LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 722 million members worldwide. It allows professionals to connect with each other, find jobs, follow companies, and stay updated on business news and insights. One of LinkedIn’s most useful features for job seekers is the ability to set up job alerts so you can be notified when new roles that match your criteria are posted.
Job alerts on LinkedIn allow you to specify criteria like job title, company, location and more. LinkedIn will then email you new job postings that match your preferences as they are listed on the site. This saves you from having to search for jobs manually every day. Instead, relevant opportunities get delivered right to your inbox.
But how many alerts can you have at one time? LinkedIn does limit the number of active alerts per account. In this article, we’ll look at the details around how many job alerts you can have on LinkedIn and tips to maximize your results.
LinkedIn Free Account Job Alert Limit
If you have a free basic LinkedIn account, you can set up a maximum of 3 active job alerts at any given time. Whenever you create a new alert, it will replace your oldest existing alert if you already have 3 set up.
The 3 alert limit applies specifically to job alerts for new role postings. You can actually have unlimited alerts for other criteria like company, industry and school updates. It’s specifically the job posting alerts that are restricted to 3 for free accounts.
Why the 3 alert limit?
LinkedIn has not explicitly stated their reasoning behind allowing only 3 free job alerts. However, it likely comes down to trying to add value to their paid subscriptions. With a premium LinkedIn account, you can set up unlimited job alerts. So the limited alerts for free members is an incentive to upgrade.
Restricting alerts also helps manage bandwidth and data storage on LinkedIn’s end. Serving unlimited alerts to over 722 million members would require extensive infrastructure. So placing caps on certain features allows them to control resource usage.
Upgrading Account to Remove Limits
As mentioned above, the limit of 3 active job alerts applies only to free LinkedIn accounts. If you upgrade to a premium paid account, this restriction is removed and you can create unlimited job alerts.
Here are the main premium account options on LinkedIn and their costs:
- Premium Career – $29.99/month
- Premium Business – $44.99/month
- Premium Sales – $64.99/month
All of the premium options allow unlimited job alerts. So if you want to set up alerts for more than 3 job titles or locations, you’ll need to upgrade from the free account.
Is upgrading worth it?
Whether it’s worth paying for a premium account depends on your job search needs. If you only need alerts for a couple of targeted roles, the free version may still suffice. But if you are looking more broadly across titles, companies or location, the unlimited alerts from premium could be worthwhile.
Some other perks that come with LinkedIn premium accounts are:
- See who viewed your profile
- Send unlimited InMails to recruiters
- Contact member outside your network
- View full profiles of your visitors
- See salary data for positions
So besides the job alerts, there are other benefits that might make the paid plans worthwhile if you use LinkedIn extensively in your career or job search.
Tips for Managing with Limited Alerts
If upgrading to premium isn’t in the budget, here are some tips for working within the 3 job alert restriction:
1. Set broader alerts
Rather than alerts for a single specific job title at a company, try setting up alerts for a broader category. For example, create an alert for “marketing” rather than “content marketing manager.” You can also opt to just get alerts from your top handful of employers rather than for a specific role.
2. Rotate alerts frequently
Don’t keep the same 3 alerts active for months on end. Instead, deactivate any alerts that are no longer relevant and set up new ones regularly. Rotating frequently allows you to monitor more than 3 specific openings over time.
3. Check site manually in addition
Don’t rely entirely on the alerts. Take 5-10 minutes a few times per week to manually browse new job postings on LinkedIn sorted by date. This allows you to come across opportunities that might not be covered by your 3 alerts.
4. Use Google job alerts
Google also provides email job alerts you can set up. So you could potentially have 3 alerts on LinkedIn and additional alerts through Google to expand your scope.
5. Connect with recruiters
Build up your network of connections, especially recruiters and hiring managers. This gives them visibility into your profile and skills when they have new openings arise.
Maximum Alerts by Account Type
Here is a summary of the maximum job alerts available for each LinkedIn account option:
| Account Type | Max Job Alerts |
|---|---|
| Basic (Free) | 3 |
| Premium Career | Unlimited |
| Premium Business | Unlimited |
| Premium Sales | Unlimited |
So if you need more than 3 concurrent job alerts, you’ll need to upgrade to one of the premium paid accounts.
Turning Alerts On and Off
Managing your alerts and making the most of the 3 alert limit requires knowing how to turn them on and off. Here are instructions for both:
Turning on a LinkedIn Job Alert
To turn on a job alert:
- Click Jobs in top navigation bar
- Click “Create alert” button
- Enter title, location or company
- Select frequency (daily or weekly)
- Click “Create alert” button to save
Once created, you’ll start receiving emails when new jobs matching your criteria are listed on LinkedIn.
Turning off a LinkedIn Job Alert
To turn off or delete an alert:
- Click the Me icon / Profile
- Go to Manage Alerts section
- Click menu icon next to alert
- Select “Turn off” to deactivate alert
After turning an alert off, you can create a new one to take its place and make the best use of your 3 alert maximum.
Other LinkedIn Job Search Features
While job alerts are useful, here are a few other LinkedIn features to aid your job search that don’t require a paid account:
- Open Candidates – View profiles of members open to new opportunities
- Skills Assessments – Take free tests to showcase your knowledge
- Salary Insights – See pay ranges for positions
- Virtual Events – Attend online networking and recruiting events
So be sure to explore all that LinkedIn offers beyond just the job alerts to maximize your chances of landing your next position.
FAQs
Can I get more than 3 job alerts without paying?
No, unfortunately the limit for free accounts is firm at 3 active job alerts. To get unlimited alerts, you need to upgrade to a premium paid account.
Do my alerts expire after a certain time period?
No, your alerts do not expire automatically after a set time. They will continue sending you emails indefinitely until you manually turn them off.
Can I get alerts for remote jobs or roles outside my location?
Yes, your alerts are not limited to jobs in your current city. You can choose to get notified about opportunities across the country or for remote roles.
Do I need to keep LinkedIn open to receive alerts?
No, you do not need to have LinkedIn actively open. Alerts will be sent to your email address on the schedule you select (daily or weekly).
Can free members see who viewed their profile?
No, seeing who has viewed your profile requires upgrading to a premium account. Free members can see aggregate profile view data but not individual viewers.
Conclusion
LinkedIn job alerts are a useful feature for passive job seekers to get relevant opportunities delivered directly to their inbox. But free accounts are limited to only 3 active alerts at a time.
If you need to monitor more searches or specific roles, upgrading to premium is an option remove the alert limit. Strategies like broadening your alerts and rotating them frequently can also help maximize results with the free version.
Along with alerts, be sure to leverage LinkedIn’s other tools like networking, skills assessments, and virtual events. Combining alerts with proactive search and outreach will give you the best chance of landing your next great job.
