Community Management API Migration

  • Article

Warning

Deprecation Notice
The Marketing version 202304 (Marketing April 2023) and below has been sunset and the unversioned APIs are going to be sunset soon. We recommend that you migrate to the versioned APIs as well as migrate to the new Content and Community Management APIs to avoid disruptions. See the Migration page for more details. If you haven’t yet migrated and have questions, submit a request on the LinkedIn Developer Support Portal.

Introduction

LinkedIn Marketing Solutions is releasing a new Community Management API product. This migration guide facilitates the onboarding of community management developers to the new product.

Community Management API

The Community Management API product allows developers to build products that enable organizations to manage their brand presence on LinkedIn and engage in conversation with their community. The new product maintains support for the following features:

  • Page Access management: APIs to find the organization’s administrators, access control details by roles, and brands profiles. Permissions required is rw_organization_admin.
  • Content management: APIs to manage the creation, modification, searching, and reading of rich content on behalf of organizations or brands. Content ranges from simple article posts to images Post, videos Post (including thumbnails and captions), Carousel posts, Polls, and creating comments and likes on a post. Permissions required is w_organization_social, r_organization_social, w_member_social.
  • Content Analysis: APIs to analyze created content and associated social actions - number of comments, likes, and reactions - and to find statistics on the organization's followers, pages, and shares. Permissions required are w_organization_social, r_organization_social, w_member_social.

It also comes with an additional feature: At mentions member: A new typeahead search API to find an organization's followers, so organization admins can mention members while creating posts. Member details can also be found through a vanity name lookup. For more information, see documentation.

This migration guide, will provide you with information on the following

  • Requesting access to the Community Management API. See here.
  • Onboarding for developers with an existing app with Marketing Developer Platform (MDP) product access. See here.
  • New Permissions for Community Management API. See here.

Apply to the Community Management API

Prerequisite

  • Company Page Verification: Company page verification is one of the prerequisites for a developer application applying for access to a product. Use the same company page if you have an existing developer app with access to the Marketing Developer Platform “MDP” product and want to apply for access to the new Community Management API.

  • Be part of the beta program: The initial launch is only for targeted developers as a beta phase. You can apply to the new program upon receiving the email invite as part of the beta launch by December 2022. All the remaining developers will receive invitations as a GA announcement email in January 2023.

How to Apply

  1. Log on to “developer.linkedin.com” with your account.
  2. Create a new developer application.
  3. Navigate to the “Products” link under your App name.
  4. From the list of “Additional available products,” choose “Request Access” for the Community Management API

Product Provisioning Stages

  • Development tier: This is the default tier provisioned. Developers are expected to build core business use cases, using the provided permissions and APIs, within twelve (12) months of the provisioning. The development tier restricts how API calls can be performed, as shown in the table below.
APIs API Restrictions Duration
All APIs in All permissions 100 API calls for an app for 24 hrs. 10 API calls per member per of an App for 24 hrs During the Development Tier or 12 months max
All APIs with Method as BATCH_GET in All permissions No API calls with BATCH_GET method allowed During the Development Tier or 12 months max
Webhooks for Social Actions Push notifications for Social Actions disabled During the Development Tier or 12 months max
  • Standard tier: This is the full-featured capability of the program. The APIs have no restrictions to invoke, and all the features are enabled. The tier is provisioned only after approval via the vetting process explained below.

Before Submitting the Access Request

  • Read the LinkedIn Marketing API Terms and developer documentation
  • Review our API and data restrictions to ensure your use case is supported, and your application will not be rejected due to a restricted use case. Note: At this time, our Community Management APIs are only available to registered legal organizations for commercial use cases only.
  • Be prepared to share your business email address and your organization’s legal name, registered address, website, and privacy policy. Your business email address will have to be verified. If you don’t receive the verification email, be sure to check your email's spam folder, junk folder, social tab, and promotional tab. Personal email addresses will not pass the vetting process.
  • Ensure a super admin of the LinkedIn Page associated with your organization has verified your application.
  • Ensure that your application does not include any portion of the LinkedIn or Microsoft names or logos (e.g. Linked or In).
  • Ensure that you have filled out all required fields in the access request form for development tier accurately and completely.

Requirements for Standard tier upgrade only

  • Make sure your application has been approved for the development tier and you have fully integrated the Community Management APIs into your application. Subsequent changes to your application's functionality after your application has been reviewed by LinkedIn may require re-review.
  • Prepare to provide test credentials, if requested, for our reviewers to review your application.
  • Prepare a screen recording/screencast of your application that includes the following:
    • Demonstrate an application user approving access to their LinkedIn data via the complete OAuth flow.
    • Demonstrate all core functionality that uses data associated with LinkedIn members*, including (if applicable):
      • Demonstrate a user posting to LinkedIn.
      • Demonstrate how engagement on posts (e.g. comments, reactions) is displayed to users (including aggregate data and member-level* interactions).
      • If member-level* engagement on posts (e.g. comments, reactions) is displayed to users, demonstrate how users can interact with the comments or reactions, including what personal data fields from members’* LinkedIn profiles are displayed to users.
    • Limit length of screencast to under 5 min.
    • Ensure the screen recording is high resolution and downloadable.
    • Limit your screencast to just the screens associated with your application (i.e. close all other windows and applications before recording).

*A member is an individual that has registered and joined the LinkedIn Network.

Note

Any failure to complete the above tasks may result in your access request being rejected.

Application Review for Community Management API Access

Development Tier Access

Once you have created your application and submitted the access request form, your access request form will be reviewed by LinkedIn for the following:

  • Approved use case
  • Verified business email address
  • Verified organization
  • Verified organization website and domain address
  • Application verified by LinkedIn Page associated with same organization

If your application is reviewed and approved, you will get the access to Community Management Development tier.

If your application is rejected, review the qualifications, create a new app, and submit a new Development tier access request form. You will not be able to re-apply for Development tier access with your existing app.

Standard Tier Access

Once you meet the above requirements for access to the Development tier, you will find a Standard tier access request form in the Developer Portal under My Apps > Products. To get access to Standard tier, you will be required to complete this access request form and submit a screen recording of your app. Your application and access request form will be reviewed for the following:

  • Approved use case
  • Valid privacy policy
  • Compliance with our terms, restrictions, security guidelines, and data storage requirements
  • Screen recording that accurately demonstrates all core functionality as outlined above

If you are approved for Standard tier and would like to apply your Standard tier access to a different app, you will need to complete another Standard tier access form for the app and in the form indicate you have an existing app with Standard tier access. You will be prompted to provide the client ID for the approved Standard tier app. This will expedite the review process.

If your application is rejected, review the qualifications, create a new app, and submit a new Development tier access form. You will not be able to re-apply for Standard tier access with your existing app.

Note

Even if LinkedIn approves your integration, you are solely responsible for ensuring that your integration (including all use, disclosure, and storage of LinkedIn data) is, at all times, in compliance with:

  • The LinkedIn Marketing API Terms and the Linkedin developer documentation.
  • All other requirements or restrictions that LinkedIn separately communicates to you (e.g. during or after the vetting process). LinkedIn retains the right to monitor your application and suspend or discontinue access to the Community Management APIs for any non-compliance with the LinkedIn Marketing API Terms, even if your application was previously approved by LinkedIn.

If you have additional questions or concerns, please reach out via a Zendesk ticket.

Onboarding Of Developers with Access to the Marketing Developer Platform “MDP” Product

If you already have an app with development or standard tier access to the Marketing Developer Platform product, you’re still required to create a new app to access the Community Management API.

The steps are the same regardless of your access tier.

Developers with MDP Development or Standard Tier Access

  1. Note down the company page you’ve already verified for the Marketing Developer Platform App.
  2. Create a new developer application.
    1. Log on to developer.linkedin.com.
    2. Create a new developer Application. Note: Note down the “client id” of the new app
    3. Use the same company page noted above to verify the new application.
    4. Request access to the Community Management API.
      • Follow the previously defined steps to get the Development tier.
      • Apply to the Development tier and obtain the approval
    5. Request an upgrade to the Standard tier- Click on the “Upgrade options” for the Standard tier, and in the access form, provide:
      • A recorded video of the existing products/services you have developed using your existing Marketing Developer Platform App
      • Test credentials of the existing products/services you have developed using your existing Marketing Developer Platform App (and the Community Management APIs) Note: You can proceed to the next step only after you’ve obtained the upgrade to Standard tier,
  3. Navigate to your Marketing Developer Platform developer application and perform the following steps:
    1. Log on to developer.linkedin.com.
    2. Navigate to the “Products” Tab.
    3. Request access to the Community Management API.

      Note

      You should be presented with the option to upgrade to Standard tier on the Community Management API as both apps are associated with the same company page

    4. Fill out the “Standard tier” access form for the Community Management API.
    5. In the access form, enter the “client id” of the new app created.

      Note

      If your use case for the Community Management product remains the same for both applications, the rest of the access form questionnaire will be skipped.

    6. Submit the “Standard tier” access form.

Note: Subject to our approval of your access form, your Marketing Developer Platform App will soon have the “Standard tier” for the Community Management API

Permissions for Community Management API

With the launch of the Community Management API, we’re introducing the following new permissions to better align with the business use cases:

Organization Permissions

  • r_organization_social_feed: Corresponding MDP Permission: r_organization_social
    • /reactions- GET, BATCH_GET and FINDER Methods
    • /socialActions- GET and BATCH_GET Methods
    • /socialActions/comments- GET, GET_ALL and BATCH_GET Methods
    • /socialActions/likes- GET and BATCH_GET Methods
    • /socialMetadata- GET and BATCH_GET Methods
  • w_organization_social_feed: Corresponding MDP Permission: w_organization_social
    • /reactions- CREATE, DELETE and PARTIAL_UPDATE Methods
    • /socialActions/comments- CREATE and DELETE Methods
    • /socialActions/likes- CREATE and DELETE Methods
    • /socialMetadata- PARTIAL_UPDATE Method

Member Permissions

  • w_member_social_feed: Corresponding MDP Permission: w_member_social
    • /reactions- CREATE, DELETE and PARTIAL_UPDATE Methods
    • /socialActions/comments- CREATE and DELETE Methods
    • /socialActions/likes- CREATE and DELETE Methods
    • /socialMetadata- PARTIAL_UPDATE Method
APIs Old Permission Name New Permission Name Deprecation Date
/reactions /socialActions/comments /socialActions/likes /socialMetadata r_organization_social r_organization_social_feed June 2023
/reactions /socialActions/comments /socialActions/likes /socialMetadata w_organization_social w_organization_social_feed June 2023
/reactions /socialActions/comments /socialActions/likes /socialMetadata w_member_social w_member_social_feed June 2023

Access to Social Actions APIs

Deprecation/Note: Today, the APIs identified above form part of the permissions for the Marketing Developer Platform product. We plan to deprecate these APIs from the MDP permissions in June 2023.

Every Community Management developer must perform the following:

  1. Request Development tier access to the new API through developer.linkedin.com and then upgrade to the Standard Tier.
  2. Update the existing OAuth access token permissions scope to include the new permissions above. This will warrant a new consent text to be shown to your member, and a re-auth process.

Timeline to migrate to new permissions

Partners have until June 2023 to migrate to the new permissions for their Community Management API developer application. After June 2023, API calls using the older permissions such as r_organization_social, w_organization_social, and w_member_social will experience errors.

Access to Member Feed Management Program

NOTE: Developer applications that have access to Member Feed Management APIs (r_member_social) must be approved for Standard tier access to Community Management APIs to retain access to those API products. To continue access to the APIs, you should take the following steps to complete the vetting process:

  1. Complete the steps described above to apply to the new Community Management API.
  2. Complete the application and vetting process for Development and Standard tier.

Caution

Deprecation Date: Partners should complete the vetting process by June 2023. Failure to do so will result in removal of the Member Feed Management API product from your developer application.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q.: Can you summarize the steps to gain access to the new Community Management API if I already have access to the Ads API?

A.: Follow the below steps if you have received an email to join the program:

  • Create a new developer application with the same company page as the Ads API
  • Apply for Community Management API Development Tier access
  • Upon approval, complete the Standard Tier access request form and submit a screen recording of your app to be upgraded to Standard Tier.
  • Once approved, request Community Management API Standard Tier access, on your Ads API developer application. You can enter the application ID of your new developer application in the access form to skip most of the questions.

Q.: What do I do with my newly created developer application if my existing Ads API application now has the Community Management API product?

A.: The newly created developer application was used for verification purposes only and can be discarded.

Q.: Why is the option to request access to the Community Management API product grayed out?

A.: You can only request Community Management API Development Tier access with a new developer application that does not have access to any other API product.

Q.: Can the Community Management API product be added to an existing app?

A.: Yes, follow the steps from FAQ (1)

Q.: If I have an integration with the Community Management API and the Ads API, will those need two separate apps going forward?

A.: No. As long as both applications have been verified with the same company page, both products can exist on the same developer application.

Q.: I have created a new developer application but cannot see the Community Management API product

A.: The Community Management API is currently only available to select developers. We will update our docs when it is made available to all developers.

Q.: Can I apply for access to the Community Management API but not do the permissions migration?

A.: You can defer the permissions migration after attaining Standard Tier access. But LinkedIn strongly recommends starting the permissions migration soon as we will sunset sensitive APIs from the existing permissions by June 2023.**

Q.: Do I have to re-auth all my LinkedIn accounts when permission are migrated? A.: Yes. After the mandatory permission migration is completed, your develoepr application will need to perform OAuth token request again with the new set of permissions in the scope. This will make all the LinkedIn accounts to be authenticated again.

Q.: By when do I have to migrate the permissions?

A.: You are strongly encouraged to complete the permissions migration before the end of June 2023