LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 740 million members worldwide. It allows professionals to connect with each other, share insights, find job opportunities and grow their careers. One of the key features of LinkedIn are LinkedIn Groups which allow members with similar interests and backgrounds to have discussions, share content and network. But an important question for many LinkedIn users is – are these group discussions private? Can what you post in a LinkedIn Group be seen by others outside that group? Let’s take a detailed look at how privacy works for LinkedIn Groups.
Are LinkedIn Groups public or private?
The short answer is that it depends on the type of LinkedIn Group. There are 3 types of groups on LinkedIn:
1. Public groups
Public groups on LinkedIn are open for anyone to join. All discussions and content shared in a public group is visible to anyone on LinkedIn regardless of whether they have joined the group or not. So public groups do not offer any privacy. Anything you post in a public group is visible to all 740+ million LinkedIn members.
2. Private groups
Private groups on the other hand are only open to members who have been approved by the group admin or manager. The content and discussions within a private group are only visible to members of that group. Private groups offer a closed setting for members to network and chat privately.
3. Hidden groups
Hidden groups are the most private. They are not searchable or visible to anyone other than members. The only way to join a hidden group is by invitation from existing members. Hidden groups offer the maximum privacy.
So in summary, public groups do not offer privacy, private groups offer some privacy restricted to members while hidden groups offer maximum privacy and are invisible to non members.
How to make a LinkedIn group private?
If you are the owner or manager of a LinkedIn group, you can easily make it private by following these steps:
- Go to your LinkedIn group page
- Click on the Manage icon on the right side
- Go to Settings
- Under Group Visibility, click on the dropdown and select “Private group”
- Click Save to make your group private
Once you make your group private, a notification will be sent to all members informing them about the change. Any new member requests will need to be approved by you before they can join and access the private discussions.
Who can see posts in a private LinkedIn group?
In a private LinkedIn group, posts are only visible to approved members of that group. Even if non-members are connected to members of the private group, they cannot see any of the discussions or content shared within the group without being approved members themselves.
However, there are some exceptions where LinkedIn may share some limited information outside a private group:
- LinkedIn shows nonspecific activity notifications like “John Doe is active in 7 groups” even if some groups are private.
- Group members’ names and profiles remain visible even to non members.
- Private group details like title, description and member count is publicly visible.
- Posts made under the Jobs, Recommendations and Promotions tabs in private groups are publicly visible.
But all other posts and discussions made directly within a private group remain hidden from non members.
Can search engines index private LinkedIn groups?
Private LinkedIn groups are not indexed by search engines like Google. So relevant keywords typed in search engines do not display private group posts in results. This adds another layer of privacy versus public groups.
However, there are two cases where some limited private group info may be indexed:
- The group name, description and member names may get indexed over time.
- Posts made under the Jobs, Recommendations and Promotions tabs can get indexed since they are publicly visible.
But the actual posts and discussions made within the private group itself are not indexed or searchable on Google to non-members.
How many LinkedIn groups can you create?
Free LinkedIn members can create a maximum of 30 groups.
Premium Business members can create up to 100 groups.
Sales Navigator Premium members have a limit of 250 groups.
So based on the type of LinkedIn account you have, you can create 30 to 250 groups. LinkedIn has imposed these group limits to prevent spam and abuse.
Within these limits, you can customize the privacy settings and create a mix of public, private and hidden groups as suitable for your needs.
Can you get removed from a private LinkedIn group?
Yes, the managers and owners of a private LinkedIn group can remove any member from the group at any time.
When you get removed from a private group, you will no longer be able to see any discussions or participate in that group.
Some common reasons for getting removed from private LinkedIn groups include:
- Violating group rules or posting inappropriate content
- Spamming – aggressively promoting your company or products
- Excessive self-promotion instead of meaningful participation
- Negative or abusive comments and behavior
- Competing or poaching – soliciting employees from other group member companies
To avoid getting removed, contribute valuable insights, be helpful, post relevant content and follow the group rules. Even if you get removed, you can request re-admission after a few months unless you severely violated LinkedIn norms.
Can a private LinkedIn group be reported?
Yes, if any member finds objectionable content or discussions within a private LinkedIn group, they can report the group as follows:
- Go to the private group’s page
- Click on the More actions button
- Select Report group
- Choose the problematic content you want to report
- Submit your feedback to LinkedIn
LinkedIn moderators will review the report and take appropriate action on the group or members based on their community guidelines.
Pros of private LinkedIn groups
Here are some of the main advantages of private LinkedIn groups versus public groups:
- Discussions are restricted only to vetted members of the industry or niche
- More opportunity for confidential discussions, sharing insights, advice
- Members open to networking more freely and sharing useful resources privately
- Debate and conversations can be more open and honest
- Private groups allow focused development of a close-knit community
- Members motivated to participate more actively in a private setting
For niche industries and special interests, a private LinkedIn group can foster rich member participation and a valuable exchange of ideas between peers in a trusted environment.
Cons of private LinkedIn groups
There are also some limitations to keep in mind about private LinkedIn groups:
- Not discoverable or searchable unless you already know it exists
- Smaller network of members than public groups
- Need admin approval to join unlike public groups
- Restricts wider sharing of insights with professionals outside the niche
- Private information shared within the group could get leaked
- Inactivity if members do not actively participate
Private groups may not grow or engage members as easily as public groups. But active member interaction can overcome these limitations to benefit from privacy.
Conclusion
To summarize, private LinkedIn groups offer members a closed space to have focused discussions within their industry or interest niche. All content is hidden from non-members unlike public groups that are openly searchable. As an owner or member of a private LinkedIn group, you need to be careful about disclosing confidential information since privacy concerns still exist. But private groups enable richer member interactions and trusted networking not possible in larger public groups. Understanding how privacy works is key to using LinkedIn groups effectively either for business, career or personal goals.
