How to Make Your LinkedIn Profile Public (and Check What People See)
In short
Your public profile is the version of your LinkedIn profile that people who aren't signed in, and search engines, can see. On desktop: click the Me icon, View Profile, then the edit icon next to "Public profile & URL". Turn public visibility on, choose which sections to show, then check the result in a private browser window.
What is a LinkedIn public profile?
LinkedIn has two audiences: signed-in members, who see your profile according to your privacy settings, and people who are not signed in. For the latter, and for search engines, LinkedIn shows your "public profile". According to LinkedIn's help, your public profile settings control which sections can be displayed to people who aren't signed in and to search tools.
This matters as soon as someone looks you up outside LinkedIn: a recruiter typing your name into a search engine, a client clicking the link in your email signature while signed out, or a tool reading the public information on your profile.
LinkedIn also notes that in some contexts it may show a more limited preview of your public profile, with only some of the fields you have allowed, and that non-members may be asked to sign in or join to see parts of it.
Why make your profile public (or not)
Making your profile public is a choice, not an obligation. It helps if you want to be found: job hunting, freelancing or consulting, or speaking in your industry. Your name, headline and experience can then appear in search engines and be viewed without a LinkedIn account.
On the other hand, you may prefer to limit what is visible. LinkedIn itself flags a trade-off: making your profile easier to access can also make it easier for unauthorised third parties and search tools to collect your public profile data. You can find a middle ground by showing the profile while hiding some sections.
- Public profile on, selected sections: a good compromise for most people looking for a job or opportunities.
- Public profile on, everything visible: useful if your profile is your professional shop window (freelancer, consultant, creator).
- Public profile off: only signed-in members can see your profile, according to your other settings.
How to turn on and adjust your public profile
The steps below follow LinkedIn's official help page "Control your public LinkedIn profile".
On desktop
- Click the Me icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage, then View Profile.
- In the right pane, click the edit icon next to "Public profile & URL".
- Make sure "Your profile's public visibility" is switched on.
- Switch each section on or off depending on what you want to show. Changes are saved automatically.
On the mobile app
- Tap your profile photo, then Settings.
- Tap Visibility, then "Edit your public profile".
- Switch public visibility on, then adjust section by section. Changes are saved automatically here too.
Which sections should you show?
If you are looking for a job or clients, visitors should understand within seconds who you are and what you do. Keep at least your photo, headline and experience visible: these are what a signed-out visitor expects to find.
More personal sections can stay hidden if you prefer. There's no universal rule; just ask yourself, "does this information help people contact me for the right reasons?".
While you're in these settings, you can also customise your profile address in the same "Public profile & URL" panel. A readable URL is easier to share: see our guide to customising your LinkedIn URL.
Check what signed-out visitors see
The simplest way is to open a private (incognito) window in your browser, where you're not signed in to LinkedIn, and paste your profile address. You'll see an approximation of what a signed-out visitor sees. Remember that LinkedIn may sometimes ask that visitor to sign in to see more.
Check that your photo, headline and experience appear, and that nothing you wanted to keep private is visible.
How long until search engines reflect your changes?
Your settings apply immediately on LinkedIn, but not in search engines. LinkedIn's help says it may take several weeks or even months for search tools like Google or Bing to reflect your changes, and that LinkedIn does not control how or when these tools refresh their results.
If your profile appears incorrectly in a search engine, LinkedIn recommends contacting that search tool directly.
Common mistakes
- Assuming your public profile is what signed-in members see: these are separate settings. The public profile is about people who aren't signed in and search engines.
- Hiding everything "to be safe" while you're job hunting: a recruiter who clicks your link while signed out will see almost nothing.
- Forgetting the photo: its visibility is set separately and can be limited to your network. Check that it appears if you want it to be public.
- Expecting search engines to update immediately: as LinkedIn notes, it can take weeks or even months.
Frequently asked questions
Does a public profile make me visible to my employer?
Your employer, if they have a LinkedIn account, already sees your profile according to your settings for signed-in members. The public profile changes what signed-out visitors and search engines see. If your concern is your job search, the setting that matters is Open to Work: it can be limited to recruiters, and LinkedIn says it takes steps to hide it from recruiters at your current company, without a full guarantee.
Can I show my profile without showing my photo?
Yes. Photo visibility is set separately, with several levels from direct connections to everyone. You can keep a public profile while limiting your photo, even if a profile without a visible photo looks less complete.
Does turning off my public profile remove it from Google?
The setting applies immediately on LinkedIn, but search engines refresh their results at their own pace: LinkedIn mentions several weeks or even months, and doesn't control that delay.
Public profile and the ResumedIn analysis
The free ResumedIn analysis starts from your LinkedIn profile URL and needs your profile to be publicly visible. If the profile can't be read, the analysis stops and shows the "Profile set to private" message.
Once your public profile is set, the analysis rates 10 criteria for a score out of 100, with no account needed. It can only assess the information it is able to read on your profile.
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