "Search LinkedIn People" action allows you to efficiently search for and extract detailed information about individuals from LinkedIn profiles. This action is particularly useful for lead generation, recruitment, market research, and competitive analysis.

Input Requirements

To use this action, you need to provide a composite request containing several optional parameters:

  • name: The full name of the individual you're searching for (default is "john").
  • industry: The industry associated with the individual (default is an empty string).
  • pageNumber: The page number for pagination (default is 1).
  • currentEmployer: The individual's current employer (default is an empty string).
  • previousEmployer: The individual's previous employer (default is an empty string).
  • categoryOfService: The category of service being requested (default is an empty string).
  • preferredLanguage: The preferred language for communication (default is an empty string).
  • locationCoordinates: Geographic coordinates of the individual's location (default is an empty string).

Expected Output

The output will include a list of profiles matching the search criteria, with fields such as:

  • id: Unique identifier for the profile.
  • url: LinkedIn profile URL.
  • title: Job title of the individual.
  • avatar: Profile picture.
  • location: Location of the individual.
  • full_name: Full name of the individual.

Use Cases for this specific action

  • Recruitment: Quickly finding candidates with specific skills or experiences.
  • Lead Generation: Identifying potential clients or partners in a particular industry.
  • Market Research: Understanding talent distribution across different sectors.
  • Competitive Analysis: Gathering insights on competitors’ employees and their roles.

```python
import requests
import json

# Replace with your actual Cognitive Actions API key and endpoint
# Ensure your environment securely handles the API key
COGNITIVE_ACTIONS_API_KEY = "YOUR_COGNITIVE_ACTIONS_API_KEY"
# This endpoint URL is hypothetical and should be documented for users
COGNITIVE_ACTIONS_EXECUTE_URL = "https://api.cognitiveactions.com/actions/execute"

action_id = "f3cdeeb8-940d-4ce4-8f94-702c50c0a31a" # Action ID for: Search LinkedIn People

# Construct the exact input payload based on the action's requirements
# This example uses the predefined example_input for this action:
payload = {
  "name": "john",
  "pageNumber": 1
}

headers = {
    "Authorization": f"Bearer {COGNITIVE_ACTIONS_API_KEY}",
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
    # Add any other required headers for the Cognitive Actions API
}

# Prepare the request body for the hypothetical execution endpoint
request_body = {
    "action_id": action_id,
    "inputs": payload
}

print(f"--- Calling Cognitive Action: {action.name or action_id} ---")
print(f"Endpoint: {COGNITIVE_ACTIONS_EXECUTE_URL}")
print(f"Action ID: {action_id}")
print("Payload being sent:")
print(json.dumps(request_body, indent=2))
print("------------------------------------------------")

try:
    response = requests.post(
        COGNITIVE_ACTIONS_EXECUTE_URL,
        headers=headers,
        json=request_body
    )
    response.raise_for_status() # Raise an exception for bad status codes (4xx or 5xx)

    result = response.json()
    print("Action executed successfully. Result:")
    print(json.dumps(result, indent=2))

except requests.exceptions.RequestException as e:
    print(f"Error executing action {action_id}: {e}")
    if e.response is not None:
        print(f"Response status: {e.response.status_code}")
        try:
            print(f"Response body: {e.response.json()}")
        except json.JSONDecodeError:
            print(f"Response body (non-JSON): {e.response.text}")
    print("------------------------------------------------")



## Retrieve Company Personnel
The "Retrieve Company Personnel" action enables you to extract people-related data from LinkedIn company pages using the company's unique identifier. This action is ideal for gaining insights for lead generation, recruitment, and market analysis.

### Input Requirements
To execute this action, you must provide:
- **companyId**: The unique identifier for the company (required, defaults to "1066442").
- **pageNumber**: Specifies the page number of results to retrieve (optional, defaults to 1).

### Expected Output
The response will deliver a list of personnel associated with the specified company, including:
- **id**: Unique identifier for the personnel (if available).
- **url**: LinkedIn profile URL.
- **title**: Job title of the personnel.
- **avatar**: Profile picture.
- **location**: Current location of the personnel.
- **full_name**: Full name of the personnel.

### Use Cases for this specific action
- **Lead Generation**: Targeting specific roles within companies for outreach.
- **Recruitment**: Identifying potential candidates based on their roles within a company.
- **Market Analysis**: Understanding the workforce composition of competitors or industry leaders.


import requests
import json

# Replace with your actual Cognitive Actions API key and endpoint
# Ensure your environment securely handles the API key
COGNITIVE_ACTIONS_API_KEY = "YOUR_COGNITIVE_ACTIONS_API_KEY"
# This endpoint URL is hypothetical and should be documented for users
COGNITIVE_ACTIONS_EXECUTE_URL = "https://api.cognitiveactions.com/actions/execute"

action_id = "fac55cc3-3182-4036-b26a-742957652b35" # Action ID for: Retrieve Company Personnel

# Construct the exact input payload based on the action's requirements
# This example uses the predefined example_input for this action:
payload = {
  "companyId": "1066442",
  "pageNumber": 1
}

headers = {
    "Authorization": f"Bearer {COGNITIVE_ACTIONS_API_KEY}",
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
    # Add any other required headers for the Cognitive Actions API
}

# Prepare the request body for the hypothetical execution endpoint
request_body = {
    "action_id": action_id,
    "inputs": payload
}

print(f"--- Calling Cognitive Action: {action.name or action_id} ---")
print(f"Endpoint: {COGNITIVE_ACTIONS_EXECUTE_URL}")
print(f"Action ID: {action_id}")
print("Payload being sent:")
print(json.dumps(request_body, indent=2))
print("------------------------------------------------")

try:
    response = requests.post(
        COGNITIVE_ACTIONS_EXECUTE_URL,
        headers=headers,
        json=request_body
    )
    response.raise_for_status() # Raise an exception for bad status codes (4xx or 5xx)

    result = response.json()
    print("Action executed successfully. Result:")
    print(json.dumps(result, indent=2))

except requests.exceptions.RequestException as e:
    print(f"Error executing action {action_id}: {e}")
    if e.response is not None:
        print(f"Response status: {e.response.status_code}")
        try:
            print(f"Response body: {e.response.json()}")
        except json.JSONDecodeError:
            print(f"Response body (non-JSON): {e.response.text}")
    print("------------------------------------------------")



## Conclusion
The LinkedIn Data Extraction API provides developers with essential tools to harness the wealth of data available on LinkedIn. With actions like "Search LinkedIn People" and "Retrieve Company Personnel," you can effectively streamline your recruitment processes, enhance lead generation efforts, and conduct thorough market analyses. By integrating these capabilities into your applications, you can unlock valuable insights and drive informed decision-making. Start exploring the potential of the LinkedIn Data Extraction API today and transform the way you gather and utilize professional data!
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