There are a few possible reasons why someone who has viewed your LinkedIn profile no longer shows up in your “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” section:
They changed their privacy settings
The most common reason is that the viewer changed their privacy settings so their profile views are no longer public. On LinkedIn, you can control who can see your profile views under the Privacy & Settings section. By default, profile views are public, but viewers can change this anytime.
If someone views your profile, then later changes their settings to private, they will disappear from your list of viewers. Even though they viewed your profile previously, their current privacy settings determine whether they appear or not.
It’s been over 90 days
LinkedIn only shows you who has viewed your profile within the last 90 days. If someone viewed your profile 91+ days ago, they’ll no longer show up in your viewers list.
The “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” section is meant to show you recent profile viewers, not all viewers ever. After 90 days, LinkedIn removes old viewers as new ones come in. Even if someone was in your list previously, once the 90 day mark hits, they’ll disappear.
They deleted their account
If someone viewed your profile, but later deleted their LinkedIn account entirely, they will also be removed from your viewers list. When an account is deleted, all of their LinkedIn activity, including profile views, is erased.
So if you noticed someone in your views before who is now gone, it’s possible they deleted their account. You have no way to verify this unless you confirm it elsewhere though.
Other possible reasons
While privacy settings, the 90 day limit, and deleted accounts cover most cases, there are some other rare possibilities:
They blocked you
If another user blocks you on LinkedIn, it’s possible their view of your profile will no longer show up. LinkedIn’s help pages don’t confirm this directly, but blocking someone might reset the profile view tracking.
It’s a glitch
Like all software, LinkedIn has occasional bugs. It’s possible a profile view was mistakenly attributed to the wrong person, recorded twice, or lost due to a tech issue.
If someone you know for sure viewed your profile isn’t showing up, it may simply be a data glitch. These are rare, but can happen.
You have a premium account
Depending on the type of premium account you have, LinkedIn may not show all profile viewers, or may delay showing some viewers. This is meant to entice you to upgrade to see all your visitors.
So if you have a premium account with limited profile viewer data, some viewers may not appear immediately, or at all.
How to tell if someone viewed your profile
To recap, here are the signs someone probably viewed your LinkedIn profile:
– They currently appear in your “Who’s Viewed Your Profile” list
– They were in this list within the last 90 days
– You have confirmation they viewed your profile (they told you, etc.)
And signs they probably did NOT view your profile:
– It’s been over 90 days since they were in your viewer list
– Their privacy settings now hide their profile views
– Their account no longer exists (they deleted it)
– You have them blocked
Withoutconfirmation, you can’t be 100% certain who has actually viewed your profile. The viewer list is merely a best guess based on available data.
Should you care who views your profile?
LinkedIn’s profile viewer data is inherently limited. As we’ve discussed, it doesn’t include:
– Views more than 90 days ago
– Private profile views
– Views by deleted accounts
– Potential glitches or errors
It’s designed to give you a sample of recent viewers, not a complete history.
For this reason, you shouldn’t spend too much time obsessing over your viewer list. It’s better to focus that energy elsewhere:
Updating your profile
Rather than analyzing viewers, dedicate time to optimizing your profile content. Add media samples, fill out your bio, showcase achievements, etc.
A great profile attracts new viewers and opportunities. Refining your profile improves results more than scrutinizing viewers.
Engaging with connections
Connecting with people, sharing content, and joining discussions is far more valuable than your viewer tally. Nurture relationships and participate in your industry communities.
Real engagement leads to new connections. Viewers alone don’t help you. But interacting with connections does.
Activity | Value |
---|---|
Updating Profile | High |
Engaging with Connections | High |
Analyzing Profile Views | Low |
Should you buy LinkedIn Premium to see more views?
As mentioned, premium accounts may provide more profile viewer data, at a cost. The basic options include:
LinkedIn Premium Career
– $29.99/month billed annually
– See viewers who aren’t in your network
– See more profile view analytics
LinkedIn Premium Hiring
– $99.95/month billed annually
– See full list of profile viewers
– See how you rank against other applicants
LinkedIn Premium Sales
– $64.99/month billed annually
– See more decision makers who view you
– Unlock extra filters for viewer analytics
Depending on your career focus, one of these may provide more viewer insights. But before purchasing, ask yourself:
Is more profile data worthwhile?
Viewers alone don’t get you clients, jobs, or sales. Having more names in a list won’t inherently improve your results. Remember, you can’t tell if these viewers actually care about your profile or not.
Weigh the monthly or annual cost against the likelihood it brings you tangible benefits. For many, the basic viewer data LinkedIn provides is sufficient.
Other ways to see who viewed you
If you’re determined to know who’s viewed your profile, there are a few other options beyond LinkedIn Premium:
Contact viewers directly
If you see someone you know viewed your profile, you can always message them mentioning it. Say you noticed they checked out your profile recently and you’re curious what prompted it.
This takes social skills to pull off without seeming creepy. But it’s an option if you want to start a dialog.
Use LinkedIn tracking software
Third party software tools exist that capture more LinkedIn analytics, including profile viewers. Some options include:
– SocialBu – Browser extension that tracks LinkedIn viewers. Free version has limited capabilities.
– LinkedHelper – Tracks viewers plus other analytics. Has a 14-day free trial.
– SalesIQ – LinkedIn analytics and tracking. 14-day free trial, then paid plans.
These can reveal more than LinkedIn itself, but read the fine print carefully.
Make an alternate “viewing” account
You could create a secondary LinkedIn account just to view profiles with. Keep it anonymous. Then use it to view your main profile periodically.
This viewer will always show in your list, granting some ongoing confirmation the feature works.
Of course this goes against LinkedIn’s terms of service. But some people use viewing accounts anyway, at their own risk.
Conclusion
Trying to uncover hidden LinkedIn viewers often leads down an unproductive rabbit hole. There will always be profile views you can’t confirm due to limits in the available data.
Rather than obsessing over your viewer tally, focus that energy on building a stellar profile and meaningfully engaging with your connections. These activities drive results.
While tempting to speculate about your anonymous viewers, ultimately it’s just a vanity metric. The people who matter make themselves known through direct interaction.
Profile views are inherently unreliable. But profile content and engagement can be directly nurtured. Invest your effort there rather than chasing viewer ghosts.