Search people with Linkedin API

alessiop86 picture alessiop86 · Aug 30, 2012 · Viewed 10.9k times · Source

I noticed that using LinkedIn REST API in my application, i have a strange behaviour

(I'm using Bill Gates as example, but it works like this for every name)

1st REST url request:

http://api.linkedin.com/v1/people-search:(people:(id))?first-name=bill&last-name=gates

returns 110 results

2nd REST url request:

http://api.linkedin.com/v1/people-search:(people:(id))?keywords=bill%20gates

returns 0 result

But, according to API documentation (https://developer.linkedin.com/documents/people-search-api), the second search should return at least the 110 "bill gates" returned with the former request, plus eventually other people with some "Bill Gates" string inside their profile ("bill gates" in industry or school name, etc.)

Am i doing something wrong with my second request or what?

UPDATE: Here is a screenshot of the 2nd request, done by using the LinkedIn REST Console. I would like to know if anyone but me is getting 110 results by replicating that request ...

Answer

alessiop86 picture alessiop86 · Sep 23, 2012

I have found out the 0 results is related to my network: I don't have any first or second degree connection with someone named Bill Gates.

The keyword search works inside your network, searching for first and second degree connections, meanwhile the first-name/last-name search works outside it, so my results are not 0 with the latter.