Reach
- Posts
- Reach
- Shares
- Engagement rate
Why an import?
LinkedIn doesn't offer a public API that returns your own historical posts, comments, or reactions. The only official way to get a full record of your activity is to request a data archive through LinkedIn's built-in export tool. DemandBird imports that archive so you can analyze your own content without guessing from what's visible on your profile.
The archive is yours: LinkedIn provides it free to any user. DemandBird never scrapes or accesses your account without the file you upload.
Step 1 β Request your LinkedIn archive
- Go to LinkedIn Settings β Get a copy of your data.
- Choose βWant something in particular? Select the data files you're most interested inβ.
- Tick exactly these five boxes: Connections, Messages, Posts, Reactions, and Comments.
- Click Request archive. LinkedIn emails you when the export is ready: usually within 24 hours, sometimes sooner.
- Download the ZIP file from LinkedIn's email. Don't unzip it.
LinkedIn often splits the archive into two emails: a quick first batch (usually connections, messages) and a slower second batch (posts, reactions, comments). You'll want the second one: it's the one with your content.
Step 2 β Upload the ZIP
In DemandBird, open LinkedIn Analytics and click Import new data. Drop the ZIP file (or the individual CSV files, if you've already unzipped) into the upload box, or click to browse.
The archive goes to DemandBird's private storage and is only used to populate your own analytics.
Step 3 β What happens during processing
Once the upload completes, DemandBird unpacks the archive and starts parsing each CSV. Processing typically runs 1β3 minutes: longer for very large archives.
The import page stays open and polls for progress every couple of seconds. You'll see:
- Files processed out of total files in the archive.
- Records created as each CSV is parsed.
- A progress bar that updates live.
You can leave the tab open and come back, or close it and reopen the import later from the dashboard: processing continues in the background.
Step 4 β When it finishes
On completion, the page shows a summary:
- Posts, Comments, Reactions, and Connections counts imported.
- The data range covered by the archive (e.g. January 1, 2023 to today).
- A View LinkedIn Analytics Dashboard button to jump straight into the numbers.
Skipped records and failed files
LinkedIn exports occasionally include malformed rows: invalid dates, missing fields, or corrupted entries. DemandBird handles these gracefully and tells you exactly what happened.
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Completed | Every file imported cleanly. No follow-up needed. |
| Completed with skipped records | Most rows imported, but some were dropped because of invalid dates or missing required fields. You'll see a breakdown of how many rows were skipped in each file. The dashboard still works: it just excludes the skipped rows. |
| Completed with errors | One or more whole files failed validation (not just individual rows). The dashboard shows analytics from the files that succeeded; failed files are logged for debugging. |
| Failed | The import couldn't proceed at all. An error message explains why (e.g. the ZIP couldn't be opened, or no recognized CSVs were found). Click Try Again and re-upload. |
The analytics dashboard
Once an import finishes, LinkedIn Analytics in the app shows a dashboard with everything pulled out of the archive, filterable by date range.
Date ranges. Last 7 days, last week vs. prior, last 30 days, last month, 90 days, 180 days, 365 days, or all time.
What you'll see:
Engagement
- Comments received
- Reactions received
- Comments given
- Reactions given
Network
- New connections
- Messages
Posts tab
- Every imported post with its engagement breakdown
- Sort and filter by reach, reactions, or comments
The archive is a snapshot. Engagement numbers reflect the state LinkedIn recorded at export time: they won't keep updating as people react to old posts. Reimport whenever you want a fresher picture.
Reimporting later
You can import a new archive any time: new data is added to your existing records without deleting what's already there. A good cadence is once a month, or whenever you're doing a quarterly content review.
From the dashboard, click Import new data in the top-right corner, follow the same steps, and the newly-imported rows merge with your existing history.