LinkedIn Skill (Read-Only)
Reads LinkedIn for financial research using opencli, a universal CLI tool that bridges web services to the terminal via browser session reuse.
This skill is read-only. It is designed for financial research: reading professional commentary on markets, monitoring analyst posts, searching finance/trading jobs, and tracking professional sentiment. It does NOT support posting, liking, commenting, connecting, messaging, or any write operations.
Important: opencli reuses your existing Chrome login session — no API keys or cookie extraction needed. Just be logged into linkedin.com in Chrome and have the Browser Bridge extension installed.
Step 1: Ensure opencli Is Installed and Ready
Current environment status:
!`(command -v opencli && opencli doctor 2>&1 | head -5 && echo "READY" || echo "SETUP_NEEDED") 2>/dev/null || echo "NOT_INSTALLED"`
If the status above shows READY, skip to Step 2. If NOT_INSTALLED, install first:
# Install opencli globally
npm install -g @jackwener/opencli
If SETUP_NEEDED, guide the user through setup:
Setup
opencli requires Node.js >= 20 and a Chrome browser with the Browser Bridge extension:
- Install the Browser Bridge extension:
- Download the latest
opencli-extension-v{version}.zip from the GitHub Releases page
- Unzip it, open
chrome://extensions in Chrome, and enable Developer mode
- Click Load unpacked and select the unzipped folder
- Login to linkedin.com in Chrome — opencli reuses your existing browser session
- Verify connectivity:
opencli doctor
This auto-starts the daemon, verifies the extension is connected, and checks session health.
Common setup issues
| Symptom | Fix |
|---|
Extension not connected | Install Browser Bridge extension in Chrome and ensure it's enabled |
Daemon not running | Run opencli doctor — it auto-starts the daemon |
No session for linkedin.com | Login to linkedin.com in Chrome, then retry |
AuthRequiredError | LinkedIn session expired — refresh linkedin.com in Chrome and log in again |
Step 2: Identify What the User Needs
Match the user's request to one of the read commands below, then use the corresponding command from references/commands.md.
| User Request | Command | Key Flags |
|---|
| Setup check | opencli doctor | — |
| Home feed / posts | opencli linkedin timeline | --limit N (default 20, max 100) |
| Search for jobs | opencli linkedin search "QUERY" | --location, --limit N (default 10, max 100), --details |
| Finance job search | opencli linkedin search "QUERY" | --experience-level, --job-type, --remote, --company, --date-posted, --start |
Step 3: Execute the Command
General pattern
# Read LinkedIn feed posts
opencli linkedin timeline --limit 20 -f json
# Search for finance/trading jobs
opencli linkedin search "quantitative analyst" --limit 10 -f json
opencli linkedin search "portfolio manager" --location "New York" --limit 15 -f json
# Detailed job listings with descriptions
opencli linkedin search "financial analyst" --details --limit 10 -f json
Key rules
- Check setup first — run
opencli doctor before any other command if unsure about connectivity
- Use
-f json or -f yaml for structured output when processing data programmatically
- Use
-f csv when the user wants spreadsheet-compatible output
- Use
--limit N to control result count — start with 10-20 unless the user asks for more
- For job search, use filters —
--location, --experience-level, --job-type, --remote, --date-posted to narrow results
- Read-only — don't post, like, comment, connect, message, or apply to jobs
Output format flag (-f)
| Format | Flag | Best for |
|---|
| Table | -f table (default) | Human-readable terminal output |
| JSON | -f json | Programmatic processing, LLM context |
| YAML | -f yaml | Structured output, readable |
| Markdown | -f md | Documentation, reports |
| CSV | -f csv | Spreadsheet export |
Output columns
Timeline posts include: rank, author, author_url, headline, text, posted_at, reactions, comments, url.
Job search results include: rank, title, company, location, listed, salary, url. With --details: also description, apply_url.
Step 4: Present the Results
Lead with what matters for the user's research question rather than a raw dump. For feed posts, attribute each one (author, headline, text, reactions and comments, URL), highlight market commentary, analyst takes, and earnings reactions, and note the bullish or bearish lean and where views are consensus or contrarian. For job results, give title, company, location, salary when available, posting date, and the listing URL. Keep browser session details private.
Step 5: Diagnostics
If something isn't working, run:
opencli doctor
This checks daemon status, extension connectivity, and browser session health.
Error Reference
| Error | Cause | Fix |
|---|
Extension not connected | Browser Bridge not installed/enabled | Install extension and enable it in Chrome |
No session | Not logged into linkedin.com | Login to linkedin.com in Chrome |
AuthRequiredError | LinkedIn login wall detected | Refresh linkedin.com and log in again |
EmptyResultError | No results found for query | Broaden search terms or check feed has content |
| Rate limited | Too many requests | Wait a few minutes, then retry |
Reference Files
references/commands.md — Complete read command reference with all flags, research workflows, and usage examples
Read the reference file when you need exact command syntax, research workflow patterns, or output details.