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LinkedIn People Search API

Search public LinkedIn people by first and/or last name and get structured JSON rows — name, profile URL, location, experience, education — ready for enrichment follow-ups.

GET /v1/linkedin/people/search

2 credits attempt fee plus 2 credits per returned record. Up to 50 per request (102 credits max).

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About this endpoint

Prospecting and entity resolution often start with a name, not a `/in/…` URL. You have "Priya Patel at Acme" in a CRM note or a conference list, and you need candidate LinkedIn profiles before you enrich the full card. Scraping LinkedIn search yourself means login walls, checkpoint loops, and HTML that shifts without a changelog.

`GET /v1/linkedin/people/search` takes `firstName` and/or `lastName` (at least one required). The response uses the shared Social Fetch envelope. Branch on `data.lookupStatus`: `found` when at least one person came back, `not_found` when the search finished empty. Each row in `data.people` includes `name`, `profileUrl`, and optional `subtitle`, `location`, `experience`, `education`, and `imageUrl` when LinkedIn shows them on the search result. `data.summary.returned` is the count for this page of results.

This route is name search, not a full person profile dump. Once you have a `profileUrl`, call `GET /v1/linkedin/profiles` for the richer person card. Company pages stay on `GET /v1/linkedin/companies`. Pricing is metered: a 2-credit attempt fee on every successful search (including empty), plus 2 credits per person returned (typically up to 50 people / 102 credits preflight). Trust `meta.creditsCharged`. Expect a longer wait than most LinkedIn GETs — this search often runs around one and a half minutes.

LinkedIn People Search API FAQ

How do I search LinkedIn people by name via API?

Call `GET /v1/linkedin/people/search` with your Social Fetch API key (`x-api-key`) and `firstName` and/or `lastName` query params. Read `data.lookupStatus` and `data.people` in the JSON response. Full parameters are in the API docs.

How much does LinkedIn people search cost?

2 credits attempt fee on every successful search (including empty results), plus 2 credits per person returned. Preflight assumes up to 50 people (102 credits max). Always trust `meta.creditsCharged` on the response over a spreadsheet estimate.

Do I need both firstName and lastName?

No. Pass at least one of `firstName` or `lastName`. Either alone is valid; both together narrows the match set. Empty or whitespace-only values do not count toward the required filter.

What fields does each LinkedIn people search result include?

Each person row has `name` and `profileUrl`. When available on the public search result, you also get `subtitle`, `location`, `experience`, `education`, and `imageUrl`. Coverage follows what LinkedIn shows on search — gated detail belongs on the profile endpoint after you pick a URL.

People search vs LinkedIn profile GET?

Use `GET /v1/linkedin/people/search` when you have a name and need candidate `/in/…` URLs. Use `GET /v1/linkedin/profiles` when you already have profile URLs and want the fuller person card (experience blocks, metrics, and related public fields).

What happens when no people match the name search?

The call still returns HTTP 200 with `lookupStatus` of `not_found`, an empty `people` array, and `summary.returned` of 0. The 2-credit attempt fee still applies. Keep `meta.requestId` if you need to retry or escalate.

How long does LinkedIn people search take?

Longer than most Social Fetch LinkedIn GETs. Plan for roughly one and a half minutes per request. Set client timeouts accordingly and treat `meta.requestId` as the support handle if a call fails mid-flight.

Do I need LinkedIn partner API access for people search?

No. Social Fetch returns public LinkedIn people search results for enrichment-style discovery. LinkedIn's official partner APIs are separate and require LinkedIn's access programs and member authorization.

Other LinkedIn endpoints