LinkedIn is a popular social media platform used primarily for professional networking and career development. With over 740 million members worldwide, LinkedIn has become an invaluable tool for establishing connections, showcasing achievements, sharing content, and facilitating business opportunities.
However, as with any social media platform, questions around privacy and data sharing are common. In particular, many LinkedIn users wonder if everything they post on LinkedIn is visible to the public. The short answer is no—not all LinkedIn posts are public. But the specifics depend on a user’s account settings and the type of content being shared.
In this article, we’ll examine the factors that determine the visibility of LinkedIn posts. We’ll look at how account type, post content, and privacy settings control access and visibility. We’ll also provide some best practices around sharing on LinkedIn while maintaining your desired level of privacy.
LinkedIn Account Types
The first factor determining the visibility of LinkedIn posts is the type of account a user has. LinkedIn offers three main account types: Free, Premium, and Sales Navigator.
Free Accounts
All LinkedIn members start out with a free account. With a free account, some limitations exist around contacting others and accessing certain features. Importantly, though, posts made by free accounts are visible to the public by default. Anyone, even those without a LinkedIn account, can see posts made by free accounts.
Some exceptions exist, such as posts made exclusively to your connections rather than publicly. Still, most content shared by free accounts is accessible to the public since growing your network and establishing your professional brand are main goals of the platform.
Premium Accounts
LinkedIn Premium accounts unlock additional features such as viewing full profiles, sending unlimited messages, and seeing more data and analytics. Premium accounts still default to having public posts, with options to change visibility settings.
Upgrading to Premium allows for more control over your posts’ visibility. But posts are still public by default, searchable and viewable to anyone unless visibility is adjusted.
Sales Navigator Accounts
LinkedIn Sales Navigator accounts offer enhanced tools optimized for sales professionals. Features focus on finding prospects, establishing connections, and accessing research data.
Like Premium accounts, Sales Navigator accounts default to public posts unless visibility settings are changed. The main difference lies in the extra tools for searching, lead generation, and analytics.
In summary, the type of LinkedIn account you have does not inherently determine whether posts are public or private. All three account types—Free, Premium, and Sales Navigator—default to public visibility for posts unless settings are actively changed.
Post Content Types
In addition to account type, the specific content being posted also impacts visibility. LinkedIn allows users to share different types of posts, including:
– Standard text updates
– Articles
– Photos and images
– Videos
– Links
– Documents
– Presentations
– Events
– Polls
– Praise/Recommendations
The default visibility can vary slightly depending on the type of content being posted. For example, praise and recommendations posted to user profiles are only visible to direct connections in that user’s network. Event posts allow adjusting visibility depending on whether you want the event seen publicly or privately.
But in most cases, posts are public by default regardless of the content type. Standard text updates, articles, links, media, and documents all share publicly unless settings are changed. Even private messages between connections are visible to the broader network.
The main exception, again, is posts made specifically to your connections rather than publicly. So content type plays a secondary role—the primary visibility factor is whether the post is shared publicly to all LinkedIn members or exclusively to your private connections.
LinkedIn Privacy Settings
This brings us to the most important factor determining post visibility: privacy settings. While LinkedIn defaults to public posts for all users, the platform does allow adjusting post visibility in your account settings.
You can control visibility at two levels:
Account-Level Settings
In your overall account settings, you can change the default post visibility from public to connections-only. Doing this means any new posts you create will only be visible to your direct connections rather than publicly. You can toggle this setting on and off anytime.
Individual Post Settings
When creating an individual post, you can further customize the visibility. Even if your account is set to default public, you can still make a specific post visible only to your connections, or even a subset of connections like a particular group or individual. This gives you flexibility post-by-post.
Between your main account settings and the settings for individual posts, you have full control over post visibility and privacy. The key is being aware that LinkedIn defaults to public posts and proactively making adjustments as needed. Some tips for managing visibility include:
- Review your main account settings and decide whether to toggle to connections-only visibility as the default.
- When sharing individual posts, consciously evaluate the intended audience and modify visibility settings accordingly.
- Use LinkedIn Groups to share posts visible only to Group members rather than publicly.
- Be cautious about posting sensitive personal or company data publicly unless necessary.
- Periodically audit your posts’ visibility and make any needed changes.
Are All LinkedIn Posts Public? The Answer
In summary, while LinkedIn defaults to making posts public, users have options to control visibility and privacy. The key factors determining whether a post is public or private are:
- Account type: All accounts default to public posts.
- Content type: Most content shares publicly by default.
- Privacy settings: Users can adjust visibility at the account and post levels.
So are all LinkedIn posts public? The short answer is no—the visibility ultimately depends on each user’s specific sharing preferences and settings. Public visibility supports networking goals but should be balanced with privacy considerations. By understanding the visibility options, LinkedIn users can share thoughtfully and intentionally.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions about the visibility of LinkedIn posts:
Are posts visible to “anyone on the internet”?
Yes, when your account is set to default public visibility, anyone can find and view your posts through Google or LinkedIn search. They do not need a LinkedIn account to see public posts.
Can I change the visibility after posting?
Yes, you can edit the visibility of an existing post at any time, even changing it from public to connections-only after posting. Just access the post and adjust the visibility setting.
Do profile visits show who’s viewed my posts?
No, LinkedIn does not show who has viewed your posts or profile. You can see aggregate profile visit data but not which individuals saw your posts or profile specifically.
Can I share a post so only certain groups see it?
Yes, when posting you can designate visibility to only members of selected LinkedIn Groups you belong to, rather than all connections or publicly.
Is there a setting to always post privately?
Yes, in your account Privacy & Settings, you can toggle the default post visibility to be connections-only rather than public for all new posts.
Best Practices for LinkedIn Post Visibility
Here are some best practices as you consider the visibility of your LinkedIn posts:
- Review account and post settings periodically to ensure your desired privacy levels.
- Be selective when posting personal or sensitive company information publicly.
- Use LinkedIn Groups to share discussions privately with niche professional communities.
- When in doubt, post privately first then adjust to public visibility later if needed.
- Remember public posts can raise your professional profile but lack privacy control.
Conclusion
On LinkedIn, post visibility depends on account type, content type, and—most importantly—user privacy settings. While public posts are the LinkedIn default, users can control visibility at the account and post levels. Understanding these options allows professionals to share thoughtfully, network efficiently, and manage their professional brand and online privacy.