LinkedIn is a great platform for publishing articles and connecting with your professional network. When you start drafting articles on LinkedIn, they get saved as drafts so you can come back and work on them later before publishing. But sometimes it can be confusing to find where your drafts are saved and access them. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk through exactly where to find your LinkedIn article drafts, how the drafting and publishing process works, and tips for managing your articles.
Where are LinkedIn article drafts saved?
All LinkedIn article drafts are saved under the “Write an article” section on your profile. To access your drafts:
- Go to your LinkedIn profile
- Click on “Write an article” in the top menu (on desktop) or scroll down to the “Write an article” box (on mobile)
- This will bring you to the article editor with any existing drafts on the left sidebar under “Drafts”
So in summary, your drafts are saved directly within the LinkedIn article editor system. They are not saved elsewhere like in Google Docs or Microsoft Word.
How does the LinkedIn article drafting process work?
When you begin writing a new article on LinkedIn, you’ll start by giving it a headline and starting to write in the editor. As soon as you write even one word, it is automatically saved as a draft.
You can save as many drafts as you want and they will all be visible in the left sidebar. You can click on any draft title to open it back up and continue writing.
Once your article is ready to publish, you can click “Publish” and go through the sharing options. Only published articles will appear on your profile – drafts remain private until they are published.
At any time, you can delete drafts you no longer need by hovering over them in the left sidebar and clicking the trash can icon.
Tips for managing drafts
Here are some tips for staying organized with your LinkedIn article drafts:
- Give each draft a clear, descriptive title so you can easily find it later
- Keep the number of drafts manageable – delete old ones you’re no longer working on
- Consider publishing drafts as a series if they are on related topics
- Remember to click “Publish” when you’re ready to share an article – this makes it visible
- Track article metrics after publishing to see which topics resonate most with your audience
Can you access LinkedIn drafts from other devices?
Your LinkedIn drafts are only accessible from the device you started writing them on. So if you begin an article on your phone, you cannot currently open it as a draft on your desktop.
The drafts are device-specific and not synced across different devices. Once you publish the article, of course, it will then be visible from any device.
Many people wish LinkedIn would sync drafts across devices to make accessing them easier. But for now, just be sure to continue drafting and publishing on the same device.
Workaround options
If you need to access a draft from a different device than where you started it, here are a couple workarounds:
- Email yourself the draft text so you can copy/paste it into the editor on another device
- Consider composing your drafts in Google Docs first, then copy/paste the text into the LinkedIn editor
Neither workaround is perfect, but they can help in a pinch if you need to change devices mid-draft. The main thing is not expecting your drafts to appear across all devices automatically.
What happens to drafts if you delete your account?
If you choose to delete your LinkedIn account, any unpublished drafts associated with that account will also be permanently deleted. They will not be saved anywhere else.
However, any articles you previously published before deleting your account will still remain visible and active. Your name will still show as the author, even though the account is gone.
So in summary:
- Published articles remain visible if you delete your account
- Unpublished drafts are deleted and cannot be recovered
This underscores the importance of being sure to publish any important drafts before deciding to delete your account. Otherwise, all record of those unpublished articles will also disappear.
Can other people see your drafts?
No, drafts are always private and confidential until published. No one else will ever see them in the drafting stage, including your LinkedIn connections.
It’s only possible for others to see your article once you officially publish it. This allows you to feel comfortable drafting articles over time without worrying about someone seeing an unfinished version.
LinkedIn’s drafting process is highly secure and private. So feel free to save as many drafts as you want while you perfect your articles before sharing!
Troubleshooting when drafts seem to disappear
In rare cases, LinkedIn drafts may seem to disappear unexpectedly. Typically this is due to one of the following reasons:
Accidentally clicking “Discard”
If you discard a draft, it is deleted instantly without any further confirmation. Be very careful when clicking buttons in the drafting interface to avoid accidentally discarding your work.
Switching devices
As mentioned earlier, drafts do not sync across devices. If you were working on a computer and expect to see the draft on mobile, it will be missing until you publish.
Deleting your browser history/cookies
If you clear all cookies and history, any unsaved drafts can be wiped out. Make sure to manually save anything you want to keep.
Logging out of LinkedIn
Sometimes logging out and back in can cause drafts to temporarily disappear – but they usually reappear if you logout and login again.
LinkedIn bug
In rare instances, a LinkedIn bug could also cause drafts to vanish. Try logging out and back in again. If they’re still gone, contact LinkedIn customer support.
Best practices for organizing drafts
Here are some top tips for staying organized with your LinkedIn drafts:
- Title each draft something recognizable so you can find it later
- Break long articles into multiple drafts for easier editing
- Delete old drafts you’re no longer working on to reduce clutter
- Back up drafts outside LinkedIn in case they get lost
- Double check for any unsaved work before logging out
- Publish articles right away once they’re complete
Following best practices like these will help ensure your drafts stay organized and don’t get lost accidentally.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I recover a draft I deleted?
Unfortunately, no. Once a draft is deleted, it is gone for good. LinkedIn does not send deleted drafts to any sort of Recycle Bin or allow you to undo discarding a draft. This is why it’s critical to be very careful when deleting drafts.
Is there a limit to how many drafts I can save?
LinkedIn does not appear to enforce any limit. You can save as many drafts as you would like. Just keep in mind that too many unsaved drafts can become disorganized. Ideally keep only current drafts you are actively working on.
Can I export my drafts out of LinkedIn?
There is no official way to export drafts from LinkedIn to a file or document. The best option is to manually copy/paste each draft into another document to back it up outside of LinkedIn.
Who is able to publish articles on LinkedIn?
Any LinkedIn member can publish public articles – you do not need a premium account. The only exception is LinkedIn will restrict article publishing from accounts that have violated their terms, like through spam.
Conclusion
Understanding where to access and manage your LinkedIn drafts is key to being able to publish articles successfully. To recap, main points to remember are:
- Drafts are only visible under your profile’s “Write an article” section
- They do not sync across devices and disappear if you delete your account
- Published articles are public, drafts always remain private
- Organize drafts clearly and delete old ones to reduce clutter
With these tips, you can feel confident drafting and publishing engaging articles for your professional network on LinkedIn. Just be cautious when discarding drafts and back them up outside LinkedIn if needed. Overall, LinkedIn’s article tools provide a great platform for thought leadership content that can elevate your profile.
