Skip to main content

LinkedIn Prospecting

Find LinkedIn profiles and build lead lists directly from your Google Sheet using MailNinja's LinkedIn formulas.

1. Single Profile URL Formula​

Find a single LinkedIn profile URL by name, role, or other identifying information.

Formula Structure​

=LINKEDIN_PROFILE_URL(query, [returnSummary], [ignore_cache])

Parameters​

  • query (required): Text to search for (e.g., "Bill Gates", or "Bill Gates, Chair at Gates Foundation"). Include role/company for higher accuracy.
  • returnSummary (optional): When TRUE, returns a 1×2 result: the profile URL and a short summary in the next cell.
  • ignore_cache (optional): TRUE to force a fresh result; FALSE uses cached results when available.

Examples​

Basic URL lookup from full name:

=LINKEDIN_PROFILE_URL("Bill Gates")

Add keywords like role and company for higher accuracy:

=LINKEDIN_PROFILE_URL("Bill Gates, Chair at Gates Foundation")

Get URL + summary:

=LINKEDIN_PROFILE_URL("Bill Gates, Chair at Gates Foundation", TRUE)

Reference from cells (e.g., A2 contains the name):

=LINKEDIN_PROFILE_URL(A2)

2. LinkedIn Prospecting / Lead Building​

Find multiple LinkedIn profiles by keywords, names, roles, and other attributes directly from your sheet.

Formula Structure​

=LINKEDIN_SEARCH(query, [numResults], [showHeader], [returnSummary], [ignore_cache])

Parameters​

  • query (required): Text to search for (e.g., "Bill Gates", "sales manager fintech Singapore"). Combine role, seniority, industry, and location for best accuracy.
  • numResults (optional): Number of results to return. Default is 10.
  • showHeader (optional): TRUE to include a header row. Use FALSE for single result insertion without headers.
  • returnSummary (optional): TRUE to include brief summaries when available. Default is TRUE.
  • ignore_cache (optional): TRUE to force fetching fresh results; FALSE uses cached results where available.

Examples​

Search LinkedIn profiles by targeted keywords:

=LINKEDIN_SEARCH("sales managers at fintech companies in Singapore", 10, TRUE, TRUE)

No header row (paste directly into a table):

=LINKEDIN_SEARCH("heads of marketing at AI startups in US", 5, FALSE, TRUE)

Without summaries (faster and cleaner output):

=LINKEDIN_SEARCH("sales engineers in cloud security London", 8, TRUE, FALSE)

Force fresh results (ignore cache):

=LINKEDIN_SEARCH("CFO fintech Singapore", 10, TRUE, TRUE, TRUE)

Tips for Better Results​

  • Be specific: Include role, seniority, industry, and location for better accuracy
  • Use natural language: "sales managers at fintech companies in Singapore" works better than just "sales managers"
  • Combine filters: Mix job titles, company types, and locations for targeted results

Credit Cost​

  • LinkedIn searches use Hunter API which costs 20 credits per search operation