Sharing your email address publicly on LinkedIn allows anyone to contact you directly through the platform. This can be useful for networking and making new professional connections. However, it also opens you up to potentially receiving unsolicited emails, messages, and connection requests. If you want to limit who can see and contact you through your email on LinkedIn, there are a few steps you can take.
Should I Share My Email Publicly?
There are pros and cons to sharing your email publicly on LinkedIn:
Pros:
– Allows anyone to easily contact you for professional opportunities or networking.
– Shows you are open to connecting with new people.
– Can increase contact from recruiters or potential new connections.
Cons:
– Opens you up to more unsolicited contact and spam messages.
– Gives access to your email to people you may not know or want to connect with.
– Email address could be collected or used without your permission.
In general, it’s recommended to avoid sharing your email address publicly unless you are actively looking to expand your network or find new job opportunities. For most users, the risks outweigh the potential benefits.
How to Stop Sharing Email on Your Profile
If you currently show your email publicly on your LinkedIn profile but want to hide it, follow these steps:
1. Go to your profile page and click “View profile” to view your public profile as others see it.
2. Scroll down to the “Contact Info” section. If your email is listed here and clickable, it is publicly visible.
3. Click the “Edit public profile & URL” button to edit your profile settings.
4. In the right hand sidebar, go to the “Contact Info” section.
5. Uncheck the box next to “Show email address on your public profile”.
6. Scroll down and click “Save”.
Your email address should no longer be visible on your public profile. You can repeat steps 1-2 above to verify it is now hidden.
Limiting Share Settings
In addition to removing your email from your profile, you can also change who can see your email within your account settings:
– Click the “Me” icon at the top of LinkedIn and go to “Settings & Privacy”.
– Go to “Privacy” and click “Sharing profile edits”.
– Under “Email address”, choose either “Only you” or “Connections only” to limit visibility.
– Scroll down and click “Save changes”.
With these settings, you can still share your email privately with your connections but avoid making it public to all LinkedIn members.
Turning Off Profile View Notifications
Another way to increase privacy is turning off notifications that tell you who has viewed your profile. To do this:
– Go to “Settings & Privacy” then click “Notifications”.
– Under “Profile Updates”, toggle off “Who’s viewed your profile”.
– Scroll down and click “Save changes”.
With this setting off, you won’t receive alerts when your profile is viewed that identify the viewer. This adds another layer of privacy.
Using an Alternate Email Address
If you want to prevent your professional email address from being visible, you can add an alternate email to your LinkedIn account to be used for notifications and messages.
To add an alternate email:
– Go to “Settings & Privacy” and click “Email addresses” under Account preferences.
– Click “Add email address”.
– Enter a personal email you want associated with your account.
– Check the box to “Make primary” to set as default for notifications.
– Click “Add”.
You can now remove your work/professional email from your profile so it is no longer publicly visible.
Removing Your Email from Messages
If you have shared your email address with someone through LinkedIn messaging, they may still have access to it even if you hide it from your profile. To remove it:
– Go to “Messaging” and open the conversation where you shared your email.
– Click the “More” icon.
– Select “Remove shared contact info”.
This will retract your email from the message thread, preventing further contact through it.
Blocking Users
If certain individuals have contacted you through your LinkedIn email in unwanted or harassing ways, you can block them to prevent further contact.
To block a user:
– Click the “More” icon at the top right of their message.
– Choose “Block” to confirm.
This will stop them from viewing your profile or contacting you on LinkedIn in the future.
Reporting Abuse
If you receive abusive emails or messages after sharing your address, report them to LinkedIn:
– Click the “More” icon in the conversation.
– Select “Report conversation”.
– Choose the reason for reporting and submit details.
LinkedIn can then investigate and take action against any harassment or spam activity.
Removing Your Email from Google
If your email address appears in Google search results, you can request to have it removed:
– Go to https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/personal-info
– Enter your email address and complete the captcha.
– Select “Email address” for the content type to remove.
– Click “Submit Request”.
Google will review your request and remove the email from search results if it violates their policies around publishing personal information.
Using an Email Alias
Another option is creating an email alias when sharing your address. An alias acts as a dummy email that forwards messages to your real inbox. This masks your true email address.
Some popular alias services include:
– AnonAddy
– SimpleLogin
– Email Alias
When signing up for LinkedIn, use your alias as your email. This allows you to continue receiving messages while hiding your real address.
Using a Disposable Email
Disposable email services like Temp Mail allow you to generate a temporary email address that self-destructs after a set amount of time. This can be useful when sharing your email on sites like LinkedIn where you want to limit your exposure.
Some disposable email options to consider include:
– Temp Mail
– MailDrop
– Guerillamail
Generate a disposable email, use it when setting up your profile, and then abandon it when you no longer need it, preventing future contact. Just be aware you won’t receive any messages sent after the email expires.
Conclusion
Sharing your personal email publicly on LinkedIn can expose you to unwanted attention or spam. If you want to limit access to your email, the best option is removing it entirely from your profile settings and adjusting your sharing preferences. You can also employ tricks like aliases and disposable addresses to mask your real email address.
Be thoughtful about who really needs access to your direct contact information. Finding the right balance can allow you to control your privacy on LinkedIn without sacrificing worthwhile professional connections.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| – Networking opportunities | – Spam messages |
| – Recruiter contacts | – Unknown contacts |
| – Looks open to connecting | – Email gets collected |