LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 810 million members worldwide. As a platform built to connect professionals and help advance careers, LinkedIn profiles and their associated data are an important part of how the site functions.
One of the key profile metrics on LinkedIn is views – how many times your profile has been viewed by other members. Profile views can be an indicator of how much interest there is in you as a professional and how effective your profile is at showcasing your skills, experience, and expertise.
But an important related question is: how long do LinkedIn profile views last? Are views counted for all time or do they expire after a certain period? Let’s take a look at what you need to know about LinkedIn profile view duration and data.
How LinkedIn Counts Profile Views
When another LinkedIn member views your profile, it counts as a view. LinkedIn tracks these views on your profile under the “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” section, which can be found along the right rail of your profile page.
This section shows the names and profiles of members who have viewed your profile recently. By default, it shows the last 90 days of view activity.
Importantly, LinkedIn does not expire or delete profile views after a set time. The view data is maintained indefinitely as long as the profile exists. So in theory, every profile view you have ever received on LinkedIn will continue counting toward your total profile view number over time.
The only exception is if a LinkedIn member who viewed your profile deletes their account. In that case, their name and profile will be removed from your recent 90-day view history. But the overall number of views your profile has received will not decrease.
Why Profile Views Are Indefinite
There are a few reasons why LinkedIn does not expire profile views:
- Profile views are intended to be a running total of the interest and reach of your profile. Expiring them would reset that over time.
- Keeping historical view data provides ongoing insight into the growth and performance of your profile.
- Profile views are key LinkedIn metrics that members use to gauge their professional brand and visibility.
- Maintaining view counts indefinitely poses little risk or downside to members or LinkedIn.
Essentially, persisting your view history supports LinkedIn’s core value proposition of connecting professionals and providing data-driven insights into your professional brand and network.
Does LinkedIn Eventually Delete Old Views?
Based on LinkedIn’s approach to counting profile views, there is no evidence that they systematically remove or reset historical view data after a long period of time.
Views from years or even decades ago will continue being included in your cumulative total. The only views that get removed are in cases where the viewing member deletes their account.
There are a few scenarios where old LinkedIn profile views could theoretically get deleted:
- If LinkedIn changed its data retention policies for view tracking.
- If LinkedIn stopped operating and its data archives were eliminated.
- If there were errors in the underlying view tracking system that caused data loss.
However, these scenarios are unlikely in the regular course of business for LinkedIn. The platform is clear in touting lifetime counting of profile views and has no disincentive to change its approach.
How to Check Your LinkedIn Profile View History
Wondering who has been looking at your LinkedIn profile and when? You can easily access your view history right from your profile.
On desktop, profile views can be seen by clicking on “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” along the right column of your LinkedIn profile page. This will show the last 90 days of view activity.
On mobile, tap the “Me” icon at the bottom, then “View profile” then tap the viewers icon to see your 90-day view history. Views older than 90 days cannot be accessed.
Additional Tips for Checking Profile Views
- You can download your LinkedIn data package to get your full profile viewer data for safekeeping.
- Use LinkedIn Premium to see the full list of viewers beyond 90 days, with names and timestamps.
- Check your view analytics under Profile > View Profile Analytics for summary data.
- Install the LinkedIn Profile Views app by MeetSocial to monitor real-time views.
Pro Tips for Increasing Your LinkedIn Profile Views
Here are some top tips for getting more profile views on LinkedIn which will keep counting toward your lifetime total:
Complete Your Profile 100%
Profiles that are 100% complete get up to 9x more views. Add a profile photo, headline, summary, experience, education, skills, and more.
Include Media in Your Profile
Profiles with photos get up to 21x more views. Also add videos, slide decks, and portfolio examples.
Use Keywords Strategically
Include relevant keywords and phrases throughout your profile to help you come up in searches.
Build Your Connections
Grow your high-quality LinkedIn connections with those in your industry and location.
Engage With Content
Be active liking, commenting, and sharing content to boost your visibility and reach.
Participate in LinkedIn Groups
Join relevant professional groups and constructively participate in conversations.
Publish Long-form Posts
Share your expertise by publishing posts and articles to your LinkedIn feed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about LinkedIn profile views and their duration:
How far back does LinkedIn show profile views?
LinkedIn shows the last 90 days of profile view activity by default. Premium members can access their full viewer history with timestamps.
Do profile views ever reset or expire?
No, LinkedIn does not expire or delete profile views, so they never reset. Views accumulate over the lifetime of your profile.
Can you tell who specifically viewed your profile?
Yes, LinkedIn shows the name and profile of each member who has viewed your profile in the last 90 days. Full history can be seen with Premium.
Do anonymous views count toward your total views?
Yes, anonymous profile views still get counted in your overall view totals. You just won’t see the viewer’s name or profile.
Can you pay to boost your LinkedIn profile views?
No, LinkedIn does not allow directly paying to increase profile views. You need to organically boost visibility through profile and network optimization.
The Takeaway on LinkedIn Profile View Duration
LinkedIn definitively counts profile views over the lifetime of your account – they do not expire or reset at any point. The only views removed are in cases where the viewing member deletes their account.
This indefinite view duration approach provides ongoing value in benchmarking your professional brand reach and profile performance over time. It gives long-term incentives to build a robust LinkedIn presence that attracts high view counts.
Check your own LinkedIn profile view analytics and history to assess how your efforts are paying off in greater visibility. And leverage tips like profile optimization, sharing content, and expanding your network to organically increase your profile views for the long haul.