> **For coding agents and LLMs:** This is one page from the Social Fetch docs (markdown export). The sections below mirror the orientation block in [`/llms.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.txt); use [`/llms.json`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.json) when you need a structured operation inventory. The catalog covers documented operations with on-site reference pages.

## This page

- **On-site (HTML):** [https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api/v1/linkedin/people/search/get](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api/v1/linkedin/people/search/get)
- **Markdown (.mdx) URL:** [https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api/v1/linkedin/people/search/get.mdx](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api/v1/linkedin/people/search/get.mdx)

## API base URL and authentication

- **API origin (from OpenAPI `servers`):** `https://api.socialfetch.dev`
- **Authentication:** send `x-api-key: sfk_...` on `/v1/**` routes unless the operation is explicitly anonymous (check OpenAPI `security`, the [API reference hub](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api.mdx), [`/llms.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.txt), or [`/llms.json`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.json) for each route).
- **OpenAPI JSON:** [https://www.socialfetch.dev/openapi.json](https://www.socialfetch.dev/openapi.json)

## Recommended docs entrypoints (this site)

- [Documentation overview](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs.mdx) — top-level orientation (markdown).
- [Quickstart](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/quickstart.mdx) — authenticate with `x-api-key`, validate auth with `whoami`, and understand the JSON envelope.
- [SDK](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/sdk.mdx) — official TypeScript SDK guide, including `SocialFetchClient`, `Result`, and `unwrap()`.
- [SDK reference](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/sdk-reference.mdx) — exhaustive SDK method inventory and route mapping for agents, tooling, and power users.
- [Choose the right endpoint](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/choose-endpoint.mdx) — task-oriented route selection for smoke tests, profiles, list endpoints, and single-item lookups.
- [Capability matrix](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/capability-matrix.mdx) — fast comparison of identifiers, pagination, outcomes, media download, and SDK coverage.
- [Integrations](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/integrations.mdx) — MCP for AI clients, n8n verified node, SDK, and REST API connection paths.
- [MCP integration](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/integrations/mcp.mdx) — hosted `/mcp` server, OAuth, Cursor/VS Code/Claude install snippets, 87 endpoint tools, plus docs_search/docs_read for implementation help.
- [n8n integration](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/integrations/n8n.mdx) — install `n8n-nodes-socialfetch`, credentials, and workflow examples.
- [`/llms.json`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.json) — structured machine-readable operation inventory with parameter names, pagination, outcomes, credits, and SDK mapping.
- [API reference hub](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api.mdx) — human-friendly index of operations with links into generated pages.
- [Errors](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/errors.mdx) — shared error envelope and HTTP status guidance.
- [Credits](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/credits.mdx) — metering, `402`, and planning batch jobs.
- Outcome semantics such as `found`, `not_found`, and `private` are documented in [Errors](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/errors.mdx) and on operation pages when present in the OpenAPI contract.

## Markdown docs convention

- Every docs page has a markdown twin: append **`.mdx`** to the docs pathname (for example `/docs/quickstart` → `/docs/quickstart.mdx`).
- Agents that send `Accept: text/markdown` on `/docs/**` HTML URLs may receive markdown directly (same URL, `Vary: Accept`).

---
# Search LinkedIn people (https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api/v1/linkedin/people/search/get)

## Summary

Search LinkedIn people by first and/or last name.

**Tags:** `LinkedIn`

## HTTP

- **Method:** GET
- **Path:** `/v1/linkedin/people/search`
- **Base URL:** `https://api.socialfetch.dev`

## Capability summary

- **SDK mapping:** `client.linkedin.searchPeople({ firstName?, lastName? })`
- **Pagination:** none
- **Business outcome field:** `data.lookupStatus` with values `found`, `not_found`

## Credits

- 2 credits per returned record; up to 50 records may be returned (preflight checks up to 100 credits). See `meta.creditsCharged`. Normalization failures are not charged.

## Authentication

- **`x-api-key`**: API key (`sfk_...`)

## Parameters

### `firstName` (query)

- **Required:** no
- **Constraints:** type `string`; maxLength: 128
- **Description:** First name filter. At least one of `firstName` or `lastName` is required.

### `lastName` (query)

- **Required:** no
- **Constraints:** type `string`; maxLength: 128
- **Description:** Last name filter. At least one of `firstName` or `lastName` is required.

## Responses (status codes)

- **200**: People search results. Check `data.lookupStatus` and `data.people`.
- **400**: Invalid search parameters
- **401**: Missing or invalid API key
- **402**: Insufficient credits
- **500**: Unexpected or billing error
- **502**: Lookup could not be completed from the response (unexpected or invalid data).
- **503**: Service temporarily unavailable; safe to retry with backoff.

## Response body (200)

People search results. Check `data.lookupStatus` and `data.people`.

### Field outline

- **data** (required) — type `object`. Endpoint-specific response payload.
  - **lookupStatus** (required) — type `string`; enum: found, not_found. Whether the people search completed for this request.
  - **people** (required) — type `array`. People matching the search criteria.
    - _items:_
      - **name** (required) — type `string`; minLength: 1. Person display name.
      - **profileUrl** (required) — type `string`; minLength: 1. LinkedIn profile URL for this search result.
      - **subtitle** (required) — type `string`; nullable. Subtitle line shown on the search result when available.
      - **location** (required) — type `string`; nullable. Location label when available.
      - **experience** (required) — type `string`; nullable. Experience summary string from LinkedIn search.
      - **education** (required) — type `string`; nullable. Education summary string from LinkedIn search.
      - **imageUrl** (required) — type `string`; nullable. Avatar image URL when available.
  - **summary** (required) — type `object`. Summary counts for this search response.
    - **returned** (required) — type `integer`; minimum: 0. Number of people returned in this response.
- **meta** (required) — type `object`. Metadata describing the request and billing outcome.
  - **requestId** (required) — type `string`; minLength: 1. Unique request identifier for tracing this API call.
  - **creditsCharged** (required) — type `integer`; minimum: 0. Credits charged for this request.
  - **version** (required) — type `string`; enum: v1. Public API version that served the response.

### Example JSON (OpenAPI example)

```json
{
  "data": {
    "lookupStatus": "found",
    "people": [
      {
        "name": "James Smith",
        "profileUrl": "https://uk.linkedin.com/in/james-smith-2557238",
        "subtitle": null,
        "location": "Nuneaton",
        "experience": "Spacemaker Systems | Warehouse Automation, +11 more",
        "education": ", +1 more",
        "imageUrl": null
      }
    ],
    "summary": {
      "returned": 3
    }
  },
  "meta": {
    "requestId": "req_01example_people_search",
    "creditsCharged": 6,
    "version": "v1"
  }
}
```

### Machine-readable error codes

When an error JSON body is returned, it may include one of these `error.code` values (derived from the OpenAPI schemas for this operation; additional codes may exist at runtime):

- `bad_request`

## Error handling & retries

Interpret HTTP status codes using the descriptions below. Do not assume a JSON body unless the OpenAPI schema defines one for that status.

- **400**: Invalid search parameters **Retry:** Fix the request; retrying the same invalid payload will not help.
- **401**: Missing or invalid API key **Retry:** Fix the API key first; retrying without changes will not help.
- **402**: Insufficient credits **Retry:** Do not retry without resolving billing/credits (retrying the same request will not help).
- **500**: Unexpected or billing error
- **502**: Lookup could not be completed from the response (unexpected or invalid data). **Retry:** May be transient; a few retries with backoff are reasonable.
- **503**: Service temporarily unavailable; safe to retry with backoff. **Retry:** Usually safe to retry with exponential backoff and jitter.

### Suggested client defaults

- Send the API key using the `x-api-key` header on every request.
- On `503` (and sometimes `502`), retry with backoff; cap retries and surface a clear error to the user.
- On `402`, surface an actionable billing message rather than blind retries.

## Examples

### TypeScript SDK

```typescript
import { SocialFetchClient } from "@socialfetch/sdk";

const client = new SocialFetchClient({
  apiKey: process.env.SOCIALFETCH_API_KEY!,
});

const result = await client.linkedin.searchPeople({
  firstName: "James",
  lastName: "Smith",
});

if (!result.ok) {
  console.error(result.error);
} else {
  console.log(result.value.data);
}
```

### Node.js

```javascript
const response = await fetch(
  "https://api.socialfetch.dev/v1/linkedin/people/search?firstName=James&lastName=Smith",
  {
    headers: {
      "x-api-key": "YOUR_API_KEY",
    }
  }
);

const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);
```

### cURL

```bash
curl "https://api.socialfetch.dev/v1/linkedin/people/search?firstName=James&lastName=Smith" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"
```

### Python

```python
import requests

response = requests.get(
    "https://api.socialfetch.dev/v1/linkedin/people/search?firstName=James&lastName=Smith",
    headers={"x-api-key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
)
data = response.json()
print(data)
```