LinkedIn Ads
Create, boost, measure and manage LinkedIn campaigns with Zernio API
Quick Reference
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Hierarchy | Campaign Group → Campaign → Creative (created in one call, or reuse existing levels) |
| Goals (`goal`) | 7: engagement, traffic, awareness, video_views, lead_generation, conversions, job_applicants |
| Creative formats | Single image, video, carousel, document, event, text ad, spotlight, follower, jobs, conversation, thought-leader, article (see Creative Formats) |
| Bidding | CPM (default), CPC, CPV; manual `unitCost` or LinkedIn automated |
| Budget minimums | $10/day per format; $100 lifetime for inactive campaigns |
| Audiences | Contact list, company list, engagement retargeting, website retargeting |
| Analytics | Spend / CPC / CPM plus firmographic breakdowns: job title, seniority, industry, company size (see Analytics) |
| Pre-flight planning | Suggested bid + budget bounds, and impression/click/spend forecasts |
| Lead Gen Forms | Yes: create/list/archive forms + pull responses (90-day retention) |
| Conversions API | Yes, rule CRUD + events + attribution read-back |
| URL tracking tags | Yes, campaign-level Dynamic UTM (read + update) |
| Image formats | JPEG, PNG, GIF, max 5 MB |
| Video formats | MP4 H.264/AAC, 3s-30min, max 500 MB |
Before You Start
LinkedIn ads run on a connected LinkedIn account whose member can act on a sponsored ad account.
Requirements:
- A LinkedIn ad account (the numeric sponsored account id, from
GET /v1/ads/accounts) - A Company Page: from-scratch ads publish as Direct Sponsored Content ("dark posts") authored by the Page. The authenticated member must be an Administrator or Direct Sponsored Content Poster of that Page, and the Page must be associated with the ad account, or LinkedIn returns
403 - The ads scopes on the connection (see OAuth Scopes). Accounts connected before a scope existed must reconnect to pick it up
- LinkedIn reviews every ad; a new campaign starts in
DRAFT/review before delivering
OAuth Scopes
LinkedIn Ads uses the same token as the standard LinkedIn connection, which already requests the ads scopes:
| Scope | What it enables |
|---|---|
r_ads | Read ad accounts |
rw_ads | Create and manage campaigns and creatives |
r_ads_reporting | Ads reporting and analytics |
rw_conversions | Conversions API (server-side conversion events) |
r_marketing_leadgen_automation | Read Lead Gen Form responses |
Accounts connected before a scope was added won't have it; reconnect the account to pick it up. The two that most often need a reconnect: rw_conversions (returns 403 with linkedin_reconnect_required when missing) and r_marketing_leadgen_automation (lead-response reads return a 403 asking for the reconnect).
The campaign hierarchy
Every LinkedIn ad lives in a three-level pyramid: Campaign Group → Campaign → Creative. The campaign owns bidding, targeting, schedule and budget; the creative is the ad content. POST /v1/ads/create provisions all three in one call, and adSetId / existingCampaignId let you slot into levels you already have.
In This Section
Boost a Post
Promote an existing Company Page post
Create Ads
Single image and video ads, bidding, reuse and duplication
Creative Formats
Carousel, document, event, text, spotlight, follower, jobs, conversation, thought-leader
Matched Audiences
Contact lists, company lists, engagement and website retargeting
Bid Pricing & Forecasts
Suggested bids, budget bounds, and supply forecasts before you spend
Analytics
Firmographic breakdowns: who actually saw your ads
Lead Gen Forms
Create forms and pull lead responses
Conversions API
Conversion rules, server-side events, attribution read-back
URL Tracking Tags
Campaign-level Dynamic UTM parameters
Media & Limits
Media requirements, what you can't do, and common LinkedIn errors
Related Endpoints
- Create Standalone Ad - Build group, campaign, and creative in one call
- Boost Post - Promote an existing organic post
- List Ad Accounts - Sponsored accounts a connection can reach
- Ad Audiences - Matched Audiences
- Bid Pricing and Supply Forecast
- Lead Forms and Leads
- Send Conversions - Server-side conversion events