LinkedIn Recruiter has no single button that turns a whole project into an Excel workbook. As of September 2026, the official route is to open the project's Pipeline tab, tick up to 25 candidates, click Save to CSV and open the file in Excel, as LinkedIn's export help page describes. For stage-level numbers, the Pipeline report can be downloaded as an XLS file.
How to export project candidates to CSV
- Open your project in Recruiter.
- Click Pipeline in the left pane.
- Tick the box next to each profile you want, up to 25 at a time.
- Click Save to CSV at the top of the list, then open the downloaded file.
Excel opens CSV files directly, or you can use Data, then From Text/CSV to import it into a worksheet with more control over column formats, per Microsoft's import guide. LinkedIn documents only PDF and CSV as profile export formats, so save the file as .xlsx from Excel if you need one.
According to LinkedIn's help page, the file includes the name on the profile, location, current title, company, projects (including pipeline stages) and feedback. Notes only appear if they were added in the same project you export from, because notes belong to the project where they were written.
Export limits to plan around
These are the limits LinkedIn documents as of September 2026:
- You can select up to 25 candidates per export, so a 500-person project takes 20 exports.
- CSV exports are capped at 5,000 unique profiles and 200 files per month, per seat.
- PDF exports are capped at 200 profiles per month, per seat, and repeat downloads of the same profile all count.
- Limits reset on the 1st of each month (UTC). If you exceed them, exporting is disabled until the next calendar month.
- Recruiter Lite does not support exporting to CSV.
Export a report to Excel instead
If you want funnel numbers rather than a candidate list, click Reports on the Recruiter homepage, choose Pipeline and click Export to download an XLS file, according to LinkedIn's Pipeline report page. The same page says the report covers up to two years of data, shows only default stages (custom stages are left out), and can take up to 48 hours to reflect new activity. Times are in UTC.
Other ways to move project data
- Send candidates to your ATS. With Recruiter System Connect, 1-Click Export allows up to 300 exports per user, per month, and the candidate's privacy settings must permit access outside LinkedIn.
- Go the other way. Recruiter (not Lite) can import a CSV into a project from Project settings. First name, last name and email are required columns.
Common mistakes
- Expecting private contact details. Only recruiter-entered contact information is included. Emails or phone numbers that members entered on their own profiles are not.
- Using scraping tools. LinkedIn does not permit third-party software, including bots and browser extensions, that scrapes or automates activity, and says accounts can be restricted or shut down.
- Exporting from the wrong project. Notes are tied to a project, so export from the project where the notes live.
Frequently asked questions
Can I export an entire LinkedIn Recruiter project to Excel at once?
Not beyond 25 candidates per export. Work through the Pipeline in batches of 25, then combine the CSV files in Excel. LinkedIn's export help states the 25-candidate limit applies across all export options.
Does the CSV include emails and phone numbers?
Only contact details that a recruiter entered. Member-entered contact information is excluded regardless of the member's settings.
Why is Save to CSV missing or my export blocked?
LinkedIn documents two causes: Recruiter Lite does not support CSV export, and hitting the monthly limit disables exporting until the next calendar month (UTC). Anything beyond those two, such as contract or admin configuration, is not covered in the help page, so ask your LinkedIn account team.
