.png)
With millions of users worldwide, LinkedIn provides a valuable platform for professionals to connect, share insights, and showcase their expertise. However, it's important to strike a balance between online visibility and personal privacy.
In this guide, we'll explore how you can optimise your LinkedIn profile visibility to get found online while protecting your privacy.
Adjust Your Profile Viewing Mode
One of the key features of LinkedIn is its profile viewing options. By adjusting these settings, you can control who can see if you've viewed their profile.
To access your profile viewing options, follow these steps:
Click on the Me icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage.
Select Settings & Privacy from the dropdown menu.
Go to the Visibility section and click on Visibility of your profile and network.
Choose the option that suits your preference. You can either let others see your name and headline, show only where you work, or use Private mode to appear as an anonymous LinkedIn member.
Remember, if you select Private mode, you won't be able to see who has viewed your LinkedIn profile.
Edit and Preview Your Public Profile Information
Your LinkedIn profile is visible to people who are not logged in to the platform, especially when they search for specific keywords.
To manage how you appear to them, you can customise your public profile information. Follow these steps to edit and preview your public profile:
Click on Edit your public profile or Change under the Visibility settings.
Preview your current public profile to see if any changes are necessary.
Scroll down to the Edit Visibility section and select the desired level of visibility for your profile. Keep in mind that your name, connections, and region will still be visible to the public.
Use the toggle switch to turn on/off any information you don't want to show on your public profile, such as your background photo or groups you belong to.
By customising your public profile, you can control what information is readily available to those who find your profile through search results.
Decide Who Can See or Download Your Email Address
Your email address is an essential part of your professional identity, but you may not want everyone to have access to it. LinkedIn allows you to control who can view or download your email address.
Here's how you can manage this setting:
Under the Visibility settings, click on Change for Who can see or download your email address.
Select your preferred option from the dropdown menu. You can choose to limit access to only yourself, first or second-degree connections, or anyone on LinkedIn.
By default, this setting is set to first-degree connections. If you want to prevent others from downloading your email address when they export their data from LinkedIn, simply toggle the button on or off.
Taking control of who can view or download your email address adds an extra layer of privacy and helps protect you from unsolicited emails or being added to mailing lists.
Change Who Can See Your Last Name
Your full name is a significant identifier, and you may not want everyone to have access to it on LinkedIn. To manage who can see your last name, follow these steps:
Go to the tab for Who can see your last name under the Visibility settings.
Choose how you want your name to appear. By default, your full name is visible to others.
If you prefer, you can change it to display your first name and initial. This way, anyone who is not a connection will see your initial instead of your full name. However, keep in mind that anyone, whether a connection or not, who searches for you using your full name, will still be able to find your LinkedIn profile.
By controlling who can see your last name, you can strike a balance between personal privacy and maintaining a strong professional presence on LinkedIn.
Control Your Profile Visibility Outside LinkedIn
LinkedIn integrates with various apps and approved services that can access and display information from your profile.
If you're concerned about the extent of your profile's visibility outside of LinkedIn, you can adjust this setting:
Under the Visibility settings, click on Profile visibility and discovery off-LinkedIn.
Toggle the permission button from Yes to No to limit the visibility of your LinkedIn profile to external apps and services.
If you change your mind, you can always revert to the default setting.
Choose Who Can Discover Your Profile Using Your Email Address
LinkedIn offers various ways for people to discover your profile, including searching by your email address. If you want to restrict this, follow these steps:
Under the Visibility settings, click on Profile discovery using email address.
Select who can discover your profile and connect with you using your email address. By default, this setting is set to Anyone on LinkedIn.
Choose the option that aligns with your preferences.
Limiting the discovery of your profile using your email address can help maintain your privacy and prevent unsolicited connections.
Control Who Can Discover Your Profile Using Your Phone Number
Similar to profile discovery using email address, LinkedIn allows people to find your profile using your phone number.
To manage this setting, follow these steps:
Under the Security and Privacy section, click on Profile discovery using phone number.
Select who can discover and connect with you using your phone number if they haven't already joined your network. By default, this setting is set to Anyone on LinkedIn.
Choose the option that best aligns with your privacy preferences.
Taking control of who can discover your profile using your phone number helps ensure that your personal information remains secure and only accessible to the desired audience.
Control Who Can Send You LinkedIn Invitations
Managing who can send you LinkedIn invitations is another way to control your profile's visibility and protect your privacy. Follow these steps to adjust this setting:
Go to Settings & Privacy and navigate to the Communications section.
Click on Who can send you invitations.
Select the desired option. You can choose to allow invitations from everyone on LinkedIn, only first-degree connections, or set specific criteria for receiving invitations.
By managing your invitation settings, you can filter out unwanted connection requests and maintain a more targeted network of connections.
Managing LinkedIn Privacy Settings
By adjusting your profile visibility settings, you can strike a balance between online visibility and personal privacy.
Follow the steps in this guide to take control of who can see your profile, manage the information displayed, and protect your personal brand.
Comments