How to use Bardeen to enrich CRM data with LinkedIn profiles

If you're slogging through a half-baked CRM with missing LinkedIn data, you're not alone. Most CRMs are only as good as the data you feed them, and let's face it: nobody enjoys hunting down LinkedIn profiles by hand. If you want to automate this busywork—and maybe even get your evenings back—this guide is for you.

We're going to walk through how to use Bardeen to automatically pull LinkedIn profile info into your CRM. We'll cover what works, what doesn't, and what to watch out for so you don't waste time on dead-end workflows.

What You'll Need Before You Start

Before you dive in, make sure you have:

  • A CRM you can access and edit (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Airtable, Google Sheets, etc.)
  • A Bardeen account (it’s free to start; you’ll need the Chrome extension)
  • A LinkedIn account (personal or Sales Navigator—more on this later)
  • A list of people in your CRM with at least name and company, or email

You should also know: Bardeen isn’t magic. It can automate a ton of repetitive work, but you’ll still run into some false positives or mismatches, especially if your data is messy to begin with.

Step 1: Install Bardeen and Connect Your Tools

First things first: get Bardeen set up.

  1. Install the Bardeen Chrome extension.
    Head to the Chrome Web Store, search for Bardeen, and install it. You’ll see a little robot icon in your browser.

  2. Create or log into your Bardeen account.
    The onboarding is quick.

  3. Connect your CRM and Google Sheets (if you use them).

  4. In Bardeen, click “Apps” and follow the prompts to connect your tools.

  5. If your CRM isn’t directly supported, you can usually work through Google Sheets or CSV exports/imports.

  6. Log into LinkedIn in your browser.
    Bardeen works by scraping info you can see. If you’re not logged in, it won’t find much.

Pro tip: If your CRM data is a mess, clean it up before you start automating. Garbage in, garbage out.

Step 2: Choose the Right Data to Enrich

Not all CRM records are worth enriching. Decide what matters:

  • Do you only want LinkedIn URLs? Or do you want titles, companies, locations, etc.?
  • Do you care about current employees only, or anyone with a past connection?
  • Are there legal/ethical considerations? (Don’t get yourself in trouble.)

Make a copy of your CRM data and work on a small batch first. This lets you spot errors before you automate the whole thing.

Step 3: Build the Bardeen Automation (Playbook)

Now for the fun part—setting up your “Playbook” (Bardeen’s term for an automation).

Option A: Enrich via Google Sheets

This is the most flexible, especially if your CRM doesn’t integrate directly.

  1. Prepare your spreadsheet.
    Your sheet should have columns like Name, Company, Email, and a blank LinkedIn URL column.

  2. Open Bardeen and create a new Playbook.

  3. Set up the trigger:

  4. “When I run this playbook” is fine for manual runs.

  5. Add an action:

  6. Search LinkedIn for a person (use Bardeen’s “Find LinkedIn Profile” action).

  7. Map the name and company (or email, if available) from your sheet.

  8. Add another action:

  9. Update the LinkedIn URL (or other profile data) back into the sheet.

  10. Test on a few rows.
    See if the right profiles are being found. Tweak your mapping if names are ambiguous.

Option B: Enrich Directly in Your CRM

If Bardeen supports your CRM directly (like HubSpot or Salesforce):

  1. Create a new Playbook.

  2. Set trigger:

  3. “When a new contact is added” (for real-time enrichment), or

  4. “When I run this playbook” (for batch updates).

  5. Add action:

  6. Use the CRM’s “Get contacts” action to pull records.

  7. Feed Name/Company/Email into the “Find LinkedIn Profile” action.

  8. Update the CRM record with the found LinkedIn URL or profile data.

  9. Test and review.

Heads up: Many CRMs have API limits. If you have thousands of records, break them into batches.

Step 4: Handle Edge Cases and Errors

Automation’s great—until it isn’t. Here’s what to watch for:

  • False positives: If someone has a common name (think “John Smith”), Bardeen might pull the wrong profile. Add company or email to narrow results.
  • No results: Not everyone is on LinkedIn, and not every profile is public. Don't expect 100% match rates.
  • Duplicates: Sometimes Bardeen finds multiple possible matches. Set your Playbook to flag these for manual review.
  • Rate limits: Both LinkedIn and your CRM may throttle requests. Slow down your Playbook if you hit errors.

Pro tip: Always run a small sample first and spot-check results before applying automation to your whole CRM.

Step 5: Review, Clean Up, and Iterate

You’re not done after the first run. Take time to:

  • Check for errors or mismatches.
    Look for suspicious or missing data. If you’re seeing lots of wrong links, adjust your matching fields.

  • Spot-check your updated CRM.
    Randomly click a few LinkedIn URLs. Do they match the contact's name and company?

  • Document your process.
    Make a quick note (even just in a Google Doc) of what works, so you can repeat it later or share with teammates.

  • Schedule future enrichments.
    Data goes stale. Set a reminder to re-enrich your CRM every few months, or use a Bardeen trigger for new contacts.

What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore

What works:

  • Automating LinkedIn lookups for clear, well-structured CRM data.
  • Batch processing through Google Sheets for flexible mapping and easy review.
  • Enriching new contacts as they’re added, not just in bulk.

What doesn’t:

  • Expecting perfect matches on messy or incomplete data.
  • Relying on just a first name and a giant company (“Mike, Microsoft”)—you’ll get junk.
  • Trying to automate thousands of records at once without throttling. You’ll get blocked, or the process will break.

What to ignore:

  • Fancy “AI enrichment” promises—Bardeen’s just automating what you could do in your browser, not inventing new data.
  • Overly complex workflows. Start simple, then add steps as you need them.

FAQ: Real Talk

Can Bardeen find every LinkedIn profile?
No. If someone’s name is super common, or their profile is private, it won’t work every time.

Is this allowed by LinkedIn?
LinkedIn’s terms are strict. Bardeen scrapes info you can see in your browser, but mass automation can put your account at risk. Don’t go wild.

What about Sales Navigator?
Sales Navigator helps, but isn’t required. It might boost match rates if you have it.

How much does this cost?
Bardeen has a free tier, but heavy usage or premium integrations may cost extra. Start with the free plan and see if it covers your needs.

Keep It Simple and Iterate

Getting good data into your CRM is never a set-and-forget job. Start with a small batch, keep your process simple, and don’t expect miracles—automation helps a lot, but it’s not magic. If something breaks or doesn’t work as expected, tweak your Playbook, rerun your tests, and keep going. The goal is less time copying and pasting, and more time actually moving your business forward.