So you’ve found a goldmine of leads on LinkedIn, and you’re using Dux-soup (here’s what I mean: [dux-soup.html]) to gather them. Now you need to get that data out of Dux-soup and into your CRM, where it actually becomes useful — not just a spreadsheet graveyard. This guide is for salespeople, marketers, and founders who want to save time, skip the fluff, and get their leads where they belong.
You’ll get a step-by-step walkthrough, plus some honest advice on what’s worth doing (and what’s just busywork).
Step 1: Know What You’re Exporting (and What You’re Not)
First, a reality check: Dux-soup scrapes LinkedIn for whatever info is visible to you — name, headline, company, sometimes email, and maybe more if you’re connected. If you expect a full CRM record with phone numbers and opt-in emails, you’ll be disappointed.
What you’ll typically get: - Name - Current job title and company - LinkedIn profile URL - Sometimes email and phone (usually only if you’re a 1st-degree connection) - Location, industry, and a few other details
What you won’t get: - Reliable personal emails for 2nd/3rd-degree connections - Notes on conversations, unless you add them yourself - CRM-ready fields (you’ll likely need to clean up or map the data)
Pro tip: Don’t expect Dux-soup to magically give you every field you want. Start with what’s there, and plan to enrich data later if you need to.
Step 2: Set Up Dux-soup and Run a Scan
Assuming you’ve already got Dux-soup set up (it’s a Chrome extension, easy enough), here’s how to grab your lead data:
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Go to LinkedIn Search
Open LinkedIn and search for your target leads. You can use filters (location, industry, etc.) to narrow it down.
Tip: The more targeted your search, the cleaner your data will be. -
Configure Dux-soup
Click the Dux-soup icon in your browser. - Set your scan parameters (number of profiles, visit speed, etc.).
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Make sure “Scan Profiles” is selected (not “Visit” unless you want to trigger profile visits).
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Start the Scan
Hit “Scan” and let Dux-soup crawl through the search results. - It’ll gather data on each profile it can access.
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Don’t touch your computer while it runs — LinkedIn can get twitchy if you’re clicking around.
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Export Data
Once the scan is done, open Dux-soup’s “Download Data” panel and export as a CSV.
Honest take: If you’re scanning thousands of profiles at once, LinkedIn might notice and restrict your activity. Keep it reasonable — a few hundred a day is usually safe.
Step 3: Clean Up Your CSV
Here’s where most people drop the ball. The CSV Dux-soup spits out is… let’s call it “raw.” Before you dump this into your CRM, you’ll want to tidy it up.
What to check: - Duplicates: LinkedIn search can show the same profiles in multiple searches. Kill the dupes. - Empty fields: Not every profile will have an email or phone number. Decide what’s a dealbreaker. - Weird formatting: Sometimes, titles and company names get mashed together. Fix as needed.
How to do it: - Open the CSV in Excel or Google Sheets. - Use filters and “Remove duplicates.” - Clean up columns so they match your CRM structure (First Name, Last Name, Email, etc.).
Pro tip: Don’t obsess over perfection. Just make sure it’s good enough to import without a bunch of errors.
Step 4: Map Your Fields to Your CRM
Every CRM is a little different, but the basic idea is the same: you need to match up the columns in your CSV to the fields in your CRM.
Here’s how it usually works:
1. Find the Import Tool
Most CRMs (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, etc.) have an “Import” option, usually under “Contacts” or “Leads.”
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Upload Your CSV
Select your cleaned-up CSV file. -
Map Fields
The CRM will ask you to match up CSV columns to CRM fields. Double-check: - Name
- Company
- Job title
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LinkedIn URL (this one’s gold for later outreach)
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Deal with Missing Info
If Dux-soup didn’t pull an email, decide whether to import the lead anyway. Some CRMs let you skip contacts without emails; others don’t.
Don’t get fancy: Skip custom fields and tags for now unless you really need them. Get the basics in first.
Step 5: Import and Sanity-Check
Now, actually import the data. Wait for the CRM to process it (it can take a while if you’ve got a big file). Once it’s done:
- Spot-check a handful of records. Do the names, emails, and LinkedIn URLs line up?
- Are there weird characters or broken links?
- Did you accidentally import 300 leads named “First Name”?
If something looks off, fix it in your CSV and re-import. Most CRMs let you delete imported records in bulk if you mess up.
Honest take: The first import is almost never perfect. Don’t sweat it — just fix and try again.
Step 6: (Optional) Automate the Process
If you’re doing this every week, look for ways to automate.
Options: - Zapier or Make (Integromat): Some CRMs and Dux-soup have integration options. But don’t expect plug-and-play magic — you’ll probably still need to clean up files. - Dux-soup Turbo: There’s a “Turbo” version that promises direct CRM integrations. It’s pricier and not always as reliable as advertised, but worth a look if you’re importing leads at scale. - Custom Scripts: If you know your way around Python, you can script the cleanup and import process. But for most people, a bit of manual work is faster and less hassle.
Reality check: Full automation is nice in theory, but rarely perfect in practice. Start manual; automate only if you’re doing this constantly.
Step 7: Stay Out of LinkedIn Jail
LinkedIn isn’t thrilled about automation tools. If you push your luck, you can get restricted or banned. Keep these rules in mind:
- Don’t run Dux-soup 24/7.
- Stay under a few hundred scans a day.
- Take breaks between runs.
- Rotate your messaging and activity.
Pro tip: If your account gets restricted, stop all scraping for a week. Don’t argue with LinkedIn support — they usually just send canned responses.
What Actually Matters (And What Doesn’t)
What works: - Small, targeted exports — better quality, less risk. - Spending 10 minutes cleaning your CSV before import. - Using the LinkedIn URL field for fast follow-up.
What doesn’t: - Chasing every possible field — most CRMs just need name, email, and company. - Paying extra for “email enrichment” tools unless you really need to cold email. - Automating before you’ve done a few manual imports and know what you need.
Wrap-Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Fast
Exporting LinkedIn leads from Dux-soup into your CRM isn’t rocket science, but it’s easy to overthink. Don’t get hung up on making it perfect. Start with a small batch, fix any screw-ups, and improve as you go. The goal is to get your leads somewhere useful — not to build the world’s fanciest import process.
Good luck, and don’t forget: sometimes the best “automation” is just a well-timed coffee break while your scan runs.