LinkedIn MCP server for finding people
LinkedIn has not published an MCP server, so every one you can install is third-party, and the most popular ones work by driving your own logged-in LinkedIn account. PeopleSearch.im works differently: your AI agent searches a global professional database, opens LinkedIn profiles and gets verified work emails, and it never signs in to your LinkedIn account, so there is nothing for LinkedIn to restrict.
Three ways an AI agent can reach LinkedIn data
As of September 30, 2026, LinkedIn offers no MCP server of its own. The third-party ones come in three kinds, and the kind decides what your agent can do and what your LinkedIn account risks.
LinkedIn's official API
A server you run with your own LinkedIn developer app. LinkedIn opens only two products to every developer: Sign In with LinkedIn (your own name, headline, photo and email) and Share on LinkedIn (posting and commenting as you). Searching people and reading other members' profiles need partner approval, so these servers are for publishing, not research.
Your logged-in session
Open-source servers such as stickerdaniel/linkedin-mcp-server drive a real browser signed in to your account, so they see what you see: profiles, companies, jobs, even your inbox. LinkedIn's User Agreement prohibits bots and other unauthorized automated access, and the project itself warns that automated access “can lead to account restrictions.”
A people-data provider
PeopleSearch.im queries a B2B people-data provider instead of LinkedIn. Your agent can search for people it does not know yet, open their LinkedIn profiles and get verified work emails, and nothing runs through your LinkedIn account. It cannot post, message or read your feed.
LinkedIn MCP servers compared
| Official API serverse.g. souravdasbiswas | Session-based serverse.g. stickerdaniel | PeopleSearch.impeople-data provider | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it reaches LinkedIn data | LinkedIn's API, through a developer app you create | A browser signed in to your own LinkedIn account | A B2B people-data provider; it never signs in to LinkedIn |
| Uses your LinkedIn login | Yes, through LinkedIn's consent screen | Yes, your live session | No |
| Risk to your LinkedIn account | Low: it uses access LinkedIn grants | High: LinkedIn's terms prohibit automated access, and these projects warn of restrictions | None: your account is never used |
| Search people you don't know yet | No: the open API has no people search | Yes, within what your account can see | Yes, free: plain-English search across a global professional database |
| Read a profile from its URL | No: only your own profile | Yes | Yes (2 credits, refunded if nothing is found) |
| Work emails | No: only your own sign-in email | Only what a profile shows your account | Verified work emails, looked up live (1 credit, refunded if nothing is found) |
| Post, comment or message | Post and comment as you (Share on LinkedIn) | Reads your inbox; some send messages as you | No: it never acts on LinkedIn |
| Setup | Create a LinkedIn developer app, add two self-serve products, run the server | Install it locally and sign in to LinkedIn in the browser it controls | Paste one URL into your AI app and approve once |
| Cost | Free | Free, open source | Search free; pay per result, credit packs from $5 |
A fourth option is a scraping platform with an MCP front end, such as Apify's LinkedIn MCP server. It needs no LinkedIn login either, because it runs scrapers on the platform's own infrastructure and bills through that platform's plan. Judge it like any data source: on what it returns, how fresh it is, and what each result costs.
People and LinkedIn data, one connection
Each tool runs on the same backend as the web app and the API, with the same credits and refunds.
people_searchDescribe the people you want in plain English and see who matches, with the total count, before anything is spent.
find_peopleUnlock a batch of matches in one call, each with name, title, company, location and LinkedIn URL.
reveal_profileUnlock one person from a search: real name, current role, company, location and LinkedIn URL.
find_linkedin_profileGive a name, ideally with the company, and get the person's LinkedIn profile URL.
lookup_linkedin_profileGive a LinkedIn profile URL and get clean data back: name, current role, company and location.
lookup_companyGive a LinkedIn company URL and get the industry, size, location and website.
fetch_emailGet the verified work email of someone you unlocked, looked up live.
reverse_email_lookupTurn a work email into the person behind it and their LinkedIn profile.
The other tools (email verification, company emails, company search) are listed on the MCP server overview.
Ask it in plain English
Your agent picks the tools. Every tool states its cost, so searching stays free until you decide to unlock someone.
“Find 20 engineering managers at fintech companies in Berlin and list their LinkedIn profiles.”
“Here's a LinkedIn profile URL. What is this person's current role and company?”
“Find the head of talent at Acme and get their LinkedIn profile and work email.”
“Who is behind this work email, and what is their LinkedIn profile?”
Connect it in one line
It is a remote server: add the URL to your AI app and approve the connection when it asks. Nothing to install, no LinkedIn login, no key to copy.
Claude and ChatGPT: add this URL as a custom connector (in ChatGPT, choose OAuth)
https://peoplesearch.im/api/mcp
Claude Code
claude mcp add --transport http peoplesearch https://peoplesearch.im/api/mcp
The first time your assistant uses a PeopleSearch.im tool, it asks you to sign in and approve the connection. Configs for Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, and API-key setups, plus the full tool reference, are on the developer page.
Which kind should you use?
To write and publish your LinkedIn posts
Use a server built on LinkedIn's Share on LinkedIn API, or Zapier or Composio, which connect through LinkedIn's own sign-in. PeopleSearch.im cannot post.
To read your own inbox, feed or connections
Only a session-based server can, and it does so as you, with the account risk described above.
To find people you don't know yet
Open their LinkedIn profiles and get their work emails with PeopleSearch.im, without your LinkedIn account being involved at all.
LinkedIn MCP FAQ
Does LinkedIn have an official MCP server?
No. As of September 30, 2026, LinkedIn has not published an MCP server or an official connector for Claude or ChatGPT. Every LinkedIn MCP server is third-party, and each reaches LinkedIn data in one of three ways: LinkedIn's official API, a browser signed in to your account, or a data provider.
Can a LinkedIn MCP server get my account restricted?
The ones that drive your logged-in session can. LinkedIn's User Agreement prohibits bots and other unauthorized automated access, and the most popular session-based server warns that automated access can lead to account restrictions. Servers on LinkedIn's official API use access LinkedIn grants, and PeopleSearch.im never signs in to LinkedIn at all, so your account is not involved.
Can I search LinkedIn for people through the official API?
No. The self-serve products cover signing in (your own name, headline, photo and email) and posting on your behalf. People search and reading other members' profiles are not part of the open API; sales and recruiting integrations go through LinkedIn's partner programs, which require approval.
Where does PeopleSearch.im's data come from?
From Icypeas, a B2B people-data provider. People search runs on its professional database, LinkedIn profile and company lookups are answered through it, and work emails are looked up live when you ask, so they are current rather than pattern-guessed. Nothing is fetched through your LinkedIn account.
Can it post to LinkedIn or read my messages?
No. It finds professionals, their LinkedIn profile URLs and their work emails. To post from an AI assistant, use a server built on LinkedIn's Share on LinkedIn API. Reading your own inbox is only possible with a server that drives your session, with the account risk that comes with it.
Which AI apps does it work with?
Any app that supports remote MCP servers: Claude (web, desktop and mobile), ChatGPT, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code and Windsurf. You add one URL and approve the connection once; there is nothing to install.
What does it cost?
Searching people and companies is free. Unlocking a person costs 1 credit; a work email costs 1 more and is refunded when none is found; LinkedIn profile lookups cost 2 credits and are refunded when nothing comes back. Credit packs start at $5 with no subscription, and new accounts get 3 free credits.
I'm in the results. How do I remove my profile?
Use the opt-out page. It needs no account, and once your profile is removed it stops appearing in PeopleSearch.im searches, unlocks and lookups.
Want your profile out of the results? Use the opt-out page.
People data for your agent, without your LinkedIn login
Connect the MCP server to Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor and find people, LinkedIn profiles and verified work emails from the chat.
Sources
Checked September 30, 2026.
- LinkedIn User Agreement, section 8.2 (effective November 3, 2025)(opens in a new tab)
- LinkedIn API documentation: Getting access(opens in a new tab)
- stickerdaniel/linkedin-mcp-server(opens in a new tab)
- souravdasbiswas/linkedin-mcp-server(opens in a new tab)
- Apify LinkedIn MCP server(opens in a new tab)
LinkedIn is a trademark of LinkedIn Corporation. PeopleSearch.im is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by LinkedIn.