Downloading LinkedIn Contacts: Export Emails, Number, More

Key Takeaways

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• Regularly exporting your LinkedIn contacts protects your network from being lost due to account issues, hacks, or platform restrictions.
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• LinkedIn allows you to download your first-degree connections through the “Get a copy of your data” feature in account settings.
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• Exporting is simple: navigate to Settings & Privacy → Data Privacy → Get a copy of your data, then select Connections and request an archive.
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• While LinkedIn doesn’t support direct exports from search results, you can manually save profiles, use Sales Navigator Lead Lists, or organize contacts with a CRM.
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• Exporting contacts gives you flexibility—whether for backups, easier organization, or integrating into sales and marketing workflows.

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You've put in a lot of work curating your LinkedIn network. It's likely full of professional contacts, such as past and current colleagues, mentors, and other people important to your career.

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That's why it's essential to protect your LinkedIn contacts by downloading them and storing them off-site.

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Having detailed contact information for your LinkedIn contacts off of the site can help you:

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• Stay in touch with your network
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• Build more robust marketing and recruiting portfolios
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• Protect you from losing everything if your account is hacked

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In this guide, you'll learn how to download LinkedIn contacts and different ways to save the information you need.

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Why You Should Export Your LinkedIn Contacts

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Your LinkedIn connections represent years of networking, conversations, and professional growth. Exporting them ensures you never lose access to this valuable data and can make the most of your network outside of the platform.

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Here are some key reasons why it’s worth doing:

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• Backup and Security – If your account ever gets hacked, suspended, or you accidentally lose access, having an exported copy of your contacts keeps your network safe.
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• Easy Organization – Downloaded contacts can be stored in a spreadsheet or CRM, making it simpler to categorize, filter, and prioritize outreach.
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• Leverage for Outreach – Once contacts are exported, you can use them in your broader marketing or sales strategy, like email campaigns or personalized follow-ups.
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• Independence from LinkedIn – By keeping a local copy, you’re not entirely dependent on LinkedIn’s platform or policies to access your professional network.
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• Business Growth Opportunities – A well-managed contact list gives you more ways to re-engage with your network and uncover new leads or partnerships.

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Regularly exporting your contacts is a proactive way to protect the time and effort you’ve invested in building your LinkedIn network, and a first step toward turning those connections into real opportunities.

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How To Export LinkedIn Contacts

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If you want to download and save your LinkedIn contacts, LinkedIn makes it easy by allowing you to export your connection data directly from your account settings. Here’s a quick step-by-step guide:
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Open the “Me” menu

At the top of your LinkedIn homepage, you’ll see the “Me” menu, identified by your profile picture. Click it to access your account settings.

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Click “Settings & Privacy,” then “Data privacy”

From the dropdown, select “Settings & Privacy.” Once inside, navigate to the Data privacy tab where LinkedIn manages how your information is stored and shared.

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Scroll down to “How LinkedIn uses your data”

In the Data privacy section, scroll until you find the “How LinkedIn uses your data” heading. This is where LinkedIn allows you to manage and download your personal data.

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Select “Get a copy of your data”

Click on “Get a copy of your data” to start the process of exporting your LinkedIn contacts.

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Click “Want something in particular?”

LinkedIn gives you the option to download all of your data or only specific items. Choose “Want something in particular?” so you can export just your contacts.

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Choose “Connections” (and “Imported Contacts” if needed)

Select “Connections” to export a list of all your first-degree LinkedIn contacts. If you’ve also uploaded your own contacts to LinkedIn in the past, you can choose “Imported Contacts” as well.

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Click “Request archive”

After making your selections, click “Request archive.” LinkedIn will begin preparing your file.

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Enter your password and select “Done”

For security purposes, LinkedIn will ask you to re-enter your account password. Once you confirm, click “Done.”

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After completing these steps, LinkedIn will email you a downloadable file containing your contacts’ information (limited to what they’ve chosen to share).

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It usually takes around 10 minutes to receive, but if it doesn’t show up, check your spam or promotions folder.

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⚠️ Note: LinkedIn only allows you to export your own first-degree connections. You cannot download someone else’s LinkedIn contacts.

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How to Export LinkedIn Contacts with Phone Numbers

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LinkedIn no longer provides a native way to export phone numbers for your contacts. You can access your connections' public phone numbers by visiting their accounts individually.

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You can also use web scraping programs like Scraping Expert to gather information from these pages on your behalf.

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How to Transfer LinkedIn Contacts to Another Account

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If you have a duplicate LinkedIn account, you can transfer your contacts from one to the other with just a few extra steps.

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First, download the connections from the account you want to transfer, following the steps above. Make sure you export them into a .CSV file so they're saved on your computer.

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LinkedIn should automatically generate a file that's structured to correctly add the contacts to your other account. The file should include each contact's first and last name and email, but you can go into the spreadsheet and add phone numbers and additional information.

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Next:

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1. Open the "My Network" menu at the top of your homepage, then click "Connections."
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2. Find the "Your contact import is ready" section."
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3. Click "More options," then click "Upload a file."
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4. Select the .CSV file with your contacts and click "Upload file."

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This will automatically upload the information from the spreadsheet into LinkedIn, saving you significant time compared to inputting that information by hand.

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How to Export Contacts From LinkedIn Sales Navigator

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LinkedIn Sales Navigator is an alternative to LinkedIn Premium. If you upgrade your LinkedIn Account, you can choose to upgrade to Sales Navigator to unlock a variety of sales and analytics tools to make it easier to build connections with your clients.

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The contacts saved to your Sales Navigator account are even more important than those on a standard profile. Sales Navigator contacts are critical to your business because they are often the primary way you'll communicate with those customers.

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You should regularly export your contacts from LinkedIn Sales Navigator to ensure you can stay in communication even if something happens to your account.

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Currently, there is no native way to export account and lead information from Sales Navigator off of LinkedIn directly into a spreadsheet.

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However, certain Sales Navigator accounts allow you to sync data between your CRM and the platform. Your CRM will likely allow you to export your contact information directly.

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You can also use external tools to collect your lead and contact information. Valuable tools for exporting this information include Wiza and PhantomBuster.

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How To Export LinkedIn Contacts From Search Results?

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While LinkedIn allows you to export your first-degree connections directly through account settings, many users want to extract contact information from search results; for example, when you’re filtering people by industry, job title, or location.

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Here’s what you need to know:

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Can You Export Contacts Directly From LinkedIn Search?

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By default, LinkedIn does not allow you to download or export contacts directly from search results. The platform restricts data exports to only your own first-degree connections via the “Get a copy of your data” feature in settings.

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Workarounds for Exporting from Search Results

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If you want to save or organize search results, you have a few options:

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• Manual Saving: You can go through your search results and manually save profiles by bookmarking or adding them to a spreadsheet. While time-consuming, this method ensures accuracy and compliance with LinkedIn’s policies.
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• LinkedIn’s Lead Lists (Sales Navigator): If you have LinkedIn Sales Navigator, you can save profiles from your search results into Lead Lists. This doesn’t give you direct contact information, but it helps you organize prospects for future outreach.
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• Third-Party Tools: Some tools and extensions claim to extract search results into spreadsheets. However, be cautious—many of these violate LinkedIn’s terms of service and can put your account at risk. Always choose compliant, secure solutions if you decide to use automation.

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Best Practice

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For compliance and safety, the most reliable way to export contacts is still by downloading your own first-degree connections.

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If your goal is lead generation, consider using LinkedIn Sales Navigator for advanced workflow search and list-building, then combine it with a trusted LinkedIn outreach partner like Cleverly to turn those prospects into sales opportunities.

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Protect Your Connections by Downloading LinkedIn Contacts Regularly

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Your LinkedIn network is one of your most valuable professional assets. If your account ever gets hacked, restricted, or corrupted, you risk losing years of hard work building those relationships.

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That’s why it’s smart to regularly download your LinkedIn contacts and back them up in a secure place—whether that’s your personal device, a spreadsheet, or your CRM.

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By doing so, you’re not only protecting your data but also setting yourself up to leverage those connections for future opportunities. Having your contacts organized makes it easier to reach out, re-engage, or move conversations off LinkedIn.

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And if you’re looking to go beyond simply storing contacts, Cleverly can help you turn that network into a steady stream of qualified leads.

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Our LinkedIn lead generation services use data-driven targeting and personalized outreach to transform your connections into real business opportunities—so your hard-earned network doesn’t just sit idle, it actively drives growth!

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