Networking is all about being able to connect with the right people, and LinkedIn is one of the best places to do that. But what if you want to take things a step further and see who’s been checking you out? Does LinkedIn show who viewed your profile so you know whether a recruiter or prospective employer has been snooping? And more importantly, can people see who viewed their LinkedIn profile? Yes, and yes, the LinkedIn who has viewed my profile feature does offer some insight into profile views. So, dive in to see our FAQs and get the scoop.
LinkedIn Profile Views FAQs
Does LinkedIn tell you who views your profile?
Given the fact that LinkedIn currently hosts an incredible 830 million users, it doesn't reveal the identities of everyone who views your profile to maintain user privacy. Instead, LinkedIn shows you up to five users who have recently viewed your profile in the last 90 days. The information displayed about the users will vary depending on the type of subscription they have.
So, not only does LinkedIn show who viewed your profile but you have access to some of that information even without a Premium account.
How to see who viewed your LinkedIn profile
There are two ways to go about it. The first and easiest way to see who has been present on your page is to go to your LinkedIn homepage and tap the "Who's viewed your profile" section located on the left rail under your profile picture.
The second is to go to your notifications tab and look for the notification saying that someone has viewed your profile. Whichever way you choose, you will be directed to see a list of the people who have checked out your page in the past three months (90 days).
Can you see who viewed your LinkedIn profile if they are using Private mode?
If a user has set their profile to LinkedIn’s Private mode, the social network will not share any identifying information about them. Instead, in the "Who viewed your profile" section on your page, you will only see that "A LinkedIn User" visited your profile, but not their name, title, or any other information.
The one exception to this rule is if you are both first-degree connections. In that case, the social network will show you everything about that person when they view your profile on LinkedIn.
Does LinkedIn tell you who viewed your profile if you have a Premium account?
LinkedIn Premium account holders have some advantages when it comes to tracking their profile views. In addition to being able to see a list of all the people who've visited their profile in the past 90 days and a percentage of increase or decrease of weekly views, thanks to the "Viewer Insights" feature they will also be provided with details such as:
- Where these viewers work and what their job title is.
- What LinkedIn groups they are a part of and how they found your profile, via "Homepage", “Messaging” or using a specific search.
- A chart with weekly viewer trends.
- An option to contact them by sending LinkedIn InMails or a direct message.
Information like this can be really useful for understanding who is interested in your profile and why. Perhaps someone from your target company has been checking you out or maybe a recruiter is showing interest. In any case, it's good to know.
Learn more: Found You via LinkedIn Profile: What It Means & How to Use It?
Can people see when you view their LinkedIn profile?
If you are viewing someone’s profile on LinkedIn, the user will not know it immediately. So for example, if you are checking someone’s page out and the user is online at the same time, they will not know. Instead, LinkedIn will inform them the next time they log into their account that someone had viewed their profile and will tell them exactly when that happened. In fact, it will probably tell them how you came across their LinkedIn profile.
Does LinkedIn notify when you view a profile of another user?
Yes, when a user's profile has been viewed they will be informed. Next to the “Who’s viewed your profile” section, a number will appear and when you access it you will find a list of users who’ve visited. Under each name, a message will display telling you approximately how many days ago it happened. LinkedIn will also send a notification to the user if someone has viewed their profile more than once in a rolling 90-day period.
If you wish to remain anonymous when looking at other members, you must use the private mode. This way people will not be able to tell that you've been checking out their profile. However, since it's a networking platform built to help professionals connect with one another, it's generally best to be open and honest about your interest in someone, especially if you are a recruiter who’s subscribed to the LinkedIn Recruiter plan.
Does LinkedIn show who viewed your profile without an account?
The quick answer is no, if someone who doesn't have a LinkedIn account has viewed your profile, you won't be able to see it in your "Who's Viewed Your Profile" section.
However, all is not lost! LinkedIn analytics will still count this as a view and you will be able to see it in your weekly viewer trends.
This is good to keep in mind because it means that someone you've shared your LinkedIn URL with, through your resume for instance when you've applied for a job, has clicked on it to try and find out more about you. Or maybe someone has visited your website and by clicking the LinkedIn badge was sent directly to your page.
What do you see when you view someone else's LinkedIn profile?
When you visit someone else's profile, LinkedIn shows you the same information that they would normally see when they look at their own page. So if their profile is public, you'll be able to see everything, from name and last name and LinkedIn profile picture, to job position, and education. If however their profile is set to private, you'll only be able to see very basic information such as their name and job title.
Why does LinkedIn show who viewed your profile?
LinkedIn's mission is to "connect the world's professionals to make them more productive and successful." So it makes sense that one of the features they offer is the ability to see who has been viewing your profile.
This feature is the essence of networking as it helps users understand which of their connections are interested in learning more about them. But it also allows them to research other LinkedIn users who they are not connected with. For example, if someone accidentally comes across your LinkedIn profile it's very likely that they've seen one of your articles or were recommended to your page by LinkedIn. Or maybe your profile was included in a search on the site. Whichever the case, by knowing how your viewers or potential connections came across your profile you will be able to better tailor your content to attract your target audience. No wonder, 62% of professionals claim LinkedIn helped them generate twice the leads of the next social media channel.
Is there a way to control what people can see if you view their LinkedIn profile?
There sure is, the platform offers three options for users to control what people can see in their LinkedIn profile views. You can either choose to share all your details, including name, headline, location, and industry, or you can select the semi-private profile and share information like job title, company, school, and industry. With this mode, you are partially protected and you might appear only as a "Marketing Specialist at XYZ" in the “Who’s viewed your profile” section. And of course, the third option is one we've already mentioned more than once —the LinkedIn private mode which will only show you as a "LinkedIn Member" and nothing more.
Should you wish to change your LinkedIn privacy settings, go to "Settings & Privacy", click on the "Visibility" icon next to your name, then change the settings according to your preference in the "Visibility of your profile & network" section.
The Takeaway
The option to see who has viewed your profile, especially on a networking platform such as LinkedIn can be a great way to research other users, understand which of your connections are interested in learning more about you, and also tailor your content to attract your target audience. LinkedIn is all about building professional relationships and this feature is the essence of it. We hope this list of FAQs has helped you understand that LinkedIn does show who viewed your profile, only with certain limitations and conditions.
