A candidate pipeline is a structured list of people moving through defined recruiting stages, from initial sourcing to interview, offer, hire, rejection, or future consideration.
You can manage a small recruiting pipeline in Excel, Google Sheets, an Applicant Tracking System, LinkedIn Recruiter, or a dedicated candidate relationship management tool. The best option depends on the number of candidates, recruiters, roles, and workflow steps involved.
This guide explains how to build a candidate pipeline, which columns to include in an Excel template, how to export candidate lists from LinkedIn Recruiter and other recruiting systems, and when a spreadsheet is no longer sufficient.
Candidate Pipeline Template for Excel
A useful candidate pipeline spreadsheet should track both the candidate’s profile information and their current position in the hiring process.
Start with columns such as:
| Column | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Candidate ID | Unique internal reference | CAND-00124 |
| Full Name | Candidate identification | Maria Santos |
| Current Title | Current professional role | Senior Backend Engineer |
| Current Company | Current employer | Example Technologies |
| Location | Candidate location or time zone | Madrid, Spain |
| Professional contact address where legitimately obtained | maria@example.com | |
| Phone | Direct contact number where appropriate | +34 600 000 000 |
| Profile URL | Source or professional profile link | https://example.com/profile |
| Source | Where the candidate was found | Referral, GitHub, Job Board |
| Role | Vacancy or talent pool | Backend Engineer |
| Pipeline Stage | Current recruiting status | Screening |
| Date Added | When the candidate entered the pipeline | 2026-06-14 |
| Last Contacted | Most recent communication date | 2026-06-18 |
| Next Action | Required follow-up | Schedule technical interview |
| Owner | Responsible recruiter | Adriaan |
| Skills | Relevant qualifications | Node.js, PostgreSQL, AWS |
| Salary Expectation | Compensation information where appropriate | €75,000 |
| Availability | Notice period or start date | One month |
| Consent or Notice Status | Privacy and communication record | Privacy notice sent |
| Notes | Relevant recruiting context | Strong distributed-systems experience |
Keep the spreadsheet focused. Do not collect information that is irrelevant to the vacancy or inappropriate for hiring decisions.
How to Build a Candidate Pipeline Step by Step
Step 1: Define the Hiring Need
Before collecting candidate profiles, define the role clearly.
Document:
- Required skills
- Preferred experience
- Location or remote-work requirements
- Seniority
- Language requirements
- Salary range
- Availability expectations
- Disqualifying criteria
This becomes the basis for sourcing, evaluation, and pipeline stages.
Step 2: Define the Pipeline Stages
A simple recruiting pipeline might use:
- Sourced: Identified but not yet reviewed.
- Qualified: Appears to meet the basic criteria.
- Contacted: Initial outreach has been sent.
- Responded: Candidate has replied.
- Screening: Recruiter conversation is scheduled or completed.
- Interview: Candidate is in the formal interview process.
- Assessment: Technical test, case study, or evaluation is underway.
- Offer: An offer has been made.
- Hired: The candidate accepted.
- Rejected: The candidate was not selected.
- Withdrawn: The candidate left the process.
- Future Consideration: Strong candidate for a later vacancy.
Do not create too many stages. Each stage should represent a meaningful change in status or ownership.
Step 3: Identify Candidate Sources
Potential sources include:
- Employee referrals
- Job applicants
- LinkedIn Recruiter
- GitHub
- Portfolio websites
- Professional communities
- Conference speaker pages
- University or research directories
- Company alumni networks
- Industry associations
- Previous applicants
Review the terms, privacy expectations, and permitted use of every source.
Step 4: Add Candidates to the Pipeline
You can enter candidates manually, import a file from another recruiting system, use an official export, or extract structured information from an appropriate public webpage.
For each candidate, retain:
- The source
- The source URL
- The date added
- The role or talent pool
- The current pipeline stage
- The responsible recruiter
- The next required action
Step 5: Qualify and Prioritize Candidates
Use consistent criteria rather than relying on vague impressions.
For example, score or label candidates according to:
- Required skill match
- Relevant years of experience
- Industry experience
- Location compatibility
- Salary alignment
- Availability
- Communication status
- Interest level
A spreadsheet can use separate columns, drop-down values, or a simple qualification score.
Step 6: Set a Next Action for Every Active Candidate
An active candidate record should always answer:
- What happens next?
- Who is responsible?
- When should it happen?
Without a next action and date, candidates tend to remain inactive in the pipeline.
How to Export LinkedIn Recruiter Projects to Excel
LinkedIn Recruiter provides several official export options, but the process differs depending on whether you are exporting project pipeline profiles, job applicants, recruiting reports, or candidates directly to an ATS.
Export Profiles From a LinkedIn Recruiter Project
For profiles saved in a Recruiter project:
- Open the relevant project in LinkedIn Recruiter.
- Select Pipeline.
- Select the candidate profiles you want to export.
- Choose Save to CSV.
- Open the downloaded CSV in Excel.
The project CSV can include information such as:
- Name
- Location
- Current title
- Current company
- Projects
- Pipeline stages
- Feedback
LinkedIn states that only contact information entered by a recruiter is included in this CSV. Contact information entered by the LinkedIn member is not automatically included.
Selection and export limits may apply, so review LinkedIn’s current Recruiter Help documentation before relying on the workflow for a large project.
Export LinkedIn Job Applicants to XLSX
For applicants collected through LinkedIn Recruiter, the Applicants tab may offer an Export all to XLSX option or allow a selected group of applicants to be exported.
This applicant export is different from exporting profiles from a general Recruiter project pipeline.
Use the applicant XLSX export when you need to review job applicants in Excel rather than sourced profiles saved in a project.
Export LinkedIn Recruiter Metrics
LinkedIn Recruiter reports can be exported separately from candidate profiles.
Depending on the available report and account permissions, exported metrics may include:
- Pipeline activity
- Project performance
- Job activity
- InMail usage
- Recruiter usage
- Application activity
Do not mix a candidate-profile export with a recruiting-metrics export. They serve different purposes and usually contain different fields.
Export Candidates Directly to an ATS
Some LinkedIn Recruiter contracts support direct candidate export to a connected ATS or CRM through LinkedIn’s integration features.
The available fields depend partly on the ATS integration. Direct export may include:
- First name
- Last name
- Profile URL
- Headline
- Location
- Source
- Recruiter-entered notes
- Additional experience or skill data where supported
When an official ATS integration is available, it may be preferable to downloading a spreadsheet and importing it manually.
LinkedIn Recruiter Export Limitations
A LinkedIn Recruiter export is not necessarily a complete copy of every visible profile field.
Important limitations include:
- Different export types include different fields.
- Member-entered contact details may not be included.
- Recruiter-entered notes may be tied to a particular project.
- Selection limits may apply.
- Some export features depend on contract type or ATS integration.
- Reports and candidate exports are separate.
- Applicants and sourced profiles may use different export formats.
Review the exported file before using it as a system of record.
How to Build a Recruiting Pipeline in Excel
Excel works well for a small recruiting operation when the spreadsheet is structured consistently.
Create a Controlled Pipeline Stage Column
Use Excel Data Validation to create a drop-down list containing approved stages:
- Sourced
- Qualified
- Contacted
- Screening
- Interview
- Assessment
- Offer
- Hired
- Rejected
- Withdrawn
- Future Consideration
This prevents inconsistent entries such as “Interview,” “Interviewing,” and “Interview Stage” from appearing as separate values.
Use a Separate Sheet for Reference Values
Create a reference sheet containing:
- Pipeline stages
- Recruiter names
- Job titles
- Locations
- Candidate sources
- Rejection reasons
- Skill categories
Use those lists for drop-down validation in the main pipeline sheet.
Freeze the Header Row
Freeze the first row so column names remain visible while scrolling through the candidate list.
Convert the Range Into an Excel Table
An Excel table adds:
- Automatic filters
- Structured formatting
- Expanding formulas
- Easier pivot-table creation
- More reliable sorting
Use Conditional Formatting
Useful rules include:
- Highlight overdue next-action dates.
- Mark candidates without an owner.
- Flag active candidates with no recent contact.
- Highlight offers awaiting a response.
- Identify duplicate email addresses or profile URLs.
Recommended Candidate Pipeline Spreadsheet Structure
| Section | Recommended Columns |
|---|---|
| Identity | Candidate ID, Full Name, Profile URL |
| Professional Information | Current Title, Current Company, Location, Skills |
| Contact | Email, Phone, Preferred Channel |
| Recruiting Context | Role, Source, Recruiter, Date Added |
| Pipeline Management | Stage, Last Contacted, Next Action, Next Action Date |
| Evaluation | Qualification Score, Interview Feedback, Rejection Reason |
| Offer and Hire | Offer Date, Offer Status, Start Date |
| Privacy and Retention | Source Date, Notice Status, Retention Review Date |
| Internal Context | Tags, Notes, Hiring Manager Comments |
Source and Capture Candidates From Multiple Websites
Strong candidates are not limited to one platform. Depending on the role, relevant professional information may appear on:
- GitHub contributor pages
- Company team pages
- Research institution directories
- Conference speaker pages
- Professional association websites
- Portfolio platforms
- Industry-specific communities
- Public candidate directories
Every source has its own policies and expectations. Use official exports and APIs where available, and do not assume that a visible profile can be collected or reused without review.
Using ProfileSpider for Candidate Research
ProfileSpider can help extract and organize professional information from appropriate public webpages opened in Chrome.
Depending on the source page, it may extract:
- Name
- Job title
- Company
- Location
- Biography or description
- Profile URL
- Website
- Visible email address
- Phone number
- Social links
- Source URL
ProfileSpider extracts information available in the loaded page document. It does not guarantee that every field will be found or accurate, and important candidate information should be checked against the source.
Current-Page Extraction, Not Automatic Multi-Page Crawling
ProfileSpider extracts the current page. It does not automatically crawl every page of a search result or process hundreds of URLs in the background.
When results span several pages:
- Open the first page.
- Load the required records.
- Run the extraction.
- Save the records to a list.
- Navigate to the next page.
- Run a separate extraction.
This is different from the original article’s claim that ProfileSpider performs multi-page and batch scraping automatically.
Organize Candidates Before Exporting
A useful candidate database needs more than names and profile links.
Organize candidates by:
- Vacancy
- Department
- Seniority
- Location
- Skill set
- Availability
- Pipeline stage
- Qualification status
- Future hiring potential
Use Lists for Broad Groups
Example lists include:
- Backend Engineer — Active Search
- Barcelona Product Designers
- Future Engineering Managers
- Previous Finalists
- Conference Speakers — AI
- Referral Candidates
Use Tags for Attributes
Example tags include:
PythonReactRemoteRelocationSeniorAvailable SoonNeeds ReviewContactedSilver Medalist
Use Notes Carefully
Notes should remain factual, professional, and relevant to the recruiting process.
Avoid recording:
- Unverified assumptions
- Discriminatory observations
- Medical information
- Family information
- Political or religious views
- Irrelevant personal details
How to Export a Candidate Pipeline to Excel With ProfileSpider
ProfileSpider supports export as:
- Excel
- CSV
- JSON
On the Profiles page, users can export all columns or only the currently visible columns.
Prepare the List Before Export
Before downloading the file:
- Review duplicate records.
- Confirm source URLs.
- Check names, companies, and titles.
- Remove irrelevant fields.
- Review notes and tags.
- Confirm that personal data is necessary for the recruiting purpose.
Choose the Right Columns
For an ATS import, you may need:
- First Name
- Last Name
- Phone
- Current Title
- Current Company
- Location
- Profile URL
- Source
- Notes
For a hiring-manager review, you may need only:
- Name
- Current Title
- Current Company
- Location
- Profile URL
- Skills
- Recruiter Notes
ProfileSpider allows custom export header labels, but those labels are stored as one browser-level setting rather than separately for every list or client.
Check the ATS Import Requirements
Before importing:
- Download the ATS sample template where available.
- Match the required column names.
- Separate first and last name if required.
- Use the expected date format.
- Remove unsupported columns.
- Confirm whether duplicate candidates will be updated or rejected.
- Test with a small file first.
How to Maintain a Recruitment Database in Excel
A spreadsheet requires active maintenance.
Weekly Tasks
- Review overdue next actions.
- Assign candidates without an owner.
- Update stages after interviews.
- Remove duplicate records.
- Check candidates with no recent communication.
- Review outstanding offers.
Monthly Tasks
- Archive closed vacancies.
- Review future-consideration candidates.
- Delete information no longer needed.
- Check pipeline conversion rates.
- Review source quality.
- Back up the approved file securely.
Avoid Multiple Uncontrolled Copies
One of Excel’s biggest recruiting risks is version fragmentation.
Problems appear when recruiters create files such as:
- pipeline-final.xlsx
- pipeline-final-v2.xlsx
- pipeline-updated-june.xlsx
- pipeline-with-notes.xlsx
Use one controlled master file, limited edit permissions, clear ownership, and version history through an approved shared-storage system.
Analyze Recruiting Metrics in Excel
An Excel pipeline can support basic recruiting analysis when dates and stages are maintained consistently.
Useful Recruiting Metrics
| Metric | What It Measures | Required Data |
|---|---|---|
| Candidates Sourced | Total candidates added during a period | Date Added |
| Source Conversion | Which sources produce qualified or hired candidates | Source, Stage, Hire Status |
| Stage Conversion | Percentage moving from one stage to another | Pipeline Stage history |
| Time to Contact | Time between sourcing and first outreach | Date Added, First Contact Date |
| Time to Fill | Time between opening a role and accepted offer | Role Open Date, Offer Accepted Date |
| Offer Acceptance Rate | Accepted offers divided by total offers | Offer Status |
| Candidate Drop-Off | Where candidates leave the process | Stage, Withdrawal or Rejection Reason |
| Recruiter Workload | Active candidates assigned to each recruiter | Owner, Active Stage |
Use Pivot Tables
Pivot tables can summarize:
- Candidates by stage
- Candidates by recruiter
- Candidates by source
- Candidates by vacancy
- Candidates by month added
- Hires by source
- Rejections by reason
Recruiting metrics are only reliable when stage updates, dates, and outcomes are recorded consistently.
When Excel Is No Longer Enough
Excel can work well for an individual recruiter or a small team. It becomes difficult when the process requires real-time collaboration, automation, detailed permissions, communication history, interview scheduling, or compliance workflows.
Signs You Need an ATS or Recruiting CRM
- Several recruiters edit the file simultaneously.
- Candidates appear in multiple vacancies.
- Interviewers need controlled access.
- Communication history is fragmented across inboxes.
- Follow-ups are regularly missed.
- Duplicate candidate records are common.
- Recruiting reports require heavy manual preparation.
- Privacy requests cannot be handled reliably.
- There is no clear audit trail.
- Spreadsheet errors affect active hiring decisions.
Excel vs. ATS vs. Recruiting CRM
| System | Best For | Main Strength | Main Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excel or Google Sheets | Small teams and simple pipelines | Flexible and familiar | Weak workflow controls and collaboration |
| ATS | Formal hiring processes and job applicants | Applications, interviews, offers, and compliance workflows | May be less effective for long-term passive sourcing |
| Recruiting CRM | Executive search, staffing, and proactive talent pools | Relationship management and long-term pipelines | Additional cost and implementation effort |
| LinkedIn Recruiter Projects | LinkedIn-based sourcing workflows | Native LinkedIn search and project stages | Export fields and external workflow flexibility are limited |
Candidate Data Privacy and Retention
Candidate information may be personal data even when it comes from a public professional source.
Your recruiting workflow should define:
- Why the candidate data is being processed
- The source of the information
- The lawful basis where applicable
- When the candidate is informed
- Who can access the record
- How long the information is retained
- How candidates can request correction or deletion
Do not keep rejected or unresponsive candidates indefinitely without a documented reason.
ProfileSpider Storage
Saved ProfileSpider profiles, lists, tags, and notes are stored locally in the browser’s IndexedDB.
Account, billing, credits, teams, AI extraction, enrichment, and email-finding functions use backend or third-party services where required.
Because the candidate lists are stored locally:
- Clearing browser data can remove them.
- Uninstalling the extension can remove them.
- Exports are the primary backup method.
- Anyone with access to the browser profile may access the saved records.
Secure exported candidate files and delete them when they are no longer required.
Common Questions About Candidate Pipelines and Excel Exports
Can LinkedIn Recruiter projects be exported to Excel?
LinkedIn Recruiter project pipeline profiles can be exported as CSV and then opened in Excel. LinkedIn also provides XLSX export for certain job-applicant workflows. The exact export method and fields depend on the part of Recruiter being used.
How do I export candidates from LinkedIn Recruiter?
Open the relevant project, select Pipeline, choose the required profiles, and use Save to CSV. For job applicants, use the applicant export options available in the Applicants tab.
Does a LinkedIn Recruiter CSV contain candidate email addresses?
LinkedIn states that only recruiter-entered contact information is included in project CSV exports. Contact information entered by the LinkedIn member is not automatically included.
Can I export recruiting metrics from LinkedIn Recruiter?
Yes. Recruiter reporting provides separate CSV export options for eligible reports. These reports are different from candidate-profile exports.
What is the best candidate pipeline template for Excel?
Use columns for candidate identity, source, role, pipeline stage, recruiter, dates, next action, skills, contact information, evaluation, outcome, and privacy or retention status.
Can Excel replace an ATS?
Excel can manage a small and relatively simple pipeline. It is not a strong replacement when you need workflow automation, permissions, audit trails, candidate communication history, interview coordination, or complex reporting.
Can ProfileSpider export candidate lists to Excel?
Yes. ProfileSpider supports Excel, CSV, and JSON export. Users can export all columns or only visible columns.
Can ProfileSpider scrape every page of a candidate search automatically?
No. ProfileSpider extracts the current page. When results span multiple pages, navigate to each page and run another extraction.
Does ProfileSpider integrate directly with every ATS?
No. Export the candidate list and import it through the ATS’s supported CSV or Excel workflow unless a separate integration exists.
Is candidate data from public websites automatically free to use?
No. Public visibility does not automatically remove privacy, contractual, intellectual-property, platform-policy, or recruitment-compliance obligations.