# How to connect n8n to LinkedIn, step by step

Source: https://finchreach.com/guides/n8n
Third-party facts checked on 2026-10-28.

Create an API key at finchreach.com/api-keys, connect LinkedIn at finchreach.com/accounts, then add `https://mcp.finchreach.com/mcp` to n8n with the header `Authorization: Bearer lk_…`. Test with a read, and approve the first draft under Approvals.

## What you need

- A Finchreach account (sign in at [finchreach.com](https://finchreach.com/sign-in)) and the LinkedIn account you want n8n to work on.
- n8n (self-hosted and Cloud. Older versions of the node only speak SSE: update n8n).
- About five minutes.

## Step 1: Create a Finchreach API key

1. Sign in at finchreach.com and open [API keys](https://finchreach.com/api-keys).
2. Create a key and name it after the tool, for example “n8n”.
3. Copy it right away: it starts with `lk_` and is shown only once.

## Step 2: Connect your LinkedIn account

1. Open [Accounts](https://finchreach.com/accounts) and click to connect LinkedIn.
2. Follow the steps until the account shows as connected.

Approval mode is on by default: nothing the assistant drafts reaches LinkedIn until you approve it.

## Step 3: Add Finchreach to n8n

1. In a workflow, open the AI Agent node → Tools → + → MCP Client Tool.
2. Endpoint URL `https://mcp.finchreach.com/mcp`, transport HTTP Streamable.
3. Authentication: Bearer Auth with the token `lk_YOUR_KEY`, or Header Auth with name `Authorization` and value `Bearer lk_YOUR_KEY`.
4. Under Tools to Include, pick all tools or just the ones the workflow needs.

Header Auth credential:
```json
{
  "name": "Authorization",
  "value": "Bearer lk_YOUR_KEY"
}
```

> Replace `lk_YOUR_KEY` with your key. Keep the key out of shared files and repos; where n8n can read it from an environment variable, prefer that.

Bearer, Header, Multiple Headers and OAuth2 are supported.

Requirements: Self-hosted and Cloud. Older versions of the node only speak SSE: update n8n.

## Step 4: Test the connection

In n8n, start with a read. It runs right away and proves the key and the account work:

> Ask your assistant: “List my connected LinkedIn accounts, then summarize my five latest notifications.”

You should see calls to `linkedin_list_accounts` and `linkedin_get_notifications`. Then try a write, which goes to your approval queue instead of LinkedIn:

> Ask your assistant: “Draft a short LinkedIn post saying I’m trying a new AI assistant workflow. Submit it for my approval.”

## Step 5: Approve or reject it in Finchreach

1. Open [Approvals](https://finchreach.com/approvals). The draft is there with its exact text and the account it would go out from.
2. Approve it to publish, or reject it (reject the test post if you don’t want it live).
3. n8n can check the result with `linkedin_get_action`: pending, approved, rejected, executed, failed or expired.

## Troubleshooting

- No HTTP Streamable option means your n8n is too old for Finchreach; update it.
- Limit Tools to Include to what the workflow needs, so the agent can’t draft writes you didn’t plan for.
- 401 or “unauthorized”: the key is wrong, revoked or missing its prefix. Finchreach accepts `Authorization: Bearer lk_…` or `X-API-Key: lk_…`; check for a missing `Bearer `, quotes or a trailing space.
- A tool is missing: the key’s permissions don’t include it. Create a key with the permissions you need under [API keys](https://finchreach.com/api-keys).
- “No LinkedIn account”: connect one under [Accounts](https://finchreach.com/accounts), or reconnect it if its session expired.
- A post or message “didn’t go out”: it is probably still waiting under [Approvals](https://finchreach.com/approvals). Writes run only after you approve them.

Still stuck? Compare your setup with [n8n’s documentation](https://docs.n8n.io/integrations/builtin/cluster-nodes/sub-nodes/n8n-nodes-langchain.toolmcp/), checked on 2026-10-28; client screens change often.

## What to ask n8n next

> Ask your assistant: “When a new row lands in the leads sheet, find the person on LinkedIn and draft an invitation with a note.”

> Ask your assistant: “Every morning, summarize new LinkedIn messages and send the summary to Slack.”

> Ask your assistant: “When we publish a release on GitHub, draft a LinkedIn post about it.”

More ideas on the [n8n integration page](https://finchreach.com/integrations/n8n).

## Questions

### I lost my API key. Can I see it again?

No, a key is shown only once. Create a new one under [API keys](https://finchreach.com/api-keys), put it in your config, and revoke the old one.

### Does n8n see my LinkedIn password?

No. n8n only gets your Finchreach API key. Your LinkedIn connection stays in Finchreach, and you can revoke the key at any time without touching LinkedIn.

### Can I use the same key in several tools?

Yes, but one key per tool (for example one named “n8n”) lets you revoke one without breaking the others.

### How do I disconnect n8n?

Revoke its key under [API keys](https://finchreach.com/api-keys); n8n gets a 401 from then on. Then remove the server from its config.

## Sources

- [n8n docs](https://docs.n8n.io/integrations/builtin/cluster-nodes/sub-nodes/n8n-nodes-langchain.toolmcp/)

## Related

- [What n8n can do on LinkedIn](https://finchreach.com/integrations/n8n)
- [Sort LinkedIn connection requests automatically with n8n](https://finchreach.com/blog/n8n-linkedin-invitation-triage)
- [Quickstart and tools](https://finchreach.com/docs)
- [All setup guides](https://finchreach.com/guides)