AI replies on LinkedIn with your own API key
Draft a message, a connection note or a comment reply that actually refers to the person's profile, without copying it into a chatbot.
Published
The short answer
ShroomPen is a free Chrome extension that writes LinkedIn messages, connection notes and comment replies in LinkedIn's own text boxes. It reads the profile or post you are looking at, sends it with your instruction to a model you connect (your own OpenRouter, OpenAI, Anthropic or Gemini key, or a local model), and inserts a draft you can edit. It never posts or sends on its own.
Set it up and write a message
Install ShroomPen and connect a model
Add ShroomPen to Chrome, press Ctrl+Q on any page, accept the data disclosure and connect OpenRouter, OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini or a local server.
Get ShroomPen from the Chrome Web Store. The provider setup guide explains each provider. OpenRouter's free models are enough for short messages.
Open the profile or post
Go to the LinkedIn profile, post or conversation you want to answer, and click into the message, note or comment box.
Open ShroomPen
Press Ctrl+Q. With Current page on, ShroomPen reads the profile sections or the post on screen. On a profile it scrolls through the page briefly to load the sections, then returns you to where you were.
You can also use the small helper next to the text box: Reply writes an answer, Rewrite and Fix Grammar rework what you typed, and Translate changes its language.
Say what you want
Type an instruction such as "Short connection note, mention their move to product design, no flattery" and press Enter.
Review and insert
Edit the draft, then choose Insert draft. ShroomPen fills the box and never posts or sends anything.
Why it reads profiles better than copy and paste
LinkedIn loads profile sections only as you scroll. On a profile page, ShroomPen scrolls through the profile in a few quick steps until the sections have loaded, then scrolls back. It then gathers the sections in a fixed order: profile summary, About, Featured, Activity, Experience, Education, Licenses and certifications, Volunteering, Skills, Recommendations, Courses, Languages and Causes. The model gets a tidy profile instead of a page of menus and ads.
On a post, a feed or a message thread, it reads the visible text on the page like on any other site.
Good uses
- Connection notes that mention something specific from the person's experience.
- Replies to recruiter messages, with your own notes about what you are looking for kept in a Workspace.
- Thoughtful comments on a post, in your own tone, that answer what the post actually says.
- Rewriting your own post draft to be shorter, or translating it.
Privacy
ShroomPen asks for consent before it reads any page. The profile text and your instruction go straight from your browser to the provider you connected, and nowhere else. ShroomPen has no server, no account and no extension analytics. With a local model, the text stays on your computer. See the privacy policy for exact details.
Limits
- ShroomPen reads what LinkedIn has rendered. If a section is hidden behind "Show more" or not loaded, it may be missing.
- The profile scan moves the page for a moment. That is expected.
- It has no LinkedIn account connection and uses no LinkedIn API.
Related pages
Questions
Is there a LinkedIn AI reply extension that uses my own API key?
Yes. ShroomPen is a free Chrome extension that drafts LinkedIn messages, notes and comments with your own OpenRouter, OpenAI, Anthropic or Gemini key, or a local model through Ollama or LM Studio.
What does ShroomPen read on a LinkedIn profile?
The profile summary and the sections LinkedIn shows, such as About, Featured, Activity, Experience, Education, Skills and Recommendations, in that order, up to 12,000 characters. It reads only when you ask for a draft with Current page switched on.
Does ShroomPen post, like or send messages automatically?
No. It only inserts text into the box you are typing in. You decide whether to send it.
Does it store the profiles I look at?
No. Page text is used for the request you make and is not saved, unless you explicitly save a tab to a Workspace. ShroomPen has no server, so nothing is collected by ShroomPen.