LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform, with over 740 million members worldwide. Many professionals use LinkedIn to build their professional brand, connect with colleagues, find job opportunities, and more. With so much personal and professional information available on LinkedIn profiles, it’s natural for some users to want more privacy and control over who can view their profile.
LinkedIn offers a “private mode” that allows members to make their profile invisible to anyone they are not directly connected to on the platform. When you switch to private mode, your profile will not come up in LinkedIn searches, and other users won’t be able to view your profile or see your connections unless they are directly connected to you already. Let’s explore what exactly happens when you put your LinkedIn profile in private mode.
Your profile is hidden from public view
The most significant and immediate effect of switching to private mode on LinkedIn is that your profile is completely hidden from public view. Other LinkedIn members who are not connections will no longer be able to access your profile by searching your name or keywords. Recruiters will also not be able to find you in searches if they are not already connected to you on LinkedIn.
This can be advantageous if you are happy in your current job and do not want to be contacted by recruiters with job opportunities. It also provides an added layer of privacy from people and companies who may want to learn more about your professional background and work history.
Only 1st-degree connections can see your full profile
When your profile is in private mode, the only people who will be able to see your full profile and all the information it contains are your 1st-degree connections on LinkedIn. These are people you are directly connected to on the platform.
2nd and 3rd-degree connections on LinkedIn will no longer have access to your full profile. They will only see your name, headline, and profile photo. Any other information, including your work experience, education, skills, recommendations etc. will be hidden from their view.
You have more control over connection requests
Having your LinkedIn profile in private mode also gives you more control over who can send you connection requests. Since your full profile is now only visible to your existing connections, you can better filter connection requests to only accept ones from people you already know and want to connect with.
This prevents random LinkedIn members from being able to view your profile simply by sending you connection requests. You can decline any requests from people you do not know without them being able to access your profile information.
Your profile views may decrease
Putting your profile in private mode means that outside of your direct connections, most other LinkedIn members will not be able to view your profile anymore. This means that the number of profile views you get from recruiters, colleagues, potential new connections etc. is likely to decrease.
If you are using LinkedIn mainly for networking and want to maximize your profile visibility, private mode may not be ideal for you. However, if you prioritize privacy over visibility, then this drop in profile views may be an acceptable trade-off.
You have to be more proactive in connecting
Since your network will no longer be able to browse your connections and request introductions, you will have to be more proactive and intentional in sending connection requests. Your network growth is likely to slow down unless you proactively seek out and connect with new professionals.
Focus on sending more personalized connection requests to people you already know or want to know, rather than accepting requests from strangers who found you in a search.
You appear less active on LinkedIn
Having an inactive looking LinkedIn profile can be detrimental for your professional brand and opportunities. When your profile is private, you lose out on profile views, new connections, and engagement from others. This can gradually make your profile appear dormant.
To prevent this, stay active by regularly posting updates, joining groups, commenting on posts, endorsing skills etc. This will ensure your existing connections still see you as an engaged member.
Search engines can’t index your profile
Since search engines like Google can no longer crawl and index your LinkedIn profile, you essentially become invisible to people searching for you on the internet as well. This enhances privacy but means you miss out on being discoverable online.
If having an optimized SEO profile is important for your personal brand, staying public on LinkedIn may be preferable.
You can more easily manage recommendations
Having an “open” profile means anyone in your network can view recommendations others have written for you. In private mode, the recommendations section is only visible to your 1st-degree connections.
This gives you more control over your professional brand. You can politely decline recommendations from connections you do not want endorsing you, without it being public.
Recruiters cannot find or contact you
Recruiters often search LinkedIn for suitable candidates for open positions at their firms. In private mode, recruiters will not be able to discover your profile or reach out to you regarding job opportunities.
If you are open to new job possibilities, staying public on LinkedIn increases the chances of being headhunted. If not, private mode removes this inbound interest.
Switching to private mode
Here are step-by-step instructions for how to switch your LinkedIn profile to private mode:
- Go to your LinkedIn profile and click on the ‘Me’ icon at the top of your homepage.
- Next, click on ‘Settings & Privacy’.
- Go to the ‘Privacy’ tab and toggle the ‘Make my profile visible to recruiters’ option to ‘No’.
- Scroll down and toggle the ‘Select who can see your work history and education’ option to ‘Only people who have your email address or are connections’.
- Finally, toggle ‘Select who can see your connections, followers and following lists’ to ‘Only you’.
Once you save these settings, your profile will switch to private mode and implement the changes discussed above.
Who can still see your profile in private mode?
When your LinkedIn profile is in private mode, there are still a few groups who will have access to your full profile information:
- Your 1st-degree connections
- LinkedIn Premium subscribers (can view full profiles of up to 500 non-connections per month)
- LinkedIn Recruiters and Sales Navigator users (if you have explicitly allowed access)
- Members of closed LinkedIn Groups that you have joined
- LinkedIn admins
Essentially, direct connections will have full access no matter what. Premium subscribers still get some visibility. And LinkedIn staff can access any profile or data on the platform.
Should you switch to private mode?
Here is a quick pros vs cons comparison of putting your LinkedIn profile in private mode:
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
Enhanced privacy and control over profile visibility | Reduced visibility and profile views from wider network |
Less unsolicited outreach from recruiters | Harder to organically grow your network and connections |
More control over recommendations | Appearing less active online |
No indexing by search engines like Google | Have to be more proactive in sending connection requests |
Ultimately, whether you should switch to private mode or not depends on your goals and priorities on LinkedIn. Here are some factors to consider:
- Are you actively searching for new job opportunities right now? If so, staying public opens more doors.
- Is building an influential professional brand important for you currently? Public helps increase visibility.
- Do you want to limit unsolicited outreach? Private mode minimizes this.
- Is your priority to only be discoverable by an inner circle? Private mode enables this.
Evaluate your situation against these factors. In most cases, a hybrid approach works best – leave your profile public, but tighten privacy settings for individual sections like recommendations or connections.
The pros and cons of a private LinkedIn profile
Going private on LinkedIn has some benefits, but also comes with a few drawbacks. Here is a more detailed analysis:
Pros of a private LinkedIn profile
- Enhanced privacy – Your profile details are visible only to direct connections, reducing access to info
- Added exclusivity – Being private makes your network more exclusive and restricted
- No unsolicited contact – Recruiters and sales prospectors cannot reach out to you directly
- No search engine indexing – Your profile won’t appear in Google searches, only within LinkedIn
- Focus on close network – You can focus on nurturing close relationships rather than a wide net
Cons of a private LinkedIn profile
- Limited networking – Harder to organically expand your LinkedIn network and connections
- Reduced visibility – Much lower profile views and engagement from wider audience
- Less job opportunities – Recruiters won’t be able to discover and contact you as easily
- Appearing inactive – Not visible publicly can give impression you are inactive
- Proactive outreach – You have to be proactive in finding and messaging new connections
Overall, it depends on your priorities at the moment and career stage. For most professionals, staying public but restricting certain profile areas provides the right balance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can people see if you viewed their profile in private mode?
No, when your profile is in private mode on LinkedIn other members cannot see if or when you viewed their profile. The “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” section will not show your name to others.
What does your profile look like to others in private mode?
Non-connections will only see your profile photo, name and headline. The rest of the profile including experience, education, skills etc. will all be hidden from public view and anonymous users.
Can I see who viewed my profile in private mode?
Yes, you will still be able to see which 1st degree connections have viewed your profile most recently when in private mode. But you won’t see profile views from wider network beyond direct connections.
Is there a way to be partially private on LinkedIn?
Yes, you can customize privacy for specific profile sections like recommendations or connections list. This allows you to keep certain info public while restricting access to other areas.
Can I easily switch back and forth between private and public?
Yes, you can seamlessly toggle between private and public modes on your LinkedIn profile under settings. Switching takes effect right away after saving changes.
Conclusion
Putting your LinkedIn profile in private mode allows you to exercise more control over your professional presence on the platform. While it limits visibility from the wider network, it provides more focus on nurturing your close inner circle of connections.
Weigh the pros and cons carefully based on your career objectives. In most cases, a balanced approach works best. Maintain a public profile but restrict access to certain sections or information as needed. This provides the right mix of reach and privacy for professional social media presence.