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Authorization

Follow this guide to create a new LinkedIn Citadel credential that will allow Nexla to authenticate to and exchange data with your LinkedIn Citadel account.
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LinkedIn Citadel

Prerequisites​

Before creating a LinkedIn Citadel credential, you need to create a LinkedIn application in the LinkedIn Developer Portal to obtain OAuth2 credentials (Client ID and Client Secret) and configure the Token Endpoint URL. The OAuth2 credentials are required for 2-legged OAuth2 authentication with the LinkedIn Citadel API.

To obtain your OAuth2 credentials, follow these steps:

  1. Sign in to your LinkedIn account and navigate to the LinkedIn Developer Portal.

  2. Click Create app to create a new LinkedIn application. Provide a name for your application and accept the LinkedIn API Terms of Use.

  3. In your application settings, navigate to the Auth tab to view your OAuth2 credentials:

    • Client ID: This is automatically generated and is required for LinkedIn Citadel API authentication. Copy this value as you will need it for your credential.
    • Client Secret: This is also automatically generated. Click Show to reveal the Client Secret, then copy it immediately as you will need it for your credential.

  4. Note the Token Endpoint URL, which is typically https://www.linkedin.com/oauth/v2/accessToken. This URL is used to obtain the access token for the LinkedIn Citadel API.

  5. Store the Client ID, Client Secret, and Token Endpoint URL securely, as you will need them to configure your Nexla credential.

The Client ID and Client Secret are used for 2-legged OAuth2 authentication, which uses the client credentials flow to obtain an access token. This authentication method is suitable for server-to-server communication where user interaction is not required. The access token is then sent in the Authorization header with the Bearer prefix for all API requests to the LinkedIn Citadel API. The LinkedIn Citadel API provides access to LinkedIn sales lead creation and management. For detailed information about OAuth2 credential setup, authentication flows, and available API endpoints, refer to the LinkedIn Developer Portal and LinkedIn OAuth2 documentation.

Create a LinkedIn Citadel Credential​

  • To create a new LinkedIn Citadel credential, after selecting the data source/destination type, click the Add Credential tile to open the Add New Credential overlay.

New Credential Overlay – LinkedIn Citadel

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Credential Name & Description​

  1. Enter a name for the credential in the Credential Name field and a short, meaningful description in the Credential Description field.

    Resource descriptions are recommended but are not required. They should be used provide information about the resource purpose, data freshness, etc. that can help the owner and other users efficiently understand and utilize the resource.

OAuth2 Authentication​

LinkedIn Citadel uses 2-legged OAuth2 authentication with the client credentials flow. This authentication method is designed for server-to-server communication where user interaction is not required. The Client ID and Client Secret are used to obtain an access token, which is then used to authenticate API requests to the LinkedIn Citadel API.

  1. Enter your LinkedIn Citadel Client ID in the Client ID field. This is the Client ID you obtained from your LinkedIn application settings (Developer Portal > Your App > Auth tab). The Client ID is a unique identifier for your application and is used along with the Client Secret to obtain an access token for API authentication. The Client ID is not sensitive and can be shared, but it should be kept secure to prevent unauthorized use.

  2. Enter your LinkedIn Citadel Client Secret in the Client Secret field. This is the Client Secret you obtained from your LinkedIn application settings. The Client Secret is used along with the Client ID to obtain an access token for API authentication. The Client Secret is sensitive information and must be kept confidential.

  3. Enter the Token Endpoint URL in the Token Endpoint field. This is the URL used to obtain the access token for the LinkedIn Citadel API. The default value is https://www.linkedin.com/oauth/v2/accessToken, which is the standard LinkedIn OAuth2 token endpoint. If your LinkedIn application uses a different token endpoint, enter that URL instead.

    Keep your Client Secret secure and do not share it publicly. The Client Secret provides access to your LinkedIn Citadel account data and should be treated as sensitive information. If your Client Secret is compromised, you should immediately regenerate it in your LinkedIn application settings. Your LinkedIn Citadel Client ID and Client Secret can be found in your LinkedIn application settings (Developer Portal > Your App > Auth tab) where you manage your OAuth2 credentials. The Client ID and Client Secret are used to obtain an access token using the 2-legged OAuth2 client credentials flow. Nexla automatically obtains and refreshes the access token as needed. The access token is valid for a limited time and is automatically refreshed when it expires. The Token Endpoint URL is typically https://www.linkedin.com/oauth/v2/accessToken for standard LinkedIn OAuth2 authentication. For detailed information about finding your OAuth2 credentials, setting up authentication, and available API endpoints, see the LinkedIn Developer Portal and LinkedIn OAuth2 documentation.

Save the Credential​

  1. Once all of the relevant steps in the above sections have been completed, click the Save button at the bottom of the overlay to save the configured credential.

  2. The newly added credential will now appear in a tile on the Authenticate screen during data source/destination creation and can be selected for use with a new data source or destination.