If you're building your professional network, moving contacts into a CRM, or simply want to keep a backup of your LinkedIn connections, exporting your LinkedIn data can be incredibly useful.

The slightly frustrating part? LinkedIn doesn't exactly make the option obvious.

You may search through My Network, Connections, and Settings, looking for an "Export Contacts" button that simply isn't there. Fortunately, there is a straightforward way to download your LinkedIn connections using LinkedIn's data archive.

Here's how to do it.

Can You Export Email Addresses From LinkedIn?

Yes, but there is an important catch.

When you export your LinkedIn connections, LinkedIn may include information such as:

• First name
• Last name
• Company
• Position
• LinkedIn profile URL
• Connection date
• Email address, where available

However, you will not necessarily receive the email address for every LinkedIn connection.

The email addresses included in your export depend on the information LinkedIn makes available to you and each connection's privacy settings. So, expect some blank email fields in your spreadsheet.

How to Export Your LinkedIn Connections

The easiest method is to request a larger archive of your LinkedIn data.

Step 1: Go to LinkedIn's Download Your Data Page

While logged into your LinkedIn account on a desktop computer, go to:

LinkedIn Download Your Data

Step 2: Select the Larger Data Archive

You may see an option that allows you to choose specific information to download.

However, if you can't find an option specifically labelled Connections, look for:

Download larger data archive, including connections, verifications, contacts, account history and information we infer about you based on your profile and activity.

This was the option that worked for me.

Select this option and click Request archive.

Step 3: Wait for LinkedIn to Prepare Your Download

LinkedIn will prepare your data and send you an email when your archive is ready to download.

Depending on the size of your LinkedIn account and the amount of data requested, this may take a little time.

Once you receive the email, follow the link to download your archive.

Step 4: Download and Unzip the File

Your LinkedIn data will usually download as a ZIP file.

Simply:

1. Locate the downloaded ZIP file.
2. Double-click it to unzip the folder.
3. Open the extracted folder.
4. Look for the CSV file containing your connections.

You can open a CSV file using Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, Apple Numbers or another spreadsheet program.

How to Find the Email Addresses

Once you've opened your connections file, look for the Email Address column.

You may find that:

• Some contacts have an email address.
• Some email address fields are blank.
• Some connections only include their LinkedIn profile information.

This is completely normal.

LinkedIn does not provide unrestricted access to the personal email addresses of everyone you are connected with.

What Can You Do With Your Exported LinkedIn Contacts?

Once you have your CSV file, you can use it to:

• Import contacts into your CRM.
• Create a backup of your professional network.
• Review your connections by company or job title.
• Identify potential clients or referral partners.
• Organise your professional network.
• Clean and segment your contact database.

If you're planning to import contacts into an email marketing platform such as Mailchimp, Buzzlink or another system, take a moment to clean the data first.

Important: Don't Just Upload Everyone to Your Email List

This is where you need to be careful.

Just because someone is a LinkedIn connection does not automatically mean they have given you permission to add them to your marketing email list.

Before importing contacts into an email marketing platform, make sure you have the appropriate consent and that your email practices comply with relevant privacy and spam laws.

A better approach may be to use your LinkedIn export to identify existing contacts and then invite them to subscribe through a proper opt-in form.

That keeps your email list cleaner, more engaged and far less likely to cause problems with your email platform. Nobody wants to build a list only to have Mailchimp immediately give them the side-eye.

Just remember

LinkedIn has made exporting your connections a little less straightforward than it used to be, particularly if you're looking for a simple Export Contacts button.

The method that worked for me was requesting the larger LinkedIn data archive, which includes your connections and contacts.

Once downloaded, you can review your CSV file, organise your network and use the information to better manage your business relationships.

Just remember that not every LinkedIn connection will have an email address available, and an exported email address should not automatically be added to a marketing list without the appropriate permission.