If you do any kind of networking on LinkedIn, you know how fast your contact list can turn into a mess. Duplicate connections, outdated info, random people you don’t even remember meeting — it adds up. If you’re trying to manage things manually, good luck. LinkedIn itself makes it almost impossible to find and clear out duplicates in bulk.
That’s where a tool like Leaddelta comes in. It gives you a better way to view, filter, and manage your LinkedIn contacts without the headache. This guide is for anyone who’s fed up with scrolling through the same names twice and wants a smarter, faster way to clean things up.
Let’s get your LinkedIn network under control.
Why You Have Duplicate LinkedIn Contacts (and Why It Matters)
Before you dive into cleanup mode, it helps to know how this happens:
- Multiple connection requests: Sometimes you (or others) send a request twice, especially if someone accepts after a long time.
- Syncing with external tools: Export/import features or CRM syncs can create doubles.
- Name changes or profiles merging: People rebrand, update their data, or even create a second profile.
Why care? Duplicates clog up your network and make it harder to find the people you actually want to reach. You might embarrass yourself by messaging someone twice, or miss out on key opportunities. Plus, if you’re using LinkedIn for business, a messy list makes you look disorganized.
What LinkedIn Lets You Do (and Why It’s Not Enough)
You’d think LinkedIn would have a “Find Duplicates” button. Nope.
Here’s what you can do on LinkedIn natively:
- Search for a name manually: Slow and unreliable.
- Export your connections: You’ll get a CSV file, but there’s no built-in deduplication.
- Remove contacts one by one: Painful if you have more than a handful.
If you only have a few hundred contacts, maybe this is doable. But for anyone with a bigger network, it’s just not practical.
Step-by-Step: Cleaning Up Duplicate LinkedIn Contacts with Leaddelta
Here’s how to actually get this done. No fluff, just the steps.
1. Sign Up and Connect Your Account
First things first, you’ll need a Leaddelta account. The process is straightforward:
- Go to Leaddelta and sign up.
- Connect your LinkedIn account when prompted. Leaddelta doesn’t store your credentials — it uses LinkedIn’s official APIs.
Heads up: You might have to wait a few minutes for your contacts to sync, especially if you have thousands.
2. Let Leaddelta Import All Your Contacts
Leaddelta pulls in your first-degree LinkedIn connections. It gives you a spreadsheet-style view that’s way easier to scan and work with than LinkedIn’s default interface.
- You’ll see names, job titles, companies, and more — all in one place.
- You can sort, filter, and search your list like you would in Excel or Google Sheets.
Pro tip: If your account has a huge backlog, let the import finish before you start cleaning. Interrupting the process just means you’ll miss duplicates.
3. Use Leaddelta’s Filtering and Sorting Tools
Here’s where things get faster.
- Sort by name or email: This is the easiest way to spot duplicates. If two or more contacts have the same name and/or email, they’ll show up together.
- Use search to zero in: Type part of a name or domain to see if you’ve got doubles.
- Bulk select: Leaddelta lets you click checkboxes for multiple contacts at once.
Don’t waste time: Ignore features you don’t need right now (like tags or notes). Focus on identifying and selecting duplicates.
4. Bulk Remove or Merge Duplicates
Here’s the good news and the bad news:
- You can bulk remove connections in Leaddelta: Just select the duplicates and choose the “Remove” or “Disconnect” option.
- Merging is trickier: LinkedIn itself doesn’t allow merging contact records. No third-party tool can truly “merge” two LinkedIn connections into one. What you can do is pick the best version to keep, add any missing info, and remove the others.
How to decide which to keep? - Pick the one with the most up-to-date info or mutual connections. - If they’re identical, just keep one at random and remove the rest.
Warning: Removing a contact means you’ll lose the direct messaging thread with them. If there’s anything you need, download it or make a note before you clean house.
5. Double-Check Before You Hit Delete
Don’t get click-happy. It’s easy to get overzealous and remove someone you actually want to keep.
- Skim through your selections before confirming.
- If you’re not sure, skip that contact and revisit later.
Pro tip: If you accidentally remove someone, you can always reconnect. But depending on your history, it might look a little awkward.
6. Optional: Export a Cleaned Contact List
Once you’ve pruned your duplicates, you can export your fresh, clean list:
- Use Leaddelta’s export feature to get a CSV or Excel file.
- This is handy if you want a backup, or if you’re syncing with other tools (like a CRM or email marketing platform).
Don’t bother exporting before you clean: Otherwise you’re just copying the mess somewhere else.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
What Works
- Bulk actions: Leaddelta makes it much faster to select and remove multiple contacts.
- Spreadsheet view: This alone is a game-changer compared to LinkedIn’s clunky UI.
- Filtering: Especially useful if you have a large, messy network.
What Doesn’t
- No true merging: Don’t believe any tool that claims to “merge” LinkedIn contacts. You’re still at the mercy of LinkedIn’s structure.
- Limitations from LinkedIn: Sometimes, LinkedIn rate-limits actions or disconnects. If you hit a wall, wait and try again.
What to Ignore
- “AI-powered” cleanup promises: As of now, there’s no AI magic wand for merging LinkedIn connections. Anyone saying otherwise is selling snake oil.
- Over-customizing fields: At this stage, focus on duplicates. You can add tags and notes later.
Keep It Simple (and Don’t Overthink It)
Cleaning up your LinkedIn network isn’t glamorous, but it pays off. With Leaddelta, you can finally see what you’re working with and clear out the clutter in bulk. Just remember: don’t get lost in the weeds. Start with the obvious duplicates, make a clean sweep, and keep things simple. You can always come back and organize further as your network grows.
The hardest part is just getting started. So open up Leaddelta, do a round of cleanup, and enjoy a LinkedIn network that actually works for you — not against you.