Does LinkedIn have an API?
Yes, but essentially closed for general public-data use. LinkedIn's public developer program covers sign-in and posting to pages you manage; people search and profile data at scale need an approved Partner Program most companies never get. Public-data APIs cover public /in/ and company-page lookup.
What LinkedIn's public developer program covers
Self-serve program: OAuth sign-in, posting/managing company pages via Community Management or Marketing APIs — for accounts that authorized your app.
No self-serve "look up any public profile by URL" or people search — those sit behind Partner Programs.
Partner Programs: the door that's usually closed
Broader access — people search, recruiting/sales-intelligence lookups — needs approved Partner Program (Talent, Sales Solutions, etc.): business relationship, review, often existing commercial partnership.
Honest answer for most teams: no LinkedIn profile data via official API without a partner deal. Public-data APIs aggregate logged-out-visible data without member OAuth.
What a public-data API adds
Social Fetch includes LinkedIn in the 21-platform catalog (165 ops): people profiles, company pages, posts, people search, transcripts — { data, meta } envelope.
/v1/linkedin/… with sfk_… via x-api-key. People search is a documented metered route — list/search routes may carry attempt fee plus per-row charge; trust meta.creditsCharged.
A concrete example
Enrich public /in/ URLs from an event form: profile lookup → fullName, headline, experience in data + meta.creditsCharged. People search by title/company → paginated matches, higher cost than single GET.
No equivalent self-serve path through LinkedIn's public developer program.
Common mistakes, and what Social Fetch doesn't do
Assuming LinkedIn works like Twitter/Reddit — sign up, get key, pull public data. LinkedIn is partner-gated beyond sign-in and page management.
Social Fetch: public profiles, companies, posts only — no member auth, DMs, connections-only content, or posting on behalf of anyone.
FAQ
Does LinkedIn have a public API?
Public program is narrow (sign-in, page posting). Profile lookup and people search need Partner Program approval.
How do I get LinkedIn profile data via API?
Official: approved Partner Program. Public-data API like Social Fetch: public URLs with sfk_… key.
Is Social Fetch the same as LinkedIn's official API?
No. Social Fetch is third-party public-data; LinkedIn official is member-authorized or partner-gated.
Can I search LinkedIn people by job title through an API?
Not via LinkedIn's public program. Social Fetch people-search — check documented pricing and meta.creditsCharged.
Why can't I just apply for LinkedIn API access like other platforms?
Public program exists for sign-in/page management; broader access is Partner Program with business relationship and review.
Do LinkedIn lookups cost credits on Social Fetch?
Yes on metered routes. Search/post-list often cost more than profile GET. not_found bills; lookup_failed and 503 don't.
Where do I try LinkedIn data without writing code?
/tools/linkedin-profile-viewer → /platforms/linkedin and API docs.