forge-linkedin

Safe-pace LinkedIn engagement for solo devs. 30 likes/day max · real-browser session · zero passwords in code.

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Try it now

git clone https://github.com/sbknext/forge-linkedin
cd forge-linkedin
npm install
npm run build
node dist/cli.js init       # scaffolds ~/.forge-linkedin/
node dist/cli.js login      # opens Chromium, log in manually (one time)
node dist/cli.js dry-run    # preview candidate posts — no clicks
node dist/cli.js run        # like up to 30/day

Or install globally:

npm link    # makes `forge-linkedin` available in PATH
forge-linkedin init
forge-linkedin login
forge-linkedin run

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What is this

forge-linkedin is a TypeScript CLI that automates LinkedIn engagement at human-realistic pace:

1. Tag-search — discovers posts by hashtags you configure
2. Quality filter — skips low-engagement posts, blocked keywords, and posts you already liked
3. Like — clicks Like through your own real Chrome session (visible browser, no headless flags, no fake user agent)

No LinkedIn API. No password stored anywhere in the repo. Cookies live in your home directory, same as if you opened Chrome manually.

Built as part of Forge — the solo-dev OSS thesis.

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Why "safe pace"

LinkedIn ToS prohibits automation. This tool runs through your own browser (visible, real Chromium, not headless), at human-realistic pace:

• 30 likes/day max (hard cap — not configurable beyond this ceiling)
• 90–300 sec between actions (randomised delay, configurable)
• Active hours only (default 09:00–21:00 IST — stops outside that window)
• Captcha canary — stops the session instantly if LinkedIn shows a challenge page
• No bulk follow / no mass DM / no auto-comment in v0.2

You are responsible for your own LinkedIn account. These defaults are deliberately conservative.

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Install

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sbknext/forge-linkedin/main/scripts/install.sh | sh

The script clones this repo, runs npm install && npm run build, installs Playwright Chromium, and symlinks the binary. Safe to re-run — idempotent.

See INSTALL.md for prerequisites, manual build instructions, cron/launchd scheduling, and uninstall.

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First run

# 1. Scaffold config dir
forge-linkedin init

# 2. Edit secrets + tunables
nano ~/.forge-linkedin/.env          # Telegram token (optional)
nano ~/.forge-linkedin/config.json   # hashtags, cap, delays

# 3. Authenticate — opens Chromium, log in manually (one-time)
forge-linkedin login

# 4. Preview candidates without liking anything
forge-linkedin dry-run

# 5. Run for real
forge-linkedin run

# 6. Check today's count
forge-linkedin status

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Commands

Command	What it does
init	Scaffolds ~/.forge-linkedin/ with default config and empty .env
login	Opens Chromium profile, waits for LinkedIn login, persists session
run	Discover → filter → like (one session, respects daily cap)
dry-run	Same discovery + filtering as run, prints candidates, no clicks
status	Today's like count, recent 10 liked posts, last login timestamp
config	Pretty-prints current ~/.forge-linkedin/config.json

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Configuration

Defaults live in ~/.forge-linkedin/config.json. See config.example.json for the full schema.

Field	Default	Description
hashtags	["#AgenticAI", ...]	Hashtags to search. Rotated each run.
daily_cap	30	Maximum likes per calendar day. Hard ceiling.
min_delay_sec	90	Minimum wait between actions (seconds).
max_delay_sec	300	Maximum wait between actions (seconds).
active_hours	[9, 21]	Clock-hour window [start, end] (24h).
active_tz	"Asia/Kolkata"	Timezone for active_hours evaluation.
skip_weekends	false	Set true to pause on Saturday + Sunday.
min_engagement	10	Skip posts with fewer than this many reactions.
skip_keywords	["hiring", ...]	Posts whose text matches any keyword are skipped.

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Where your data lives

Path	Purpose
~/.forge-linkedin/.env	Secrets — Telegram token, optional login hint. Mode 0600.
~/.forge-linkedin/config.json	Runtime tunables (hashtags, cap, delays, hours).
~/.forge-linkedin/data.db	SQLite — liked post URNs, daily counts, run log.
~/.forge-linkedin/chrome-profile/	Persistent Chromium profile — session cookies live here.
~/.forge-linkedin/logs/	Rotated run logs.

Nothing sensitive ever lives in the repo. .env, *.db, logs/, and chrome-profile/ are all in .gitignore.

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Roadmap

• Phase 1 — Tag-search + safe-pace likes (max 30/day)
• Phase 2 — Company tracking + network growth
  • Company search & follow
  • Network grow (find + connect with 2nd-degree matches, 5/day max)
  • Network digest (signal-ranked feed)
• Phase 3 — Comment drafts via Forge Brain MCP (manual confirm)

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Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md. PRs welcome; new filter rules require tests.

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Security

See SECURITY.md for the threat model, responsible disclosure address, and what to do if your account hits a captcha loop.

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Built with Forge

forge.sbknext.com · forge-client SDK · Brain MCP

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License

MIT © 2026 sbknext — see LICENSE.