LinkedIn allows users to control the visibility of their connections to other members. There are a few options available to hide or limit the connections that are viewable on your profile. Here are some quick answers to common questions about hiding LinkedIn connections:
Can I hide my LinkedIn connections completely?
Yes, it is possible to completely hide your LinkedIn connections from other members. To do this:
- Go to your LinkedIn profile page
- Click on the “Me” icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage and select “Settings & Privacy”
- Under the Privacy tab, go to the “Profile viewing options” section
- Uncheck the box next to “Your connections”
This will remove the connections section from your profile and prevent other members from seeing who you are connected to.
Can I select which connections are visible?
LinkedIn also gives you the option to customize which connections are visible on your profile. To do this:
- Go to your profile page and click “Manage my network”
- Under the “Manage visibility” section, click on “Select what others see”
- Here you can choose between your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree connections and customize who can see them
For example, you could allow 2nd degree connections to be visible, but only allow 1st degree connections to see your 3rd degree connections.
Can I hide just a few connections?
If you only want to hide certain connections from your profile, you can disconnect from them individually:
- Go to your connections list on LinkedIn
- Click on the three dots next to a connection and select “Remove connection”
This will remove the selected profile from your connections list. However, keep in mind they can still send you an invitation to connect again in the future.
Will hiding my LinkedIn connections affect my network?
Hiding your LinkedIn connections should not affect your overall network size or connections. You will still be connected to the same members, but the list will no longer be public on your profile.
However, hiding your connections may potentially limit some networking opportunities. For example, other members cannot browse your connections for shared contacts.
Can I block a specific member from seeing my profile?
If you want to block a particular LinkedIn member from viewing your profile you can do so under your settings:
- Go to their profile and click the three dots icon next to their name
- Select “Block” to prevent them from viewing your profile
This will remove you from their search results and prevent them from interacting with you.
Conclusion
In summary, LinkedIn provides several options for controlling the visibility of your connections:
- Hide all connections from your profile
- Selectively show 1st, 2nd, or 3rd degree connections
- Disconnect from individual connections
- Block specific members from seeing your profile
Hiding LinkedIn connections can help maintain your privacy but may also limit some networking benefits of the platform. Consider your preferences and needs when adjusting the visibility settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does hiding my connections also hide theirs?
No, hiding your LinkedIn connections only affects the visibility of connections on your own profile. Your connections can still choose to show their own connections lists publicly if they want.
Can I hide my connections from recruiters?
Yes, you can prevent recruiters from seeing your connections list. Under privacy settings, uncheck “Let recruiters see your name and headline + your 1st degree connections”.
What happens if I disconnect from a co-worker?
Even if you disconnect from a co-worker, they will still be able to find your profile through company and group pages you are both members of. The main change is that they will no longer show up on your connections list.
Can premium members see my hidden connections?
No, even paid premium members cannot see your hidden connections on LinkedIn. Your visibility settings apply universally to all members.
Is there a way to hide my connections from my company?
There is no setting to only show connections to certain members on LinkedIn. Your options are to either hide them completely or show them to your full network.
Hiding Specific Connections
While you can hide all of your LinkedIn connections, you may want to only hide some of them. Here are some ways to hide specific connections:
- Disconnect – Remove individual connections from your profile
- Organize list – Arrange your connections so certain ones are at the bottom
- Contact settings – Limit certain connections from seeing profile updates
- Groups – Connect with people in private groups instead of your profile
Additionally, you can take advantage of LinkedIn’s network segmentation features. This allows you to show different sections of your network access to customized parts of your profile.
For example, you could only show your “Work” contacts your work history and “Personal” contacts your education. This lets you segment what each connection sees.
Pros and Cons of Hiding Connections
Here is an overview of some of the pros and cons of hiding LinkedIn connections:
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
– Increased privacy and control over profile info | – Limits some networking opportunities |
– Avoid unwanted contact from some connections | – Unable to browse connections for shared contacts |
– Reduce unwanted messages and sales pitches | – Recruiters have less info to evaluate candidates |
– Protect professional reputation and image | – Perceived as less open to networking by some |
– Reduce personal distractions during work hours | – Harder to identify connections at companies |
Who Views Your LinkedIn Profile?
LinkedIn profiles are designed to be public professional profiles searchable by others. But who actually views your profile? Here are some common people who look at LinkedIn profiles:
- Recruiters – Evaluating you as a job candidate
- Hiring managers – Screening potential new hires
- Colleagues – Looking up coworkers
- Clients – Reviewing consultants or partners
- Vendors – Researching new contacts
- Industry peers – Networking and connecting
- LinkedIn members – Browsing for new connections
According to LinkedIn, nearly half of profile views come from people you are already connected to. The rest are a mix of new contacts interested in you and your network.
You can see who has viewed your profile in the past 90 days with LinkedIn Premium. This allows you to better understand who your profile reaches.
Controlling Profile Views
In addition to hiding your connections, you can also control profile viewing settings. Under privacy, LinkedIn allows you to:
- Choose if non-connections can see your profile
- Exclude yourself from search engine results
- Select if others can see your LinkedIn activity and updates
- Limit old connections from seeing your profile
These settings allow you to limit general profile views by customizing visibility and searchability for non-connections.
Private Mode
LinkedIn also offers a “Private Mode” that temporarily pauses notifications and removes you from search results. This can be enabled from the “Me” menu at the top.
Private Mode allows you to limit distractions, control how you appear in searches, and customize visibility – even for short bursts of time as needed.
Customizing Your Public Profile
In addition to connection and viewing settings, you can customize what sections are visible on your public profile:
- Reorder and hide specific positions
- Choose which education, volunteer work, courses, projects, etc. are featured
- Select visibility for publications, test scores, honors & awards
- Limit public comments and recommendations
Along with controlling the information potential employers see, this allows you to showcase the most relevant sections for your professional brand and network.
Optimizing Privacy Settings
Balancing visibility with privacy and control over your LinkedIn presence involves optimizing your profile settings. Here are some best practices:
- Review all privacy and visibility settings
- Customize visibility of sections, info, and content
- Be selective in what connections are visible
- Use private mode and viewing restrictions as needed
- Disconnect from any unwanted connections
- Personalize settings for your needs and career goals
The ideal privacy settings allow you to maximize networking opportunities relevant to your professional goals while maintaining your desired level of visibility and public exposure.
Conclusion
LinkedIn provides robust privacy controls and options to manage the visibility of your connections and overall profile. Consider carefully who you want to be viewable to and customize your settings appropriately.
Hiding LinkedIn connections can help reduce unwanted messages, protect your professional reputation, and increase privacy. But it also limits some networking benefits of the platform.
Find the right balance for your own priorities. Keep your profile optimized for your career goals by showcasing relevant sections and limiting visibility of connections when needed.