LinkedIn Just Banned Apollo and Seamless.ai – What It Means

If you use LinkedIn for prospecting, lead generation, or recruiting, there’s some major news you need to know: LinkedIn has officially banned Apollo.io and Seamless.ai from accessing its platform.

That’s right — two of the most widely-used B2B data tools are now cut off from LinkedIn’s API. It’s a big move with even bigger implications for how businesses find and connect with potential customers.

So, what happened — and what does this mean for your outreach strategy going forward?

Let’s break it down.

First, What Are Apollo and Seamless.ai?

If you’re not familiar, Apollo.io and Seamless.ai are sales intelligence tools that help users:

• Find verified contact information (emails, phone numbers)
• Build targeted lead lists
• Enrich CRM data
• Automate outreach

They’ve been popular among sales teams and SDRs for years because they streamline the painful parts of outbound prospecting. Much of their power comes from scraping or pulling data from public LinkedIn profiles.

And that’s exactly the problem — at least in LinkedIn’s eyes.

Why Did LinkedIn Ban Them?

According to LinkedIn, Apollo and Seamless.ai violated its terms of service by automating data collection from user profiles at scale — a practice commonly referred to as “scraping.”

LinkedIn has been cracking down on this for years. In 2023, they sued a number of companies for similar practices. And back in 2017, they won a landmark case against hiQ Labs, which had been scraping public profile data.

Bottom line: LinkedIn wants to protect its platform, user data, and revenue streams. Tools that extract massive amounts of data without permission put all three at risk.

By banning Apollo and Seamless.ai, LinkedIn is drawing a hard line.

What Happens Now?

Here’s what this ban means in practical terms:

• No More LinkedIn Integrations: Apollo and Seamless can no longer pull data directly from LinkedIn. That means no profile syncing, automated enrichment, or contact discovery from LinkedIn’s user base.
• Disrupted Workflows: If your team relied on one-click LinkedIn lead pulls or enrichment through these tools, those features likely won’t work anymore (or will be severely limited).
• Data Accuracy May Drop: Without fresh LinkedIn data, the quality of contact info — especially job titles and current roles — could suffer over time.
• Potential Account Risks: Using these tools in ways that violate LinkedIn’s terms (like scraping or browser extensions) could now put your own LinkedIn account at risk.

So… Can You Still Use Apollo or Seamless.ai?

Technically, yes — the platforms haven’t shut down. But they’ve lost a huge piece of their data pipeline.

Users can still access databases, use search filters, and run outbound campaigns. But anything tied directly to LinkedIn will be either removed or severely restricted.

Expect feature updates or changes soon from both companies — and possibly legal responses.

What Should Sales Teams Do Now?

If your team relies heavily on Apollo or Seamless.ai, here’s how to respond:

1. Audit Your Tech Stack

Take stock of how you’re using LinkedIn-connected tools. Are you automating LinkedIn outreach or syncing data directly from profiles? Make sure you’re not violating LinkedIn’s TOS — even accidentally.

2. Watch for Workarounds

Some tools may try to implement browser-based scraping or shadow integrations. Be cautious. LinkedIn has been aggressive in banning accounts that use unauthorized tools.

3. Invest in First-Party Data

Now’s the time to build and maintain your own database of leads, contacts, and prospects — verified by your team. Owning the data is more sustainable long-term.

4. Explore Compliant Tools

Look for tools that are officially partnered with LinkedIn (e.g. through the LinkedIn Sales Navigator API) or use verified, permission-based data sources.

A Bigger Trend: Privacy, Platforms, and Power

This move isn’t just about two tools getting the boot — it’s part of a bigger shift in how data is handled across the web.

• Privacy is tightening. Platforms like LinkedIn are under pressure to protect user data — and stay compliant with global laws (GDPR, CCPA, etc.).
• Platforms are protecting their turf. LinkedIn wants companies using their paid products, not third-party tools that bypass them.
• The outbound playbook is changing. Spray-and-pray lead scraping is fading. Relevance, relationships, and personalization are becoming the only ways to cut through.

What This Means for the Future of Sales

Sales tools are evolving. Outreach strategies are maturing. And platforms are locking down.

If your prospecting strategy depends on scraping LinkedIn profiles and blasting cold emails, you’re going to run into walls — either in the form of bans, deliverability issues, or just poor results.

Instead, the winning formula looks like this:

• Use platform-approved tools (like Sales Navigator)
• Build opt-in email lists and clean CRMs
• Send targeted, relevant outreach
• Focus on long-term trust over short-term volume

Final Thoughts

The banning of Apollo and Seamless.ai is a wake-up call. Not just for sales teams, but for anyone relying on shortcuts in a privacy-first, platform-controlled digital world.

At AltaVista Strategic Partners, we help businesses build smarter, more sustainable digital marketing and lead generation systems — ones that adapt to these kinds of changes without missing a beat.

Want help future-proofing your outreach strategy? Let’s talk →

Aaron Hockel

Aaron Hockel is a Partner and the VP of Digital Marketing at AltaVista Strategic Partners. A University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) alumnus, Aaron crafts digital marketing strategies that drive success for clients, leveraging his deep industry knowledge.