LinkedIn is a great platform for building your professional brand and making career connections. However, having your email address visible publicly on your LinkedIn profile can lead to unwanted solicitation from strangers. Fortunately, LinkedIn allows you to easily hide your email address so only your direct connections can see it. Here are some quick answers about hiding your email on LinkedIn:
Should I hide my email address on LinkedIn?
Hiding your email address on LinkedIn is recommended if you want to limit who can directly contact you. Publicly displaying your email makes it available for anyone to potentially see and use. Hiding it helps avoid spam and unwanted outreach.
Who can see my email address if it’s hidden?
If you hide your email on LinkedIn, it will only be visible to your 1st-degree connections. 2nd and 3rd-degree connections as well as anyone outside your network will not be able to see your email.
How do I hide my email address on LinkedIn?
Go to your profile, click “View profile” and then click the “Contact info” section. Uncheck the box next to your email address that says “Show email address on your profile”. This will hide it from public view.
Can I hide my email address from my connections too?
Yes, you can. Go to your profile, click the “Contact info” section, and select “Only visible to you” next to your email address. This will completely hide it from anyone else.
Is there any other way to limit contact through LinkedIn?
Yes, you can adjust your contact preferences in your account settings. Go to “Settings & Privacy” then “Communications”. Here you can disable allowing LinkedIn members to contact you directly.
The Benefits of Hiding Your Email on LinkedIn
Here are some of the top benefits of making your email address private on your LinkedIn profile:
- Avoids spam messages – Public email addresses attract spammers and bots trawling the web.
- Prevents cold outreach – Strangers won’t be able to directly email you unsolicited.
- Maintains privacy – Keeps your personal contact info less accessible.
- Limits distractions – Cuts down on unwanted messages so you can focus.
- Reduces open rate tracking – Stops marketers from collecting data on your email habits.
- Looks more professional – Visible personal emails seem less businesslike.
Overall, hiding your email limits unwanted communication so you can focus on more meaningful professional connections through LinkedIn.
Who Can Still See Your Email If Hidden
While hiding your email on LinkedIn does limit its visibility, there are some cases where others may still be able to see it:
Your 1st-Degree Connections
All of your directly connected 1st-degree connections will have access to your email, even if it’s hidden from the public and 2nd/3rd-degree connections. Hiding only prevents the wider public from seeing it.
LinkedIn Member Profiles Where You’re Listed as a Connection
Your email may be visible on profiles of members who have added you as a connection. Their profile displays their connected contacts.
Shared Group Membership Connections
If you are in the same LinkedIn group as another member, you may be visible as a connection on their profile, potentially revealing your email.
People You’ve Messaged Through LinkedIn
Any members you directly message through LinkedIn will see your email address when receiving the message.
LinkedIn Mobile App Users
On the LinkedIn mobile app, 1st-degree connections may be able to see partial contact info like email, even if hidden on desktop view.
How to Completely Hide Email from All Connections
If you want to go beyond just hiding your email from the public and also prevent any connections from seeing it, here is how you can fully hide it on LinkedIn:
- Go to your profile and click “View profile”.
- In the “Contact info” section, click the dropdown icon next to your email and select “Only visible to you”.
- Disable the account setting allowing LinkedIn members to contact you directly under “Settings & Privacy”.
- Avoid messaging any connections directly through LinkedIn.
- Remove yourself from any shared LinkedIn groups.
- Ask any connections listing you as a connection to remove you from their profiles.
Taking these steps will help maximize privacy and eliminate your email from being visible to connections. Just keep in mind you won’t be able to be directly contacted by anyone through LinkedIn anymore.
Pros and Cons of Hiding Email from Connections
Hiding your email even from LinkedIn connections has advantages but also some potential drawbacks:
Pros
- Total email privacy from everyone on LinkedIn
- Avoid unsolicited outreach from connections
- Reduce spam or unwanted messages
- Maintain strict control over incoming communications
Cons
- Harder for connections to contact you for opportunities
- Reduced relationship-building abilities on LinkedIn
- Unable to directly message connections
- Connections may feel rejected if email hidden
Weighing these pros and cons will help determine if fully hiding your email from connections aligns with your professional networking preferences on LinkedIn.
Customizing Visibility Settings
Instead of completely hiding your email on LinkedIn, you can use customized visibility settings to find a balance that works for your needs:
Option 1) Hide from 2nd & 3rd Connections
Leave email visible for only direct 1st-degree connections. This allows closer ties to reach you while limiting wider visibility.
Option 2) Hide from Public, Allow for Connections
Standard hidden setting that shares with connections but not the general public. Limits spam while allowing opportunities.
Option 3) Partial Hide from Connections
Hide email address text but allow connections to contact you through LinkedIn messaging. Maintains some privacy while remaining reachable.
Option 4) Group-Based Visibility
Make email visible only to certain LinkedIn groups that are most relevant to you. Customizes visibility based on group affiliation.
Option 5) Paid Visibility
Use LinkedIn Premium to enable customized visibility. For example, you could show email only to paid 3rd-degree connections for more control.
Think about which customized settings fit your priorities and test variations to find your ideal configuration over time. The flexibility LinkedIn provides gives you multiple ways to balance privacy, relationships, and your professional brand.
Alternative Contact Options
In addition to customizing your email visibility on LinkedIn, here are some other alternatives to allow professional contacts to reach you:
LinkedIn Messaging
Keep email hidden but enable LinkedIn members to message you through LinkedIn. Respond to opportunities directly through the platform.
Profile Website Link
Add your professional website to your profile with a contact page. Interested parties can reach out to you through that channel.
List Public Business Email
Display a general company email address or info@domain rather than your direct personal email. Keeps things more professional.
Shared Phone Number
Make a business phone number visible on your profile for any connections to call with inquiries.
Contact Form
Include a web form on your site for LinkedIn connections to contact you while keeping your direct email private.
LinkedIn Groups
Participate in relevant LinkedIn groups to establish your reputation before revealing contact info.
Using alternatives like these allows you to limit email visibility but still enable professional connections through other channels if desired.
Other Tips for Email Privacy on LinkedIn
Beyond your main profile email settings, here are some other tips to boost privacy:
- Turn off email notifications from LinkedIn to limit tracking.
- Use contact aliases and forwarding to obscure your real email address.
- Never purchase lists of LinkedIn members’ contact info.
- Report any members sharing your private info without consent.
- Block any suspicious accounts that try to contact you.
Proactively protecting your email address helps prevent LinkedIn connections from becoming a gateway to spam or unwanted advances.
Conclusion
While LinkedIn is designed for making professional connections, it’s important to retain control over your privacy too. Taking steps to hide or limit your email visibility prevents unwanted outreach while still allowing you to benefit from the platform’s relationship-building potential when desired.
Try out different email visibility and alternative contact options to find the right approach. The customized configurations LinkedIn enables gives you flexibility based on your specific comfort level and professional networking preferences.
With some prudent adjustments, you can show just the right amount of email information to trustworthy contacts and prevent public exposure at the same time.
Find the right balance for your situation and stay proactive about settings and privacy protection. This allows you to connect with other professionals on your own terms so LinkedIn can be an asset, not a liability, for your career.
