Configuring LinkedIn Ads Exports

Overview

After connecting your LinkedIn Ads account, you can configure exports to send your advertising data to Google Sheets, BigQuery, or Looker Studio. This allows you to analyze campaign performance, track audience insights, monitor creative effectiveness, and create comprehensive advertising reports based on your LinkedIn Ads data.

Prerequisites

Before configuring LinkedIn Ads exports, make sure you have:

• Connected your LinkedIn Ads account (see Connecting Your LinkedIn Ads Account)
• Connected at least one Google destination (see Configuring Google Sheets or Configuring Google BigQuery)
• Verified that your LinkedIn connection is active and working properly
• At least one active campaign in your LinkedIn Ads account

Creating a LinkedIn Ads Export

Follow these steps to create a new LinkedIn Ads export:

1. Navigate to the Export Builder

   From your dashboard, go to "Export Builder" and click "Create New Export".

2. Select LinkedIn as the Data Source

   Choose "LinkedIn" from the list of available data sources.

3. Select Your LinkedIn Ads Account

   If you have multiple LinkedIn Ads accounts connected, select the account you want to export data from.

4. Choose Your Destination

   Select the Google Sheet, BigQuery dataset, or Looker Studio where you want to export your LinkedIn Ads data.

5. Configure Export Settings

   Set up the export configuration as described in the sections below.

   

   The LinkedIn export configuration screen

6. Save Your Export

   Click "Create Export" to save your configuration and create the export.

Export Configuration Options

When configuring a LinkedIn Ads export, you have several options to customize what data is exported and how it's organized:

Basic Settings

Configure the fundamental settings for your export:

• Export Name: Give your export a descriptive name to help you identify it later
• Date Range: Choose how much historical data to include:
  • Last day
  • Last 7 days
  • Last 30 days
  • Last 90 days

Data Tabs

LinkedIn Ads exports are organized by data types, with each type creating a separate tab in your destination. The interface uses a tab-based layout where you can configure each data type independently:

The tab interface for configuring different data types

Available data tabs include:

• Campaigns: Campaign-level data including performance metrics and settings
• Campaign Groups: Campaign group information and aggregated performance
• Creatives: Ad creative details and performance data
• Shares: Content shares and their performance metrics
• Video Ads: Video ad performance and engagement metrics
• Insights: Detailed campaign insights and analytics
• Account: Account-level information and settings
• Audience: Audience targeting and demographic data
• Conversions: Conversion tracking and attribution data

For each data tab, you can:

• Enable/Disable: Choose whether to include this data type in your export by selecting columns
• Set Data Handling: Choose whether to append new data or replace existing data
• Select Columns: Choose which specific data fields to include for this data type

Column Selection

For each data tab, you can select which columns (fields) to include in your export:

The column selection interface for a data tab

Each data tab has its own set of available columns. Some common columns include:

Data Tab	Example Columns
Campaigns	Campaign ID, Name, Status, Objective, Budget, Start Date, End Date, Impressions, Clicks, Cost, CTR, CPC, CPM
Creatives	Creative ID, Name, Type, Status, Headline, Description, Image URL, Video URL, Impressions, Clicks, Engagement Rate
Audience	Audience ID, Name, Type, Size, Demographics, Job Functions, Industries, Company Size, Targeting Criteria
Conversions	Conversion ID, Name, Type, Value, Attribution Model, Conversion Rate, Cost per Conversion, Conversion Path

LinkedIn API Limits

LinkedIn limits the number of analytics metrics you can export per request. The interface will show you how many metrics you've selected and warn you if you exceed the limit. Keep your selection under 18 analytics metrics to avoid hitting LinkedIn's API limits.

You can use the "Select All" and "Deselect All" buttons to quickly manage your column selections.

Data Handling

For each data tab, you can choose how to handle the exported data:

• Replace (default): Each export run will clear existing data and replace it with new data
• Append: Each export run will add new data rows without removing existing data

The append option is particularly useful for building historical datasets over time. When enabled, new data will be added to existing rows rather than replacing them.

Pro Tip

Use the append option for data you want to track over time (like campaign performance or conversion data), and use replace for data that represents current state (like campaign settings or creative details).

Best Practices

• Start Simple: Begin with just one or two data tabs and a few essential columns
• Focus on Key Metrics: Select only the columns you actually need for your analysis
• Respect API Limits: Keep your analytics metrics selection under 18 to avoid hitting LinkedIn's API limits
• Consider Sheet Size: Be mindful that exporting too many columns or rows can make your destination slow or hit size limits
• Use Appropriate Date Ranges: Choose a date range that matches your reporting needs
• Append Strategically: Use append for historical data tracking, but be aware that it will increase your destination size over time
• Create Multiple Exports: Instead of one large export with everything, create separate focused exports for different purposes
• Check Your Exports: After creating an export, run it manually and verify the data before setting up automation
• Monitor API Usage: LinkedIn has rate limits, so avoid running exports too frequently

Troubleshooting