LinkedIn has become an invaluable tool for networking and making professional connections. With over 722 million members worldwide, it’s likely that most of the people you want to connect with professionally are on LinkedIn. But what happens when you search for someone on LinkedIn that you don’t already know? Will they be notified that you viewed their profile? Let’s take a look at what LinkedIn does and doesn’t tell people about who viewed their profile.
Does LinkedIn notify you when someone views your profile?
The short answer is: sometimes. LinkedIn does have some tools to notify you when someone views your profile, but they are limited in functionality.
Here’s an overview of LinkedIn’s profile viewing notification options:
- You can see who viewed your profile in the last 90 days – but only if they are not anonymous.
- You will receive an email digest notifying you of non-anonymous profile views if you choose this setting.
- You will not receive real-time notifications when someone views your profile.
- You cannot see anonymous profile views.
So in summary, if someone views your profile while signed into their LinkedIn account, they have the option to view anonymously. If they do so, you will not be notified of their profile view. You will only be notified of profile views by non-anonymous LinkedIn members who view your profile while signed into their account.
Who can see who viewed their LinkedIn profile?
All LinkedIn members have the ability to see who viewed their profile in the last 90 days. However, there are some limitations:
- You can only see the name and headline of viewers – no other profile details.
- Profile views by anonymous LinkedIn members do not show up.
- You can only see the last 90 days of profile views.
- You may not see every profile viewer, as LinkedIn says they limit the number you can see due to privacy reasons.
So while LinkedIn does allow you to see some of your profile viewers, it is a limited view both in terms of details and time period. The only way to get notified in real-time of profile views is through LinkedIn’s email digest option.
How to see who viewed your LinkedIn profile
Wondering how you can see who viewed your LinkedIn profile? Here are the steps:
- Go to your LinkedIn profile page.
- Click on the “See all profile views” link – this will be on the right rail of your profile page.
- This will open a window showing your recent profile viewers for the last 90 days (limited numbers shown).
- You can toggle between showing all viewers or just viewers in your network.
- If desired, click “Turn on profile view notifications” to get email digests when people view your profile.
Using these steps, you can check back regularly to see who has been viewing your LinkedIn profile. Just keep in mind it will not show anonymous profile viewers.
Who can see your LinkedIn profile without you knowing?
There are a few key groups who can view your LinkedIn profile without you being notified or seeing it in your list of profile viewers:
- Anonymous viewers – if someone views your profile anonymously, it will not show up in your list of profile viewers.
- Non-connected LinkedIn members – if someone you are not connected to views your profile, you may or may not see it in your profile viewer list due to LinkedIn’s limits.
- Recruiters/sales navigators – recruiters and sales navigators using premium LinkedIn accounts have enhanced visibility and can see more profile analytics.
- LinkedIn Premium subscribers – premium account holders can browse profiles anonymously and view more profile visitor data.
Essentially, unless a profile viewer is in your network and views your profile non-anonymously, they can likely view your profile without leaving a trace. Even some in your network can view anonymously and evade detection.
Does LinkedIn notify you when someone searches for you?
No, LinkedIn does not notify you if someone performs a search for your name or profile on the platform. LinkedIn search does not provide any type of user notifications or alerts.
The standard LinkedIn search feature allows any user on LinkedIn to search for other members. Whether someone is in your network or not, they can enter your name into the search bar and view your profile. This does not trigger any notification to you that you have been searched for or viewed.
The only potential notification would be if after searching for you, the person then views your profile while signed into their account. At that point, standard profile viewing notifications would apply – so you may see them in your list of viewers depending on settings.
Does LinkedIn tell you who searched for you?
LinkedIn does not provide any information to users about who has searched for them specifically. Your profile visitor information only shows those who have viewed your profile, not who has searched for you.
Some reasons why LinkedIn does not show who searched for you include:
- User privacy – seeing everyone who searched could reveal unwanted attention.
- Search abuse prevention – stopping stalking or harassment issues.
- Discouraging discrimination – recruiters could filter candidates unfairly.
For privacy and security reasons, LinkedIn has chosen not to provide search user data to members. So there is no way to see who has searched for your name or profile on LinkedIn.
Can LinkedIn admins see who viewed your profile?
No, even LinkedIn administrators and staff members do not have the ability to see who has viewed your profile. Profile viewing data is private.
The LinkedIn support team is unable to disclose:
- Who has searched for you on LinkedIn
- Who has viewed your profile
- Any information on unique profile visitors
LinkedIn profile viewing data and analytics are only visible to the individual account holder. Not even LinkedIn employees can access this information for other members.
Can LinkedIn Premium see who viewed your profile?
Having a LinkedIn Premium account gives you a few more insights into who has viewed your profile, but limitations still apply:
- You can see more profile viewers than regular members (but total numbers still limited).
- You can browse member profiles anonymously so your views are not tracked.
- You see enhanced analytics on who viewed your updates, content, and profile.
However, Premium members still cannot see anonymous profile visitors or view complete viewer data. LinkedIn still restricts the visibility of viewer analytics data for privacy reasons. Premium provides more insight into your profile traffic, but with limits.
Does turning on profile view notifications change anything?
Turning on LinkedIn’s profile view notification option simply means you will receive email summaries recapping who viewed your profile. It does not provide additional visibility into anonymous or inactive viewers.
Here are the key things to know about LinkedIn’s profile view notification emails:
- You receive a weekly email summary of who viewed your profile.
- It only shows non-anonymous profile views by people in your network.
- The data is still limited and delayed compared to real time views.
- It does not show you any new information you couldn’t see yourself.
The notification emails serve as a recap of the profile traffic that you can already view yourself on LinkedIn. It does not give you any greater visibility or new data.
Can you tell if someone downloads your LinkedIn profile?
There is no way to tell if someone has downloaded or printed your LinkedIn profile. These actions do not trigger any notifications or visibility to you.
Your list of profile viewers will only show those who have actively visited your profile page while logged into their LinkedIn account. Any offsite viewing or saving of your profile content is not tracked or detected by LinkedIn.
Some examples where your profile could be viewed or downloaded without your knowledge include:
- Anonymous viewing in private browser mode
- Saving a PDF copy of your profile
- Using third-party tools to download or record info
- Viewing your public profile when logged out of LinkedIn
So there are many ways your LinkedIn profile can be accessed and saved offline without any record. LinkedIn’s tools only show you active onsite viewing traffic.
Can LinkedIn tell you who screenshot your profile?
No, LinkedIn cannot detect or notify you if someone takes a screenshot of your profile page. Screenshotting does not leave any trace that LinkedIn can track.
Some examples where your profile could be screenshotted without your knowledge:
- Pressing PrtScr or using Snipping Tool in desktop browsers
- Using operating system screenshot features like Mac’s Command-Shift-4
- Screen recording apps that capture video and images
- Mobile screenshot features by pressing Home + Lock buttons
With the wide availability of screenshot technology across devices and platforms, your LinkedIn profile can be easily captured as an image without your knowledge. LinkedIn has no technical capability to know this is happening.
Should you make your LinkedIn profile public or private?
The choice between a public or private LinkedIn profile depends on your priorities and preferences:
Public | Private |
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Typically, having a public profile is recommended to take advantage of LinkedIn for business and career advancement. But you can toggle your profile between public/private at any time if you need more privacy.
Pro tips to manage your LinkedIn profile privacy
If you want to limit visibility but still keep a public profile, here are some tips:
- Customize your public profile URL to make it harder to find
- Use anonymous browsing when you want to privately view profiles
- Set your profile to only show your name/headline to non-connections
- Turn off your “People Also Viewed” to remove suggested contacts
Balancing privacy and a professional presence on LinkedIn is possible with the right settings. You have control over the information you share and how you engage with the platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can LinkedIn see who stalks you?
No, LinkedIn cannot detect when another user is “stalking” or obsessively viewing someone’s profile. The platform only shows limited data on who has viewed your profile during normal use. Any stalking behavior cannot be identified.
Is it anonymous if you view someone’s profile on LinkedIn who isn’t a connection?
No, regular LinkedIn members cannot view other profiles anonymously. Only Premium account holders have access to anonymous browsing. Viewing someone who is not your connection will show up in their profile viewer list.
Does LinkedIn notify when you check a profile?
LinkedIn may notify a user when you view their profile, but not always. Anonymous profile views and non-connections viewing you will not trigger a notification. LinkedIn profile viewing notifications are limited.
Can LinkedIn admins see your stalkers?
No. LinkedIn admins and staff do not have access to users’ profile viewer data or stalking information. This data remains private and anonymous to other users.
Should I make my LinkedIn private or public?
Most professionals benefit from a public profile for networking opportunities. But you can make it private anytime to limit visibility. Custom settings can also enhance privacy on a public profile.
The Bottom Line
LinkedIn does provide some visibility into who views your profile, but with major limitations. Anonymous browsing, search visibility, off-site viewing, screenshots, and other factors mean your profile can still be accessed without your knowledge.
The core functionality of LinkedIn centers on building an open professional network – with appropriate privacy controls. But ultimately, a public presence on the platform encourages beneficial connections and career growth for most users.