How to Export LinkedIn Contacts & Connections in 2026

Updated April 18, 2026 — Refreshed with the latest 2026 data, pricing, and examples. Reviewed by the ConnectSafely.ai editorial team.

LinkedIn lets you export your 1st-degree connections to a CSV file directly from your account settings. No paid plan required, no third-party tool necessary. The feature is built into every free LinkedIn account under Settings & Privacy, and LinkedIn is legally obligated to provide it under GDPR Article 20 (the right to data portability).

Yet most professionals never use it. And among those who do, few understand the limitations of what LinkedIn actually includes in the export -- or what it quietly leaves out.

This guide walks through the exact steps to export your LinkedIn contacts in 2026, what data you actually receive, where the gaps are, and how to put that data to work in your CRM, email workflows, or relationship management system.

Key Takeaways

• LinkedIn's native export is free and available to every user through Settings & Privacy > Get a copy of your data
• The CSV includes six fields: First Name, Last Name, Email Address, Company, Position, and Connected On date
• Email addresses are often missing because most users restrict email visibility in their privacy settings
• Phone numbers are never included in the standard connections export, regardless of privacy settings
• Only 1st-degree connections can be exported -- 2nd and 3rd-degree contacts are not available
• Export processing takes 10-24 minutes in most cases, though LinkedIn warns it can take up to 24 hours
• Third-party tools like Evaboot, PhantomBuster, and Dux-Soup can supplement missing data but carry compliance risks

How to Export LinkedIn Connections (Step-by-Step)

The native export process is straightforward but buried several layers deep in LinkedIn's settings. Follow these steps exactly.

Step 1: Open LinkedIn Settings

Log in to LinkedIn on desktop. Click your profile photo in the top navigation bar, then select Settings & Privacy from the dropdown menu.

Step 2: Navigate to Data Privacy

In the left sidebar, click Data privacy. Scroll down to the section labeled Get a copy of your data.

Step 3: Select Your Data

LinkedIn presents two options:

• Want something in particular? -- Select specific data categories (choose "Connections")
• Download larger data archive -- Includes messages, activity, profile data, and everything else

For a contacts export, select Connections under the first option. This gives you the fastest download with only the data you need.

Step 4: Request the Archive

Click Request archive. LinkedIn will send a confirmation to your registered email address.

Step 5: Download the CSV

LinkedIn processes your request and emails you when the file is ready. Processing typically takes 10 to 24 minutes, though LinkedIn's official documentation states it can take up to 24 hours for larger networks.

The download link arrives via email and is also accessible from the same Data Privacy settings page under Download your data.

Step 6: Open and Review

The export generates a file called Connections.csv. Open it in Excel, Google Sheets, or any spreadsheet application. Each row represents one connection with the data fields described below.

What Data Is (and Isn't) Included in the Export

Understanding the exact contents of the export prevents wasted time and mismatched expectations. Here is a complete breakdown.

Data Fields in Connections.csv

Why Email Addresses Are Often Missing

The most common frustration with LinkedIn exports is sparse email data. Here is why: LinkedIn users control email visibility through their privacy settings. Most professionals set their email to "Only me" or "1st-degree connections" -- and even the latter does not guarantee inclusion in a CSV export.

In practice, expect 30-50% of your connections to have email addresses in the exported file. The rest will show blank fields.

Character Set Limitations

CSV and vCard formats have limited support for extended character sets. Names written in Chinese, Japanese, Hebrew, Arabic, or other non-Latin scripts may appear corrupted, garbled, or blank in the exported file. This is a format limitation, not a LinkedIn bug. If you work with an international network, verify that critical contacts exported correctly.

What Most Guides Get Wrong

"You Can Export Anyone's Contact Data"

Wrong. LinkedIn only allows exporting your 1st-degree connections. You cannot export data for 2nd-degree connections, 3rd-degree connections, group members, or people who appear in search results. The export reflects your network, not LinkedIn's entire database.

"The Export Includes Everything on Their Profile"

Also wrong. The export includes six fields maximum. It does not include their headline, summary, skills, endorsements, experience history, education, location, or LinkedIn profile URL. What you get is a stripped-down contact card, not a full professional profile.

"It Takes Seconds"

LinkedIn does not provide instant downloads. The archive request is queued and processed server-side. While most exports complete in 10-24 minutes, large networks (10,000+ connections) or high-traffic periods can push processing to several hours. LinkedIn's official help page confirms the maximum wait time is 24 hours.

"You Can Do This from the Mobile App"

The full data export feature is only accessible from the desktop web version of LinkedIn. The mobile app provides account settings but does not include the data download functionality. Always use a desktop browser.

"Third-Party Tools Are Just Faster Versions of the Same Thing"

Third-party tools do something fundamentally different from the native export. LinkedIn's export gives you data your connections have explicitly shared. Third-party tools scrape, enrich, or infer data that may not have been voluntarily provided. The legal and ethical distinctions are significant.

Requesting a Full Data Archive

Beyond connections, LinkedIn allows you to download a complete archive of your account data. This is useful for record-keeping, switching platforms, or exercising your GDPR data portability rights.

What the Full Archive Includes

• Connections: Same CSV described above
• Messages: Your complete InMail and messaging history
• Profile data: Your own profile information, skills, endorsements
• Activity: Posts, comments, reactions, shares
• Search history: Your LinkedIn search queries
• Ad targeting data: How advertisers have targeted you
• Invitations: Sent and received connection requests

How to Request It

Follow the same steps above, but in Step 3, select Download larger data archive instead of choosing specific categories. Processing time for the full archive is significantly longer -- expect 24 to 72 hours depending on your account size and activity history.

Third-Party Tools for LinkedIn Contact Export

When LinkedIn's native export falls short -- missing emails, no profile URLs, limited data fields -- third-party tools fill the gaps. Each carries tradeoffs in cost, compliance, and capability.

Tool Comparison

Evaboot

Designed specifically for Sales Navigator users. Evaboot extracts lead lists from Sales Navigator searches and enriches them with verified email addresses. It applies filters to clean data (removing false positives from Sales Navigator searches) and exports directly to CSV. Best suited for teams already paying for Sales Navigator who need to get data out of LinkedIn's walled garden.

PhantomBuster

A broader automation platform that includes LinkedIn-specific "Phantoms" (automated workflows). The LinkedIn Profile Scraper and LinkedIn Search Export Phantoms can extract profile data at scale. PhantomBuster also handles enrichment through integrations with email finders. More powerful but more complex than single-purpose tools.

Dux-Soup

A browser extension that automates LinkedIn profile visits and data collection. It stores extracted data in a built-in CRM or exports to CSV. The most affordable option for small teams, though its browser-based approach means it only works while your computer is running with the browser open.

Closely

Combines LinkedIn outreach automation with contact data export. Closely verifies emails through its own database and exports leads with contact information. Positions itself as a compliant alternative to more aggressive scraping tools.

Important Caveats

All third-party tools that interact with LinkedIn carry inherent risks:

• Terms of Service violations: LinkedIn's User Agreement prohibits scraping and automated data collection
• Account restrictions: LinkedIn detects unusual activity patterns and may restrict or ban accounts
• Data freshness: Exported data starts degrading immediately -- people change jobs, companies, and contact information
• Compliance burden: You become responsible for how you store and use the extracted data

Importing LinkedIn Contacts into Your CRM

The most common use case for exporting LinkedIn connections is importing them into a CRM for relationship management, lead nurturing, or sales pipeline tracking.

CRM Import Workflows

HubSpot: Navigate to Contacts > Import > Start an import. Select "File from computer," upload the Connections.csv, map the columns (First Name, Last Name, Email, Company, Position), and complete the import. HubSpot automatically deduplicates against existing contacts.

Salesforce: Use the Data Import Wizard under Setup. Select "Contacts" as the object type, upload the CSV, map fields, and run the import. Salesforce requires a valid email or unique identifier for each record.

Pipedrive: Go to Contacts > Import data > From a spreadsheet. Upload the CSV and map columns to Pipedrive's contact fields. Pipedrive handles duplicates by merging or skipping based on your settings.

Best Practices for CRM Import

1. Clean the data first: Remove connections without email addresses if email outreach is your goal
2. Add tags or labels: Tag imported contacts as "LinkedIn Connection" for segmentation
3. Set expectations: Remember that these are professional contacts, not opt-in marketing leads
4. Enrich gradually: Use your CRM's enrichment features to fill in missing data over time
5. Maintain regularly: Re-export quarterly to capture new connections and updated information

For a detailed guide on connecting LinkedIn with your CRM, see our LinkedIn CRM Integration Guide.

GDPR, Privacy, and Legal Considerations

Exporting your LinkedIn contacts is legal. What you do with that data afterward determines whether you stay compliant.

Your Right to Export (GDPR Article 20)

Under the General Data Protection Regulation, data portability is a protected right. LinkedIn is legally required to provide your data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format (CSV qualifies). This applies to all users, not just EU residents, though GDPR provides the strongest legal framework.

LinkedIn's official help documentation confirms this right and provides the export mechanism described in this guide.

What You Can Legally Do

• Personal relationship management: Keeping track of your professional network
• CRM organization: Importing contacts for relationship tracking
• Warm outreach: Contacting people you already have a connection with
• Data backup: Maintaining a copy of your own network data

What Gets Legally Complicated

• Cold email marketing: Emailing exported contacts without consent may violate GDPR (EU), CASL (Canada), or CAN-SPAM (US) depending on the context and jurisdiction
• Selling contact data: Reselling exported LinkedIn data violates both LinkedIn's Terms of Service and most privacy regulations
• Automated outreach at scale: Using exported data to power mass outreach campaigns enters gray territory under multiple regulations
• Third-party data sharing: Sharing your exported contacts with other organizations may require explicit consent from each individual

Compliance Checklist

Before using exported LinkedIn data for outreach:

• Confirm the outreach is B2B and relates to the contact's professional role
• Verify you have a legitimate interest or consent basis under applicable law
• Include a clear opt-out mechanism in every communication
• Include your physical business address in email footers
• Document your legal basis for processing the data
• Review privacy requirements for each contact's geographic jurisdiction

How ConnectSafely.ai Changes the Equation

Exporting contacts assumes you need to push outreach to your network. ConnectSafely offers a different model: building visibility so your network comes to you.

Traditional export-and-outreach approach:

1. Export 2,000 LinkedIn connections
2. Import into email tool
3. Send campaign to contacts
4. Get 40 opens (2% response rate)
5. Generate 4 conversations

Inbound authority approach with ConnectSafely:

1. Build consistent LinkedIn presence
2. Engage strategically with target audience
3. Attract inbound interest from qualified prospects
4. Generate 50+ meaningful conversations monthly
5. Convert at 15-30% because prospects already trust you

ConnectSafely automates the visibility and engagement layer -- strategic commenting, content distribution, and audience interaction -- so prospects discover you organically. Instead of exporting contacts and hoping they respond to cold outreach, you create conditions where prospects reach out because they already recognize your expertise.

The contacts you would have exported still matter. But instead of cold-emailing them, you're building familiarity in their feed so that when a business need arises, you're the first person they think of.

Why Quarterly Exports Beat One-Time Exports (And Annual Exports Are Worse Than Nothing)

The single most overlooked detail in LinkedIn data portability is decay rate. According to LinkedIn's own benchmarks, roughly 18-22% of professional profiles change in any given quarter — job title, company, or contact preferences. That means a connections export taken 12 months ago is, conservatively, 65% accurate at best by the time you use it. The asymmetric move is the quarterly re-export — drop a calendar reminder for the first Monday of each new quarter and run the export. Diff the new file against the old one in a spreadsheet (the "Connected On" date is your stable join key). The deltas tell you (a) who you have recently connected with worth deepening, (b) who has switched roles into a buying seat at a new company, and (c) who has dropped out of your network entirely. The quarterly cadence converts a static contact list into a continuously refreshed signal feed. Annual or one-time exports do the opposite: they give you the false confidence of "having the data" while quietly going stale in a forgotten Downloads folder.

The Sales Navigator Loophole Most Teams Miss

If your team has Sales Navigator, there is a path to richer export data that does not require third-party scraping tools or terms-of-service gray zones. Sales Navigator's Lead Lists feature allows you to manually curate up to 1,000 leads per list, and Lead List exports include profile URLs, locations, and additional fields not present in the standard connections export. The workflow most teams miss: use Sales Navigator search to filter your existing 1st-degree connections (yes — you can filter by relationship type), save them to a Lead List, then export the list. You get the same connections you would have in a standard export, but with the metadata Sales Navigator adds. This is fully sanctioned by LinkedIn's terms because you are exporting data you have paid access to view. The asymmetric payoff: roughly 4x the data fields without the legal exposure of scraping tools.

When NOT to Import Your Export Into a CRM

Most guides assume the CRM import is the obvious next step. It often is not. CRMs charge per contact (HubSpot, Salesforce, and Pipedrive all use seat-and-contact based pricing tiers), and dumping 5,000 LinkedIn connections into your CRM can push you into a higher tier with no corresponding pipeline value. The asymmetric rule: only import contacts where (a) you have a verified email address in the CSV, (b) the contact's company matches your ICP, and (c) you have a defined intent to nurture them in the next 90 days. Everything else stays in the CSV, archived in cloud storage, and only gets imported on-demand when a relationship reactivates. Treat the CRM as expensive prime real estate, not as cold storage. The default behavior — import everything — is the single most expensive mistake teams make with LinkedIn export data.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I export all my LinkedIn connections to a CSV file?

Go to LinkedIn on desktop, click your profile photo, then Settings & Privacy. Navigate to Data Privacy and click "Get a copy of your data." Select "Connections" and click Request archive. LinkedIn will email you when the Connections.csv file is ready to download, typically within 10 to 24 minutes. The CSV includes first name, last name, email address (if shared), company, position, and connection date for all your 1st-degree connections.

Why are email addresses missing from my LinkedIn contacts export?

Email addresses only appear in the export if your connections have enabled email visibility in their LinkedIn privacy settings. Most LinkedIn users restrict this to "Only me" or limit visibility to direct connections. As a result, roughly 30-50% of exported connections will have email addresses, while the rest show blank email fields. There is no way to force inclusion of hidden email addresses through the native export.

Can I export my LinkedIn contacts from the mobile app?

No. LinkedIn's full data export feature is only available through the desktop web version at linkedin.com. The mobile app includes basic account settings but does not provide the "Get a copy of your data" functionality. You must log in via a desktop browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) to access the data export. Once the export is processed and the CSV is downloaded, you can open it on any device.

What is the difference between exporting LinkedIn connections and downloading a full LinkedIn data archive?

The connections export downloads only your 1st-degree connection data as a single CSV file with six fields. The full data archive includes everything LinkedIn stores about your account: messages, posts, comments, search history, profile information, ad targeting data, and invitation history. The connections export typically processes in 10-24 minutes, while the full archive can take 24 to 72 hours. Choose the connections-only option if you only need contact data; choose the full archive for complete data portability or account backup.

Is it legal to export LinkedIn contacts and use them for email marketing campaigns?

Exporting your data is legal under GDPR Article 20 (data portability). However, using exported contact data for email marketing requires separate legal analysis. Under GDPR, you need a lawful basis such as legitimate interest or explicit consent before emailing EU contacts for marketing purposes. Under CAN-SPAM in the US, commercial emails require accurate headers, opt-out mechanisms, and your physical address. Under CASL in Canada, you need express or implied consent. The safest approach is to treat exported contacts as relationship data, not marketing leads, and only email contacts where you have a clear professional relationship and legal basis.

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Ready to stop exporting contacts for cold outreach and start attracting qualified leads instead? Try ConnectSafely free and build the LinkedIn authority that makes prospects come to you.

The Dark Side of LinkedIn's Data Portability: Compliance Risks and Hidden Liabilities

When exporting LinkedIn contacts, it's essential to consider the compliance risks and hidden liabilities associated with this process. While LinkedIn provides a native export feature, it's crucial to understand that this data is subject to various regulations, including GDPR, CCPA, and other data protection laws. Many professionals overlook the fact that exporting contacts can lead to unintended consequences, such as violating users' privacy settings or inadvertently collecting sensitive information. For instance, if a user has restricted their email visibility, exporting their contact information could potentially expose their email address, even if it's not intentionally shared. Furthermore, using third-party tools to supplement missing data can increase the risk of non-compliance, as these tools may not adhere to the same data protection standards as LinkedIn. It's essential to weigh the benefits of exporting contacts against the potential risks and liabilities, ensuring that you have the necessary measures in place to protect user data and maintain compliance.

Myth vs Reality: Debunking Common Misconceptions About LinkedIn Contact Exporting

There are several common misconceptions surrounding LinkedIn contact exporting that need to be debunked. One of the most prevalent myths is that exporting contacts is a straightforward process that yields a comprehensive list of connections. In reality, the native export feature has limitations, such as only including 1st-degree connections and omitting phone numbers. Another myth is that third-party tools can provide a complete and accurate list of contacts, including email addresses and phone numbers. However, these tools often rely on scraping or other methods that may violate LinkedIn's terms of service and user privacy settings. Additionally, some professionals believe that exporting contacts is a one-time process, but in reality, it's essential to regularly update and refresh your contact list to ensure accuracy and relevance. By understanding the realities of LinkedIn contact exporting, professionals can make informed decisions and avoid common pitfalls.

Advanced-Level: Leveraging LinkedIn's API for Custom Contact Exporting and Integration

For advanced users, LinkedIn's API offers a powerful way to customize contact exporting and integration with other systems. By utilizing the API, developers can create bespoke solutions that overcome the limitations of the native export feature, such as exporting 2nd and 3rd-degree connections or including additional data fields. However, working with the API requires a deep understanding of programming languages, such as Python or Java, and adherence to LinkedIn's API terms and conditions. One of the key benefits of using the API is the ability to create automated workflows that synchronize contact data across multiple systems, ensuring consistency and accuracy. For instance, a developer could create a script that exports contacts from LinkedIn and imports them into a CRM system, such as Salesforce or HubSpot, using APIs like Zapier or MuleSoft. By leveraging the API, advanced users can unlock the full potential of LinkedIn contact exporting and create customized solutions that drive business growth and efficiency.

The Human Factor: Understanding the Psychological and Social Implications of LinkedIn Contact Exporting

When exporting LinkedIn contacts, it's essential to consider the human factor and the psychological and social implications of this process. For instance, some users may feel uncomfortable with the idea of their contact information being exported, even if it's done with the best intentions. Others may be concerned about the potential for spam or unwanted communications. As a professional, it's crucial to be mindful of these concerns and ensure that you're transparent about your intentions and methods. Additionally, exporting contacts can also have social implications, such as altering the dynamics of online relationships or creating unintended consequences, like being perceived as spammy or aggressive. By understanding the human factor, professionals can approach contact exporting in a way that's respectful, considerate, and effective, ultimately building stronger relationships and a more positive online presence.

Edge Cases and Uncommon Scenarios: Navigating the Gray Areas of LinkedIn Contact Exporting

There are several edge cases and uncommon scenarios that professionals should be aware of when exporting LinkedIn contacts. For instance, what happens when a user has multiple profiles or accounts? How do you handle situations where a contact has restricted their visibility or blocked you? What about cases where a user has deleted their account or is no longer active on the platform? These gray areas can be challenging to navigate, and it's essential to have a clear understanding of LinkedIn's policies and procedures. Additionally, professionals should also be aware of regional differences in data protection laws and regulations, which can impact the export process. By understanding these edge cases and uncommon scenarios, professionals can develop strategies to mitigate risks and ensure compliance, ultimately protecting their online reputation and avoiding potential pitfalls.