Getting someone’s LinkedIn profile link can be useful for a variety of reasons. You may want to view their full profile, connect with them on LinkedIn, or share their profile with someone else. Here are a few different ways to find and get someone’s LinkedIn profile URL.
Search for Their Profile
The easiest way to find someone’s LinkedIn profile is to search for them directly on LinkedIn. To do this:
- Go to www.linkedin.com and log into your account.
- Click on the search bar at the top of the page.
- Type in the full name of the person whose profile you want to find.
- If they have a LinkedIn profile, it should show up in the search results.
- Click on their name to open their profile page.
- Copy the URL from the address bar of your web browser – this is their unique LinkedIn profile link.
For common names, you may need to filter the search results by location or company to find the right profile. LinkedIn’s advanced search options can also help narrow down results.
Find Them Through Your Connections
Another way to find someone’s LinkedIn profile is by looking through your own network of connections.
To do this:
- Go to the “My Network” section of LinkedIn.
- Browse your connections or search for the name of the person you want to find.
- If one of your connections is linked to the person, you should be able to click through to view their profile.
- Copy the URL to get their unique profile link.
This method is helpful when you know someone who is already connected to the person whose profile you want to find. You can traverse your shared connections to get to their profile page.
Use the LinkedIn Mobile App
The LinkedIn mobile app makes it easy to find and share someone’s profile when you are on the go. To get a profile link through the app:
- Open the LinkedIn app on your smartphone.
- Tap the “My Network” icon at the bottom.
- Search for the name of the person whose profile you want.
- Tap on their name to open their profile.
- Tap on the “Share Profile” icon at the top of the page.
- Choose the “Copy Link” option.
This copies their unique profile URL to your clipboard so you can paste it anywhere. The mobile app also lets you share profiles directly to an email, text, or social media.
Find Them Through Google Search
Searching for someone’s name on Google can often turn up their LinkedIn profile among the top search results. To try this method:
- Go to Google.com.
- Type in the person’s full name in quotation marks like “John Smith”.
- Scan the search results for a link that says LinkedIn or has the LinkedIn logo.
- Click the result to open their profile page.
- Copy the URL from the address bar.
Adding additional keywords like their company name or location to the search query can help surface the correct person’s LinkedIn profile in the results.
Find Them Through a Shared Connection
If you know someone who is connected to the person on LinkedIn, you can ask your mutual connection to send you the link to their profile.
To do this:
- Identify a connection who is linked to the person whose profile you want.
- Send them a message asking if they can share the link to the other person’s LinkedIn profile.
- Your connection can easily copy the profile URL by going to that person’s profile and clicking “Share profile” > “Copy link”.
- They can send the link back to you via email, LinkedIn message, etc.
This takes advantage of your existing professional network to get access to someone’s profile that you might not otherwise be able to view.
Find Them Through an Email Signature
If you’ve communicated with someone by email, you may already have access to their LinkedIn profile link. Many professionals include a LinkedIn URL in their email signature, making it easy for recipients to click through to their profile.
To get their profile link this way:
- Check your email inbox for any messages sent from their professional email address.
- Scroll down and look for a line that says “LinkedIn” or the LinkedIn logo in their signature.
- Click the link to open their profile page.
- Copy the URL from your browser’s address bar.
This provides an easy way to get a LinkedIn profile link if you’ve exchanged emails before.
Find Them on the Company Page
If you know where someone works, their LinkedIn profile is often accessible through their company’s LinkedIn page. To find it:
- Search for the company’s LinkedIn page and go to their profile.
- Scroll down and click “See all employees” under the Employees section.
- Search or scroll through the list of employees to find their name.
- Click their name to open their personal profile.
- Copy the URL to get their profile link.
This gives you access to an employee’s profile even if you don’t share any connections with them.
Conclusion
In summary, here are some of the top ways to get someone’s LinkedIn profile URL:
- Search for them directly on LinkedIn
- Browse through your own connections
- Look them up on the LinkedIn mobile app
- Find them through a Google search
- Ask for the link from a shared connection
- Get it from their email signature
- View company profiles to find employees
With the prevalence of LinkedIn today, most professionals can be found with their public profile and shared connections. Getting someone’s unique LinkedIn link allows you to access their full profile, reach out to them, view mutual contacts, and more.
| Method | How it Works |
|---|---|
| Search LinkedIn | Type their name into LinkedIn’s search bar to pull up their profile |
| Browse connections | Look through your own connections to find shared contacts |
| LinkedIn mobile app | Use the “Share Profile” option on mobile to get a link |
| Google search | Search their name on Google to surface a LinkedIn profile |
| Ask connections | Request the link from a shared connection |
| Email signature | Click the LinkedIn link in their email signature |
| Company page | Find them through their company’s LinkedIn employees list |
Having the right link allows you to easily access someone’s info, message them, or share their profile. With over 740 million members, LinkedIn has become the go-to place for professionals to connect and build their online presence. The various options above make it possible to find almost anyone through joint connections or public listings. So if you need to get someone’s LinkedIn URL, chances are you can track it down with a little effort.
Here are some additional tips when trying to get someone’s LinkedIn profile link:
- Make sure you have the right spelling of their full name. Try alternate name formats or spellings if needed.
- Filter searches by location and company name if you know where they work.
- Not everyone has a public profile – users can choose to keep their profile hidden.
- Double check that you’ve found the right person if a name is very common.
- If you can’t find a profile, try searching on Google as a backup option.
- Asking connections for a profile link can help uncover private profiles.
- If all else fails, try reaching out to the person directly to ask for their info.
With LinkedIn being the top professional networking platform, most working individuals today have some kind of profile. Yet some users opt to keep their profiles private or restricted. So you may need to take a few different approaches to find and access someone’s complete LinkedIn profile URL. With persistence and a few tricks, you can likely track down the link you need to connect with someone or view their background.
Reasons You May Need Someone’s LinkedIn Profile Link
Here are some of the most common reasons people look for someone else’s LinkedIn URL:
- To view their full profile and background information
- To connect with them by sending a contact request
- To message them through LinkedIn’s messaging system
- To see your shared connections and network overlap
- To endorse or recommend them for skills and experience
- To share their profile with someone else (hiring manager, colleague, etc)
- To learn more about a potential business contact or partner
- To keep track of someone you have met or want to follow
- To evaluate them as a job candidate or recruiting prospect
- To research a speaker, expert, or author’s credentials
In short, getting access to someone’s LinkedIn profile gives you much deeper insight into their professional background and networks. You can learn more about them, establish contact, share opportunities, and evaluate fit. For recruiters and HR professionals in particular, LinkedIn profiles have become a go-to resource.
Ways to Use Someone’s LinkedIn URL
Once you have someone’s LinkedIn profile link, here are some of the main ways you can use it:
- Paste it into your browser’s address bar to view their profile and bookmark or save it for future access.
- Connect with them by sending an invite and including a note with context on how you found them.
- Share the link with colleagues and contacts via email, chat, or social media.
- Attach the link in communications like outreach emails or meeting invites.
- Insert the URL into a resume or CV when applying for jobs.
- Include it on your website or blog if you are mentioning the person.
- Add it to a CRM system, spreadsheet, or database to keep track of networking contacts.
- Reference it in presentations, biographies, or event materials when referencing someone.
- Incorporate the link on business cards or email signatures to provide access to your profile.
Essentially, a LinkedIn profile link makes it easy for you and others to learn about, connect with, and share professional identities and backgrounds. It serves as a portable resource for establishing and enriching business relationships.
Pro Tips for Getting Someone’s LinkedIn URL
Here are some additional professional tips and best practices when trying to obtain someone’s LinkedIn profile link:
Ask Permission First
If possible, ask someone directly if they are comfortable sharing a link to their LinkedIn profile. Don’t repeatedly pursue a connection if they decline.
Personalize Connection Requests
When sending a connection invite, customize the message instead of just using LinkedIn’s default text. Reference how you met or why you want to connect.
Search Variations of Contact Info
Try searching different email addresses, phone numbers, or other info to uncover a profile if you have offline contact details.
Follow Up Politely
If someone doesn’t respond to your initial request, follow up once more in a friendly, professional manner.
Add a Note When Sharing Profiles
When sharing someone’s profile URL with colleagues or contacts, include a quick explanation of who they are and their relevance.
Manage Access Appropriately
Be thoughtful about who you share profile links with and avoid publishing them publicly without consent.
Update Your Own Profile Settings
Adjust your own LinkedIn settings if needed to control how visible and shareable your profile is.
Following these tips helps ensure mutually respectful, consensual profile sharing to maintain professional relationships.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it appropriate to ask for someone’s LinkedIn URL at a networking event?
It’s generally fine to ask someone for their LinkedIn profile link in-person at an event if you’re already conversing and exchanging business cards. Just make the ask casual and gracious. Say something like “I’d love to connect on LinkedIn too – may I grab your profile link?”
Is there a way to get someone’s URL without them knowing?
Trying to obtain someone’s profile link without their knowledge is unethical. Your best option is to search based on information they have already made publicly available online or request it directly from them.
What if someone’s profile is set to private?
If someone has a private LinkedIn profile, you won’t be able to access any of their info or send a connection request unless you are already connected. Respect their privacy settings by not pursuing a connection they haven’t permitted.
What should I do if I can’t find someone’s profile through search?
If you can’t find someone’s profile through LinkedIn search, try Google search, asking around your network, or contacting the person directly. Not everyone has a LinkedIn account or makes it visible, so it may not be possible.
Is it ok to share someone’s LinkedIn URL publicly?
Avoid publishing or posting someone’s profile link publicly online without their consent. Contact them first or share more privately within relevant conversations.
Conclusion
Obtaining someone’s LinkedIn profile link allows you to access their professional background, connect with them, and share their credentials. While LinkedIn provides robust search capabilities, you may need to use creative approaches like leveraging shared contacts, networking opportunities, and public listings to find the right profile URL.
Remember to be thoughtful about how you use and share any links you obtain. Focus on building relationships rather than just aggregating contacts. With over 75% of professionals now on LinkedIn, a public profile has become the new business card. Treat it as an opportunity to meaningfully engage.
