Use the lemlist Chrome extension to turn LinkedIn profiles and search results into contacts or campaign leads without leaving LinkedIn.
By the end of this tutorial, you’ll know how to import leads from LinkedIn one by one or in bulk, choose where to send them in lemlist, and decide when to use enrichment for additional lead data.
Here is a quick video guide on installing and importing leads using the extension:
Why this matters
Importing leads directly from LinkedIn helps you move faster from prospecting to outreach. You can either add one lead at a time when you want full profile details, or import leads in bulk when you want to build a list quickly and enrich details later.
Prerequisites
You should already have the lemlist Chrome extension installed and logged in.
You should already be logged into LinkedIn in the same Chrome profile.
You should already know whether you want to send leads to a campaign or save them as contacts.
Here is a quick video guide on installing and importing leads using the extension:
Phase 1: Find the right leads on LinkedIn
Run a LinkedIn People search or open an individual LinkedIn profile. Use LinkedIn filters to narrow your audience before importing, and stay on the People results view to make bulk import easier.
If you want a more targeted list, consider filtering for more engaged prospects, such as people who already accepted your invitation.
Important: The import method changes what data is captured.
1-by-1 import: imports the full information available from the lead’s LinkedIn profile.
Bulk import: imports only first name, last name, and LinkedIn URL by default.
If you need more details during a bulk import, enable LinkedIn enrichment.
Option 1: Import a lead 1 by 1 from a LinkedIn profile
Open the lead’s LinkedIn profile. If the person is already in lemlist, you’ll see an Added to lemlist label on the profile. If they are not yet in lemlist, you’ll see Not added to lemlist.
Click the lemlist extension icon to open the sidebar, then choose how you want to use the lead:
Click Add to campaign if you want to place the lead directly into an active sequence.
Click Save contact if you want to store the lead in lemlist first without adding them to a campaign yet.
If the lead is already in lemlist, you can still click Add to campaign directly from the sidebar.
Select the campaign you want to use. You can search for a campaign, browse by All or My campaigns, and optionally choose enrichment before pushing the lead.
If needed, use the sidebar to find missing contact data such as email or phone number. This is useful when you want to enrich a single lead before outreach.
With a 1-by-1 import, lemlist brings in the full information available from that LinkedIn profile, so this is the best option when you care about richer lead context before launching outreach.
Option 2: Bulk import leads from a LinkedIn People search
On a LinkedIn People results page, use the lemlist selection bar to select profiles for import, then click Add profile(s) to lemlist.
In the Search import panel, open the Import dropdown and choose how many profiles to import from the search. LinkedIn imports support up to 999 leads per import.
Review the batch you’re about to import, then continue when the list looks correct.
Remember: a bulk import only brings in first name, last name, and LinkedIn URL unless you add enrichment.
Push imported leads to a campaign or contact list
Choose where the imported leads should go:
Use Push to campaign if you want to add leads straight into a sequence.
Use the list option if you want to store them in a contact list first for later use. Click the list icon to switch to the contact list flow.
If you are saving leads to a contact list, create a new list or search for and select an existing one, then confirm the destination.
Enable enrichment when you need more lead data
In the push sidebar, optionally turn on enrichment features such as:
Find verified emails
Find phone numbers
Verify existing email
Enrich with LinkedIn
These options are especially important for bulk imports, because bulk import alone does not capture full profile details. Enrichment is paid only on success.
If you are adding leads to a contact list instead of a campaign, you can also enable enrichment before confirming the import, then click the action button to finish adding the leads.
Review duplicates and confirm the import
Before confirming, check the duplicate handling setting in the push panel. A common option is Remove leads already in selected campaign, which helps avoid re-adding the same person to the same sequence.
If the same lead was already imported with the extension before, lemlist updates the existing profile instead of creating a duplicate. lemlist uses identifiers like email address and LinkedIn member ID to help prevent duplicate records.
Once the import is complete, you’ll see a success message in the extension.
What gets imported
1-by-1 import from a profile: full LinkedIn profile information available through the extension.
Bulk import from People search: first name, last name, and LinkedIn URL only.
Bulk import with LinkedIn enrichment enabled: additional LinkedIn-based details can be added during import.
If someone lists multiple current roles on LinkedIn, lemlist uses the role that appears first on their profile.
Practical application / real-life example
A common workflow is to run a LinkedIn People search for a target job title and location, select 10 to 50 relevant profiles, and push them directly into a draft lemlist campaign. This lets you start a multichannel sequence quickly, combining LinkedIn steps with email follow-ups.
If speed matters most, use bulk import and enable LinkedIn enrichment when you need more than names and profile URLs. If personalization matters most, use 1-by-1 import so each lead comes in with fuller profile context from the start.
Working with campaign variables
Campaign variables can only be edited after a contact has been pushed to a campaign. This keeps campaign data aligned with the contact record inside the sequence.
Push the lead to an active campaign.
Open that contact inside the campaign.
Edit the campaign variables there.
Troubleshooting & pitfalls
Issue: “LinkedIn cookie missing” error
Root cause: The connection between LinkedIn and lemlist depends on browser cookies. Logging out, switching Chrome profiles, or clearing cookies can break the connection.
Fix:
Log back into LinkedIn and lemlist in the same Chrome profile.
Open the extension again on LinkedIn.
If needed, refresh the profile and reconnect the extension.
Prevention: Avoid clearing cookies or logging out while you’re actively running LinkedIn workflows.
Issue: Bulk import did not include enough profile details
Root cause: This is expected behavior. Bulk import only includes first name, last name, and LinkedIn URL unless enrichment is enabled.
Fix:
Enable Enrich with LinkedIn during the bulk push.
Or import key leads 1 by 1 from their profile pages instead.
Issue: I can’t find my campaign in the list
Root cause: Campaigns where you already imported leads from a CRM are excluded. You can’t mix CRM imports and Chrome extension imports in the same campaign.
Fix:
Select another campaign.
Or create a new campaign specifically for Chrome extension imports.
Issue: I’m worried about duplicates
Root cause: The same prospect may already exist in lemlist or in the selected campaign.
Fix:
Review the deduplication setting before pushing leads.
Use a duplicate handling option like Remove leads already in selected campaign.
Re-import safely when needed; existing profiles are updated instead of duplicated when matches are found.
Issue: Imported leads were assigned the wrong current role
Root cause: The lead has multiple current roles listed on LinkedIn.
Fix:
lemlist uses the role shown first on the LinkedIn profile.
If needed, edit the lead details in lemlist after import.
Import limits
LinkedIn: up to 999 leads per import
Sales Navigator: up to 2.5k leads
Quick recap
Use 1-by-1 import when you want full LinkedIn profile data for each lead.
Use bulk import when you want to move quickly from a People search.
For bulk imports, enable LinkedIn enrichment if you need more than first name, last name, and LinkedIn URL.
Push leads to either a campaign or a contact list depending on your workflow.