How to Export Leads from LinkedIn Sales Navigator in Just 5 Minutes
Here's the frustrating truth about exporting leads from Sales Navigator: LinkedIn doesn't make it easy on purpose.
Sales Navigator is designed to keep you inside the LinkedIn ecosystem. Native export options are limited, and the data you can get out directly is less than you'd expect for a $100+/month tool. But there are legitimate ways to get your leads into a spreadsheet or CRM, and this guide covers all of them.
TL;DR
- LinkedIn's native CSV export gives you name, title, company, and LinkedIn URL (no emails)
- CRM integration (Salesforce, HubSpot) is the cleanest option for Advanced plan users
- Enrichment tools like Apollo or Lusha add email addresses to your exported list
- Outly connects directly to Sales Navigator and automates outreach without needing to export first
- Scraping tools violate LinkedIn's ToS and risk your account
How to Export Leads from LinkedIn Sales Navigator with Outly
If your goal isn't to export leads to a spreadsheet but to actually reach out to them, this is the most efficient workflow available.
Step 1: Get the Sales Navigator Search URL
Run your search in Sales Navigator using whatever filters match your ideal customer profile. Apply filters for job title, company size, industry, geography, seniority level, and any other relevant criteria. Once you're happy with the results, copy the URL from your browser's address bar.
Step 2: Open Your Outly Account
Log into Outly and navigate to the campaign creation section. Select "LinkedIn Sales Navigator" as your lead source and paste the search URL you copied.
Outly will pull the leads from your search and queue them for outreach. You can preview the list before launching to make sure the targeting looks right.
Step 3: Download Your Lead List as a CSV File
If you want the data in a spreadsheet rather than (or in addition to) running outreach, Outly lets you export your lead list as a CSV. The export includes name, title, company, LinkedIn URL, and any enrichment data Outly has pulled.
This gives you a clean, usable spreadsheet without the manual work of copying data from Sales Navigator profiles.
How Outly Gets You Verified Lead Data on Autopilot
Beyond the basic export, Outly enriches your lead data automatically. When you connect a Sales Navigator search, Outly:
- Pulls current job title and company from LinkedIn profiles
- Flags leads that have changed jobs recently (a strong buying signal)
- Identifies leads who are active on LinkedIn (more likely to respond)
- Removes duplicates from previous campaigns
This means your lead list is cleaner and more actionable than a raw Sales Navigator export.
What LinkedIn Actually Allows (Native Export Methods)
Method 1: Export via CRM Integration (Best Native Option)
If you have Sales Navigator Advanced or Advanced Plus, you can integrate directly with Salesforce, HubSpot, or Microsoft Dynamics. This is the cleanest way to get your leads out of Sales Navigator and into a usable format.
How it works:
- Go to Settings in Sales Navigator
- Navigate to CRM Settings
- Connect your CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, or Dynamics)
- Once connected, push leads and accounts from Sales Navigator directly to your CRM with one click
From your CRM, you can export to CSV or Excel as needed.
What you get: Name, title, company, LinkedIn URL, and any notes or tags you've added in Sales Navigator.
Limitation: Requires an Advanced plan and a supported CRM.
Method 2: Export Your Saved Leads List (Native CSV)
Sales Navigator does have a limited native CSV export for saved leads. Here's how to access it:
- Go to Lists in the top navigation
- Open a Lead List
- Look for the Export button (usually top right of the list view)
- Select Export to CSV
What you get: Basic profile data — name, title, company, location, LinkedIn URL.
What you don't get: Email addresses, phone numbers, or any contact information beyond what's on the LinkedIn profile.
Limitation: This feature availability varies by plan and has been inconsistently available. If you don't see an Export button, you're likely on Core or LinkedIn has restricted it in your region.
Method 3: Use a LinkedIn Data Enrichment Tool
Tools like Apollo.io, Clay, Lusha, and Hunter.io can take a list of LinkedIn URLs and enrich them with email addresses and other contact data. The workflow:
- Export your lead list from Sales Navigator (names + LinkedIn URLs)
- Feed those URLs into an enrichment tool
- Get back a list with emails, phone numbers, and additional firmographic data
This is compliant as long as the enrichment tool is sourcing data through legitimate means (their own databases, public records, etc.) rather than scraping LinkedIn directly.
Lead Exporting Landmines: Watch Out for These Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using Scraping Tools
A lot of "how to export Sales Navigator leads" guides recommend browser extensions or scraping tools. Some of these work technically, but they violate LinkedIn's Terms of Service.
LinkedIn actively detects and restricts accounts that use unauthorized scraping tools. The risk isn't just losing access to Sales Navigator — it's losing your LinkedIn account entirely.
Mistake 2: Exporting Without Filtering First
Exporting a raw, unfiltered list wastes time. Before you export anything, apply every relevant filter in Sales Navigator: seniority level, company headcount, geography, years in role. A smaller, more targeted list outperforms a large generic one every time.
Mistake 3: Ignoring Job Change Signals
Sales Navigator shows you when leads have recently changed jobs. This is one of the most valuable signals in B2B outreach — people in new roles are actively evaluating tools and vendors. Don't export a static list and ignore this data.
Mistake 4: Exporting Without a Follow-Up Plan
Exporting leads to a spreadsheet and then manually sending messages doesn't scale. Before you export, decide how you're going to reach out. If you're using Outly, you can skip the export entirely and go straight to automated outreach.
Mistake 5: Relying on a Static Export
Sales Navigator data is live. People change jobs, get promoted, and update their profiles constantly. An export from three months ago is already outdated. Build a workflow that keeps your data fresh rather than relying on a one-time snapshot.
How Can Outly Help You Avoid These Hazards?
Outly connects directly to your Sales Navigator search and keeps the lead data current. When someone in your campaign changes jobs or updates their profile, Outly flags it. You're always working with fresh data, not a stale spreadsheet.
Benefits of Using Outly to Export Leads from Sales Navigator
- No manual copying: Outly pulls leads directly from your search URL
- Enriched data: Get more than just name and title
- Automated outreach: Go from search to campaign in minutes
- Fresh data: Outly monitors for profile changes and job moves
- Safe and compliant: No scraping, no ToS violations
- CSV export available: Download your list anytime if you need it in a spreadsheet
LinkedIn Sales Navigator Core vs Advanced: Which Plan Works for Lead Export?
| Feature | Core | Advanced | Advanced Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native CSV export | Limited | Yes | Yes |
| CRM integration | No | Yes | Yes |
| Enrichment tools | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Outly/automation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced filters | Partial | Full | Full |
| TeamLink (warm paths) | No | Yes | Yes |
If you're on Core and need robust export capabilities, upgrading to Advanced is worth considering — or use a third-party tool like Outly that works with Core.
What's Next for Your Cold Outreach?
The teams that get the most out of Sales Navigator don't think of it as a database to export from. They think of it as a live intelligence layer that sits on top of their CRM.
The workflow that works:
- Build targeted searches in Sales Navigator using advanced filters
- Save leads to named lists
- Sync those lists to your CRM via native integration
- Use alerts to know when to reach out
- Automate outreach with Outly
This keeps your data current, your CRM clean, and your outreach timely. Exporting to a static spreadsheet is often the wrong mental model — the value of Sales Navigator is the live data, not a snapshot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I export email addresses from Sales Navigator? No. Sales Navigator doesn't provide email addresses. You need an enrichment tool like Apollo, Lusha, or Hunter.io to find emails for your leads.
Is it safe to use third-party tools to export Sales Navigator leads? It depends on the tool. Tools that use their own databases (Apollo, Clay, Lusha) are compliant. Tools that scrape LinkedIn's interface in real time violate LinkedIn's ToS and risk your account.
How many leads can I export from Sales Navigator? The native CSV export is limited to your saved lead lists. There's no hard cap on list size, but very large exports (10,000+ leads) can be slow. Outly handles large lists more efficiently.
Does Outly work with Sales Navigator Core? Yes. Outly works with all Sales Navigator plans, including Core.
What data does the native Sales Navigator export include? Name, job title, company, location, and LinkedIn URL. No email addresses or phone numbers.
Ready to turn your Sales Navigator leads into conversations? Start your free trial with Outly and automate your outreach from search to reply. Starter plan from $39.99/mo.
