The Best LinkedIn Chrome Extensions You Need to Install Today (2026 Update)

LinkedIn is a powerful platform, but let's be honest: its user interface (UI) leaves a lot to be desired.

• The post editor is clunky.
• The search filters are limited (unless you pay $100/mo for Sales Nav).
• There is no built-in CRM.
• Managing DMs is a nightmare.

This is where the Chrome Extension Ecosystem comes in. Developers have built thousands of tools to patch these holes.

But be careful. Installing the wrong extension can get your account banned. In 2026, LinkedIn is cracking down on extensions that scrape data too aggressively or automate actions unsafely.

We tested 50+ extensions to find the ones that are Safe, Effective, and Essential.

Here is your ultimate stack for 2026.

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Category 1: Content Creation & Formatting

If you are writing posts directly in LinkedIn's native editor, you are doing it wrong.

1. AuthoredUp (The "Must-Have")

Cost: Freemium / $15/mo Verdict: Essential.

LinkedIn's native editor doesn't show you how your post will look on mobile. This leads to the dreaded "See More" failure, where your hook gets cut off in the middle of a sentence.

AuthoredUp solves this by giving you a rich-text editor right inside the browser.

• Mobile Preview: See exactly where the "See More" line breaks.
• Drafts: Save unlimited drafts and organize them with tags.
• Formatting: Add bold, italics, and bullet points with one click.
• Hook Library: Access a library of proven hooks if you're stuck.

2. Grammarly (The "Polisher")

Cost: Freemium / $12/mo Verdict: Essential.

You cannot be a thought leader if you don't know the difference between "their" and "there." In 2026, Grammarly's AI has gotten scary good. It doesn't just fix typos; it fixes Tone.

• Feature: Tone Detector. It tells you if your DM sounds "Confident," "Friendly," or "Aggressive." This is crucial for sales outreach.

3. Taplio X (The "Inspiration" Engine)

Cost: Free (with Taplio subscription) Verdict: Nice to have.

Taplio X is a sidebar extension that gives you analytics on other people's posts.

• Viral Analysis: See the top-performing posts of any creator you visit.
• Formatting Copier: One click to copy the formatting of a viral post (so you can use the structure for your own topic).

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Category 2: Lead Generation & Data

LinkedIn hides contact info. These tools find it.

4. Apollo.io (The "Data Giant")

Cost: Freemium Verdict: Essential for Sales.

Apollo is the database of record for B2B. Their extension is a sidebar that lives on every LinkedIn profile.

• Instant Email: Click one button to reveal the verified work email of the person you are viewing.
• CRM Sync: Push the contact directly to HubSpot or Salesforce without leaving the tab.
• Sequence: Add them to an email sequence instantly.

5. Kaspr (The "Phone Number" Specialist)

Cost: Freemium Verdict: Great for Cold Callers.

While Apollo is great for emails, Kaspr is king for mobile numbers.

• Data Accuracy: Kaspr specializes in European and US mobile data. If you are doing cold calls, this extension is non-negotiable.

6. SalesQL (The "Budget" Option)

Cost: Free (100 credits/mo) Verdict: Good for beginners.

If you can't afford Apollo, SalesQL is a great alternative. It's generous with its free tier and works reliably to find personal emails (Gmail/Yahoo), which is useful for recruiting.

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Category 3: Productivity & CRM

Stop using Google Sheets to track your leads.

7. FolkX (The "Lightweight" CRM)

Cost: Freemium Verdict: Best for Founders/Networking.

Folk is a new breed of CRM. It's not clunky like Salesforce. It feels like Notion. FolkX is their extension.

• List Building: Search for "SaaS Founders in London" on LinkedIn -> Click the FolkX extension -> "Add all to list."
• Enrichment: It automatically finds their emails as it adds them.
• Pipeline: Move them from "Identified" to "Contacted" directly from the sidebar.

8. Surfe (The "HubSpot" Connector)

Cost: Paid Verdict: Essential for Enterprise.

If you use HubSpot, you know the pain of copy-pasting data from LinkedIn. Surfe (formerly Leadjet) bridges the gap. It puts HubSpot fields inside the LinkedIn interface.

• Edit CRM: You can change a lead's "Deal Stage" in HubSpot directly from their LinkedIn profile.
• Message Sync: It logs every LinkedIn DM you send into the CRM activity timeline automatically.

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Category 4: Engagement (The Missing Link)

Most people have a tool for posting and a tool for scraping, but they forget the most important part: Engaging.

9. Comment Rocket (The "Growth" Engine)

Cost: Paid (with Free Trial) Verdict: The Secret Weapon.

Networking takes time. Leaving thoughtful comments on 20 prospects a day takes an hour. Comment Rocket automates the monitoring and drafting (but lets you execute).

• The "V.I.P." List: You add your Top 50 prospects to a list.
• The Notification: When one of them posts, Comment Rocket alerts you instantly (speed matters—early comments get seen more).
• The AI Draft: It reads the post and suggests 3 context-aware comments. You pick one, edit it, and post.
• Result: You stay top-of-mind with your most important leads without spending all day scrolling the feed.

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Category 5: Video Messaging (The Pattern Break)

In a sea of text DMs, video is the ultimate pattern interrupt.

10. Loom (The "Quick Video" King)

Cost: Freemium Verdict: Essential.

If you are sending 5-paragraph pitches in DMs, stop. No one reads them. Send a 30-second Loom video instead.

• The Workflow:
  1. Open their LinkedIn profile.
  2. Click the Loom extension.
  3. Record your screen (showing their website or profile) + your face bubble.
  4. "Hey [Name], I was just on your site and noticed X. I had an idea for Y..."
  5. Paste the link in the DM.
• Why it works: It proves you are a real human. It shows effort. It builds trust instantly.

11. Vidyard (The "Sales" Specialist)

Cost: Freemium Verdict: Great for Enterprise Sales.

Vidyard is like Loom but built for sales teams.

• The Killer Feature: It integrates directly into the LinkedIn message box. You don't need to copy-paste links. You click the Vidyard button inside the chat window, record, and it embeds a trusted thumbnail automatically.
• Analytics: It tells you exactly how much of the video they watched. If they watched 100%, call them immediately.

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Category 6: AI Writing Assistants (Beyond Grammarly)

Grammarly fixes your grammar. These tools fix your thinking.

12. Jasper (The "Copywriter" Brain)

Cost: Paid Verdict: Powerful for Agencies.

Jasper isn't just a spellchecker. It understands marketing frameworks (AIDA, PAS).

• Use Case: You are staring at a blank comment box.
• The Hack: Highlight the post text -> Right Click -> Jasper -> "Repurpose this into a counter-argument."
• Result: Instant thought leadership angles.

13. Wordtune (The "Rewriter")

Cost: Freemium Verdict: Best for Non-Native Speakers.

If English isn't your first language, Wordtune is a godsend.

• How it works: Highlight your sentence. Click the purple icon.
• The Magic: It gives you 10 ways to rewrite that sentence.
  • "Make it more casual."
  • "Make it more professional."
  • "Shorten it."
• Why it wins: It preserves your meaning but upgrades your delivery.

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Deep Dive: The "Safety Audit" Protocol

I cannot stress this enough: Bad extensions kill accounts.

Before you click "Add to Chrome," perform this 3-step audit:

1. The "Last Updated" Check

• Go to the Chrome Web Store page for the extension.
• Look at the "Additional Information" section on the right.
• Rule: If the "Updated" date is more than 6 months ago, DO NOT INSTALL IT.
• Why? LinkedIn updates its code (class names, DOM structure) almost weekly. An extension that hasn't been updated will try to interact with code that doesn't exist, throwing errors that LinkedIn's security bots can detect.

2. The "Permissions" Review

• When you install, Chrome pops up a warning: "This extension can read and change..."
• Green Flag: "Read and change your data on linkedin.com" (This is necessary).
• Red Flag: "Read and change your data on all websites."
  • Why does a LinkedIn tool need to see my bank login? It doesn't. It's spyware. Block it.

3. The "Developer" Background Check

• Click the developer's name. Do they have a website? A privacy policy? A physical address?
• If the developer is "User 83921" with a Gmail address and no website, run away.
• Safe Bets: Companies with venture capital (Apollo, Jasper, Loom) or established indie developers with a public face (AuthoredUp).

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Performance: How to Manage "Extension Bloat"

Installing 10 extensions will slow down your browser. Your LinkedIn tab will lag.

The Fix: Use an extension manager.

14. "One Click Extensions Manager"

Cost: Free Verdict: Essential for Heavy Users.

This tool puts all your extensions into a single dropdown menu.

• The Workflow:
  • Keep your "Daily Drivers" (AuthoredUp, Grammarly) on.
  • Keep your "Occasional Tools" (Apollo, Kaspr) OFF by default.
  • When you need to scrape an email, click the manager, toggle Apollo ON, do the task, and toggle it OFF.
• Result: Your browser stays fast, and LinkedIn doesn't see 15 extensions injecting code into the page simultaneously (which looks suspicious).

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A Note on Mobile

Crucial: None of these extensions work on the LinkedIn Mobile App.

If you rely on these tools, you must build a Desktop-First Workflow.

1. Morning: Do your "Heavy Lifting" on desktop (Sourcing leads with Apollo, scheduling posts with AuthoredUp, engaging with Comment Rocket).
2. Afternoon: Use mobile for "Light Maintenance" (Replying to comments, checking DMs).

Do not try to find "hacks" to get extensions on mobile. Custom mobile browsers that support extensions are often flagged by LinkedIn as "unauthorized devices."

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The "Perfect Stack" Recommendations

The "Bootstrapper" Stack ($0/mo)

• Creation: AuthoredUp (Free Tier)
• Data: Apollo (Free Credits) + SalesQL (Free Credits)
• CRM: FolkX (Free Tier)

The "Growth" Stack ($50/mo)

• Creation: AuthoredUp (Paid)
• Data: Apollo (Paid)
• Engagement: Comment Rocket (Starter)

The "Sales Pro" Stack ($200/mo)

• Creation: Taplio
• Data: Apollo + Kaspr
• CRM: Surfe (synced to HubSpot)
• Engagement: Comment Rocket (Pro)

Conclusion

Extensions are force multipliers. The right stack turns you into a "Super User."

But remember: Tools don't close deals. Humans do.

Use these extensions to remove the friction (formatting, data entry, searching) so you can spend more time on the things that matter: Writing great content and having real conversations.

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Ready to upgrade your engagement? Start with CommentRocket and see how much time you save on your daily networking routine.