How to Scrape LinkedIn Post Details with Ruby
Get a LinkedIn post or article details using Ruby. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the entire process, from setup to implementation.
Overview
What You'll Learn
- Setting up your Ruby environment
- Installing the required HTTP client
- Authenticating with SociaVault API
- Making requests to LinkedIn
- Handling responses and errors
What You'll Get
- Access to post data
- JSON formatted responses
- Real-time data access
- Scalable solution
- Error handling patterns
Prerequisites
1. API Key
First, you'll need a SociaVault API key to authenticate your requests.
2. Development Environment
Make sure you have the following installed:
- Ruby installed
- A code editor (VS Code, Sublime, etc.)
- Command line interface access
Implementation
Step 1: Install HTTP Client
We'll use net/http to make HTTP requests.
# Standard libraryStep 2: API Implementation
Now let's make a request to the LinkedIn API using Ruby. Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual API key.
require 'net/http'
require 'json'
url = URI("https://api.sociavault.com/linkedin/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fposts%2F...")
http = Net::HTTP.new(url.host, url.port)
http.use_ssl = true
request = Net::HTTP::Get.new(url)
request["x-api-key"] = "YOUR_API_KEY"
request["Content-Type"] = "application/json"
response = http.request(request)
puts response.read_bodyTesting Your Code
API Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| url | string | Yes | Example: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/... |
Expected Response
You should receive a structured JSON response containing the post data.
{
"success": true,
"url": "https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/being-father-has-made-me-better-leader-vice-versa-austen-allred",
"name": "Being a Father Has Made me a Better Leader, and Vice Versa",
"headline": "It's not all that unique to be a 26-year-old founder in Silicon Valley. What was far more surprising to people in 2017 when I joined the S17 Y Combinator cohort is that I already had a family of my own.",
"commentCount": 17,
"likeCount": 210,
"datePublished": "2020-06-21T14:35:59.000+00:00",
"description": "It's not all that unique to be a 26-year-old founder in Silicon Valley. What was far more surprising to people in 2017 when I joined the S17 Y Combinator cohort is that I already had a family of my own. ....",
"author": {
"name": "Austen Allred",
"url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/austenallred",
"followers": 30863
},
"comments": [
{
"author": "Jeremy M.",
"text": "Austen, thanks for sharing!",
"linkedinUrl": "https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jeremymurray"
}
],
"moreArticles": [
{
"link": "https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/note-outcomes-data-lambda-school-austen-allred",
"title": "A Note About Outcomes Data at Lambda School",
"datePublished": "Feb 24, 2020",
"description": "Due to some recent online media, there’s been some confusion recently about student outcomes at Lambda School - which…",
"reactionCount": 168,
"commentCount": 15
}
]
}Best Practices
Error Handling
Implement comprehensive error handling and retry logic for failed requests. Log errors properly for debugging.
Caching
Cache responses when possible to reduce API calls and improve performance. Consider data freshness requirements.
Security
Never expose your API key in client-side code. Use environment variables and secure key management practices.
Troubleshooting
Unauthorized
Check your API key is correct and properly formatted in the x-api-key header.
Payment Required
You ran out of credits and need to buy more.
Not Found
The resource (user, video, etc.) might not exist or be private.
Too Many Requests
You have exceeded your rate limit. Slow down your requests.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to scrape LinkedIn?
SociaVault offers 50 free API calls to get started. After that, pricing starts at $10 for 5k requests with volume discounts available.
Is it legal to scrape LinkedIn data?
Scraping publicly available data is generally considered legal. We only collect public data that is accessible without logging in.
How fast can I scrape LinkedIn?
Our API handles the rate limiting for you. You can make requests as fast as your plan allows.
What data format does the API return?
All API responses are returned in JSON format, making it easy to integrate with any programming language or application.
Related Tutorials
Post Details in Other Languages
Post Details with Node.jsPost Details with JavaScriptPost Details with PythonPost Details with PHPReady to Start Scraping?
Get started with 50 free API calls. No credit card required. Stop worrying about proxies and captchas.