LinkedIn badges are a great way to showcase your skills, interests, and achievements on your profile. But who can actually see the badges you’ve earned? Here’s what you need to know about the visibility settings for LinkedIn badges.
What are LinkedIn badges?
LinkedIn badges are icons that appear on your profile and recognize your professional skills, knowledge, and experience. There are several types of badges you can earn:
- Skill badges – Verify your skills in areas like marketing, leadership, and more
- Course badges – Show you’ve completed LinkedIn Learning courses and tutorials
- Event badges – Display your participation in LinkedIn events and webinars
- Organization badges – Represent organizations you support or volunteer with
- Publication badges – Recognize you as the author of published articles and posts
- Project badges – Showcase projects you’ve worked on
Badges serve as visual evidence that you actually have these skills, achievements, and experiences. They go beyond just listing skills on your profile – the badges prove you have them!
Are my LinkedIn badges public?
By default, the badges displayed on your LinkedIn profile are visible to anyone who views your profile. There’s no way to make them completely private so only you can see them.
However, you do have some control over badge visibility:
- You can choose which badges are shown on your profile and in what order. So you can hide badges you don’t want public.
- Your 1st-level connections see all badges on your profile. But 2nd and 3rd-level connections will only see your top 3 badges.
- When you earn a new badge, you can decide whether to display it on your profile or keep it hidden.
So in summary, your LinkedIn badges are visible to anyone who views your profile, but you control which ones are displayed.
Who can see my LinkedIn badges?
Here’s a more detailed look at who can see your badges on LinkedIn and how much of your badge list they can access:
| Connection Level | Badge Visibility |
|---|---|
| 1st-level connections | Can see all badges earned |
| 2nd and 3rd-level connections | Can only see your top 3 badges |
| General public/website visitors | Can see badges you choose to display |
So your closest network on LinkedIn has the most visibility. As the connection level gets further from you, badge visibility decreases.
1st-level LinkedIn connections
Your 1st-level connections, meaning people you’re directly connected with, have the greatest access to your badges. They can see your entire badge list, regardless of which ones you showcase on your profile.
The only way to limit a 1st-level connection’s badge visibility is to disconnect from them on LinkedIn. That moves them down to being a 2nd or 3rd-level connection.
2nd and 3rd-level LinkedIn connections
For 2nd and 3rd-level connections on LinkedIn, the badge visibility is more restricted. These connections, who are further out in your extended network, can only see the top 3 badges displayed on your profile.
They do not have access to your full badge list. This gives you more control over what badges are visible to your outer network circles.
General public/website visitors
When someone from the general public views your LinkedIn profile, they will only see the badges you choose to showcase on your profile. This public visibility setting gives you the most control.
You can selectively choose a few badges that are relevant or impressive to display. And you can hide any badges that you don’t want the general public to see.
How to control badge visibility on your LinkedIn profile
As you earn more LinkedIn badges, here are some tips for managing which ones are displayed on your profile:
- Edit the showcase on your profile – Choose your top skills, achievements, etc. to display
- Re-order badges by dragging and dropping them
- Hide badges by clicking the X icon next to them
- When earning a new badge, choose “Don’t display on profile”
- Disconnect from 1st-level connections to make them 2nd-level connections
Controlling your badge visibility takes some ongoing profile management. But it helps present your best professional image to your network circles and the public.
Conclusion
LinkedIn badges provide a powerful way to showcase your skills, knowledge, and experience to your professional connections. While the badges aren’t completely private, you do have options to control visibility.
Your closest 1st-level connections have the most visibility and can see all of your badges. For 2nd and 3rd-level connections, it’s just top 3 badges. And you have full control over which badges the general public sees.
With some strategic profile management, you can use LinkedIn badges to put your best foot forward and strengthen your professional brand.
