Linked API

search_people

Read-only

Allows you to search people applying various filtering criteria (st.searchPeople action). Either term or customSearchUrl must be provided. Every person in the result carries urn — their permanent LinkedIn member URN (urn:li:member:), or null when LinkedIn does not expose it. Every person also carries viewerState.connectionDegree — your connection degree to them (1st, 2nd, 3rd+), or null when LinkedIn shows none.

Linked API actions are queued into a cloud-browser workflow and may take several minutes. The server returns immediately after starting the workflow with {status: 'pending'|'running', pendingReason, workflowId, operationName, message}. To retrieve the final result, call get_workflow_result with the returned workflowId and operationName — it will long-poll until completion or the request budget elapses, then return either the final result or another in-progress snapshot. Do not retry the original tool while a workflow is still running; that creates duplicate queued work.

A pending workflow carries pendingReason: 'queued' means it is waiting its turn behind other work on the same account and will start within minutes. 'outsideWorkingHours' means the account has configured working hours and the workflow is parked until they reopen — possibly the next working day. In that case get_workflow_result returns immediately instead of polling, message states when the window opens, and you should report that to the user rather than looping.

Tool call template

This tool declares no required parameters. Add optional parameters from the input schema as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {},
    "name": "search_people"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`term`	No	Optional. Keyword or phrase to search. Required unless customSearchUrl is specified.
`limit`	No	Optional. Number of search results to return. Defaults to 10, with a maximum value of 1000.
`filter`	No	Optional. Object that specifies filtering criteria for people. When multiple filter fields are specified, they are combined using AND logic.
`customSearchUrl`	No	Optional. URL copied from a LinkedIn people search page (linkedin.com/search/results/people/...), such as the searchUrl of an anonymous viewer from retrieve_profile_viewers. When specified, overrides term and filter.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed2 schema fields changedNov 4, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / customSearchUrl

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Optional. URL copied from a LinkedIn people search page (linkedin.com/search/results/people/...), such as the searchUrl of an anonymous viewer from retrieve_profile_viewers. When specified, overrides term and filter.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

changedInput schema / properties / term / description

Previous value: -"Optional. Keyword or phrase to search."New value: +"Optional. Keyword or phrase to search. Required unless customSearchUrl is specified."

First observedOct 29, 2026

TDQS

A4.1/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Beyond readOnlyHint/openWorldHint the description discloses the real behavior: the action is queued into a cloud-browser workflow, may take minutes, returns an immediate {status, pendingReason, workflowId, operationName, message} snapshot, and rejects retries because they duplicate queued work. It also decodes pendingReason values ('queued' vs 'outsideWorkingHours') and tells the agent to surface the working-hours window to the user instead of looping.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Front-loads what the tool is and the term/customSearchUrl constraint, then moves to the workflow lifecycle in a logical sequence. The sentences are dense but each carries operational information the agent needs; nothing is filler.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

With no output schema, the description supplies the two non-obvious result fields (urn possibly null, viewerState.connectionDegree possibly null) and the full async retrieval contract, which is what an agent needs to call and follow up correctly. It stops short of describing the broader result shape or pagination behavior for large limits.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, including the nested filter object and its AND-combination semantics, so the schema already carries parameter meaning. The description's added detail is about result fields (urn, viewerState.connectionDegree) rather than the parameters themselves, so nothing is gained over the schema on this dimension.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource ("search people") plus the underlying action name (st.searchPeople) and the filtering surface. It does not, however, distinguish itself from the near-identical sibling nv_search_people or point to search_companies for the other entity type, so the agent must infer the split.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Gives a hard precondition ("Either term or customSearchUrl must be provided"), a precedence rule (customSearchUrl overrides term and filter), and a full async protocol: call get_workflow_result with workflowId and operationName, and do not retry while a workflow is running. What is missing is guidance on when to prefer this over nv_search_people or retrieve_connections.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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