LinkedIn Connections
Salesforce Contacts6 fieldsHow to import LinkedIn Connections data into Salesforce Contacts
When you download your LinkedIn data, you get a Connections.csv file. This template maps the export to Salesforce's standard contact fields: names, email, job title, and the LinkedIn profile URL. Salesforce Contacts associate to an Account rather than carrying a company name, so the Company column is left for you to link after import. The URL column maps to the custom LinkedIn_URL__c Contact field, so create that field on the Contact object in Salesforce before importing, or repoint the mapping in the column mapper. Emails are lowercased and name fields are title-cased. One thing to know before you start: LinkedIn only includes the email of a connection who turned on email sharing, typically 10 to 30 percent of rows, so most rows land in Salesforce without an email. The Connected On date has no native Salesforce Contact field; the Columns we don't use section covers it.
Field-by-field mapping
This is the complete column mapping from LinkedIn Connections to Salesforce Contacts. The left column is the header in your CSV export. The right column is the Salesforce Contacts field it should map to.
| LinkedIn Connections column | Salesforce Contacts field | |
|---|---|---|
| First Name | First NameFirstName | |
| Last Name | Last Name*LastName Salesforce requires a Last Name on every Contact. The company column is mapped to Account Name, so each Contact is linked to its Account as it lands. | |
| Email Address | Email LinkedIn only includes the email of a connection who turned on email sharing, typically 10 to 30 percent of rows. Blank rows still import but won't have an email in Salesforce. TransformLowercased and trimmed | |
| Position | Title | |
| URL | LinkedIn URLLinkedIn_URL__c Maps to a custom Salesforce field called LinkedIn_URL__c. Create that field on the Contact object in Salesforce before importing, or open the mapping in Operelio and point the column at a different field instead. | |
| Company | Account NameAccountName Matched to an existing Salesforce Account by name, or a new one is created and the Contact is linked to it. A Salesforce Contact has no company field of its own, so this is what puts the person against the right company. |
Required by Salesforce Contacts.
Columns we don't use
Your LinkedIn Connections export includes 1 column this template doesn't map. Each one below explains why, plus the workaround if you want the data in Salesforce Contacts.
- Connected On
Salesforce Contacts have no native field for the date a LinkedIn connection was made.
If you need it. Add a custom date field to the Salesforce Contact called LinkedIn Connected On, then map this column to it by hand in the column mapper.
Formatting and cleanup
LinkedIn Connections exports rarely match the format Salesforce Contacts expects. Fix these first.
- 1.Matches Company to an existing Salesforce Account, or creates one, and links the Contact to it
- 2.Lowercases and trims email addresses
- 3.Maps the Position column to Salesforce's Title field
- 4.Maps URL to the custom LinkedIn_URL__c Contact field
- 5.Title-cases name fields
- 6.Trims whitespace and removes blank rows
Or skip the manual work
Operelio runs this cleanup and mapping for you. Upload your LinkedIn Connections export and download a clean file for Salesforce Contacts, or connect Salesforce and push the records straight in. You see what will be created and updated before anything is written.
LinkedIn Connections to Salesforce Contacts FAQ
How do I export my LinkedIn connections data?
Go to Settings, Data Privacy, Get a copy of your data, select Connections, and request the download. LinkedIn will email you when the file is ready.
Should I use the Leads template or the Contacts template?
Use the LinkedIn Connections to Salesforce Leads template for connections you want to work as cold leads before they convert. Use this Contacts template when you want the people to land directly as Contacts, for example because they already belong to Accounts you track. Salesforce Leads and Contacts are different objects with different fields, so the two templates map the export differently.
Why are most email addresses blank?
LinkedIn only includes the email of a connection who turned on email sharing in their privacy settings, typically 10 to 30 percent of rows. Connections without a shared email still import as contacts, they just won't have an email until you add one. Dedupe on the LinkedIn URL rather than email if you run more than one export, since email is too sparse to match on.
How do Contacts link to Accounts?
The company column is mapped to Account Name. On a push, Operelio looks for a Salesforce Account with that name, creates one if there isn't a match, and sets the Contact's Account to it. A Salesforce Contact has no company field of its own, so this is what stops people landing with nothing against them. The report before the push says how many Accounts it will need to create.
Does this template handle the LinkedIn profile URL?
Yes. The URL column maps to a custom Salesforce field called LinkedIn_URL__c. Create that field on the Contact object in Salesforce before importing, or open the mapping in Operelio and point the column at a different field instead. The separate Connected On column stays unmapped; see the Columns we don't use section for the workaround.
Will this create duplicate contacts?
Not if you push from Operelio. A push matches on email before anything is written: a match updates the existing record, anything else is created, and the report shows you the split first. If you import the file through Salesforce instead, its own rules decide. Salesforce checks for duplicates based on your org's matching rules. Because most LinkedIn rows have no email, email-based rules won't catch repeats, so dedupe your CSV on the LinkedIn URL before import and review your duplicate settings in Salesforce Setup.
