Determining whether someone has a premium LinkedIn account is not always straightforward. LinkedIn does not directly display if a user has premium, but there are several clues you can look for to get a good idea of their account status.
Check for the Open Profile Badge
The easiest way to identify premium members is by looking for the “Open Profile” badge on their profile photo. This blue and white badge only appears on paid Premium and Sales Navigator accounts. If you don’t see the Open Profile badge, then the user most likely has a free account.
Here is an example of the Open Profile badge:
One thing to note is that some users may choose to hide endorsements, so the lack of an Open Profile badge does not definitively mean the account is free. But in most cases, paid users will display the badge.
Look for Profile Badges
In addition to the Open Profile badge, LinkedIn Premium members will sometimes display other badges on their profile photo or banner image. These include badges for being a LinkedIn Power Profile or a LinkedIn Creator.
For example, the LinkedIn Power Profile badge is silver or gold and displays the text “LinkedIn Power Profile.” This exclusive badge is only available to paid subscribers who complete their profile and reach certain goals.
However, not all Premium subscribers will choose to display these additional badges. So while they indicate the account is paid, the lack of additional badges does not rule out Premium status.
Check Their Profile Views
One major benefit of Premium is being able to see who viewed your LinkedIn profile. Free members can only see the last 5 profiles that viewed them.
Check how many profile views are displayed on the user’s account. If it shows more than 5 views, then they likely have a paid Premium subscription.
For example, this profile shows 289 profile views, which is a clear sign of a Premium account:
Look for InMail Indicators
Sending direct messages to people you’re not connected to requires a Premium account. These messages, known as InMails, can be identified by a small envelope icon that appears with the message.
If you receive an InMail from someone or notice the envelope icon on messages they’ve sent, then that confirms they have purchased Premium access.
Verify Their Connections Count
Free LinkedIn members are restricted to only 500 1st-degree connections. That means if a profile has over 500 connections displayed, they likely have a paid subscription.
However, some users choose to hide their connections count, so you won’t be able to use this method on every profile. But when the connections number is visible, it can be a useful indicator of Premium status.
Check For Premium Badges on Posts
When Premium members share new posts, they have the option to attach a Top Comments or Top Articles badge. Free members cannot access these badges.
Here is an example of how the Premium Top Articles badge appears:
If you notice these exclusive badges on someone’s posts, that’s a clear confirmation that they have a paid Premium subscription.
See If They Have Published Long-Form Articles
Publishing long-form articles on LinkedIn requires a Premium account. Only paid members have the ability to write articles longer than 1300 words.
Check if the user has any published articles on their profile. If you see an article that exceeds 1300 words, then they likely have Premium access.
Try Messaging Them
If all else fails, you can attempt to directly message the user to inquire about their account status. Free members cannot message anyone they are not already connected to.
So if you do not have an existing connection, try sending them a message. If the message goes through, it indicates they have a paid Premium account. If LinkedIn gives you an error about not being able to message non-connections, then the user very likely has a free account.
Use LinkedIn’s Account Upgrade Page
LinkedIn provides a sneakier way to possibly identify Premium members. You can go to the account upgrade page and enter the person’s profile URL into the search bar.
If that user has Premium, LinkedIn will discourage you from upgrading by emphasizing the overlapping benefits. On the other hand, if the user has a free account, LinkedIn will highlight the additional features you will gain by upgrading.
Of course, this method only works if you have a free account yourself. If you also have Premium, it will not reveal the status of other users.
Conclusion
Identifying whether someone has Premium LinkedIn access takes some detective work since it’s not openly displayed. While you cannot know with 100% certainty, there are many clues to help uncover a user’s likely account status.
Watch for the Open Profile badge, look for Premium exclusive profile badges, verify their connections count and published articles, and see if messaging reveals limits associated with free accounts. With a trained eye, you can quickly size up the probability that a user is taking advantage of LinkedIn’s paid Premium features.