Summary

• Exporting LinkedIn connections to a spreadsheet is a common organizing tactic, but the data becomes static and outdated immediately.

• To make an export useful, structure it with Excel Tables, add custom columns for notes and priority, and use filters to segment your network by company or role.

• The most effective approach is to manage connections in real-time within LinkedIn, avoiding the need for static exports altogether.

• Transform your inbox into a dynamic relationship manager with Kondo, which uses labels, reminders, and CRM sync to organize your network without ever leaving LinkedIn.

You've built an impressive network on LinkedIn, but now you're drowning in connections. Your inbox is cluttered, you're missing important messages, and trying to remember who's who has become nearly impossible. If you're developing lead lists or trying to organize your professional contacts, you've probably thought, "There must be a better way to manage all these connections."

Many professionals turn to Excel as their organizational tool of choice, but the process of getting your LinkedIn data into a spreadsheet—and then actually making sense of it—isn't always straightforward.

In this guide, we'll walk you through:

1. The official, account-safe way to export your LinkedIn connections (without using risky "scraping" methods that could get your account restricted)

2. Seven practical techniques to transform that exported data into an organized, actionable resource

3. Why the future of connection management might not involve exports at all

Let's dive in and take control of your professional network.

How to Export Your LinkedIn Connections (The Safe Way)

Before we discuss organization strategies, let's cover how to properly export your LinkedIn connections without risking account restrictions. LinkedIn has an official process for this that's completely sanctioned and safe.

Step-by-Step Export Process:

1. Click your profile icon in the top right corner and select Settings & Privacy

2. Navigate to the Data Privacy tab on the left

3. Under the "How LinkedIn uses your data" section, click on Get a copy of your data

4. Select the option Want something in particular? and check the box for Connections

5. Click Request Archive. You'll be prompted for your password

6. LinkedIn will process the request and send you an email (typically within minutes, but sometimes longer) with a download link

This will provide you with a connections.csv file containing valuable information about your network, including:

• First Name and Last Name

• Email Address (if your connection has shared it with you)

• Current Company

• Current Position

• Date you connected

Now that you have your data, let's explore how to organize it effectively.

7 Ways to Organize Your Exported LinkedIn Connections

1. Skip the Spreadsheet: Use Kondo for Live Connection Management

Rather than wrestling with a static spreadsheet that becomes outdated the moment you export it, consider a tool that works directly within LinkedIn. Kondo transforms your LinkedIn inbox into an organized communication hub, eliminating the need for exports altogether.

How Kondo outperforms spreadsheet management:

• Labels & Split Inboxes: Instead of manually adding a "Category" column in Excel, apply custom labels like 'Hot Lead', 'Client', or 'Candidate' to conversations with a simple 'L' keyboard shortcut. View each category in its own dedicated inbox, making follow-ups seamless.

• Smart Reminders: Rather than creating a "Follow-up Date" column you have to manually check, use Kondo's reminder feature (activated with the 'H' shortcut). Conversations disappear and resurface exactly when you need to follow up, ensuring no opportunity slips through the cracks.

• CRM & System Integration: Solve the challenge of "automatically importing LinkedIn data" with Kondo's integration capabilities. Automatically sync your LinkedIn conversations with HubSpot, Salesforce, Google Sheets, or Notion—no manual copying required.

• Keyboard Shortcuts: Navigate your connections and conversations at lightning speed with shortcuts for every action (Archive with 'E', Open Profile with 'I', etc.), dramatically reducing the time spent managing your network.

2. Structure Your Data with Tables and Custom Columns

If you prefer working with Excel, start by giving your exported data proper structure. Convert your raw data into an official Excel Table:

1. Select all your data (Ctrl+A)

2. Go to Insert > Table (or press Ctrl+T)

3. Make sure "My table has headers" is checked

4. Click OK

This simple step automatically adds filter dropdowns to each column and makes your dataset easier to manage.

Next, enhance your table with custom columns to track information LinkedIn doesn't provide:

• Priority Level: Add a column to rank connections (High, Medium, Low)

• Industry: Categorize connections by sector

• Last Contact Date: Manually log when you last interacted

• Next Steps: Document your follow-up plan

• Notes: Record important details from conversations

While these additions are valuable, keep in mind you'll need to maintain this information manually—unlike Kondo's automated approach.

3. Use Filtering and Sorting to Segment Your Network

Excel's filtering and sorting capabilities are powerful tools for organizing your LinkedIn connections:

Sorting Examples:

• Sort by Connected On (newest to oldest) to focus on nurturing recent connections

• Sort by Company to see connections grouped by organization

• Sort alphabetically by Last Name to quickly find specific people

Filtering Examples:

• Filter the Position column for keywords like "Director," "VP," or "Manager" to identify decision-makers

• Filter the Company column to view all contacts at a specific organization

• Create a custom filter on your Priority column to focus on high-priority connections

To use these features, simply click the dropdown arrow in the header of any column in your table and select the desired sort or filter option.

4. Highlight Key Connections with Conditional Formatting

Make important information stand out visually with Excel's Conditional Formatting feature:

1. Select the column or range you want to format

2. Go to Home > Conditional Formatting

3. Choose the appropriate rule type

Useful Formatting Rules:

• Highlight cells containing specific text (e.g., highlight "CEO" or "VP" in the Position column)

• Color-code rows based on your custom Priority Level column

• Use date-based rules to highlight recent connections

For example, to highlight all C-level executives:

1. Select your Position column

2. Go to Home > Conditional Formatting > Highlight Cells Rules > Text that Contains

3. Enter "CEO" or "Chief" or "C-suite" keywords

4. Choose a formatting style (like a light red fill)

This visual enhancement makes your spreadsheet more scannable, though it still requires initial setup and maintenance.

5. Clean Your Data for Accuracy and Consistency

Exported LinkedIn data often contains inconsistencies that can make organization difficult. Use these Excel functions to clean your data:

• Remove Duplicates: If you've exported multiple times, you might have duplicate entries.

  1. Select your entire table

  2. Go to Data > Remove Duplicates

  3. Select the columns to check for duplicates (usually First Name, Last Name, and Company)

  4. Click OK

• Standardize Text: Use formulas to fix inconsistent formatting:

  • =TRIM(A2) to remove extra spaces

  • =PROPER(B2) to standardize capitalization (e.g., "john smith" becomes "John Smith")

  • =UPPER(C2) for all caps where needed (e.g., for abbreviations like "CEO")

Clean data is essential for effective filtering and sorting, but requires manual effort that modern tools like Kondo eliminate through automated processing.

6. Use Data Validation for Standardized Categories

When adding custom columns like Priority or Industry, ensure consistency by creating dropdown lists:

1. Select the column where you want to add a dropdown

2. Go to Data > Data Validation

3. In the "Allow" dropdown, select "List"

4. In the "Source" field, enter your options separated by commas (e.g., "High,Medium,Low")

5. Click OK

This creates a dropdown menu in each cell, preventing typos and inconsistencies when categorizing your connections. The downside? You still need to manually assign these categories to each connection—a time-consuming task that could be automated with the right tools.

7. Create Separate Sheets for Different Categories

For a simple way to segment your network, create dedicated worksheets for different groups:

1. Right-click on any sheet tab at the bottom of your workbook

2. Select "Insert" to add a new sheet

3. Name it according to your category (e.g., "Leads," "Partners," "Vendors")

4. Copy the relevant connections from your main list to these categorized sheets

While straightforward, this approach requires manual maintenance and doesn't update automatically when your network changes—unlike Kondo's dynamic Split Inboxes feature that organizes your connections in real-time.

Why You Shouldn't Need to Export to Excel Anymore

While the Excel techniques above can help organize your exported LinkedIn data, they all share a fundamental limitation: an exported CSV file is a static snapshot that becomes outdated immediately. Every time someone changes jobs, you add new connections, or you have conversations, your spreadsheet falls further out of sync with reality.

The modern approach to connection management embraces these key principles:

• Work where your connections live: Manage your network directly within LinkedIn rather than exporting it elsewhere

• Focus on conversations, not just contacts: Track relationships and interactions, not just names and titles

• Automate the administrative work: Let technology handle the organization so you can focus on building relationships

Kondo embodies this philosophy by transforming your LinkedIn inbox into a powerful relationship management tool. With features like automated labeling, intelligent reminders, and CRM integration, it eliminates the administrative busywork of spreadsheet management while keeping your network data fresh and actionable.

Stop Exporting and Start Connecting

While Excel spreadsheets offer a temporary fix, they can't keep up with your dynamic LinkedIn network. Every new connection and conversation makes your static file more obsolete, creating more administrative work instead of reducing it.

The solution isn't a better spreadsheet—it's a smarter inbox. Kondo integrates directly with LinkedIn, turning it into a powerful relationship manager. Organize conversations with labels, never miss a follow-up with smart reminders, and sync data automatically with your CRM.

Stop wrestling with outdated CSV files and start building stronger professional relationships. Your network is your most valuable asset; it's time to manage it like one.

Ready to transform your LinkedIn workflow? Get started with Kondo today. Every plan comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee, so you can experience a truly organized inbox risk-free.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I safely export my LinkedIn connections?

You can safely export your LinkedIn connections directly from your account's "Settings & Privacy" section. Navigate to "Data Privacy," select "Get a copy of your data," and choose "Connections." This official method is sanctioned by LinkedIn and ensures your account's safety, unlike risky third-party scraping tools.

What are the drawbacks of managing LinkedIn connections in Excel?

The primary drawback is that an exported Excel file is a static snapshot of your network. It becomes outdated the moment you export it, requiring constant manual updates for new connections and job changes. This manual maintenance is time-consuming and prone to errors, making it an inefficient long-term solution.

What data is included when I export my LinkedIn connections?

Your exported connections.csv file includes key information like your connections' First and Last Name, current Company, and current Position. It also contains the date you connected and their email address, but only if they have chosen to share it with their network. This data provides a basic foundation for organization.

Can my LinkedIn account be restricted for exporting data?

No, your account will not be restricted if you use LinkedIn's official data export feature. This process is safe and compliant with their terms of service. However, using unauthorized third-party "scraping" tools to extract data can violate LinkedIn's policies and may lead to account restrictions or suspension.

How can I organize LinkedIn connections without using Excel?

You can organize connections directly within LinkedIn using tools like Kondo. Instead of a static spreadsheet, these tools add features like labels, reminders, and split inboxes to your live LinkedIn environment. This allows for real-time organization and syncs with CRMs, eliminating the need for manual exports and updates.

How often should I organize my LinkedIn network?

For active networkers, it's best to organize connections as they come in or on a daily basis. Using a tool that integrates with LinkedIn allows for continuous organization. If using a manual export method, you should re-export and update your list at least monthly to keep it from becoming too outdated and irrelevant.