How to Scrape LinkedIn Profiles With N8N

Sales Navigator lists were either too narrow (missing good prospects) or too wide (full of irrelevant profiles). The filters just weren't sophisticated enough for my needs.

Then I built an AI-powered automation that changed everything.

Now I get a curated list of high-quality prospects delivered to my Slack every day—without lifting a finger.

Here's exactly how I Automated 95% of My LinkedIn Prospecting (And You Can Too):

LinkedIn Prospecting is hard. N8N makes it easier.

Most founders I know struggle with the same issues:

Sales Navigator limitations: The built-in filters can't capture the nuanced criteria that make someone a perfect fit for your business. You end up with lists that are either too restrictive or filled with noise.

Manual qualification takes forever: Scrolling through hundreds of profiles, reading bios, and trying to determine if someone fits your ideal customer profile is mind-numbing work.

Inconsistent criteria: When you're manually qualifying leads, your standards shift based on your mood, energy level, or how many profiles you've already reviewed.

I needed a system that could think like me but work 24/7, specifically helping me with scraping linkedin data and present in a way I can easily check what qualifies and what doesn't.

My n8n + AI-Powered Prospecting Template

Here's the step-by-step breakdown of the automation that's transformed my LinkedIn lead generation:

Step 1: Create a Broad Sales Navigator List

Instead of trying to make Sales Navigator's filters do all the work, I create intentionally broad lists that capture the general direction of my ideal prospects.

The key is being comfortable with a wider net—because AI will handle the heavy lifting of qualification later.

Step 2: Scrape with Phantom Buster

Then I connect my Sales Navigator list to Phantom Buster, which automatically extracts all the profile data: job titles, company info, follower counts, headlines, and LinkedIn summaries.

This raw data becomes the foundation for AI-powered qualification.

 

Step 3: Feed Everything into N8N + AI

Here's where the magic happens. I've built an N8N workflow that:

Applies basic filters first: I start with simple criteria like follower count (for example, I might I look for 10,000+ followers) and keyword searches for terms like "Customer Support Manager" in their profiles.

Runs AI qualification: The real power comes from feeding each prospect's job title, summary, and headline into GPT-4 Omni (which is incredibly cost-effective for this use case).

Makes smart decisions: My AI prompt analyzes each profile against my specific ideal customer criteria and returns either "good lead" or "not a fit."

Step 4: Organize and Alert with Google Sheets and Slack Notifications

Qualified leads automatically get added to a Google Sheet, while I receive Slack notifications whenever new prospects are found.

I also store all the data (both good and bad leads) in separate spreadsheets so I can analyze patterns and refine my targeting over time.

This LinkedIn + n8n workflow cut my prospecting time in 95%

This system has eliminated 95% of my manual prospecting time.

Instead of spending hours scrolling through profiles, I now get a daily digest of pre-qualified prospects who actually match my criteria.

The AI is consistent, never gets tired, and applies the same standards to every single profile.

Improving this n8n workflow

The next evolution of this system involves adding connection analysis.

I'm working on feeding both my LinkedIn profile and each prospect's profile into another AI model to identify potential connection points—shared experiences, mutual connections, similar backgrounds—that can be used for more personalized outreach.

Imagine getting not just qualified leads, but also the exact angle for your initial message.

Why This Matters for Your Business

If you're running an agency, a SaaS, or any business that relies on LinkedIn for lead generation, this kind of automation isn't just a nice-to-have—it's becoming essential.

This, along posting every day (or whatever LinkedIn schedule you follow), is what will enhance your lead generation game, both for cold and warm traffic.

While your competitors are still manually scrolling through profiles, you could be building relationships with perfectly qualified prospects who are already warm to your message.

The setup requires some technical know-how, but the ROI is massive. We're talking about converting hours of manual work into minutes of reviewing curated results.

DIY Linkedin Prospecting with n8n:

You don't need to build this exact system overnight.

Start with one piece:

Day 1: Set up Phantom Buster to scrape your Sales Navigator lists

Day 2: Experiment with AI prompts to qualify leads (you can start with simple ChatGPT conversations)

Day 3: Build the automation workflow in N8N or Zapier

Day 4: Add notification systems and data storage

The key is iterating on your AI prompts until they consistently identify the leads you would choose manually.

Our just rawdog an entire day to figure it all out!

The Bottom Line

LinkedIn prospecting doesn't have to be a time sink.

With the right automation, you can transform one of the most tedious parts of business development into a competitive advantage.

While everyone else is stuck in manual mode, you'll be building relationships with perfect-fit prospects who are already interested in what you're offering.

The future of prospecting is automated, intelligent, and personal.

The question isn't whether you should build systems like this—it's how quickly you can get started.

Now that you automated your lead generation with AI, remember to automate your LinkedIn posts with ai too.