Getting admin rights to a LinkedIn company page when the original admin is no longer available can be challenging, but there are a few potential solutions. The key is proving to LinkedIn that you have the authority to take over the account on behalf of the company.
Try contacting LinkedIn support
The first step is to contact LinkedIn customer support and explain the situation. You’ll need to provide information to prove you have the authority to take over the account, such as:
- Your official company email address
- Documentation showing your official role or title at the company
- Domain name records confirming the company owns the website domain
- Legal documentation such as articles of incorporation showing the business entity
LinkedIn support can review this information and transfer admin rights if you can sufficiently prove you have the authority to manage the company page. However, their requirements may vary on a case-by-case basis.
Have a current admin add you
If there are any other existing admins on the account, they have the ability to add you as a new admin. Current admins can go to the account settings and add your LinkedIn profile as an additional account admin.
This option only works if there is still at least one active admin on the account. If the original admin was the only admin and is no longer available, this won’t be an option.
Prove you own the website domain
LinkedIn may be willing to transfer admin rights if you can prove you have control of the website domain associated with that company page. Steps to show this include:
- Gain access to the domain registrar account and DNS records for the company website.
- Update the domain WHOIS record to list your name and contact info as the registrant.
- Add a verification metatag or DNS text record that LinkedIn can detect.
- Point the website to a temporary placeholder page with your ownership info.
With control of the domain, you may be able to convince LinkedIn support to grant you admin access to the associated company page. However, they may still be hesitant to transfer rights if there are concerns about fraudulent access to the domain.
Merge with an existing company page
If you already manage a separate LinkedIn company page for the same business, you may be able to merge the two pages together and become the admin for both in the process. To do this:
- From your existing company page, go to Manage Company Pages.
- Click Merge With Another Company Page.
- Enter the name of the company page you want to merge.
- Send a merge request and LinkedIn will review.
- If approved, you become the admin for both company pages.
This gives you admin access to the other page, but it does eliminate one of the company pages in the process. So it should only be done if you’re comfortable merging the two accounts together under one page.
Request a court order
If you’ve exhausted all other options, the last resort may be taking legal action to get a court order to gain access to the company page. The steps would involve:
- Filing a lawsuit against LinkedIn to gain access to the page.
- Serving LinkedIn with the lawsuit through official legal means.
- Proving to the court you have the right to manage the company page.
- Obtaining a signed court order instructing LinkedIn to grant you admin access.
- Serving the court order to LinkedIn through proper legal channels.
Once LinkedIn receives a valid court order mandating them to allow you access, they would very likely comply rather than fight the order. However, legal action can be time-consuming and expensive, so it should only be pursued if absolutely necessary.
Conclusion
In summary, these are some potential options to gain admin rights to a LinkedIn company page when the original admin is not available:
- Contact LinkedIn support with proof of authority
- Have another admin add you
- Prove control of the domain
- Merge pages if you have a separate existing page
- Pursue legal court order as a last resort
The best approach depends on your specific situation. Focus first on providing LinkedIn with solid evidence you have the right to manage the company presence on their platform. With the right documentation and persistence, you hopefully can convince them to grant you admin access without needing to go the legal route.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I prove I have the authority to take over a LinkedIn company page?
Some ways to prove authority include providing your official company email address, documentation showing your role/title, legal paperwork showing the business entity, domain name records, website verification metatags, and anything else that shows you have the right to manage pages for that company.
What if I don’t have the company website or domain?
If you don’t have control of the company website, focus on providing LinkedIn with official documentation that proves your status as an authorized representative of the company. Legal paperwork, trademarks, business licenses, and corporate bylaws can help establish this.
Can I just create a new company page instead?
LinkedIn typically only allows one page per unique company entity. Creating a duplicate company page could violate their terms and risk getting both pages shut down. It’s better to pursue admin access to the existing page when possible.
What information does LinkedIn need for a court order?
The court order should clearly identify the specific LinkedIn page URL, the company entity, your full name and contact details, and direct LinkedIn to grant you admin access to that page. LinkedIn’s legal team can then verify and comply with the order.
How much does getting a court order usually cost?
The cost can vary greatly based on your legal representation and location, but generally expect at minimum thousands of dollars in legal fees to pursue a court order. The process often takes several weeks or longer as well.
Key Takeaways
- Contact LinkedIn support with proof you manage the company to request admin access
- See if any current admins can add you to the page
- Show control of the company website domain
- Merge with existing page if possible
- Court order is expensive but forces LinkedIn to comply
Table of Different Ways to Gain Admin Access
| Method | Overview | Things Needed | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|---|
| LinkedIn Support | Contact customer service, provide proof of authority | Company documentation, email, legal papers | 1-2 weeks |
| Current Admin | Have existing admin add you | Access to current admin | Instant |
| Domain Control | Update domain records and DNS | Domain registrar access | 1-2 weeks |
| Page Merge | Merge pages if you have existing page | Access to other page | 1 week |
| Court Order | Pursue legal action as last resort | Lawyer, legal fees | 1-2 months |
Example Email to LinkedIn Support
Here is an example email you could send to LinkedIn customer support to request admin access to a company page:
Subject: Requesting Admin Access to [Company Name] Page
Dear LinkedIn Support,
I am requesting admin access to the LinkedIn company page for [company name and URL]. I am the [your position] for [company name] but our only previous admin left the company and is unreachable.
I have attached documentation proving my status as [position] at [company name], including my official company email signature, business cards, corporate directory listing, and a letter from our HR department. I also have access to our website domain registrar account and can provide verification of our company’s ownership of the website domain, as well as add any verification metatags or DNS records you need.
Please let me know if you need any additional information to prove my admin authority for this company page. I would be happy to provide any other documentation needed to establish I have the right to manage our LinkedIn presence.
Thank you for your assistance with granting me admin access to this page. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your title]
[Company name]
Be sure to provide as much relevant documentation as possible to support your admin access request. The more proof you can provide to LinkedIn, the better chance they will approve you taking over the company page.
Downloading Data from a LinkedIn Company Page
If you do gain admin access to a LinkedIn company page, you may want to download data from the page such as connections, posts, analytics etc. Here are some ways to download data from a LinkedIn company page:
Page analytics
You can export analytics data from your Company Page Insights tab. This allows you to download .CSV files with metrics on followers, post reach, website visits, etc. Useful for analyzing performance.
Connections
Connecting with followers of your company page can be done manually one-by-one from the Connections tab. For mass exports, LinkedIn recommends using third-party tools like Dux-Soup or Octopus CRM.
Posts and updates
You can manually save copies of your page posts using screenshots or copying the text. For more convenient bulk export options, third-party social media management tools like Hootsuite offer the ability to download .CSV files of post content.
Other data
Use LinkedIn’s visitor demographics under Company Page Insights to export data on follower titles, locations, and more. Third-party tools may provide more extensive profile data exports if needed.
Overall, combining LinkedIn’s built-in analytics exports with the right third-party tools can allow you to download the data you need from a company page for archiving and analysis.
Maintaining Control
Once you gain admin access to a LinkedIn company page, you’ll want to take steps to maintain control and prevent issues in the future:
- Remove any old admins who are no longer with the company.
- Add new official admins for redundancy.
- Link the page to an official company email rather than personal emails.
- Keep business documentation handy to re-establish admin rights if needed.
- Consider premium tools like LinkedIn Elevate to assign roles.
- Analyze page data and insights regularly.
- Stay active posting and engaging as the page for continuity.
Following LinkedIn’s best practices for properly administering company pages can help avoid losing access again. Keep accurate admin lists, use official email addresses, and give multiple admins access when possible.
Conclusion
Losing the sole admin for a LinkedIn company page can be stressful, but there are paths forward to regain access. Focus first on providing LinkedIn support with solid proof of your admin rights for the company. If that fails, legal action can force them to grant access but likely should be a last resort. With the proper documentation, persistence, and care after gaining control, you can successfully recover and maintain administration of a LinkedIn company presence when the original admin is no longer available.