Skip to main content
Incorrect encoding is a common cause of failed Sales Navigator people searches. A URL that opens in your browser can still fail when sent to the API. This page covers how to build a valid URL, what LinkedIn encodes, and how to spot common mistakes. Always generate the search inside LinkedIn Sales Navigator — do not build the URL by hand.
1

Open Sales Navigator people search

Go to Sales Navigator people search.
2

Apply your filters

Set company, seniority, function, and any other filters you need.
3

Copy the URL

Copy the full URL from the browser address bar. That string is the structure and encoding LinkedIn expects.
Pass that URL as sales_navigator_profile_search_url (or the equivalent input field) on Search Sales Navigator People.

​
Selective double encoding

LinkedIn nests a complex query under the query= parameter and applies selective double encoding — only text values and URN identifiers are double-encoded. Structural tokens stay single-encoded.

​
Example of a valid URL

This fictional example shows the expected encoding pattern (no real company, and no sessionId):
A valid URL can still return zero results when nothing matches the filters — that means the structure is correct.

​
Common encoding failures

If the URL opens in a browser but fails via the API, the browser likely normalized encoding for you. Diff your generated string against a URL copied fresh from Sales Navigator.

​
How to validate

  1. Build the search in Sales Navigator and copy the URL.
  2. Compare it to the URL your code produces — look for encoding differences on text and URN segments.
  3. Confirm text and URNs are double-encoded and the query structure is not.
  4. Re-run the request with the corrected URL.
A malformed Sales Navigator search URL typically fails the run with a LinkedIn dependency error (HTTP 424). Fix the encoding before retrying.

​
Key takeaways

  • Generate the URL in Sales Navigator first.
  • Double-encode only text and URN values.
  • Avoid encoding the entire query= value.
  • Diff against a browser-copied URL when something fails.