If you’re in B2B sales or marketing, getting accurate contact info is half the battle. LinkedIn is the obvious starting point, but actually exporting your contacts in a usable way? That’s where things get tricky. If you’re looking to move your LinkedIn contacts over to Leadleaper for outreach—without getting your account flagged, wasting hours, or accidentally spamming people—this guide’s for you.
Here’s how to do it right, what to watch out for, and what you can skip.
Why bother exporting LinkedIn contacts to Leadleaper?
Let’s be honest: LinkedIn’s messaging is clunky for sales, and you can’t really automate much. Leadleaper helps you find business emails tied to LinkedIn profiles and organize them for real outreach. The catch? LinkedIn doesn’t exactly want you exporting your contacts, so it’s easy to get this wrong and end up in “LinkedIn jail.”
This guide will help you avoid common pitfalls, keep your account safe, and actually get the info you need.
Step 1: Know LinkedIn’s limits (and don’t get greedy)
LinkedIn is always on the lookout for automated scraping or suspicious behavior. Before you do anything, understand what not to do:
- Don’t blast through hundreds of profiles in a day. LinkedIn tracks visits and can restrict your account for “unusual activity.”
- Don’t use shady browser extensions that promise instant exports. Many are unreliable at best, and can get you banned at worst.
- Don’t send mass connection requests to strangers. You’ll kill your account’s credibility and possibly lose access.
Pro tip: If you’re new to this, start slow. Build a daily habit—20 to 40 new contacts per day is a safe zone.
Step 2: Prep your LinkedIn workflow
You’ll need to decide how you want to collect contacts:
- Existing connections: If you want to export people you’re already connected with, LinkedIn lets you download your connections’ names, but not emails (unless you’re connected and the contact allows it).
- New prospects: For people you aren’t already connected with, you’ll need to visit profiles manually (or with a careful tool), and let Leadleaper do its thing.
What works best: Targeted lists, not random people. Use LinkedIn search filters—industry, seniority, geography—to find the right folks before exporting. Don’t just grab everyone with a pulse.
Step 3: Set up Leadleaper
Leadleaper works as a Chrome extension. Install it from the Chrome Web Store, sign in, and get familiar with the basics. It’ll sit on your LinkedIn page and offer a button to “capture” contact info as you browse.
What Leadleaper actually does:
- Finds the business email tied to a LinkedIn profile (if it exists).
- Lets you save contacts to lists for easy export.
- Skips personal emails, so you’re less likely to annoy people.
What it doesn’t do: It can’t magically find emails for every profile, and it won’t work for people who hide their info or use non-standard company domains.
Step 4: Capture contacts safely and efficiently
Now for the hands-on part. Here’s how to export with minimal risk:
- Open LinkedIn and search for your target audience. Use filters to narrow it down—don’t just hit “Connect” on everyone.
- View profiles in batches. Leadleaper works as you visit each profile, so you’ll need to actually load each page. Don’t use automated “visit all” features—they’re risky.
- Click Leadleaper’s ‘Capture’ button. As you browse, hit “Capture” on each profile. The extension will try to find a business email and add it to your Leadleaper list.
- Keep it human. Mix in real browsing—scroll, click around, and take breaks. Bots get flagged; humans get results.
- Limit yourself. Stick to 40-60 profiles per day if you’re just getting started. Bumping up to 80-100 is possible once you see what feels safe for your account.
What not to worry about: You don’t need to connect with every prospect to capture their info. In many cases, you’ll get business emails for 2nd- or 3rd-degree connections.
Step 5: Export your captured contacts
Once you’ve built a list in Leadleaper, exporting is simple:
- Go to your Leadleaper dashboard.
- Select the list you want.
- Click “Export” (usually as a CSV file).
Warning: Don’t just dump these emails straight into a cold email tool and hit “Send.” That’s a fast way to burn your sender reputation and annoy people. Always personalize and double-check your outreach.
Step 6: Clean your list (seriously, don’t skip this)
Leadleaper’s emails are pretty accurate, but every tool gets things wrong. Before you start a campaign:
- Run your exported list through an email verifier (like NeverBounce or ZeroBounce). This catches typos, outdated addresses, and spam traps.
- Remove duplicates and obvious junk. If you see weird formatting, or someone’s changed jobs three times, clean it up.
Pro tip: If your bounce rate is over 5%, you’re risking your sender domain. Clean lists = better results.
Step 7: Plan your outreach (don’t be that spammer)
Now you’ve got a clean list of business emails. Take a minute to strategize:
- Segment your list. Don’t send the same pitch to everyone. Group by industry, job title, or pain point.
- Personalize (at least a little). Even a basic “Saw your recent post about X on LinkedIn” can double your reply rate.
- Warm up your domain if you’re using a new sending address. Start slow to avoid spam folders.
What to ignore: Mass-blast templates. They don’t work anymore. If you’re not willing to personalize, don’t bother exporting.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Getting greedy: Trying to export thousands of contacts per week. LinkedIn notices and will lock you out.
- Trusting “one-click” tools: Most are junk or get patched by LinkedIn quickly. Stick to tools that mimic normal human behavior.
- Skipping verification: High bounce rates = low deliverability for everyone on your domain.
- Not respecting opt-outs: If someone asks to be removed, do it. Not just for legal reasons—it’s basic decency.
What actually works (and what’s just hype)
Works: - Manual, targeted profile viewing with Leadleaper’s extension. - Starting small, scaling up as you get comfortable. - Cleaning your list and personalizing outreach.
Doesn’t work: - Automated mass exports. - Generic, shotgun messaging. - Ignoring LinkedIn’s signals and limits.
Ignore: - Tools that promise “hidden” or “personal” emails—they’re almost always scraping personal info without consent. Stick to business emails.
Wrapping up: Keep it simple, keep it human
Exporting LinkedIn contacts to Leadleaper isn’t rocket science, but it does take a bit of discipline. Go slow, keep things targeted, and don’t get greedy. A handful of good, clean contacts you actually reach is worth more than a thousand you never hear back from. Start small, learn what works for your niche, and tweak your process as you go.
Cut through the noise, focus on quality over quantity, and you’ll get better results—without getting yourself booted off LinkedIn.