If you use LinkedIn to find leads and want less manual data entry, this is for you. There are dozens of tools that promise to automate your sales process, but most just add more clutter. Integrating LinkedIn with Salesbolt is one of the few setups that can actually make your life easier—if you avoid the common traps.
Below, you’ll find clear, real-world steps to connect LinkedIn and Salesbolt, keep your lead data clean, and actually save time. No fluff, no magic bullets—just what works.
Why bother integrating LinkedIn and Salesbolt?
Let’s get the obvious out of the way: LinkedIn is where most B2B leads hang out, and Salesbolt helps you move those leads into your CRM without endless copy-paste. But integration isn’t just about saving clicks. Done right, it cuts down on errors, lets you follow up faster, and gives you a fighting chance at keeping your pipeline up-to-date.
But—and this is important—Salesbolt can’t make bad leads good, or fix a broken process. It’s a tool, not a miracle worker.
Step 1: Set up Salesbolt and connect to your CRM
Before you do anything in LinkedIn, get your Salesbolt basics sorted out:
- Install Salesbolt: It’s a Chrome extension. Get it from the Chrome Web Store. Don’t use weird download links—stick to the official source.
- Connect your CRM: Salesbolt works best with Salesforce, but it can connect to others. Log in to your CRM through the Salesbolt setup to make sure everything syncs.
- Check permissions: Make sure you have the right permissions in your CRM. If you’re not an admin, get one to help, or you’ll hit annoying roadblocks later.
Pro tip: Don’t skip the CRM connection test. If Salesbolt can’t push data, you’ll end up frustrated and back to copy-paste.
Step 2: Clean up your LinkedIn workflow
You can’t automate chaos. Before bringing Salesbolt into the mix, tidy up how you use LinkedIn for prospecting:
- Define your target audience: Don’t just scrape everyone. Use LinkedIn filters to get specific—industry, job title, location, etc.
- Standardize your notes: If you write random stuff in the LinkedIn notes section, it’ll all end up in your CRM. Decide what info matters and stick to it.
- Ignore “growth hacks”: Automated connection spammers get flagged, and you’ll just annoy people. Salesbolt won’t protect you if you get restricted.
What to skip: Don’t bother with tools that promise to “auto-connect” thousands of people. It’s a fast way to get your account in trouble, and the leads stink anyway.
Step 3: Use Salesbolt to capture leads—without making a mess
Here’s where the magic (well, the actual usefulness) happens:
- Navigate to a LinkedIn profile: You’ll see the Salesbolt overlay pop up.
- Review the auto-filled info: Salesbolt pulls name, company, email (sometimes), and more. But don’t trust it blindly—always check for errors or weird formatting.
- Enrich if needed: If Salesbolt misses info, you can add it before sending to CRM. Don’t skip this; bad data in means bad data out.
- One-click export: Hit the button to send the lead to your CRM. Wait for the confirmation—it should tell you if it was successful.
- Log your notes: Add any relevant context (how you found them, mutual connections, etc.) in the notes section before syncing.
Pro tip: Don’t batch-add 50 leads at once. Do a handful, review them in your CRM, and make sure everything came through cleanly. Fix issues before you scale up.
Step 4: Set up custom fields and mapping
If you want your CRM to stay useful, pay attention to how fields map over:
- Check field mapping in Salesbolt settings: Make sure LinkedIn fields (like job title or company size) match the right CRM fields.
- Create custom fields if needed: If you always want to record “LinkedIn profile URL,” add that as a custom field in your CRM and map it.
- Avoid “miscellaneous” fields: If you dump everything into a generic notes field, you’ll never be able to sort or filter later.
What to watch out for: Not all Salesbolt data will line up perfectly with your CRM. Test with a few leads and tweak as needed.
Step 5: Build a repeatable daily routine
Fancy integrations are useless if you don’t use them consistently:
- Block time for LinkedIn prospecting: Don’t just do it “when you have time.” Set a daily window to find and export leads.
- Review new leads in your CRM: Check for errors, duplicates, or missing info. Automations can help, but manual review is still key.
- Follow up fast: The point of this setup is speed. Don’t let new leads sit in your CRM for days before you reach out.
Pro tip: If you notice the same errors or missing fields over and over, fix your workflow or mapping before creating more problems.
Step 6: Keep your data (and yourself) out of trouble
There’s always a temptation to over-automate. Resist it:
- Respect LinkedIn’s limits: Don’t view hundreds of profiles an hour or send mass connection requests. LinkedIn tracks this stuff, and you’ll get restricted.
- Check Salesbolt updates: Chrome extensions break when LinkedIn changes their UI. If Salesbolt stops working, check for updates or known issues.
- Mind your company’s privacy policy: If you’re syncing sensitive info, make sure you’re not violating any rules or regulations.
What doesn’t work: Trying to fully automate outreach from LinkedIn. Salesbolt is for syncing data, not running spam campaigns.
Step 7: Track what actually works (and ignore the rest)
Don’t fall in love with the tool—watch your results instead:
- Measure lead quality, not just quantity: More leads doesn’t mean better leads. See which ones actually move through your sales funnel.
- Tweak your process: If you’re getting junk leads, revisit your LinkedIn filters or how you’re qualifying people.
- Ignore bells and whistles you don’t need: Salesbolt has features you might never use. Stick to what helps you close deals.
Pro tip: Check in with your team. If everyone uses Salesbolt differently, you’ll end up with a messy CRM. Agree on a process and stick to it.
Honest FAQs
Q: Can I use Salesbolt to scrape emails from LinkedIn?
A: Only if the email is publicly available on the profile—otherwise, no. If a tool promises to “unlock” hidden emails, it’s either breaking LinkedIn’s rules or just flat-out lying.
Q: Will this keep my CRM 100% clean?
A: No tool can guarantee that. Garbage in, garbage out. Review your data regularly.
Q: Is this setup safe for my LinkedIn account?
A: If you use it responsibly, yes. If you get greedy with automation, you’ll get flagged.
Keep it simple, tweak as you go
You don’t need a 20-step Zapier workflow or a dozen Chrome extensions. Get Salesbolt and LinkedIn talking, keep your process tight, and check your data. Start small, fix issues as they come up, and don’t buy into automation hype. The best system is the one you actually use.