In a context where data has become a strategic lever for business development, exporting your LinkedIn contacts is an essential step. Whether it's to enrich a CRM, structure prospecting campaigns, or simply secure your network, having your connections in a usable file format is a major asset.
This guide introduces you to the various methods available in 2025—from manual downloading to the use of professional tools such as Sales Navigator and Evaboot.
Why export your LinkedIn contacts?
Exporting your connections allows you to:
- To have a backup copy in case of a problem with your account,
- To enrich a CRM or commercial database,
- To facilitate the segmentation and qualification of prospects,
- Optimize cold email or retargeting campaigns.
According to HubSpot, nearly 22.5% of B2B data becomes obsolete every year. Hence the importance of keeping a file up to date, outside of the LinkedIn platform alone.
Method 1: Manual export via LinkedIn settings
LinkedIn allows you to retrieve some of your contacts' data directly from your personal account. Here's how:
- Go to "Me" > "Settings and Privacy"
- Select "Data privacy"
- Click on “Get a copy of your data.”
- Select "Connections" and then confirm the export.
- You will receive a link to a CSV file by email.
Data retrieved:
- First name, last name
- Profile URL
- Current company
- Post
- Connection date
- Email address (if shared by the contact)
Limitations: On average, only 30% of your contacts share their email address via LinkedIn. These addresses are often personal and not particularly suitable for B2B prospecting.
Method 2: Enhanced export via Sales Navigator and Evaboot
For professionals looking to automate and enhance their data extraction, the combination of Sales Navigator and Evaboot is a powerful solution.
Steps to follow:
- Filter your first-degree connections in Sales Navigator
- Segment the search if it exceeds 2,500 results.
- Use the Evaboot Chrome extension to export data
- Download the generated CSV file
- Start enriching profiles to obtain professional email addresses
Data obtained:
- Last name, first name, position, company
- Industry, company size
- LinkedIn URL of the contact and company
- Seniority, number of connections, open profile or not
- Professional email address (via enrichment)
Export capacity: up to 2,500 leads/day, with the possibility of enriching an unlimited number of profiles.
Method 3: Scraping LinkedIn search results
It is also possible to extract contacts from a standard LinkedIn search (excluding Sales Navigator) using third-party tools.
Compatible tools:
- Phantombuster
- TexAu
- Captain Data
Steps:
- Perform a search using the "1st degree" filter
- Copy the search URL
- Import it into the scraping tool
- Start extraction and retrieve the CSV file
Data obtained:
- Last name, first name, position, company, location
- Profile URL
- Fewer attributes than via Sales Navigator
Limit: 80 profiles that can be enriched per day for professional emails.
Integrate your LinkedIn contacts into Gmail
Once your contacts have been exported, you can import them into Gmail:
- Access the Google "Contacts" application
- Click on "Import."
- Select the CSV file
- Finalize import
This allows youto send personalized emails from your favorite email client or emailing tool.
Leveraging contacts for business development
Contacts exported from LinkedIn can be used for:
- Build lists of qualified leads
- Update or enhance your CRM
- Reach out to prospects who haven't converted
- Search for candidate profiles in recruitment
Reminder: remember to update your lists every 3 to 6 months. Data changes quickly (companies, positions, emails), and an up-to-date database allows you to optimize your conversions while limiting targeting errors.
Conclusion
Exporting your LinkedIn connections to Excel is a simple but highly strategic practice.
Not only does it protect your data, but it also professionalizes your prospecting efforts.
For occasional use, LinkedIn's native export feature is sufficient. For large-scale, enriched campaigns, Sales Navigator and Evaboot offer a significant competitive advantage.
