LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 700 million users worldwide. As a professional social media platform, LinkedIn has certain rules and guidelines that users are expected to follow in order to maintain a respectful and productive environment. Understanding these rules is important for getting the most out of LinkedIn while avoiding issues that could lead to account restrictions or bans. This article will provide an overview of the main rules that must be followed on LinkedIn.
LinkedIn User Agreement and Privacy Policy
The foundation for LinkedIn’s rules is the LinkedIn User Agreement and Privacy Policy. All members are expected to adhere to the terms outlined in these documents. The User Agreement specifies the rights and responsibilities you have as a LinkedIn member in areas such as:
Account security
You are responsible for safeguarding your password and account. LinkedIn recommends using a strong, unique password and enabling two-step verification for additional security.
Accurate information
Profiles, posts, messages, and all other information shared on LinkedIn should be accurate and truthful. Providing inaccurate details about your identity, qualifications, or experience violates LinkedIn’s terms.
Respectful conduct
Members must behave respectfully and professionally towards other users. Harassment, hate speech, nudity, vulgarity, and other offensive behaviors are prohibited.
Honoring copyright
Uploading or sharing content that infringes on copyrights of third parties is not allowed. Members must have the rights to any content they upload or post.
Compliance with laws
LinkedIn must be used for lawful purposes only. Any activities violating local laws or regulations are grounds for account termination.
The Privacy Policy outlines how LinkedIn handles members’ personal data and the types of information collected on the platform. You agree to LinkedIn’s data practices by using their services.
Account and Activity Guidelines
In addition to the User Agreement, LinkedIn also provides Account and Activity Guidelines that forbid certain behaviors including:
Fake accounts
Accounts must represent real users. Fake or automated accounts used to artificially boost connections or misrepresent identities will be suspended.
Scraping or hacking
Automated data collection from LinkedIn without permission is strictly prohibited. Hacking into LinkedIn systems or member accounts will lead to legal action.
Impersonation
Do not create accounts or post content pretending to be someone else. Impersonating other users is unethical.
Restricted content
Certain types of content are not allowed on LinkedIn, such as sexually explicit images or videos, illegal drugs, self-harm, violence or terrorism. Promoting such content can get you banned.
Spam and scams
Spamming other members with unsolicited promotional or commercial messages is not tolerated. Running any scams on LinkedIn users will result in permanent suspension.
Targeted advertising
Sending targeted ads via InMail to members you are not connected to is prohibited without proper marketing permissions. Mass InMail spamming will cause your account to be restricted.
Profile Rules
Member profiles represent each user’s professional identity on LinkedIn. Specific rules apply to the content members can include on their profiles:
Real identities
Profiles must use members’ real identities – first and last name matching official ID documents. Exceptions apply for legally established aliases or professional stage names.
Professional positions
Current and past positions listed on the profile must reflect real professional roles and organizations members are affiliated with.
Valid information
All details added to the profile, including skills, accomplishments, education, certifications, and recommendations, must be accurate and truthful. Misrepresentations will be removed.
Appropriate photos
Profile pictures must be professional headshots or general business photos not containing offensive, suggestive, or inappropriate content.
Honoring privacy
Publicly posting other people’s private contact info or confidential company data without permission is prohibited.
Call-to-action avoidance
Profiles should not include direct sales solicitations, contact forms, or prominent CTAs – these belong on company pages.
Messaging Rules
LinkedIn messaging comes with its own etiquette to prevent harassment and abuse:
No spamming
Sending unsolicited promotional messages or contacting people you don’t know is considered spam.
Respect opt-outs
If someone does not respond to your messages or asks you to stop messaging, comply with their wishes and do not continue messaging them.
No offensive content
Do not send abusive, threatening, defamatory or racially/sexually harassing messages to others via LinkedIn messaging.
No inappropriate advances
Using LinkedIn messaging for repeated romantic advances towards someone who is not interested is inappropriate and may be seen as harassment.
Follow company guidelines
If messaging someone within the same company, ensure you adhere to any employer policies regarding internal communications and confidentiality.
Group Rules
As a social platform, LinkedIn allows members to join common-interest groups and engage in group discussions. To maintain healthy group dynamics, LinkedIn enforces some rules:
On-topic discussions
Conversations within a group should be relevant to the group’s purpose and description. Off-topic clutter hinders meaningful dialog.
Respectful participation
All group members deserve to be treated with basic courtesy and dignity. Personal attacks and bigotry create a toxic environment.
No spam posts
Posting off-topic promotions or mass invitations is considered spam and decreases signal-to-noise ratio.
Comply with manager requests
Group owners or managers may issue warnings or remove members that repeatedly violate group policies.
No illegal activities
Attempting to use groups for illicit transactions, identity theft, spreading malware, or other criminal schemes will get you banned.
Advertising Policies
Companies advertising on LinkedIn must stick to certain policies around ad content, targeting, and quality:
Lawful businesses only
Advertisers must represent legitimate businesses operating legally in the required jurisdictions. Certain business types are restricted.
Accurate ad content
Ads cannot make false or misleading claims about the advertiser’s products, services, pricing, or other details. Evidence must support any stated claims.
No offensive material
Offensive, disturbing, or objectionable content is prohibited from use in LinkedIn ads. Ads must be appropriate for a professional audience.
No targeting minors
Ads should not be directed specifically towards individuals below 18 years old, in accordance with LinkedIn age policy.
Honor opt-outs
Members that opt out of seeing ads must not be served unwanted ads. Their ad preferences must be respected.
Follow placement guidelines
Ads can only appear in permitted placements designated as available ad inventory by LinkedIn.
Page Rules
Companies and organizations with LinkedIn Pages must adhere to rules around page content and admin behavior:
Official pages only
Pages must represent real businesses and organizations – personal or fan pages are not allowed. Impersonation will lead to page removal.
Responsive admins
Page admins must be responsive to visitors and maintain pages regularly. Unmaintained pages are subject to deletion.
Honor confidential data
Do not share confidential customer data, trade secrets, or other proprietary information without authorization on company pages.
No offensive content
Pages must avoid posting illegal, objectionable, or harassing material that creates a hostile environment for visitors.
Stay on-brand
Content published on pages should be professionally relevant and reflect positively on the brand.
Follow company policies
Admins must adhere to their company’s social media policies regarding publishing content and interacting with visitors.
Showcase Page Rules
LinkedIn Showcase Pages for brands and products also come with rules around content strategy and tactics:
Brand alignment
Showcase Pages must directly represent established brands and align with the brand identity consumers are familiar with.
Established products only
Products featured on Showcase Pages should already be launched and available for purchase – no conceptual or unreleased products.
Promotional limitations
While some product promotion is allowed, Showcase Pages that appear overly promotional or rely heavily on special offers may be restricted.
Respect staffing limitations
There should not be an excessive number of Showcase Pages created for minor product variations just to add more staff members.
No damaging content
Showcase Pages must avoid hosting content that damages the brand image, like offensive conversations in posts.
Follow branding guidelines
The visual design and content style of Showcase Pages should adhere to the company’s brand guidelines whenever applicable.
Job Posting Rules
Posting job listings on LinkedIn comes with rules around equal opportunity, disclosure, legitimacy, and accuracy:
No discrimination
Job posts must be open to all qualified candidates and may not exclude people based on protected characteristics like race, gender, or sexual orientation.
Disclose company name
Listings must clearly state the real name of the hiring company – no vague, ambiguous, or misleading names.
Legitimate roles only
Jobs must represent open roles that the company legitimately intends to fill with real employees or contractors.
Accurate descriptions
Qualifications, responsibilities, compensation, and other details provided in the job description must accurately reflect the actual position.
Target local candidates
If hiring for roles in a specific country, the job should be advertised in the corresponding local language and target residents with authorizations to work there.
Keep requirements reasonable
Experience requirements should not be inflated beyond what is realistically required for the role. This aids wider job accessibility.
Sponsored Content Rules
LinkedIn allows member-generated posts to be sponsored and targeted as ads. Rules for sponsored content include:
Transparent sponsorship
Sponsored posts must be clearly labeled as ads or sponsored content to avoid misleading readers that it is organic.
No embellishment
The content within sponsored posts must represent the genuine views and experiences of the member posting – no artificial embellishment or exaggeration.
Respect targeting options
Members who opt out of seeing ads or sponsored content must not have those posts served to them against their preferences.
Target appropriately
Depending on the post content, certain age, location, and interest-based targeting may be restricted for sponsored posts to comply with LinkedIn policies.
Monitor comments
Post owners who sponsor their content must actively monitor their posts to quickly remove any offensive or inappropriate comments.
Honor content guidelines
All sponsored posts must adhere to LinkedIn content guidelines prohibiting offensive, misleading, or illegal subject matter.
Influencer Program Rules
Acceptance into LinkedIn’s elite Influencer program comes with rules to maintain thought leadership quality:
Original insights only
Influencer content must provide meaningful commentary and analysis, not just rehash what others have already said on the topic.
Expert authority
Influencers should stick to topics directly relevant to their demonstrated professional expertise and experience.
Thoughtful engagement
As an Influencer, you must engage respectfully with your audience and not ignore comments on posts.
Promotion limitations
While some self-promotion is expected, Influencers that overly advertise without enough value-added commentary may be removed.
Honor production standards
Content quality in writing, editing, images, graphics, and videos must meet high standards expected of top thought leadership.
Credit sources
Reusing excerpts or information from other sources must include proper citations and attribution.
Publication Rules
LinkedIn now offers its own native publishing platform with strict editorial guidelines:
Well researched
Publications must represent thoroughly researched insights and may require citations or references to approve.
Insightful analysis
Thought-provoking analysis and commentary must go deeper than just reporting on news and events.
No self-promotion
Articles should aim to share expertise and perspectives, not just advertise the author or their products. Some promotion is fine.
Original content
All contributed articles and visuals must be owned by the publisher or used with full license to redistribute on LinkedIn.
Factual accuracy
Statements and claims within articles must reflect the factual truth as much as possible based on available evidence.
Audience relevance
Topics covered should directly pertain to the professional interests of LinkedIn’s member base.
Learning Course Rules
Creating paid online courses for LinkedIn Learning comes with its own policies around quality and integrity:
Authority on the topic
Instructors must have suitable mastery and qualifications in the subject matter at a level appropriate for educating others.
Valuable skills focused
Courses should aim to teach specialized professional skills relevant to LinkedIn members looking to level up their careers.
Polished presentation
The video and audio quality, editing, instructions, and supplemental materials for a course must be professionally produced.
Accurate information
The knowledge shared in courses must represent well-researched best practices – no outdated or inaccurate information.
Respect copyright
All course materials, including images, diagrams, videos, and excerpts used must avoid infringing on the IP rights of others.
Maintain consistency
Courses must be regularly updated to ensure the content remains consistent and doesn’t become outdated over time as practices evolve.
Network Rules
LinkedIn provides unparalleled professional networking opportunities, but certain etiquette rules apply:
Two-way value
Connection requests should aim to establish mutually beneficial relationships, not just expand contact lists one-sidedly.
Relevance matters
Only connect with professionals relevant to your industry, goals, or expertise – random invites provide little value.
Limit invitation frequency
Avoid bombarding people with connection invites. Spread out outreach over time and look for meaningful ways to engage.
Personalized invites
When inviting new connections, take the time to customize the invitation with a note specific to them rather than a generic template.
Follow-up politely
If someone does not respond to your invite, avoid badgering them with repeated invites. Politely follow up once or twice at most.
Respect decisions
If someone declines your invite, respect their decision and don’t take offense. Do not continue re-inviting them repeatedly. Move on graciously.
Conclusion
LinkedIn operates with the goal of enabling professional networking and opportunities. To maintain a respectful, trustworthy environment suited for that purpose, the platform establishes rules for user conduct. Violating LinkedIn’s policies carries consequences from content removal up through permanent suspension. Knowing and following the main guidelines around user agreements, network etiquette, posting content, advertising, and communications allows you to fully leverage LinkedIn’s potential while avoiding issues. With over 740 million members, LinkedIn needs reasonable rules of the road so everyone has a positive, safe experience. Checking your actions against these core rules gives you confidence that you are using LinkedIn properly for relationship-building and career advancement.