Can you find someones email on LinkedIn?

Quick Answer

Yes, it is possible to find someone’s email address on LinkedIn, but it requires a few extra steps compared to finding basic profile information. LinkedIn does not openly display member email addresses on profiles by default anymore due to privacy reasons. However, there are a couple ways you may be able to uncover a connection’s email if you need it for professional reasons:

• If you are a 1st-degree connection with someone, you can send them an InMail message directly through LinkedIn. This will share your email address with them, and prompt them to reply if they wish, revealing their email to you.
• You can look for the member’s email in their contact info section, Skills section, or listed elsewhere in their profile if they have chosen to include it publicly.
• You may be able to uncover their email through LinkedIn Sales Navigator advanced search filters or Google search tricks.

But in general, LinkedIn is moving away from public email addresses in favor of maintaining privacy and building connections through the platform itself. Proactively reaching out via InMail is the main way LinkedIn now expects members to initiate contact.

InMail for 1st Degree Connections

If you are directly connected to someone on LinkedIn at the 1st degree level, the easiest way to potentially get their email address is by using LinkedIn’s InMail messaging system.

InMail acts like internal email just between LinkedIn members. When you send an InMail, your own email address is automatically included in the message.

So if you want to get someone’s email who you are already connected with, send them an InMail saying hello, and they will have your email when they receive the message.

This gives them the option to reply if they want to reveal their email address back to you and continue the conversation outside of LinkedIn.

The advantage of using InMail over trying to find their email address first is that it gives your connection notice, choice, and control in the process. They can decide if they feel comfortable sharing their private email back with you after receiving your introductory InMail note.

This avoids them feeling caught off guard by getting an unexpected email from you out of the blue if you had found their address another way. Using InMail establishes you are trying to reach them professionally for a relevant reason through the appropriate channel.

The downside is there is no guarantee your connection will reply with their email address. But InMail at least gives you a professional way to initiate the request through the LinkedIn platform as designed.

When You Need Direct Email Access

Some situations where you may want to reach a 1st degree connection directly via their private email include:

• Following up after meeting them in person
• Sending them a file, document, or other item not sharable through LinkedIn
• Asking detailed questions or having extended conversations better suited for email
• Establishing a connection outside of LinkedIn to nurture the relationship

As long as you are respectful in your InMail outreach, there are valid professional reasons for wanting to communicate via more direct email at times. Just recognize your connections are not obligated to provide their private address if they prefer keeping the relationship on LinkedIn only.

Publicly Displayed Email Addresses

While less common now, some LinkedIn members still choose to visibly display their email addresses on their profiles. Typically this is done in a few sections:

• Contact Info: The email may be listed along with phone numbers, LinkedIn profile URL, and other contact details.
• Skills: People sometimes write their emails in their skills section for easy contact.
• Summary or Experience: The email could be mentioned in the descriptive fields of their profile.

If you see an email openly available like this on someone’s profile, it’s generally okay to use it to get in touch for professional networking purposes.

Just be sure to introduce yourself appropriately in the message, explain where you found their info, and what your reason for connecting is. Don’t overuse public emails for things like marketing outreach or you could risk suspension.

But for reasonable professional contacts, visible emails in profiles signal the member is open to being reached at that address. Still start any correspondence politely, since not everyone checks their public email frequently.

Respect Privacy Choices

Bear in mind that many LinkedIn members purposefully keep their email addresses private or limited to certain groups like 1st-degree connections only. Everyone has different comfort levels for how public or protected they want their contact details.

Don’t attempt to scrape or harvest email addresses from LinkedIn en masse or use automated tools. This violates their Terms of Service.

Only use emails intended for public professional communication, and respect when your connections choose not to share their private addresses. Maintaining trust and transparency is crucial on networking platforms.

Sales Navigator and Google Search Tips

For 2nd and 3rd degree connections on LinkedIn who haven’t made their email address openly available, there are couple advanced tricks that may work to uncover it:

• LinkedIn Sales Navigator: This paid premium tool lets you use advanced filters and search operators to look for email addresses listed on other user’s profiles. You can search within company domains and other criteria to surface possible email formats.
• Google Search Operators: You can use commands like “email” or “contact” plus a person’s name and company in Google to dig for any online listings of their email address. But results will be spotty.

Use discretion if attempting these methods, as emails found through creative searching may still be meant for more limited professional circles than how you’d use them. Reaching out cold via email to someone you have no existing LinkedIn connection with is not ideal.

You’re better off sending InMails to establish a connection first before expecting access to private contact details. Be thoughtful about trying to obtain emails indirectly where the member hasn’t confirmed they want to connect with you yet.

How To Politely Ask for Email

If you need a contact’s email for legitimate professional reasons, but they haven’t shared it with you yet, the best practice is simply asking politely if they’d be willing to provide it. Here are some tips for how to do this respectfully:

• Use an initial InMail or phone call to explain who you are, your interest in connecting, and reason for wanting to follow up via email.
• Give them the choice to connect further on email or LinkedIn messaging.
• Thank them for considering sharing their private contact information if they agree.
• Only send relevant communications at reasonable intervals once you have someone’s email address.
• Offer to remove their email from your system anytime if they wish.

The vast majority of professionals will be understanding if your networking request is made courteously. Clearly convey why establishing an email connection would be mutually beneficial, not just a one-sided intrusion.

With the right tone, there are appropriate ways to request email access while still respecting boundaries. Just remember it should be the other member’s prerogative if they feel comfortable providing that private channel or not.

Conclusion

While LinkedIn has tightened up on openly displaying email addresses for all members, there are still selective ways to request and obtain someone’s contact information professionally. For 1st-degree connections, an introductory InMail is the most direct aboveboard method. For other contacts, search operators and considerate requests may work if done conscientiously.

Keep in mind that harassment or excessively scraping for emails can violate LinkedIn’s policies. Email outreach still requires building mutual interest in the relationship first. With the proper etiquette, you can productively exchange contact details while also respecting your connections’ preferences and privacy.

Key Takeaways

– Use LinkedIn InMail to request emails from 1st degree connections. Include your own email so they can optionally reply.

– Look for publicly displayed email addresses in the contact, skills, or profile sections.

– Advanced tactics like Sales Navigator and Google searches may surface emails, but treat ones not openly provided carefully.

– Ask politely through a message or call if you can follow up via email and explain why it would help connect.

– Never harvest LinkedIn emails en masse or force contact against preferences. Build mutual interest first.

In summary, with the right approach, you can obtain professional contacts’ email addresses on LinkedIn when needed. Just be thoughtful about privacy, transparency, and the relationship context when requesting access to this more personal channel.