If you are deciding between a Facebook and LinkedIn data export, the key difference is control versus account-specific scope. Facebook documents controls for the information, date range, format, notification email, and media quality you request. LinkedIn documents category-based downloads, with the categories determined by your account and activity.
Neither export should be treated as an automatic guarantee that every contact, message, media file, or business record will appear. Use the comparison below to request the right archive, download it promptly, and keep a recurring backup if the data matters.
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Facebook vs LinkedIn data export: the short answer
| Asset | Decision | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Contacts | Neither is documented as a complete contacts guarantee; LinkedIn has the explicit missing-email caveat | Facebook documents selectable information but not a specific contacts guarantee. Facebook's export documentation | Some connection email addresses may be missing because members control that privacy setting. LinkedIn's data-download guidance |
| Messages | Neither platform guarantees a complete message-history export | Facebook lets you select specific information, but its saved guidance does not promise a complete message history. Facebook's export documentation | LinkedIn documents a personal-data boundary, but its saved guidance does not promise a complete message history. LinkedIn's data-download guidance |
| Media | Facebook is the better-documented choice for requested media | Facebook documents requested images and videos in the HTML ZIP. Facebook's export documentation | The supplied LinkedIn guidance does not document an equivalent requested-images/videos package or media-quality control. LinkedIn's data-download guidance |
| Business records | Neither platform guarantees complete business-record coverage | Facebook documents a copy of account information with destination-dependent scope, not every business record. Facebook's export documentation | LinkedIn documents the requesting member's personal data, not a general business-record system. LinkedIn's data-download guidance |
Facebook's documented request controls are specific: information, date range, format, notification email, and media quality. LinkedIn's documented guidance sets out the boundary around another member's data and connection-email privacy. For a business archive, retain the downloaded files and the account context rather than assuming either platform is a complete records system. Review Facebook's export documentation and LinkedIn's data-download guidance.
How to export Facebook data
Facebook's documented desktop route is:
- Click your profile picture in the top right.
- Click Settings & privacy, then Settings.
- Click Meta Account, then Your information and permissions.
- Click Export your information.
- Click Create export.
- Select the profile to export.
- Select Export to device.
Facebook lets you choose specific information, a date range, output format, notification email, and media quality before starting. The export request is password-protected and may require additional verification. See Facebook's full export steps.
For a focused archive, select the information and date range you actually need. Facebook says higher-quality videos create larger files, while exporting one information type makes files smaller.
How to download LinkedIn data
LinkedIn's official desktop route is:
- Click the Me icon.
- Select Settings & Privacy.
- Click Data Privacy.
- Under How LinkedIn uses your data, click Download your data.
- Select the data categories.
- Click Request archive.
LinkedIn says this feature is currently unavailable on mobile. It also advises downloading data from a personal computer rather than a public computer. Follow LinkedIn's official download guidance.
What Facebook and LinkedIn exports include
Facebook scope
Facebook describes available information as content and information you have shared, your activity, and information Facebook collects. It also says that devices and external services support different types of information for export. That means an export to your device and an export to an external service should not be assumed to contain identical information. Read Facebook's scope description.
Facebook's HTML option is an easy-to-view ZIP with an HTML index and requested images and videos. JSON is described as machine-readable and potentially easier to transfer to another service. Compare Facebook's HTML and JSON descriptions.
LinkedIn scope
LinkedIn says the download contains only the requesting member's personal data, not other members' data. It specifically says that People You May Know and Who's Viewed Your Profile data are not provided.
The categories you receive depend on which categories apply to your account and activities. For example, LinkedIn says an account without certifications will not produce a Certifications file. Check LinkedIn's category and privacy limits.
Contacts, messages, media, and business records
The direct asset-by-asset answer is: Facebook is the better-documented choice for requested media; LinkedIn contacts carry a documented missing-email caveat; and neither platform guarantees complete messages or business records. The official boundaries are summarized in the decision matrix above and supported by the Facebook export documentation and LinkedIn data-download guidance.
Contacts
LinkedIn provides a concrete limitation for connection data: some connection email addresses may be missing because each member decides in privacy settings whether others may download their email address. Do not measure a LinkedIn contact export by row count alone; check which email fields are present. See LinkedIn's explanation.
The Facebook facts used for this comparison document selectable information and broad account content, but they do not establish a specific contacts guarantee. Treat contacts as a category to verify in the request and in the resulting files. Review Facebook's export scope.
Messages
Facebook's documentation describes content and information shared and lets you choose specific information, but the saved guidance does not establish a complete message-history guarantee. Read Facebook's message-scope guidance LinkedIn's saved guidance likewise establishes a personal-data boundary, not a promise that every message is present. Read LinkedIn's personal-data guidance
For important conversations, check the category selection and the resulting archive before treating it as a business record. This is especially important when a record involves another person's account data, because LinkedIn says it provides only your own personal data. Review LinkedIn's personal-data boundary.
Media
Facebook's HTML export can include requested images and videos, and Facebook says media quality changes the resulting file size. The supplied LinkedIn guidance does not document an equivalent media package, so do not assume that a LinkedIn account download preserves media in the same form. Review Facebook's format details and LinkedIn's category guidance.
Business records
A platform export is a downloadable copy of account information, not a documented promise of complete business-record coverage. Facebook describes a copy of information with destination-dependent types, while LinkedIn says it provides only the requesting member's personal data. Compare Facebook's bounded export scope and LinkedIn's personal-data boundary.
For records that matter, keep the archive, note the account and export date, and confirm that the needed contacts, conversations, media, and supporting information are actually present.
Protect the content around your business records, not just a single export. SocialGuardian covers posts, photos, videos, reels and shorts, stories, captions and metadata, follower lists, following lists, and engagement. Choose profiles to back up.
Formats, timing, and download windows
Facebook format
Choose HTML when you want an easy-to-view ZIP with an HTML index and requested images and videos. Choose JSON when a machine-readable format that may be easier to transfer to another service fits your workflow. Facebook says higher-quality videos make files larger, while exporting one type of information makes files smaller. Use Facebook's format guidance.
LinkedIn timing
LinkedIn says a specific type of data is emailed within minutes, while the larger download is emailed within 24 hours. The timing depends on what you request, so treat those as the documented expectations for the two request sizes rather than a universal completion guarantee. The download remains available for 72 hours after the requested archive email is sent. Check LinkedIn's timing and availability window.
Facebook timing and availability
The Facebook fact used here specifies that, once ready, an export is available for four days in the Available downloads section of the Export your information tool. It does not establish a single processing-time promise in the evidence used for this comparison. Download the archive during that four-day window. See Facebook's availability instruction.
A safer long-term preservation workflow
For ongoing protection, SocialGuardian describes its backups as automatic and daily rather than a one-time manual download.
SocialGuardian says it backs up content across Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X, Twitch, and Pinterest. Its homepage lists posts, photos, videos, reels and shorts, stories, captions and metadata, follower lists, following lists, and engagement among the content it protects. See what SocialGuardian protects.
Its onboarding uses a public profile handle or URL and says it does not ask for a password or login. The archive is described as private to the account, and the homepage says you can export it any time or download or restore it in one click. Start with a profile handle or URL.
Keep a current archive without repeating the export workflow. Add your Facebook or LinkedIn profile with just its handle or URL - no password or login - and keep daily backups available to export or restore. Start your 30-day free trial.
FAQ
How do I export my Facebook data?
On desktop, go to your profile picture > Settings & privacy > Settings > Meta Account > Your information and permissions > Export your information > Create export, select your profile, and choose Export to device. Facebook's official steps
How do I download my LinkedIn data?
On desktop, go to Me > Settings & Privacy > Data Privacy > Download your data, select categories, and click Request archive. LinkedIn says the feature is currently unavailable on mobile. LinkedIn's official steps
What does a Facebook data export include?
Facebook describes content and information you shared, your activity, and information Facebook collects. Available information differs between device and external-service exports, so the destination matters. Facebook's scope guidance
What does a LinkedIn data export include?
It includes categories applicable to your account and activities, but LinkedIn says it provides only your personal data. People You May Know and Who's Viewed Your Profile data are not provided. LinkedIn's scope guidance
How long does a Facebook data export take?
The evidence used here does not give a single Facebook processing-time estimate. It says that when the export is ready, it remains available for four days in Available downloads. Facebook's availability guidance
How long does a LinkedIn data export take?
LinkedIn says a specific data type is emailed within minutes and the larger download within 24 hours. The download link remains available for 72 hours after the archive email is sent. LinkedIn's timing guidance
Can I export Facebook messages, photos, and videos?
Facebook lets you choose specific information and says its HTML ZIP includes requested images and videos. The evidence used here does not promise a complete message-history export, so verify the information selected and inspect the result. Facebook's export guidance
Can I export LinkedIn connections and messages?
LinkedIn says the download contains your own personal data, but some connection email addresses may be missing because members control that privacy setting. The evidence used here does not promise a complete message-history export. LinkedIn's data-download guidance
Which format should I choose for a social-media data archive?
For Facebook, HTML is described as easy to view in a ZIP with an HTML index, while JSON is machine-readable and may be easier to transfer to another service. The saved LinkedIn guidance does not specify a matching format choice. Facebook's format guidance
