What it is
Connecting LinkedIn brings your LinkedIn conversations into your Ruut Chat workspace, so your team can read and reply to LinkedIn messages from the same inbox as every other channel. The connection runs through Ruut Connect, a small browser extension that links your LinkedIn account to your workspace with your permission. You set it up once, and messages and replies then work automatically.
Why it matters
A lot of business conversations start on LinkedIn: prospects, partners, recruits. Without a connection, those messages live in one person's LinkedIn account, where they get missed, can't be shared with teammates, and leave no record in your workspace. Once connected, LinkedIn messages land in your Ruut inbox next to your other channels, so anyone on your team can pick them up, assign them, and reply.
Before you start
Have ready:
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A computer with Chrome. Ruut Connect is a desktop browser extension, so it can't be set up from a phone.
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Admin access to your Ruut Chat workspace, so you can add an inbox
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Your LinkedIn login, for the exact account you want to connect
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A folder you can keep for the extension files. The extension needs this folder to stay where you put it.
How to set it up: step by step
Step 1: Open Workspaces and click "Add Inbox"
In Ruut Chat, open Settings → Workspaces. You'll see every channel already connected to your account. Click Add Inbox in the top right.
Step 2: Choose LinkedIn
The setup wizard has four stages: Choose Channel → Create Workspace → Add Agents → Voilà. On the first stage, select LinkedIn ("Connect your LinkedIn conversations").
Step 3: Download the Ruut Connect extension
On the Connect LinkedIn screen, the Ruut Connect extension card shows Setup required. Click Download extension. A file named ruut-connect.tar.gz downloads to your computer.
Step 4: Extract the downloaded file
Extract ruut-connect.tar.gz into a folder you'll keep, for example a "ruut-connect" folder in Downloads or Documents. When it's done, the folder should contain a file called manifest.json. Don't delete or move this folder afterwards, because your browser reads the extension from it every time.
Step 5: Open your browser's Extensions page
In a new tab, paste chrome://extensions into the address bar and press Enter. (In Brave or Edge, the same page is reachable from the browser's extensions menu.)
Step 6: Turn on Developer mode
Switch on Developer mode in the top right. Three new buttons appear: Load unpacked, Pack extension, and Update.
Step 7: Load the extension
Click Load unpacked. A file window opens asking you to select the extension directory. Choose the extracted ruut-connect folder (the one containing manifest.json) and click Select.
Ruut Connect now appears in your list of extensions, described as "Connect your LinkedIn and X accounts to a workspace in Ruut with your permission."
Step 8: Return to Ruut and check for the extension
Go back to the Connect LinkedIn screen in Ruut and click Check for extension. The card's status changes from Setup required to Installed.
Step 9: Name your workspace
In the Workspace Name field, enter a name that makes this inbox easy to recognize later, such as "Sales LinkedIn" or the name of the person whose account is connected.
Step 10: Continue with Ruut Connect
Click Continue with Ruut Connect. A new Ruut Connect page opens with three stages: Account access → Verify → Confirm in Ruut. You choose which LinkedIn account to connect, and you can disconnect at any time.
Step 11: Sign in to LinkedIn and allow permission
Click Open LinkedIn to sign in, then sign in to the LinkedIn account you want to connect. Your browser will ask whether to let Ruut Connect **read and change your data on **www.linkedin.com. This permission is what lets the extension pass your messages into Ruut. Click Allow.
Step 12: Verify and confirm in Ruut
Follow the on-screen prompts through Verify and Confirm in Ruut, reviewing the LinkedIn profile Ruut shows you to be sure it's the right account.
Step 13: Your inbox is ready
When the connection completes, Ruut shows "Your Inbox is ready!" with two options: More settings (to adjust the inbox) or Take me there (to open it and start working).
Final checklist
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You're on a computer using Chrome.
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The Ruut Connect extension shows in your Extensions list and is switched on
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The extracted folder is saved somewhere permanent and hasn't been moved or deleted
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The Connect LinkedIn screen shows Installed
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You signed in to the correct LinkedIn account
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You allowed the permission prompt
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"Your Inbox is ready!" appeared, and the new inbox is listed under Settings → Workspaces
Common problems
The Continue with Ruut Connect button is greyed out — Ruut hasn't detected the extension yet. Click Check for extension. If it still isn't detected, confirm the extension is listed and switched on in your browser's Extensions page.
Load unpacked doesn't appear — Developer mode is off. Switch it on in the top right of the Extensions page.
The browser rejects the folder — You've likely selected the wrong level. Choose the folder that directly contains manifest.json, not a parent folder or the downloaded .tar.gz file.
The connection stops working later — The extension loads from the folder you selected, so moving or deleting that folder breaks it. Put the folder back, or load the extension again from its new location.
You connected the wrong LinkedIn account — Disconnect it from the inbox settings and repeat the process while signed in to the right account. You can disconnect at any time.
You clicked Deny on the permission prompt — The connection can't complete without it. Restart from Continue with Ruut Connect and choose Allow when asked.
What's next
Once LinkedIn is connected, add your teammates as agents so they can reply from the new inbox, and set up labels or automation to route LinkedIn conversations to the right people.