If you want a detailed record of your LinkedIn activity – like connections, messages, and posts – you can request a data archive directly from your account. This archive is delivered as a ZIP file with CSV and JSON files, making it easy to review and use for professional purposes like CRM updates, outreach, or recruiting. Here’s a quick guide to get started:
- Log in on Desktop: Access LinkedIn from a desktop browser.
- Go to Settings: Click your profile picture, select "Settings & Privacy", then navigate to "Data Privacy".
- Request Data: Choose "Get a copy of your data", select specific categories or the full archive, and confirm your identity if prompted.
- Download: Once ready, you’ll receive an email with a link valid for 72 hours. Extract the ZIP file to access your data.
This archive includes your connections’ job titles, message history, and activity records but excludes private data like profile viewers or "People You May Know" suggestions. Downloading and analyzing this data quarterly can help you maintain a current and organized professional network.
How To Export Your LinkedIn Data (Step by Step)
How to Download Your LinkedIn Data Archive
To get a copy of your LinkedIn data, you’ll need to access your account’s privacy settings using a desktop browser. Once requested, the archive will be sent to you via email.
Navigating to LinkedIn Settings
First, log in to LinkedIn on your desktop browser. At the top of the homepage, find your profile picture – this is labeled as the "Me" icon. Click it to open a dropdown menu, then select "Settings & Privacy."
Within the "Settings & Privacy" section, look for "Data Privacy" in the left-hand sidebar. From there, choose "Get a copy of your data" or "Download your data" to proceed. It’s best to use your personal computer for this process.
Requesting Your Data Archive
Once you select the download option, LinkedIn will let you decide which data to include in your archive. You can either pick specific categories – like messages, connections, or posts – or request the complete archive, which covers everything, including activity history and comments.
To finalize your request, LinkedIn may require you to confirm your identity using additional security steps. After submitting your request, LinkedIn will begin processing your data. Depending on the size of your network and activity level, this could take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. You’ll receive an email notification once the archive is ready.
Downloading and Accessing the Archive
When your data is prepared, LinkedIn will send you an email with a secure download link. This link is active for 72 hours, so make sure to download the file within that time.
The archive comes as a .zip file, which you’ll need to extract to access the contents. Inside, you’ll find your data organized into CSV and JSON files by category. Since this file contains sensitive information, store it in a secure location after downloading and extracting it.
What Data You Get and What You Don’t
Taking a closer look at your LinkedIn data archive can help you set realistic expectations and figure out how to use it effectively. This archive gives you a detailed snapshot of your LinkedIn activity, but some types of data are intentionally excluded to protect user privacy.
What’s Included in Your Archive
Your LinkedIn data archive captures a range of professional information. In the profile section, you’ll find details like your work history, education, skills, endorsements, and any content you’ve added over time. This data is usually provided in CSV files, which are easy to open in spreadsheet programs.
Another key part of the archive is your connection data. You’ll get a list of your first-degree connections, including their names, current job titles, and companies. Email addresses are included only if your connections have allowed access through their privacy settings.
Your archive also includes your message history – both one-on-one and group conversations – with timestamps and message content. Additionally, it contains records of your posts, articles, and activity, which can help you identify trends in engagement. Recommendations you’ve written or received are included as well, along with the text and dates.
What’s Not Included
To protect user privacy and comply with regulations, LinkedIn excludes certain types of data from your archive:
- "People You May Know" suggestions are not included because these rely on data from other users’ networks and activities [1].
- Profile viewer information (who’s viewed your profile) isn’t part of the archive – even for premium accounts – since this would compromise the privacy of other users [1].
- Connection email addresses are only available if your connections have explicitly allowed access through their privacy settings; otherwise, they won’t appear [1].
Because of these exclusions, it’s essential to handle the data you do receive responsibly.
Securing Your Data
Your LinkedIn archive contains sensitive information, so it’s important to protect it. Store the downloaded ZIP file in a secure location, such as an encrypted folder or a password-protected external drive.
Avoid uploading your archive to cloud services unless you’re confident in their security measures. If you need to share certain data with team members or integrate it into a CRM, extract only the specific information required instead of sharing the entire file.
To minimize security risks, consider deleting older archive files regularly. Since your LinkedIn activity updates over time, older files may lose relevance while still posing potential vulnerabilities. For long-term storage, make sure to use an encrypted folder and a strong password to keep your data safe.
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How to Use Your LinkedIn Data
Your LinkedIn archive is more than just a backup of your professional network – it’s a treasure trove of information that can improve CRM updates, outreach efforts, and recruiting strategies. By analyzing this data, you can sharpen your sales, marketing, and hiring approaches.
Updating Your CRM
Your LinkedIn connections data can breathe new life into your CRM. The CSV files in your archive include details like current job titles, companies, and professional roles – information that may have changed since your last update.
Start by comparing your LinkedIn connections with your existing CRM contacts. Look for updates in roles, promotions, or company changes to ensure your sales team is working with the most accurate information. Prioritize filling in incomplete records first – if a contact in your CRM has outdated job titles or missing company details, your LinkedIn archive can help bridge those gaps.
Most CRM platforms, such as Salesforce, HubSpot, or Pipedrive, allow you to import CSV files to update records. This makes it easier to integrate LinkedIn data into your existing workflows without manual entry.
Improving Your Outreach
Your LinkedIn message history is a goldmine for refining your outreach strategies. By reviewing past conversations, you can identify what worked – whether it’s the length of your messages, the timing, or the topics that resonated most.
The company data from your connections can also help you segment your outreach by industry or region. For example, if you notice a trend of connections moving into a specific sector, you can tailor your messaging to address the unique challenges or opportunities in that industry.
Your activity data is another valuable tool. By analyzing which posts and articles gained traction with your network, you can refine your content strategy to better engage your audience. This same approach can be applied to recruiting communications, ensuring your messages are relevant and compelling.
Better Recruiting Strategies
Recruiters can gain even more from LinkedIn archive data. Your connections data offers a clear picture of professionals in your network, categorized by industry, company, and role. This can help you identify talent gaps and refine your sourcing strategies.
For instance, if you’re hiring for software engineering roles but find few senior developers in your network, you’ll know where to focus your relationship-building efforts. Similarly, analyzing the geographic distribution of your connections can highlight untapped talent markets. If your network is strong in certain regions, consider expanding your recruiting efforts there. On the flip side, if you’re targeting areas where you have fewer connections, you may want to invest time in building relationships locally.
Your message history with candidates can also offer insights. By reviewing conversations that led to successful hires, you can uncover effective communication strategies, common questions, and ways to address objections. This information is not only useful for training recruiters but also for improving your personal approach.
Timing is another critical factor. The timing data in your archive can reveal when professionals in different roles are most responsive to recruiting messages. This is especially helpful in industries with seasonal hiring patterns. Additionally, your activity data can help you spot passive candidates who might be open to new opportunities. For example, individuals engaging with job-related content or industry news could be more receptive to a conversation about career moves, even if they’re not actively searching.
Best Practices for Managing Your Data
After downloading your LinkedIn data archive, managing it effectively becomes key to getting the most out of it. How you store, organize, and analyze this information can make a significant difference in its usefulness for your professional goals.
Safe Download Methods
Always download your LinkedIn data archive on a personal device. Using public computers or shared workstations can expose sensitive information to unnecessary risks. Your personal device gives you full control over how and where the data is stored.
Stick to secure, private networks when downloading your archive. Public Wi-Fi networks are vulnerable to breaches, so if you’re on the move, opt for a mobile hotspot instead.
To further secure your data, create encrypted or password-protected folders using tools like 7-Zip. Organize your archives systematically, such as storing them in folders labeled by date, like "LinkedIn_Archives/2024_Q4." For added flexibility and security, consider using cloud storage services with two-factor authentication.
These steps ensure your data is both secure and easy to manage.
How Often to Download
Although LinkedIn allows you to request a new data archive every 30 days [2], downloading it monthly isn’t always necessary. For most professionals, a quarterly schedule strikes the right balance between keeping up-to-date and avoiding unnecessary clutter.
Set reminders on your calendar for quarterly downloads. Choose specific dates that fit your schedule and stick to them. This regularity helps you capture meaningful updates in your network while leaving enough time to put the data to practical use.
When updating your archives, replace older files with the latest version. Since your most recent archive includes all historical data, keeping multiple versions can lead to confusion without adding value. Consider keeping only the current quarter’s archive and one backup from the previous quarter to stay organized.
| Backup Method | Frequency | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| PDF Download | Monthly | Quick profile snapshot |
| Full Data Export | Quarterly | Comprehensive data archive |
With a secure and periodic download routine, the next step is organizing and analyzing your data to unlock its full potential.
Organizing and Analyzing Your Data
To make sense of your data, use spreadsheet tools like Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or Apple Numbers. These programs work seamlessly with CSV files and offer robust sorting and filtering features to help identify trends.
Start by opening your connections CSV file and sorting it by criteria like company or job title. This can reveal patterns – for instance, you might notice a growing number of connections from a specific industry, giving you insights into where your network is strongest.
Create separate worksheets for different analyses. For example:
- One sheet for mapping the geographic distribution of your connections.
- Another for breaking down industries.
- A third for tracking engagement trends based on your activity data.
This kind of organization makes it easier to reference specific insights when planning outreach campaigns or updating your CRM.
You can also filter your message history by date to spot seasonal communication trends. If you notice higher response rates during certain times of the year, you can plan future outreach efforts accordingly.
Track the growth of your connections by comparing current and past archives. A slowdown in new connections might indicate that you need to adjust your networking strategy, while a surge in specific sectors could highlight emerging opportunities.
When you identify valuable segments in your data, export them into separate CSV files for targeted campaigns. For example, if you notice a cluster of connections in a particular niche, saving those contacts in a new file allows you to focus your outreach more effectively. This approach prevents information overload and makes your data actionable.
Key Points to Remember
Main Benefits Summary
Your LinkedIn data archive is a powerful tool for improving CRM updates, refining outreach efforts, and enhancing recruitment strategies. This dataset provides essential contact details, such as job titles and company affiliations, helping you keep your CRM records accurate and up to date. It makes updating customer databases or prospect lists much more straightforward.
For outreach campaigns, your message history and activity data can highlight what types of messages resonate most and pinpoint the best times to follow up, giving you a clearer strategy for engagement.
When it comes to recruitment, your connections data can serve as a valuable talent pipeline. By analyzing industry and location information within your network, you may uncover trends in skills and talent clusters. This insight can reveal new opportunities for sourcing candidates and identifying untapped markets based on where professionals in specific industries or regions are concentrated.
Think of these benefits as actionable steps to help you get started right away.
Next Steps
Now that you’re familiar with the advantages of your LinkedIn archive, it’s time to put that knowledge into action. Start by requesting your LinkedIn archive. Head to your LinkedIn settings, select "Get a copy of your data", and choose the comprehensive option to access all available information. The process usually takes 24–72 hours, so initiating the request now means you’ll have valuable data to work with before the week is over.
While waiting for your archive, prepare your tools for analysis. Set up a dedicated folder on your computer for the files and ensure you have access to spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. This will help you dive into the data as soon as it’s available.
Once you receive the archive, focus on analyzing your connections to identify key trends and insights. To stay ahead, consider scheduling regular downloads. Setting a quarterly reminder to request updated archives will keep your data current as your network grows. This simple habit can turn a one-time export into a long-term strategy for professional growth.
FAQs
What steps should I take to securely download and store my LinkedIn data archive?
To keep your LinkedIn data archive safe, it’s important to follow some key security steps. Start by downloading the archive only on a trusted, secure device while connected to a private, encrypted network. Steer clear of public Wi-Fi to avoid the risk of someone intercepting your data.
After downloading, make sure to store the archive securely. Options include an encrypted external drive or a cloud service with multi-factor authentication and strong security measures. For extra protection, you can use the 3-2-1 backup rule: maintain three copies of your data, store them on two different types of media, and ensure one copy is stored offsite.
To further safeguard your archive, use strong, unique passwords and limit who has access to it. Only share it with people you trust. Also, make it a habit to review and update your security settings regularly to protect against new threats.
How can I use my LinkedIn data archive to enhance my professional networking?
Your LinkedIn data archive can be an incredibly useful resource for refining your networking strategies. By examining your connections, messages, and activity history, you can uncover patterns – like which types of posts or outreach efforts tend to spark the most engagement. These insights can guide you in fine-tuning your approach to relationship-building.
For instance, you can use this data to improve your profile, ensuring it appeals to the right audience. It also allows you to connect with people who align with your goals and craft more personalized outreach messages. Tailoring messages based on shared interests or previous interactions can make your communication more meaningful. By making the most of this data, you can strengthen relationships, boost your visibility, and grow your network in a way that aligns with your professional aspirations.
Why doesn’t LinkedIn include data like profile viewers in the data archive, and how does this affect its value?
LinkedIn deliberately omits certain details, such as information about who has viewed your profile, from its data archive. This decision is rooted in a commitment to protecting user privacy and adhering to data protection laws. By doing so, LinkedIn ensures that sensitive data remains secure and is not misused.
However, this focus on privacy does come with some trade-offs. Without access to profile viewer data, users lose an opportunity to gain deeper insights into their audience. For instance, knowing who engages with your profile could help refine outreach strategies or identify potential connections. Even with these limitations, the archive still provides useful information that can enhance efforts in areas like sales, marketing, and recruitment.