LinkedIn API endpoint

LinkedIn follow API: a touch before the invite

Swarmhit's LinkedIn follow API follows a lead from a connected sender with one POST to /accounts/{id}/follows, subscribing to their posts without sending a connection request. It is a light touch for the start of a sequence, or a way to stay close to leads whose invitation was not accepted. Follows count against a daily cap per sender.

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Endpoints

POST/accounts/{id}/follows
Follow a lead

POST

/accounts/{id}/follows

api/v1

curl -X POST https://app.swarmhit.com/api/v1/accounts/acc_123/follows \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SWARMHIT_API_KEY" \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: 6f1c2f3e-follow-ana" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ "profileUrl": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/ana-lopez" }'

How the LinkedIn follow API works

Following subscribes the sender to the lead's posts without an invitation, so it never touches the weekly connection-request limit.
It pairs with like-post and comment-post: follow first, then engage with the lead's latest post a few days later.
Every follow is logged as a direct action with type follow, readable through GET /accounts/{id}/actions.

As a campaign step

The same action runs inside sequences as the follow_profile step: one POST /campaigns sets up the whole sequence, and the engine schedules each step per sender and mailbox, inside the sending window, with rotation across senders.

follow_profile takes no message, so it slots anywhere in a sequence. A lead added by email alone passes it without stopping.

Limits and safety

Follows count against the sender's daily follow cap; past it, the API answers 429 with details { limit, used, scope, resetAt }.
Every sender runs on its own dedicated proxy with managed warmup and health checks, behind 250+ safeguards monitored 24/7.

LinkedIn senders cost $16.90 a month each for the first 50, tiered down to $6.90, with no minimum. See pricing.

Webhooks

Direct calls answer synchronously with the action record. In campaigns, lead.status_changed fires when a lead reaches a resting status.

Events to subscribe to: lead.status_changed. Deliveries are signed and retried. How LinkedIn webhooks work

LinkedIn follow API, answered

Does following someone on LinkedIn count as a connection request?

No. A follow subscribes the sender to the lead's posts without an invitation, so it does not use the weekly connection-request limit. The lead can see the new follower, which makes it a useful first touch.

When should a sequence follow a lead instead of inviting them?

Early, as a warm-up before the invitation, or late, for leads who never accepted. Following keeps the sender in their notifications and lets later steps like and comment on their posts.

Is there a limit on LinkedIn follows per day?

Yes, each sender has a daily follow cap that Swarmhit enforces on the server. The API returns a 429 with the reset time when it is reached, so your product can schedule the next follow instead of retrying blindly.