LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform with over 810 million members worldwide as of 2021. With its massive userbase, LinkedIn profiles have become an integral part of building a professional online presence and identity.
However, sometimes when you click on a LinkedIn profile from search results or someone’s shared link, you may see a “Profile Not Available” message instead of the member’s profile. This can be confusing and leave you wondering why you can’t view the profile.
Reasons a LinkedIn Profile May Show “Not Available”
There are several possible reasons why a LinkedIn member’s profile may show as “not available”:
The Profile is Private or Hidden
The most common reason for the “profile not available” message is that the member has set their profile to private or hidden mode. LinkedIn offers privacy settings that allow members to control who can view their full profile.
With a private profile, only your 1st-degree connections on LinkedIn will be able to see your full profile. Others will see a limited snapshot that shows your name, headline, company, school, and industry, but no other details.
A hidden profile goes further to anonymize the limited snapshot so only name and industry are visible. This prevents people from identifying the profile owner when searching on LinkedIn.
The Profile has Been Removed
Some LinkedIn members delete or deactivate their accounts, which removes the profile completely. Trying to access the profile URL will show the “profile not available” message after an account is deleted.
Similarly, LinkedIn may restrict account access or remove a profile if they detect suspicious activity or violations of their user agreement. The profile will become unavailable if access gets restricted.
You Are Not Connected
LinkedIn profiles are visibility-gated based on your connection to the member. If you are not directly connected, you may see limited profile details rather than the full profile.
For 2nd-degree connections and group members, LinkedIn shows a snapshot view with name, photo, headline, and industry. For 3rd-degree connections and beyond, even that snapshot will be hidden behind “profile not available.”
Temporary Glitch
In some cases, a profile could show as unavailable due to a temporary glitch rather than member privacy settings. LinkedIn’s servers may be having intermittent connectivity issues that prevent loading the full profile.
Trying again later often resolves the problem if it is a temporary technical issue on LinkedIn’s side. The profile usually becomes accessible again once the glitch is fixed.
How to View a “Not Available” LinkedIn Profile
If you need to view a LinkedIn profile that shows as “not available,” here are some options to access it:
Send a Connection Request
The easiest way to gain access to a private or limited-visibility LinkedIn profile is by connecting directly with that member. You can send a connection request with a note introducing yourself and why you’d like to connect.
If they accept your request, you will be able to view their full profile as a 1st-degree connection. This gives you an opportunity to build a relationship and start conversations through LinkedIn’s messaging tools.
Ask for an Introduction
If you share any 2nd-degree connections, you could ask one of them for an introduction to the member whose profile you want to see. This can help provide a warmer context for your connection request.
Your mutual connection can introduce you over LinkedIn messaging and encourage the member to accept your request. Leverage your existing network on LinkedIn to facilitate new connections.
Join Common Groups
Participating in the same LinkedIn groups as the member can also let you view their limited group member profile. Look at their interests and employment history for clues on relevant groups to join.
Once in the same group, start engaging in discussions and build rapport through your contributions. Later, you can leverage this familiarity to try connecting via an invitation or InMail message.
Upgrade to Premium
LinkedIn Premium subscriptions let you view more profile details of 3rd-degree connections and group members without connecting. You can see full profiles for these members rather than just name and industry.
Upgrading to Premium gives you more visibility into weaker connections on LinkedIn. The Open Profile feature shows you expanded work experience, education, skills, and other profile fields.
Search Google
Try searching the person’s name on Google to uncover more details like their personal website, company bio page, or news mentions. These external sources may provide additional professional background.
Tools like LinkedIn profile downloader extensions may also let you access private profile data, but use care and judgment as this could be seen as scraping by LinkedIn.
Reasons LinkedIn Profiles Are Set to Private or Hidden
Why do some LinkedIn members restrict access to their profiles for non-connections? Here are some motivations for keeping a private or hidden profile:
Avoid Recruiters and Solicitations
Keeping a LinkedIn profile private can prevent unwanted attention from recruiters and sales prospects. This allows members to stay open to new opportunities but only through their trusted network connections.
Maintain Separate Personal and Professional Brands
Members may want to cultivate distinct personal and professional brands. A private profile limits outside visibility into their workplace activities and connections.
Stay Hidden from Current Employer
Employees looking for their next move might keep profiles private to avoid detection from their current boss and company.
Prioritize Strong Ties
Private profiles help focus engagement within genuine professional connections rather than weak ties or strangers.
Control Image and Visibility
Members can curate their limited public snapshot before accepting connections to fully reveal their background. This prevents unwanted first impressions.
Tips for Viewing “Not Available” Profiles
Here are some best practices for trying to view LinkedIn profiles that show as “not available”:
Make Genuine Connection Requests
Send connection invitations only when you want to establish substantive engagement, not just sneak a peek at their profile. Personalized requests are best.
Be Selective in Requests
Don’t bombard people with connection invites. Target requests carefully for contacts you really want in your network.
Follow Up After Connecting
After connecting, engage with the member by liking and commenting on their posts. Provide value to nurture the new relationship.
Respect Privacy Preferences
If a member declines your request, move on respectfully. Don’t try to circumvent their privacy settings without permission.
Build a Public Presence
Show your own valuable public profile to give private members more incentive to connect with you.
Conclusion
A “profile not available” message on LinkedIn generally means the member has restricted access to their profile, but there are options to try viewing it. The best approach is sending a thoughtful connection request to start building a relationship with that professional.
However, always respect if a private member declines your request. Use LinkedIn features appropriately within their terms of use and respect privacy preferences. With 500 million+ members, there are plenty more profiles you can access to widen your professional network.
