Getting started with LinkedIn outreach

Distro runs LinkedIn outreach through the Distro Chrome extension, from your own Chrome and your own signed-in LinkedIn account. You add prospects under People and build campaigns under Campaigns in Distro. The extension sends connection requests and messages at a human pace, during your working hours and within your daily limits, while Chrome is open.

1. Distro (People → LinkedIn prospects, Campaigns)
2. Distro Chrome extension, paired with your Distro account
3. Your Chrome, signed in to LinkedIn
4. Connection requests, reply checks and messages

Before you start

• Use Google Chrome on a computer. The extension works in Chrome. Campaigns only run while that Chrome is open.
• Distro never asks for your LinkedIn password. You sign in to LinkedIn yourself, in your own browser.
• Set LinkedIn's language to English. Distro's LinkedIn campaigns only work with LinkedIn in English for now. On LinkedIn, open Settings → Account preferences → Display → Language and choose English.
• One LinkedIn account per Distro user. Campaigns only run as the LinkedIn account you connected.

Step 1: Install the Distro extension

Open the install page. You have two options:

• Install from Chrome Web Store. The easiest route. The store version can be a few days behind while an update is reviewed, and LinkedIn campaigns need the latest version the install page shows. If the store hasn't caught up yet, use the manual install.
• Manual Beta Install. Click Download extension, then:

1. Unzip the file. You get a folder called distro-x-copilot. Keep it somewhere it won't be deleted, because Chrome runs the extension from it.
2. In Chrome, go to chrome://extensions and turn on Developer mode (top right).
3. If you also have Distro from the Chrome Web Store, switch that copy off so only one Distro runs.
4. Click Load unpacked and select the distro-x-copilot folder (the one with manifest.json inside).
5. Pin Distro from the puzzle-piece menu in the toolbar.
6. Refresh any LinkedIn tabs that were already open.

To update a manual install later, download the new ZIP, replace the files in your distro-x-copilot folder, then click the reload arrow on Distro at chrome://extensions and check the version number changed.

Step 2: Pair the extension with your Distro account

1. Click the Distro icon in the toolbar and choose Connect Distro account. Distro opens in a new tab; log in with your normal Distro account.
2. On the Connect Distro Copilot page, the extension usually connects by itself within a few seconds.
3. If it doesn't, copy the code shown and enter it in the extension popup under Have a pairing code? Enter it manually. Each code works once and expires after 10 minutes.
4. When you see Extension connected, you can close the tab.

Step 3: Turn on LinkedIn campaigns in the extension

1. Open linkedin.com in the same Chrome and sign in to the LinkedIn account you want campaigns to run from.
2. Click the Distro icon to open the side panel, then open the Campaigns tab.
3. Click Turn on LinkedIn campaigns. Distro checks which LinkedIn account is signed in.
4. In Set up once, choose your Working days, Working hours (in your computer's timezone) and Daily limits for connection requests (1 to 50) and messages (1 to 100). The setup suggests 5 requests and 20 messages a day; staying at or under 20 requests and 30 messages is recommended. Above that, the extension shows a safety warning.
5. Tick the box that allows Distro to run your LinkedIn campaigns in this browser during these hours and within these limits, then press Start.

The side panel then shows LinkedIn campaigns with a status line such as "Active as …", today's requests and messages, and this week's connection requests.

Step 4: Check your LinkedIn account in Distro

There's no separate LinkedIn menu in Distro. Your LinkedIn account sits with your other sending accounts:

1. Open Sending accounts at the bottom of the Outreach menu.
2. The LinkedIn card shows your account's status (Connected, Paused, Needs attention or Not connected) and whether Chrome is checking in. If you haven't installed the extension yet, use Install the extension there.
3. Click Manage to open the LinkedIn account page.

The first time, read the Before you connect notice, tick I understand and want to continue and press Continue. The status card then shows how Distro sees your account:

Below the status card, sections open and close with a click:

• Account details: account type, name and public profile link, for your reference.
• Working hours: time zone, working days, start and end time.
• Safe pace and limits: today's work sessions, any warm-up and any safety pause, plus Change limits for your daily and weekly limits.
• How it works and Disconnect.

Pausing, switching or disconnecting

• Pause: use Pause on the LinkedIn account page, or the switch in the extension's Campaigns tab.
• Stop using one browser: Stop using this browser in the extension's Campaigns tab disconnects that Chrome. Your campaigns stay in Distro and wait until a browser is connected again.
• Switch LinkedIn accounts: disconnect first, then turn LinkedIn campaigns on again while signed in to the other account.
• Disconnect: open Disconnect on the LinkedIn account page and click Disconnect LinkedIn. Distro stops using the account and deletes the stored session. Your LinkedIn account itself isn't changed, and your email outreach isn't affected.

If you later reconnect the same LinkedIn account, Distro picks up where it left off: its limits, campaign runs, warm-up and any safety pause carry over, and nothing already sent is sent again.

Next steps

1. Add people: Find and import LinkedIn prospects.
2. Build a campaign: Create a LinkedIn campaign.
3. Understand the limits: LinkedIn daily limits, pace and safety pauses.

Something not working? See LinkedIn account or extension not connected.