Does LinkedIn have an API?
Yes. LinkedIn publishes official APIs for partners and member-authorized products (login, posting, ads, and approved Marketing Developer Platform use cases). Public-data APIs cover public people and company pages you do not control, a different product and compliance model.
Official LinkedIn APIs
LinkedIn's developer products are built around apps LinkedIn has approved and members who grant permission. Typical uses: sign-in, publishing on behalf of a member, ads, and partner marketing features.
Marketing Developer Platform and related partner programs are gated. Many B2B enrichment products never get (and may never need) that access. Official APIs are a poor fit for "enrich this public /in/ URL" when the prospect never connected to you.
Public-data LinkedIn APIs
Social Fetch includes LinkedIn in the same 17-platform catalog (137 marketplace ops). Routes cover public people profiles, company pages, posts, people search, and post transcripts where available.
You call documented /v1/linkedin/... paths with an API key and get structured JSON plus meta.requestId and creditsCharged. Private or unavailable pages surface as lookupStatus outcomes, not silent empty rows.
Partner access vs public /in/ enrichment
The LinkedIn-specific quirk is credit shape on list routes. A single profile GET is usually cheap; people search and profile post lists often use attempt fees plus per-row charges (for example profiles/posts documents a 2-credit attempt fee plus 2 credits per post returned, with a hard limit). Do not assume every LinkedIn call is 1 credit. Always trust meta.creditsCharged.
Try a public URL on /tools/linkedin-profile-viewer before you batch. Building a LinkedIn-approved experience with member OAuth or ads? Use LinkedIn's official APIs. CRM enrichment or GTM over public LinkedIn URLs? Use a public-data API, and read each operation's pricing blurb first.
FAQ
Can I use LinkedIn's official API for any public profile?
Generally no. Official access is scoped to partner products and member permissions. Arbitrary public enrichment is not what those APIs are designed for.
Does Social Fetch replace LinkedIn's partner APIs?
No. It covers public page lookups. If you need posting, login, or approved marketing APIs, keep LinkedIn's products.
Where do I try LinkedIn without writing code?
Use /tools/linkedin-profile-viewer, then move to /platforms/linkedin and the API docs for production.
Do LinkedIn lookups cost credits?
Yes on Social Fetch metered routes. Some operations (for example search and profile post lists) may cost more than a single profile GET. Check each docs page and meta.creditsCharged.