Receiving LinkedIn recommendations from connections can be a great way to build your professional brand and showcase your skills and achievements. However, at times you may wish to limit or stop recommendations – here are some tips on how to do that:
Adjust Settings to Private Mode
In your LinkedIn account settings, you can change your recommendations from “public” to “private”. This means recommendations will still be visible to you and the person who wrote it, but not publicly on your profile. To do this:
- Go to your LinkedIn profile
- Click on the “Me” icon in the top right and select “Settings & Privacy”
- Click on “Privacy” in the left sidebar
- Under “Recommendations”, toggle the button to “Private”
This prevents new recommendations from being publicly visible without having to reject them.
Disable Recommendations
You can fully disable the recommendation section on your profile so no one can leave a recommendation. To do this:
- Go to your LinkedIn profile
- Click “Edit public profile & URL” in the right sidebar
- Scroll down and uncheck the box next to “Show the Recommendations section”
- Click “Save”
With this setting, the Recommendations section will be hidden on your profile. If someone tries to leave you a recommendation, they will get a message that you aren’t accepting recommendations.
Selectively Decline Recommendations
If you don’t want to disable all recommendations, you can selectively decline individual recommendations:
- Go to your LinkedIn profile and click “Me” > “Manage” in the top right
- Select “Posts & Activity” > “Recommendations you’ve received”
- Hover over the recommendation and click the “X” icon to discard it
The person won’t be notified you discarded their recommendation. You can also remove recommendations you previously accepted this way.
Customize Your Public Profile URL
Having a custom public profile URL makes it harder for people to find and recommend you on LinkedIn. To set this up:
- Go to your public profile and click “Edit public profile & URL”
- Under “Your public profile URL”, click “Customize your URL”
- Enter the custom URL you want using only letters, numbers and periods
- Click “Save”
This makes your profile URL more private. Share your custom URL only with those you want connecting with you.
Politely Decline
If someone asks you directly for a recommendation, it’s fine to politely decline. For example, you can say something like:
“I appreciate you thinking of me for a recommendation. However, I’m currently not accepting recommendations on LinkedIn right now as I’m focusing on other aspects of my profile. Thanks for understanding.”
Most people will respect your preferences if you politely decline.
Conclusion
Limiting LinkedIn recommendations prevents unwanted endorsements and keeps your profile focused. Adjust privacy settings, disable or selectively remove recommendations, use a custom URL, or just politely decline requests. Doing so allows you to curate your profile while maintaining positive connections.
| Method | Result |
|---|---|
| Private Settings | Recommendations are private but still allowed |
| Disable Recommendations | Section is hidden and recommendations blocked |
| Decline Selectively | Individual unwanted recommendations can be removed |
| Custom URL | Profile is harder to find by those wanting to recommend |
| Politely Decline | Direct recommendation requests can be avoided |
With over 5 billion users, LinkedIn is the largest professional networking platform. Recommendations can enhance your brand, but also sometimes need to be limited. Using these tips, you can take control over your profile and curate the recommendations you want public.
Showcasing your skills while protecting your privacy makes your LinkedIn profile most effective. Choose the right settings and recommendations for your personal brand and career goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you delete LinkedIn recommendations?
Yes, you can delete and remove LinkedIn recommendations. Go to your profile, click “Me” > “Manage” > “Posts & Activity” > “Recommendations you’ve received”. Hover over a recommendation and click the “X” icon to remove it.
Do LinkedIn recommendations expire?
No, LinkedIn recommendations do not expire. Once given, they will stay on your profile indefinitely unless the author removes it, you remove it, or you disable recommendations.
Does rejecting a LinkedIn recommendation notify the sender?
No, if you reject or remove a LinkedIn recommendation, the sender is not notified. It will disappear from your profile without them knowing.
What happens if I disable LinkedIn recommendations?
Disabling recommendations removes the section from your profile. People trying to recommend you will get a notification that you aren’t accepting them. However, existing recommendations will still be visible to you.
Can I choose who can recommend me on LinkedIn?
Not directly, but you can use methods like a private profile, custom URL, or selectively rejecting recommendations to control who recommends you. You can also turn off recommendations from non-connections in your settings.
