Skip to main content

Overview

Orbis can import your LinkedIn connections, profile information, and conversation history from a LinkedIn data export. Because LinkedIn does not provide a live API for personal connections, the import works by uploading a ZIP archive that LinkedIn generates for you.
LinkedIn does not include email addresses for most connections in the export. Orbis will import names, job titles, companies, and LinkedIn profile URLs. Email enrichment can be performed separately using Orbis’s AI enrichment features.

Step 1: Export your LinkedIn data

1

Open LinkedIn Settings

Go to linkedin.com and click your profile photo, then Settings & Privacy.
2

Navigate to Data privacy

In the left sidebar, click Data privacy.
3

Request your archive

Click Get a copy of your data, then select Download larger data archive to include connections, messages, and profile information.
4

Submit the request

Click Request archive. LinkedIn will send a download link to your email address.
5

Wait for LinkedIn

LinkedIn typically delivers the archive within a few hours, but it can take up to 24 hours. Sometimes LinkedIn sends two emails — download the second one, which contains the complete archive.
6

Download the ZIP

Click the download link in LinkedIn’s email and save the ZIP file to your computer. Do not unzip it.
If you have a large LinkedIn network, LinkedIn may split the archive into two separate downloads. Upload the one that contains the Connections.csv file — it’s usually the larger of the two.

Step 2: Upload your archive to Orbis

1

Open the import dialog

In Orbis, go to Settings → Import and click Connect next to the LinkedIn section.
2

Select your archive

Click the upload area and select the ZIP file you downloaded from LinkedIn. The file must be a .zip and no larger than 500 MB.
3

Confirm consent

Check the consent checkbox to confirm you’re authorizing Orbis to process your LinkedIn data. Your archive is stored privately within your workspace.
4

Upload and wait

Click Upload archive. Orbis uploads the file and begins processing. You can track progress in real time — the dialog shows how many contacts have been imported so far.
Processing a large archive (thousands of connections) can take several minutes. You can close the dialog and check back later — the import continues in the background. A progress bar is shown in the LinkedIn section of the Settings page while the job is running.

What gets imported

DataImported
Connection name (first and last)Yes
Job titleYes
CompanyYes
LinkedIn profile URLYes
Connected dateYes
Email addressOnly if LinkedIn included it (rare)
Messages and conversationsYes, if included in the archive

How LinkedIn data enriches existing contacts

When Orbis processes your archive, it compares each connection against your existing Orbis contacts:
  • Match found — If a contact already exists with the same name or LinkedIn URL, Orbis updates the existing record with any missing fields (job title, company, LinkedIn URL). No duplicate is created.
  • No match found — A new contact is created from the LinkedIn connection data.
The linkedin source is recorded on each contact so you can see where the data originated.

Limitations

LinkedIn does not export email addresses for the majority of connections. If you want to find email addresses for your LinkedIn contacts, use AI Enrichment after the import is complete.
  • LinkedIn archives are a point-in-time snapshot. The import does not stay in sync with LinkedIn — if a connection updates their job title on LinkedIn, Orbis will not automatically reflect that change.
  • You can re-upload a newer LinkedIn archive at any time. Orbis will update existing contacts and add any new connections found in the newer export.
  • Archives larger than 500 MB are not supported. If your archive exceeds this size, contact support.

Monitoring import progress

While the archive is processing, the LinkedIn section on the Settings → Import page shows a progress bar with:
  • Number of contacts imported so far
  • Estimated time remaining
If processing pauses for any reason, a Resume button appears. Click it to continue where processing left off. Orbis also attempts to resume automatically up to three times before requiring manual intervention.