How to Import LinkedIn Contacts to HubSpot (2026)

LinkedIn doesn’t sync with HubSpot the way you’d expect. There’s no “Send to HubSpot” button. To import LinkedIn contacts to HubSpot, you export a CSV from LinkedIn and upload it using HubSpot’s import tool. The hands-on work takes about 15 minutes.

The catch: LinkedIn hides email addresses by default. Most of your exported connections won’t have one. That matters because HubSpot uses email as its unique identifier. Without it, your contacts are harder to deduplicate, enrich, and email. This guide covers the full process, including how to fill in the gaps.

Export Your LinkedIn Connections

LinkedIn lets you download all your first-degree connections as a CSV file.

1. Click your profile picture in the navigation bar, then Settings & Privacy in the dropdown.
2. Go to Data privacy in the left sidebar.
3. Click Get a copy of your data.
4. Select the first option: Download larger data archive. There’s no option to download just connections.
5. Click Request archive.

LinkedIn sends the archive in two parts. The first part includes Connections.csv and generally doesn’t take 24 hours despite what the page says. The download is a ZIP file. Inside, look for Connections.csv.

For more detail on this step, including what to do with other export options, see our full guide to exporting LinkedIn contacts.

What’s in the LinkedIn CSV

The exported file has seven columns:

The CSV file starts with a few lines of notes before the actual headers. Delete those top lines so the headers are on row 1 before importing.

Two things to know about this file:

Most rows won’t have an email address. LinkedIn only includes emails for connections who have turned on “Allow connections to export my email.” This setting is off by default. In practice, expect 10% to 20% of your connections to have an email in the export.

The column headers don’t match HubSpot. LinkedIn uses “Email Address” where HubSpot expects “Email.” It uses “Company” where HubSpot expects “Company Name.” It uses “Position” where HubSpot expects “Job Title.” The “URL” column maps to HubSpot’s “LinkedIn” contact property. You’ll need to rename these columns before importing, or use the BoothIQ CSV Formatter to remap them for HubSpot. No account needed.

Import the CSV into HubSpot

Once your headers match HubSpot’s expected format, the import itself is straightforward.

1. In HubSpot, go to Contacts > Contacts.
2. Click the Import button in the upper right.
3. Select Start an import, then File from computer.
4. Choose One file, One object, and select Contacts.
5. Upload your CSV file.
6. Map each column to the right HubSpot property. Check that Email maps to “Email,” First Name to “First Name,” Last Name to “Last Name,” Company Name to “Company Name,” and Job Title to “Job Title.”
7. Check the box to create a list from this import and name it something like “LinkedIn Connections Feb 2026.”
8. Click Finish import.

For a full walkthrough with more detail on each step, see our complete HubSpot import guide.

Fix the Missing Email Problem

The biggest issue with importing LinkedIn contacts to HubSpot is missing email addresses. Without an email, a HubSpot contact can’t receive marketing emails or be enrolled in sequences. It’s also harder to match against existing records.

You have a few options:

Look them up manually. For a small list, you can check each contact’s LinkedIn profile or company website. This works for 10 or 20 contacts. It doesn’t scale to hundreds.

Use enrichment tools. Contact enrichment services can find email addresses from a name and company. BoothIQ’s enrichment does this for contacts you capture, using name and company to find verified email addresses.

Only import contacts who have emails. Filter your CSV before importing. Remove rows where the Email Address column is blank. This gives you a smaller but more usable list.

The approach you choose depends on how you plan to use these contacts. If you’re importing for reference (knowing who you’ve met), missing emails are fine. If you’re importing for outreach, you’ll need to fill them in first.

HubSpot’s Native LinkedIn Integration

HubSpot does have a LinkedIn integration, but it doesn’t do what most people expect.

The native integration connects HubSpot to LinkedIn Sales Navigator. It shows LinkedIn profile data on your HubSpot contact records and lets you send InMails from within HubSpot. It doesn’t import contacts. It only enriches records that already exist in your CRM.

To use the native integration, you need:

• A LinkedIn Sales Navigator Advanced Plus subscription
• A HubSpot Sales Hub Professional or Enterprise seat

That’s two premium subscriptions for an integration that can’t create contacts. To get LinkedIn connections into HubSpot as new records, you need the CSV method described above or a third-party tool.

What About LinkedIn Contacts from Events?

If you met someone at a conference and want to add them to HubSpot, the CSV export path is overkill. You’d have to connect with them on LinkedIn first, wait for them to accept, request a new data export, find them in the CSV, and then import just that one row.

For event contacts, a faster path is to scan their badge or business card and let it sync directly to your CRM. BoothIQ captures contacts at events by scanning badges and business cards. Contacts sync to HubSpot with field mapping and event tags already set. No CSV, no manual import.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I import LinkedIn contacts to HubSpot for free?

Yes. Export your connections from LinkedIn (free), remap the CSV column headers to match HubSpot’s format, and use HubSpot’s built-in import tool (free on all plans). The BoothIQ CSV Formatter handles the header remapping at no cost. The only limitation is that most LinkedIn exports won’t include email addresses.

Why are email addresses missing from my LinkedIn export?

LinkedIn only includes emails for connections who have enabled “Allow connections to export my email” in their privacy settings. This setting is off by default for every LinkedIn account. There’s no way to override it from your side.

Will HubSpot create duplicate contacts when I import from LinkedIn?

HubSpot deduplicates on email address. If a LinkedIn connection already exists in HubSpot with the same email, HubSpot will update the existing record instead of creating a duplicate. If the LinkedIn export has no email for that contact, HubSpot can’t match them and will create a new record. This is another reason to fill in email addresses before importing.

Can I import LinkedIn Sales Navigator leads into HubSpot?

Not through HubSpot’s native integration. The Sales Navigator integration only enriches existing HubSpot records. To get Sales Navigator leads into HubSpot as new contacts, you’ll need a third-party tool like Hublead or a manual export/import workflow.

How often should I reimport my LinkedIn contacts?

LinkedIn doesn’t offer incremental exports. Every export includes your full connection list. If you reimport regularly, HubSpot will update existing records (matched by email) and create new ones for recent connections. Quarterly reimports work well for most teams. More frequent than that adds overhead without much benefit.

Importing LinkedIn Contacts into Other CRMs

This guide covers HubSpot. If your team uses Salesforce, we have a step-by-step guide for that too:

• How to Import LinkedIn Contacts to Salesforce

References

• Downloading Your Data from LinkedIn — LinkedIn Help Center
• Export Connections from LinkedIn — LinkedIn Help Center
• Set Up Your Import File — HubSpot Knowledge Base
• Import Records and Activities — HubSpot Knowledge Base
• Connect HubSpot and LinkedIn Sales Navigator — HubSpot Knowledge Base

Skip the CSV Step

If you’re capturing contacts at trade shows and conferences, formatting and importing CSVs after every event gets old fast. BoothIQ scans badges and business cards, then syncs contacts to HubSpot with field mapping and event tags already set. No CSV required.