LinkedIn is a popular professional networking platform used by millions of people around the world. One of the key features of LinkedIn is the ability to sign in using your LinkedIn account credentials on various third-party websites and services. This allows you to easily create accounts, register, and sign into these external services without having to create separate login credentials for each one.
Why use LinkedIn sign-in?
There are several benefits to using LinkedIn as your single sign-on provider across multiple sites and services:
- Convenience – Only need to remember one set of login credentials.
- Time savings – Don’t have to spend time creating new accounts and passwords.
- Security – LinkedIn utilizes secure authentication and encryption protocols to protect your information.
- Shared connections – Sites you sign in to can access your LinkedIn connections and network.
- Consistent profile – Your name, photo, and other LinkedIn profile details will populate across sites.
How does LinkedIn sign-in work?
LinkedIn’s sign-in functionality works through a technology called OAuth 2.0. Here’s a quick overview of how it works:
- You click the “Sign in with LinkedIn” button on an external website or service.
- You are redirected to LinkedIn to login if you aren’t already logged in.
- You login with your LinkedIn username and password.
- LinkedIn asks you to authorize the sharing of certain profile data with the external site.
- Once authorized, you are redirected back to the site and automatically signed in.
From a technical perspective, LinkedIn sends a short-lived token to the external site that allows them to retrieve your profile information and verify your identity without seeing your actual LinkedIn password. This allows you to securely sign-in without exposing your credentials.
Which sites support LinkedIn sign-in?
Thousands of popular sites across the internet support signing in with LinkedIn. Here are just a few examples:
- Slack
- Eventbrite
- WordPress
- Udemy
- Box
- Spotify
- Salesforce
- Hootsuite
- Adobe ID
How to enable LinkedIn sign-in
Enabling LinkedIn sign-in on external websites and services is straightforward. Here are the steps:
- Navigate to the site’s sign-up or login page and look for the LinkedIn sign-in option.
- Click the “Sign in with LinkedIn” or similar blue button.
- If not already logged into LinkedIn, enter your LinkedIn email and password.
- Read the dialog box and click “Agree” to allow sharing of profile data.
- You will immediately be signed into the external site with your LinkedIn account.
The first time you sign in, you may be prompted to enter some additional information like your name or email address to complete the registration. But on subsequent sign-ins, you can just click the LinkedIn button and be signed in instantly.
Troubleshooting LinkedIn sign-in issues
In most cases, signing in with LinkedIn works smoothly. But occasionally, you may encounter an error or issue. Here are some common problems and troubleshooting tips:
Site asks for additional verification
Some sites may require additional identity verification on first sign-in even when using LinkedIn. This is usually just entering a code sent to your email or phone number. Verify your identity and the sign-in should work normally going forward.
LinkedIn dialog doesn’t appear
Pop-up blockers may prevent the LinkedIn authentication dialog box from opening. Disable blocking for the site and try again. You can also right-click the sign-in button and select “open in new tab.”
Stuck in a login loop
If you get stuck endlessly redirecting between the external site and LinkedIn, try clearing cookies and cache for both sites and starting again. Also ensure you are allowing the sharing of account data.
Account already exists error
If you get an “account already exists” error, it likely means you previously created an account on that site using your email address rather than LinkedIn sign-in. Try resetting your password or use a different email.
Invalid credentials error
Double check you are entering your LinkedIn email and password correctly. If your account has two-factor authentication enabled, you may need to enter a code as well after your password.
LinkedIn sign-in option not appearing
Not all sites have integrated with LinkedIn’s sign-in system yet. For those that don’t, you’ll have to create an account normally with a unique password.
Managing accounts signed up with LinkedIn
Here are some tips for managing accounts created using your LinkedIn sign-in:
- Keep your LinkedIn login credentials secure – a password manager can help with this.
- Review the connected accounts section under LinkedIn account settings. You can revoke account access here.
- Adjust sharing permissions or disconnect accounts you no longer use.
- Use two-factor authentication as an extra security layer on your LinkedIn account.
- Be selective about which sites you enable LinkedIn sign-in for.
Pros and cons of LinkedIn sign-in
As with most things, there are both advantages and potential drawbacks to consider when using LinkedIn as your single sign-on provider:
Pros:
- Convenience of managing fewer credentials
- Faster signup and login process
- Leverage existing professional identity and network
- Enable useful profile data sharing across sites
- Don’t have to remember multiple complex passwords
Cons:
- LinkedIn becomes a single point of failure
- Potential privacy concerns around sharing profile data
- Security risks if LinkedIn account is compromised
- Some loss of separation between professional and personal identities
- Can’t easily use a different email on some sites
Best practices for LinkedIn sign-in
Here are some recommended best practices to securely leverage LinkedIn’s sign-in functionality:
- Use unique strong passwords for your LinkedIn account.
- Enable two-factor or multi-factor authentication on LinkedIn.
- Be selective about sites you enable sign-in for.
- Review connected apps and revoke as needed.
- Use password managers like LastPass to generate and store secure passwords.
- Pay attention to LinkedIn sign-in permissions. Only share what is essential.
- Monitor your LinkedIn activity feed for suspicious access.
- Use common sense around sharing personal data online.
Conclusion
Signing in with LinkedIn can provide immense convenience and time-savings across the many sites and services that support it. However, always balance convenience against security and privacy risks. Apply good security practices on your LinkedIn account, be selective about enabling sign-in, and routinely review and manage connected services. Used responsibly, LinkedIn sign-in allows you to seamlessly leverage your professional identity anywhere on the web.