LinkedIn

LinkedIn is fully supported in Outstand through the Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) model. This allows you to use your own LinkedIn OAuth application credentials to manage your company's LinkedIn presence through Outstand's unified social media API.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

  • A LinkedIn account with admin access to a Company Page (for posting on behalf of the company)
  • Access to LinkedIn's developer portal at developer.linkedin.com
  • Understanding of OAuth 2.0 flows

Note: You'll need a LinkedIn account associated with a verified Company Page if you want to post on behalf of the company. Personal profiles have limited posting capabilities.

Step 1: Create a LinkedIn Developer Account

If you don't already have one:

  1. Go to developer.linkedin.com
  2. Click Sign in (or Sign up if you don't have an account)
  3. Sign in with your LinkedIn credentials
  4. Accept the Developer Agreement

Step 2: Create a New App

  1. Navigate to developer.linkedin.com/apps
  2. Click Create app in the top right corner
  3. Fill in the required information:
    • Company: Select your company from the dropdown
    • App name: Your application name (e.g., "My Social Media Manager")
    • LinkedIn Page: Select your Company Page (if you have one)
    • Privacy Policy URL: Link to your privacy policy (required)
    • App logo: Upload a 100x100px logo (optional)
  4. Accept the LinkedIn API Terms of Use
  5. Click Create app

Step 3: Configure Authentication Settings

  1. After creating your app, navigate to the Auth tab
  2. Review the default scopes and ensure you have:
    • r_liteprofile - Basic profile access (selected by default)
    • rw_organization_admin - Manage and post on behalf of your organization (required for posting)
    • Other scopes as needed for your use case

Step 4: Add Products to Your App

  1. Go to the Products tab in your app dashboard

  2. Select the required products:

    • Marketing Developer Platform (required for posting and content management)
    • Share on LinkedIn (for posting content)
    • Additional products based on your needs

  3. Click Request for each product and follow the approval process

Important: Some products require approval from LinkedIn, which can take 1-2 business days. Marketing Developer Platform access is required for posting capabilities.

Step 5: Configure OAuth Redirect URLs

  1. Still in the Auth tab, scroll down to Redirect URLs
  2. Click Add redirect URL
  3. Add your OAuth callback URLs:
    • For production: Your Outstand OAuth callback URL (contact support for the correct URL)
  4. Click Update to save your changes

Note: LinkedIn requires that your redirect URL starts with https:// in production. Localhost is allowed for development purposes.

Step 6: Configure App Permissions

  1. Navigate to the Permissions tab (under your selected products)
  2. Review and accept the required permissions:
    • Sign In with LinkedIn using OpenID Connect
    • Marketing Developer Platform:
      • Read organization data
      • Share posts on behalf of the organization
      • Upload content (if using media)
  3. Submit any required use case descriptions if prompted

Step 7: Obtain Your Credentials

  1. Navigate to the Auth tab in your app dashboard

  2. You'll find two important values:

    • Client ID: This is your OAuth Client ID (referred to as "client_key" in the API)
    • Client Secret: This is your OAuth Client Secret (referred to as "client_secret" in the API)

  3. Click Show to reveal the Client Secret (if hidden)

  4. Copy both values immediately and store them securely

Security Note: The Client Secret is only shown when you click "Show". After generating or revealing it, LinkedIn will hide it again. Save it in a secure location immediately.

Step 8: Add Credentials to Outstand

Once you have your Client ID and Client Secret, you can add them to Outstand:

Method 1: Using the Dashboard

  1. Log in to Outstand Dashboard
  2. Navigate to Settings → Social Networks
  3. Select LinkedIn from the dropdown
  4. Enter your Client ID in the "Client ID / API Key" field
  5. Enter your Client Secret in the "Client Secret / API Secret" field
  6. Click Add Social Network

Method 2: Using the API

curl -X POST https://api.outstand.so/v1/social-networks \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "network": "linkedin",
    "client_key": "YOUR_CLIENT_ID_HERE",
    "client_secret": "YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET_HERE"
  }'

Step 9: Connect Your LinkedIn Account

After adding your credentials:

  1. Navigate to Accounts in your Outstand dashboard
  2. Click Connect Account
  3. Select LinkedIn
  4. Sign in with your LinkedIn account
  5. Grant the required permissions (share posts, manage content, etc.)
  6. If you have admin access to multiple Company Pages, select which page you want to connect
  7. Your LinkedIn account (or Company Page) will appear in your connected accounts list

Note: To post on behalf of a Company Page, you must have admin or content creator role on that page. Only LinkedIn Pages can be used for posting (not personal profiles for business posting).

Troubleshooting

"Invalid client credentials"

  • Verify you copied the Client ID and Client Secret correctly
  • Ensure there are no extra spaces or formatting issues
  • Check that your LinkedIn app is in "Live" status (not Draft)

"Redirect URI mismatch"

  • Verify the exact redirect URI in your LinkedIn app matches the Outstand callback URL
  • LinkedIn is strict about exact matching (including trailing slashes)
  • Check both the Auth tab in your LinkedIn app and the callback configuration

"App not approved for Marketing Developer Platform"

  • This product requires approval from LinkedIn
  • You'll need to submit a use case description explaining your social media management application
  • Approval typically takes 1-2 business days

"Insufficient permissions to post"

  • Ensure you have admin or content creator role on the Company Page
  • Verify that rw_organization_admin scope is approved and active
  • Check that Marketing Developer Platform product has been added and approved

"Personal profiles cannot be used for posting"

  • Only Company Pages can be used for LinkedIn posting in Outstand
  • Ensure you're connecting a LinkedIn Page, not a personal profile
  • You can create a Company Page from your LinkedIn account

Important Notes

  • Product Approval: Marketing Developer Platform requires approval, which can take 1-2 business days. You can test other features while waiting for approval.

  • Rate Limits: LinkedIn API has rate limits based on your plan tier. Free tier includes limited API calls per day. See LinkedIn's rate limits for details.

  • Company Pages Only: Outstand focuses on business use cases. Posting is done through LinkedIn Company Pages, requiring admin access.

  • Credential Security: Never share your Client Secret or commit it to version control. Use secure credential management.

Next Steps

Once your LinkedIn credentials are configured and accounts connected, you can:

  1. Create LinkedIn posts using the Posts API
  2. Upload images for your posts via the Media API
  3. Schedule LinkedIn content for optimal engagement
  4. Monitor your LinkedIn analytics through the post tracking features

On this page

PrerequisitesStep 1: Create a LinkedIn Developer AccountStep 2: Create a New AppStep 3: Configure Authentication SettingsStep 4: Add Products to Your AppStep 5: Configure OAuth Redirect URLsStep 6: Configure App PermissionsStep 7: Obtain Your CredentialsStep 8: Add Credentials to OutstandMethod 1: Using the DashboardMethod 2: Using the APIStep 9: Connect Your LinkedIn AccountTroubleshooting"Invalid client credentials""Redirect URI mismatch""App not approved for Marketing Developer Platform""Insufficient permissions to post""Personal profiles cannot be used for posting"Important NotesNext Steps