Having recommendations on your LinkedIn profile can be a great way to showcase your skills, experience, and connections. However, there may be times when you want to hide a recommendation that was given to you on LinkedIn. Here are some quick answers to common questions about hiding LinkedIn recommendations:
Can I delete a recommendation on LinkedIn?
No, you cannot delete a recommendation that has been given to you on LinkedIn. The person who gave you the recommendation has the ability to withdraw it, but you cannot directly remove it from your profile.
Can I hide a recommendation on my LinkedIn profile?
Yes, you can choose to hide recommendations on your LinkedIn profile so they are not visible to others viewing your profile. To do this:
- Go to your profile page and click “View profile”
- Scroll down to the “Recommendations” section
- Hover over the recommendation you want to hide and click the “…” icon
- Select “Hide this recommendation”
This will prevent the recommendation from being seen by anyone viewing your profile. The recommendation is not deleted – it is just hidden from public view.
Is there a way to block someone from giving me a recommendation?
There is no direct way to block someone from giving you a recommendation on LinkedIn. Since you do not have to approve recommendations, anyone can write and publish one for you without review.
However, there are a few things you can do:
- Adjust your settings to only allow recommendations from people you are connected to.
- Be selective about who you connect with on LinkedIn.
- Hide any unwanted recommendations that get published.
While you cannot stop someone from writing a recommendation entirely, you can minimize the chances of getting one from someone you do not want by being choosy with your connections.
What happens when I hide a recommendation?
When you hide a recommendation on LinkedIn:
- The recommendation is no longer visible to anyone viewing your profile
- The recommendation still exists in LinkedIn’s system, it is just hidden
- The person who wrote the recommendation is not notified that you hid it
- You can unhide the recommendation later if you change your mind
Essentially, hiding a recommendation removes it from public view but does not delete it completely. It’s a simple way to control what recommendations are visible on your profile.
Can I replace a recommendation with a new one?
Unfortunately, there is no way to directly replace one recommendation with another on LinkedIn. Your options are:
- Hide the unwanted recommendation
- Ask the person who gave it to withdraw their recommendation
- Obtain a new recommendation from someone else covering similar skills/experience
You cannot swap out one recommendation for another outright. The best approach is to hide any recommendations you do not want visible and get new ones to take their place.
Should I notify someone if I hide their recommendation?
It’s not required to notify someone if you decide to hide their recommendation, but it can be considered good etiquette to let them know.
Some reasons you may want to notify them:
- To preserve the relationship if you think they may be offended.
- To explain why you felt it best to hide the recommendation.
- To thank them for taking the time to write it for you.
A simple message politely explaining your reasons for hiding the recommendation is all that’s needed. This can help maintain good relations even if you don’t want the recommendation on your profile.
What are the risks of hiding recommendations?
There are a few risks to be aware of when hiding LinkedIn recommendations:
- Damage to relationships – The person who wrote the recommendation may be offended if they discover you hid it. Notifying them can help mitigate this risk.
- Perception issues – Hiding too many recommendations may make your profile look questionable to some visitors.
- Loss of valuable content – If the recommendation contains important keywords or expertise, hiding it means losing out on that value.
As long as you hide recommendations judiciously, the risks are minimal. Having too many visible low-quality recommendations can be just as detrimental.
Can I unhide recommendations later?
Yes, you can unhide any recommendations that you previously hid at any time. To unhide a recommendation:
- Go to your LinkedIn profile and click “View profile”
- Scroll down and click “See hidden recommendations”
- Locate the recommendation you want to unhide and click “Unhide”
The recommendation will then be visible again on your profile to anyone viewing it. You can toggle recommendations back and forth from hidden to visible as needed.
Conclusion
While you cannot remove recommendations completely from your LinkedIn profile, hiding them is simple and effective. Just be mindful of how hiding recommendations might impact your relationships and perception by others. With some prudent management, you can curate the recommendations shown on your profile to best reflect your skills and experience.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Can I delete a recommendation on LinkedIn? | No, you cannot delete recommendations – only the person who gave it can withdraw it. |
| Can I hide recommendations I don’t want visible? | Yes, you can easily hide any recommendations on your profile. |
| Do I need to notify someone if I hide their recommendation? | No, but it’s polite to let them know your reasons for hiding it. |
| Can I replace a recommendation with a new one? | No, you cannot swap out recommendations. You’ll need to hide the unwanted one and get a new one. |
| Can I unhide recommendations later on? | Yes, you can unhide recommendations at any time to make them visible again. |
Key Takeaways
- You cannot delete recommendations on LinkedIn, only hide them from your profile view
- Anyone can give you a recommendation without approval, but you can hide the ones you don’t want seen
- Be thoughtful about hiding recommendations to avoid perception issues or relationship problems
- Unhide recommendations anytime you want to make them visible again
