LinkedIn is one of the most popular professional social networking sites, with over 750 million users worldwide. On LinkedIn, users can post updates, share articles, and engage in discussions by commenting on posts. However, sometimes a user may post a comment and later decide they want to delete it. This raises the question – when you delete a comment on LinkedIn, does the other person (the post author or others participating in the discussion) know that you deleted it?
Notification When a Comment is Deleted
When you delete a comment you made on someone else’s LinkedIn post, the post author is not notified or alerted that you deleted a comment. From their perspective, it will seem like the comment was never made in the first place. There will be no sign or indication that a comment had been made and later removed.
Therefore, if you delete a comment you made on someone else’s post, the original poster will not know you ever commented. The comment will simply disappear from their post.
Exceptions
There are two potential exceptions when the post author might realize a comment was deleted:
They are Alerted to the Comment Via Email
When someone comments on your post on LinkedIn, you receive an email notification about it. This includes comments that are later deleted.
So if someone comments on your post, you receive the email alert, but then they delete the comment, you will still have record of the original email notification. This would indicate to you that a comment was made and later removed.
You Have Already Read the Comment
If you read and saw the comment before it was deleted, obviously you would know a comment had been made and later removed.
However, if you had not yet seen the comment in your notifications before it was deleted, you would simply be unaware it had ever been made.
When Others in the Discussion Are Notified
The situation is slightly different when considering others who are participating in the discussion thread, rather than the original post author.
When you delete a comment on someone else’s LinkedIn post, others who have replied to you within that thread will get a notification that your comment has been deleted.
For example:
– John posts an update
– Mary comments on John’s post
– You reply to Mary’s comment with your own comment
– You later delete your comment
– Mary will get a notification that your reply comment has been deleted
So participants who are directly interacting with you in the comment thread will know if you have deleted one of your comments. However, the original post author is not alerted.
When You Delete Your Own Post
The notification situation is different if you delete your own original post, rather than just a comment on someone else’s post.
If you delete your own LinkedIn post, anyone who has commented on or engaged with that post will get a notification that the original post has been deleted.
So in that scenario, others are made aware that the original post they interacted with has been removed.
How to Delete a Comment on LinkedIn
Here is a quick step-by-step guide on how to delete a comment on LinkedIn:
- Go to the post where you made the comment and locate your comment in the discussion thread.
- Hover over your comment and click on the three dots icon that appears.
- A dropdown menu will appear. Select “Delete.”
- A confirmation box will pop up. Click “Yes” to confirm you want to delete the comment.
And your comment will be immediately deleted from the discussion thread.
How Long it Takes for a Deleted Comment to Disappear
When you delete a LinkedIn comment, it is removed from the platform instantly. Both you and other users in the thread will no longer see the comment.
There is no delay and deleted comments do not linger on LinkedIn posts before being removed. The deletion takes effect immediately.
Can You Retrieve a Deleted Comment?
Unfortunately, once you delete a comment you made on LinkedIn, there is no built-in way to retrieve it or undo the deletion. The comment is permanently erased from the platform.
Even as the original commenter, you cannot recover or access deleted comment content on LinkedIn. The only record would be in any email notifications you received containing the original comment text.
Why You May Want to Delete a LinkedIn Comment
Here are some common reasons why you may want to remove a comment you made on LinkedIn:
- You made a mistake or typed something inaccurate
- You realized your comment could be perceived as unprofessional
- Your comment contained sensitive information you did not want publicly visible
- You changed your stance or opinion on the topic being discussed
- You no longer want to be part of the conversation
Deleting a LinkedIn comment allows you to essentially erase it and prevent it from being associated with your profile and viewable by your connections.
Best Practices When Deleting Comments
If you need to delete a LinkedIn comment, here are some best practices to follow:
- Use the delete feature rather than editing the comment to say “Comment deleted.” A deleted comment looks cleaner.
- Avoid repeatedly commenting and deleting on the same post, as it can appear odd to observers.
- Consider whether deleting could call more attention to a problematic comment than just leaving it.
- Reply to any other commenters who engaged with your deleted comment to continue the conversation.
Following these tips helps maintain your professional reputation when removing comments on LinkedIn.
Privacy Concerns
One privacy concern when deleting LinkedIn comments is that although your comment is removed from the platform, the post author and others participating in the thread may have already seen its contents before you deleted it.
In addition, as mentioned above, email notifications containing your comment text are still retained even when the comment itself is deleted.
So while a deleted comment cannot be viewed directly on LinkedIn anymore, its contents could still be known and remembered by others who saw it. This is worth keeping in mind if you shared sensitive information or wish total privacy around a deleted comment.
Deleting vs. Editing Comments
Rather than deleting a LinkedIn comment entirely, you also have the option to edit it after posting. This allows you to modify the comment while still keeping it visible in the discussion thread.
Here are some pros and cons to consider between deleting versus editing a comment:
Pros of Deleting
- Fully removes content from public view
- Disassociates your profile from the comment
- Avoids later misunderstandings if context changes
Cons of Deleting
- Others may have already seen the original comment
- Could draw unwanted attention to the deleted comment
- Loses potentially valuable context and conversations
Pros of Editing
- Allows you to clarify or amend without deleting
- Retains context of the conversation
- Shows adaptability and responsiveness
Cons of Editing
- Original comment remains partially visible
- Edited marker calls attention to changes
- Other participants may have already reacted to original
In most cases, editing a comment to improve it or provide clarification is better than fully deleting, but there are situations where removal makes more sense depending on the sensitivity and relevance of the content.
Conclusion
When deleting a comment you made on someone else’s LinkedIn post, the original post author is not notified or aware that you have removed a comment from their discussion thread. However, others participating in the thread will receive a notification if you delete your comment. While deleted comments cannot be recovered on LinkedIn, email notifications containing the comment text may still exist even if the comment itself is removed. The ability to delete comments can be useful to manage your professional presence, but should be handled with care and consideration to avoid unwanted effects.