LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 800 million members. When you search for someone on LinkedIn, sometimes their profile shows up as a “LinkedIn member” rather than displaying their full profile information. There are a few reasons why this happens.
They have a Basic account
The most common reason someone shows up as just a “LinkedIn member” is because they have a Basic account. LinkedIn offers several tiers of accounts: Basic, Premium, Sales Navigator, Recruiter Lite, Recruiter, Hiring Manager, and Business Plus. The Basic account is free and allows you to create a profile, connect with others, join groups, follow companies, and conduct basic searches. However, with a Basic account, your full profile is not visible to people who are not directly connected to you. When people outside your network search for you, they will just see your name, headline, location, connections, and a “Connect” button.
Their profile visibility is limited
In addition to account type, members can also control the visibility settings on their profile. Under the Privacy & Settings options, you can choose who can see your LinkedIn activity and full profile. The options are:
- Your connections only
- Your connections and members who know your email address or phone number
- Your connections and members who know your name or email address
- Everyone on LinkedIn
If someone has their visibility set to “Your connections only” or the other limited options, people who are not connected to them will just see the “LinkedIn member” profile when searching.
They haven’t filled out their profile
To display a complete LinkedIn profile with photo, work experience, education, skills, accomplishments, etc., members need to fill out their profiles. Some people sign up for LinkedIn but don’t take the time to build out their profile fully. When someone has a sparse, incomplete profile, there won’t be much information to show other members who view their profile, so it will just show them as a “member.”
They are new to LinkedIn
New LinkedIn members who are just getting started on the platform may not have had a chance yet to complete their profiles, so they’ll appear as “LinkedIn member” in searches until their profile is fleshed out.
They don’t want to be found
Some members intentionally keep their profiles minimal so they don’t show up in searches. For example, high profile individuals or celebrities might not want random people looking them up or contacting them through LinkedIn. Keeping their profile visibility limited or profile empty prevents their accounts from appearing in searches.
Their account is inactive
If someone has not actively used their LinkedIn account for awhile, their profile may revert to just showing their name and “LinkedIn member.” LinkedIn wants to showcase active, engaged profiles in search, so inactive accounts tend to get deprioritized.
They are fake or spam accounts
Unfortunately, there are some fake accounts and spam profiles created on LinkedIn. These bogus accounts are often easy to identify because they lack a photo, job history, education, connections and other signs of a real profile. LinkedIn tries to crack down on fake accounts, so they may only show the bare minimum of info.
Their employer limits profile visibility
Some companies restrict the public visibility of their employees’ LinkedIn profiles to protect confidential projects or intellectual property. For example, profiles from Apple or Google employees might show limited information to people outside those companies.
They don’t have an individual subscription
If someone is accessing LinkedIn through a company page rather than an individual account, their personal profile may not show up in searches. For example, if a sales rep is using LinkedIn through their company’s Sales Navigator team account, their individual profile visibility may be reduced.
Conclusion
In summary, there are a variety of reasons why some LinkedIn members show up as limited profiles lacking full information when people search for them on the platform. The most common causes are having a Basic account, keeping profile visibility restricted, not filling out the profile fully, being a new/inactive user, or being associated with a company page rather than an individual account. Some members also intentionally limit their profiles for privacy reasons. While frustrating, seeing the “LinkedIn member” badge usually just means you need a direct connection to view that person’s full profile details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you tell if someone views your LinkedIn profile?
No, LinkedIn users cannot see who views their profile. LinkedIn previously had a feature that allowed you to see who viewed your profile, but they removed this in 2014 due to user privacy concerns. Now profile views are only visible to account owners if the viewer likes or comments on their profile.
Why do some LinkedIn profiles say “Only you can see this preview”?
This message appears when viewing a LinkedIn profile that has limited visibility settings. Typically it means the account holder has restricted profile viewing to only their 1st-degree connections. You will need to connect directly with them to request viewing access.
Does a basic LinkedIn account show up in searches?
Yes, basic LinkedIn accounts will show up in searches but will only display limited profile information – name, headline, location, and number of connections. To see full profiles, you need to upgrade to a premium account or connect directly with that member.
Can you tell if someone unconnects you on LinkedIn?
No, LinkedIn does not notify users if someone unconnects from their profile. The only way to know is if you notice they have disappeared from your connections list. LinkedIn wants to avoid hurt feelings, so they designed the platform to remove connections quietly.
Why does LinkedIn show profiles as “New member”?
“New member” means someone recently joined LinkedIn and hasn’t built out their profile yet. This is common with new users who are just getting started on the platform. Their account information will become more detailed as they add work history, education, etc.
Is there a way to prevent your profile from appearing in LinkedIn searches?
Yes, you can control the visibility of your LinkedIn profile to limit searchability. Under Settings & Privacy, restrict your profile visibility to “Your connections only.” You can also keep your profile sparse and activity low. But the only way to completely remove it from search is to deactivate your account.
Can you search LinkedIn without an account?
No, you need a LinkedIn account to access search features and view full profiles. Without registering, you can only see limited preview profiles. To sign up for LinkedIn, go to www.linkedin.com or download their mobile app.
Tables Comparing Profile Visibility
Account Type | Profile Visibility |
---|---|
Basic | Only name and limited details visible to public |
Premium | Can make full profile public |
Sales Navigator | Can customize profile visibility settings |
Privacy Setting | Who Can See Profile |
---|---|
Your Connections Only | 1st-degree connections |
Your Connections and members who know your email address or phone number | 1st-degree connections and 2nd-degree connections |
Your Connections and members who know your name or email address | 1st-degree, 2nd-degree, and 3rd-degree connections |
Everyone on LinkedIn | All LinkedIn members |
Conclusion
LinkedIn profiles that show up as just a “LinkedIn member” without full profile details tend to belong to users with Basic accounts, restrictive privacy settings, sparse profiles, or inactive accounts. There are valid reasons why some professionals choose to limit their public profiles, such as maintaining privacy or focusing on connections within their industry. While it can be frustrating not being able to access information, the “LinkedIn member” badge simply indicates you will need a direct connection to view that person’s complete profile. With over 800 million users, LinkedIn must balance profile visibility with personal preferences to maintain trust and engagement on the platform.