For developers
LinkedIn posting and scheduling APIs compared (2026)
How to post and schedule to LinkedIn from code: what LinkedIn's own Posts API and Community Management API allow, the approval hurdle, and the unified APIs (Zernio, Ayrshare, Outstand, Postiz, Unipile, Buffer) compared on price and how they connect.
Short answer
LinkedIn's API can publish but not schedule. The Posts API only accepts posts in the PUBLISHED state, so you have to run your own scheduler. Posting to a personal profile is self-serve (Share on LinkedIn, 150 calls per member per day); company pages need the vetted Community Management API, which is open only to registered companies and needs a screencast review. Unified APIs skip that hurdle with their own approved apps: Zernio (formerly Late) is the cheapest (2 accounts free, then $6 each), Outstand starts at $19/mo, Ayrshare at $149/mo. Avoid session-cookie APIs like Unipile for publishing: they work by reverse engineering, and the risk falls on your users' accounts.
If you're building a product that posts to LinkedIn, you have two routes: integrate LinkedIn's own API, or pay a unified social API that has already done the integration and the approval. Everything below was checked against official docs and pricing pages on 28 October 2026.
LinkedIn's own API: what it can and can't do
The current endpoint is the Posts API (POST https://api.linkedin.com/rest/posts), which replaces the older ugcPosts API. Every call needs a Linkedin-Version: YYYYMM header; versions ship monthly and each is supported for at least a year (202511, for example, sunsets on 16 November 2026).
Supported organic formats: text, images, multi-image, video, documents (PDF, PPT, DOC, up to 100MB and 300 pages: this is how "PDF carousels" are posted), articles and polls. Two catches:
- No native scheduling. "PUBLISHED" is the only accepted state when creating a post. You run the queue.
- No link scraping. For article posts you supply the title, description and thumbnail yourself.
- LinkedIn's native carousel format is sponsored-only; organic carousels go out as documents.
The three access levels
| Product | What it unlocks | Access | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share on LinkedIn | Post as the signed-in member (w_member_social) |
Self-serve in the Developer Portal | 150 calls per member per day, 100,000 per app per day |
| Community Management API (Development) | Company pages, member post analytics | Vetted; registered companies only | 500 calls per app, 100 per member, per 24h; integrate within 12 months |
| Community Management API (Standard) | The same, unrestricted | Screencast review of each use case, test credentials, privacy policy | "No restrictions" |
Company page posting (w_organization_social) only works for members who are an admin or content admin of that page. Reading a member's own posts (r_member_social) is closed to new applicants.
Tokens
Access tokens last 60 days. One-year refresh tokens are only for approved Marketing Developer Platform partners, so most apps have to send members back through sign-in every two months.
Unified posting APIs that support LinkedIn
| API | How it connects | LinkedIn coverage | Cheapest price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zernio (formerly Late) | OAuth | Profiles and the pages the member admins; up to 20 images, video, documents, polls, scheduling | First 2 accounts free, then $6/account/mo (falling to $1) |
| Outstand | OAuth on Outstand's managed keys | Post, schedule, analytics, media, comments, DMs | $19/mo incl. 3,000 posts |
| Ayrshare | Not stated on the pages we checked | Profiles and pages, up to 9 images, video, documents; scheduleDate built in |
$149/mo for 1 profile |
| Postiz (open source) | Platform-approved OAuth | Profiles and pages via separate providers; scheduled comments | $29/mo hosted, or self-host free (AGPL) |
| Buffer API | Managed OAuth (new GraphQL API) | LinkedIn with first comment | Legacy REST API retires 1 Feb 2027 |
| Mixpost (self-hosted) | Your own LinkedIn app | LinkedIn only on Pro | $299 one-time (free Lite has no LinkedIn) |
| Publer API | Not stated | LinkedIn listed | Business and Enterprise customers only |
| Unipile | Password or li_at session cookie (reverse-engineered) |
Posts, comments, reactions, pages, messaging, invitations | €49/mo for up to 10 accounts |
Zernio's per-account pricing makes it the cheapest way to start; Outstand's per-post pricing suits high volume; Postiz and Mixpost suit teams that want to self-host.
Direct, unified, or neither?
Go direct to LinkedIn if you only need LinkedIn, can run your own scheduler, and either only post as members (self-serve) or are a registered company willing to sit the Community Management review.
Use a unified API if you need company pages without the review, several networks, built-in scheduling, or don't want to track monthly version upgrades. The provider's approved app does the heavy lifting.
Avoid session-cookie APIs for publishing. LinkedIn's User Agreement (section 8.2) bans "bots or other unauthorized automated methods to access the Services". A tool that stores your users' passwords or li_at cookies puts their accounts at risk, not yours. More in are LinkedIn AI tools safe?
Not a developer?
You don't need any of this to schedule posts: LinkedIn's composer has a free scheduler (how-to), and the LinkedIn post schedulers we review do the API work for you.
Sources
- LinkedIn Posts API, Documents API, Share on LinkedIn, Community Management access tiers, app review, versioning, refresh tokens, all checked 28 Oct 2026
- Zernio pricing, Zernio LinkedIn docs, Zernio rebrand, Ayrshare pricing, Ayrshare LinkedIn docs, Outstand, Unipile pricing, Postiz pricing, Mixpost pricing, Buffer legacy API retirement, LinkedIn User Agreement, all checked 28 Oct 2026
Frequently asked questions
Does the LinkedIn API support scheduling posts?
No. The Posts API only accepts lifecycleState PUBLISHED when you create a post, and there is no publish-at field. To schedule, store the post and call the API at the scheduled time from your own queue, or use a unified API that schedules for you.
How do I get access to post on LinkedIn company pages via API?
Apply for the Community Management API in the LinkedIn Developer Portal. It is only for registered legal organisations with a commercial use case, needs a verified business email and your Page super admin's verification, and the Standard tier needs a screencast of each use case. If you're rejected you must create a new app to reapply.
How long do LinkedIn API tokens last?
Access tokens last 60 days. One-year programmatic refresh tokens are only offered to approved Marketing Developer Platform partners, so most apps need members to re-authorise about every 60 days.
Can you post a PDF carousel through the LinkedIn API?
Yes, as a document post: upload a PDF, PPT(X) or DOC(X) of up to 100MB and 300 pages through the Documents API, then reference it in the post. LinkedIn's native carousel format is sponsored-only in the API.
What happened to Late (getlate.dev)?
Late renamed to Zernio. getlate.dev redirects to zernio.com, and Zernio describes it as the same API from the same team.
Is Unipile safe for posting to LinkedIn?
Unipile states on its pricing page that it isn't affiliated with LinkedIn and works through reverse engineering, connecting with a password or the li_at session cookie. LinkedIn's User Agreement bans unauthorised automated access, so any account risk falls on the user whose session is connected.