How to Use the LinkedIn Inbox Scraper

Before you start

• This Phantom doesn't accept CSV files, lists of URLs, or any other uploaded input. It only uses your connected LinkedIn session.
• There’s a Sales Navigator Inbox Scraper if your goal is to scrape Sales Navigator InMail/messages, use that Phantom.

Step 1: Connect your LinkedIn account

To let the Phantom act on your behalf:

1. Install the PhantomBuster browser extension and connect your LinkedIn session in one click.
2. If you’re not using Chrome or Firefox, you can retrieve your session cookie manually (see our cookie guide).

Check your browser user agent
Make sure your browser is up to date before connecting your account. 
→ If your Chrome or Firefox version is outdated, your session cookie may expire much more quickly, and you’ll need to reconnect often.

Step 2: Select the inbox and configure what to extract

Choose which part of your LinkedIn inbox to scrape.

1. Open the dropdown and pick one of the available sections:
   • Inbox – your main messages.
   • Archived – older threads you’ve archived.
   • My connections – messages from your 1st-degree connections.
   • Unread – only threads you haven’t opened yet. 
     → When the Phantom finishes extracting, it marks these threads as unread again on LinkedIn, so your inbox state stays intact.
   • InMail – LinkedIn Premium InMail in your regular LinkedIn inbox (for Sales Navigator InMails, use the Sales Navigator Inbox Scraper Phantom instead).
   • Spam – messages flagged as spam.
2. Refine what the Phantom extracts:
   • Get threads before a specific date (optional): Enter a cutoff date in MM-DD-YYYY format to extract only older threads.
   • Number of threads to scrape (optional):
     • Default = 20 most recent threads.
     • Enter a higher number if you want more, but keep it moderate to stay safe.

Step 3: Select launch frequency

Choose how often the Phantom should run:

1. Launch manually: Start the Phantom yourself whenever you need.
2. Launch once at a specific time: schedule a one-time run at a set date and time.
3. Launch repeatedly: schedule regular runs (e.g. once per day, several times during working hours).
4. Launch after another Phantom: chain automations together so this Phantom starts right after another finishes.
5. Advanced scheduling: customize the exact minutes, hours, days, or months when the Phantom should run.

→ For a complete walkthrough of scheduling options, see our guide to scheduling Phantoms automatically.

Step 4 (Optional): Advanced settings

Advanced settings are available if you want to fine-tune how your Phantom runs, but by default they’re already optimized for most use cases.

We recommend leaving them as they are unless a guide specifically instructs you to change something.

→ For a detailed overview of all advanced options (like execution limits, retries, email notifications, proxies, webhooks, and file management), see our Advanced settings guide.

Launch and results

When you’re ready:

1. Click Launch to start your Phantom.
2. Once it finishes, open the Results tab in the Phantom console to monitor progress.
3. Download your results as a CSV or JSON file.
4. The Inbox Scraper does not send contacts to the LinkedIn Leads page. If you want to work with these leads there, you’ll need to process them with another Phantom such as LinkedIn Profile Scraper, Sales Navigator Lead Sender, or any other Phantom that outputs LinkedIn profile data.

→ To learn how to export your data to Google Sheets, integrate with other tools, or reuse it in more automations, check our Access and Export your Phantom Results guide.

Export and input limits on the Free plan
If you’re on the Free plan or Free trial, some features are limited:
- CSV exports include only the first 10 rows of results.
- CSV download links (for dynamic viewing in Google Sheets or integrations) are not available.
- JSON exports are not available.
- CSV upload as an input method is not supported.
To unlock all features, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan.

What you give (Input) and What you get (Output)

This section gives you a detailed breakdown of everything you need to provide to run this Phantom, and everything you’ll receive once it completes.

What you give (Input)

What you get (Output)

Tips and troubleshooting

Common pitfalls

• Trying to upload a CSV file or input list → The Inbox Scraper doesn't take uploaded files or external inputs. It can only run using your connected LinkedIn session.
• Using the wrong tool for Sales Navigator messages → This Phantom only scrapes the standard LinkedIn inbox (including Premium InMail). For Sales Navigator messages (including SN InMail), switch to the Sales Navigator Inbox Scraper.
• Incorrect date format → make sure to use MM-DD-YYYY.
• Asking for too many threads in one go → While the Phantom lets you set a higher number, scraping large volumes in a single run can cause errors or shorten your session cookie’s life. From our experience, it’s normal to retrieve around 100 threads per launch (up to 8 launches per day), but the exact limit varies from account to account. We recommend starting with a test run to gauge what works safely for your profile, then scaling gradually.
• Expecting date filters to apply to all inbox types → from date applies to InMail; combine with before date to bound the range.
• Expecting results to appear in the LinkedIn Leads page → Inbox Scraper doesn’t push data there.

If you run into issues

• Check how to troubleshoot your phantom using Logs.
• Browse the Fix Issues & Troubleshoot Errors section for solutions to common problems.
• Review our Automation Rate Limits by Platform guide.
• Check our Best Practices for Social Media Automation guide.

Suggested automations

• AI LinkedIn Message Writer → generate tailored responses to recent messages.