LinkedIn API Guide

LinkedIn API Profile View Tracking Permissions

January 30, 2025

Tracking profile views through the LinkedIn API provides valuable insights for analytics, HR, and marketing tools. By understanding how users engage with profiles, developers can build features to measure performance, drive engagement, and optimize professional outreach.

However, LinkedIn enforces strict privacy policies to protect user data. Developers must navigate these restrictions carefully by obtaining proper permissions, configuring API requests correctly, and respecting privacy and compliance requirements. This guide explains the permissions needed, how to configure LinkedIn API for profile view tracking, and best practices for maintaining privacy compliance.

Section 1: Permissions Required for Profile View Tracking

OAuth Scopes for Profile View Data
LinkedIn API requires specific OAuth 2.0 scopes to access profile view-related data. These scopes must be explicitly requested during the authentication process to ensure compliance with LinkedIn’s data privacy policies. Key scopes include:

  • r_liteprofile: Access basic profile data (e.g., name, photo, headline).
  • r_basicprofile (deprecated): Previously used for detailed profile data but is now limited in functionality.
  • r_member_social: Required for engagement-related data, including interactions with user content.

LinkedIn’s Privacy Policies

  • Profile view data is restricted and not freely accessible via the API. Developers must adhere to LinkedIn’s terms of service and ensure their application is authorized to use such features.
  • Explicit user consent is mandatory for accessing profile or engagement data, in compliance with GDPR and LinkedIn’s privacy policies.

Why Permissions and Consent Are Crucial
Without proper permissions, API requests will fail, and applications risk violating LinkedIn’s policies, which may result in access restrictions or account suspensions.

Section 2: Configuring API Requests for Profile View Data

Step-by-Step Guide

Request the Necessary OAuth Scopes
Redirect users to LinkedIn’s OAuth 2.0 consent page with the required scopes included in the scope parameter:

https://www.linkedin.com/oauth/v2/authorization?response_type=code

&client_id=YOUR_CLIENT_ID

&redirect_uri=YOUR_REDIRECT_URI

&scope=r_liteprofile%20r_member_social

&state=UNIQUE_STATE_VALUE
    • scope: Include the necessary scopes (e.g., r_liteprofile, r_member_social).
    • state: Use a unique value to prevent CSRF attacks.

Exchange Authorization Code for Access Token
After user authorization, exchange the code for an access token:

POST https://www.linkedin.com/oauth/v2/accessToken

Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded

grant_type=authorization_code

&code=AUTHORIZATION_CODE

&redirect_uri=YOUR_REDIRECT_URI

&client_id=YOUR_CLIENT_ID

&client_secret=YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET

Use API Endpoints for Profile Data
Example request for retrieving profile data:
http
CopyEdit
GET https://api.linkedin.com/v2/me

Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN

  1. Track Engagement Metrics (if available)
    Use endpoints like /v2/analytics or similar to retrieve engagement data, depending on LinkedIn API updates and permissions granted.

Example Response for Profile Data:

{

  "localizedFirstName": "John",

  "localizedLastName": "Doe",

  "profilePicture": {

    "displayImage": "urn:li:digitalmediaAsset:12345"

  },

  "headline": "Software Engineer at TechCorp"

}

Section 3: Privacy Compliance and Best Practices

1. Adhere to LinkedIn’s Terms of Service

  • Avoid scraping or circumventing LinkedIn’s permissions for profile tracking.
  • Use approved API scopes and ensure your application is compliant with LinkedIn’s privacy policies.

2. Manage User Consent Transparently

  • Display Clear Consent Messages: Inform users exactly how their data will be used.
  • Allow Consent Withdrawal: Provide a user-friendly mechanism for revoking consent or deleting their data.

Sample Consent Message:
“By granting permission, you allow us to access and analyze your profile data for engagement tracking. You can revoke this access at any time through your settings.”

3. Address GDPR Requirements

  • Data Access Requests: Provide users with access to the data you’ve collected about them upon request.
  • Data Deletion Requests: Implement workflows to delete user data upon request, and notify LinkedIn if necessary.

4. Secure Data Handling

  • Encrypt sensitive user data during storage and transmission.
  • Regularly audit your data storage systems to identify and address vulnerabilities.

5. Limit Data Collection

  • Request only the scopes necessary for your application.
  • Avoid collecting unnecessary data to minimize compliance risks.

Section 4: Troubleshooting Common Issues

1. Missing Permissions or Denied Scopes

  • Error: “Insufficient permissions to access this resource.”
  • Solution: Ensure the required OAuth scopes are included in the authentication flow. Re-authenticate the user if needed.

2. API Endpoint Errors

  • Error: “Endpoint not supported or deprecated.”
  • Solution: Verify the endpoint in LinkedIn’s API documentation. Update deprecated endpoints to their latest versions.

3. Rate Limits Exceeded

  • Error: “Rate limit exceeded. Try again after [time].”
  • Solution: Monitor the X-RateLimit-Remaining and X-RateLimit-Reset headers to avoid exceeding usage limits. Implement exponential backoff for retries.

4. Debugging Tips

  • Use LinkedIn’s API Console to test requests and isolate issues.
  • Log request and response data to identify patterns or errors in your integration.

Conclusion

Tracking profile views with LinkedIn API can unlock valuable insights for analytics, HR, and marketing tools. However, developers must prioritize compliance with LinkedIn’s policies and privacy regulations by obtaining proper permissions, managing user consent, and adhering to GDPR requirements.

By following the best practices and troubleshooting steps outlined in this guide, developers can create efficient, compliant solutions for tracking LinkedIn profile views.

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