My clients often have questions about LinkedIn public profiles.
For instance, they ask:
- Is my LinkedIn profile public?
- Can anyone see my profile on LinkedIn?
- How can I get a LinkedIn public profile?
I will answer those questions and more below.
About LinkedIn Public Profiles
LinkedIn lets you create a public profile that AI candidate sourcing agents and human talent sourcers who are not logged in to LinkedIn can find.
It can be almost as complete as your entire profile, or you can limit the information you share.
How to Set Up, View, and Change Your Public Profile
To manage your public profile:
- Click “Me” on the top horizontal rail of your profile.
- Next, click “Settings & Privacy.”
- Then, click “Visibility.”
- Then, click “Edit your public profile.”
The left column of the page shows how your public profile appears. The right column gives you several display options.
Edit Your URL
The first option involves editing your profile’s URL. Customizing it to fit your needs is essential (and easy).
How to Make LinkedIn Profiles Public
Next, you can edit what’s publicly visible on your profile (this is how you “get” a public profile):
- First, click the button to make your profile visible, i.e., public.
- Second, decide who can see your photo.
- Third, determine which sections of your profile to show. I recommend using most of your profile to help sourcers find you. However, avoid sharing details you wouldn’t want to see in the Wall Street Journal.
Many Recruiters Search LinkedIn Using Agentic AI and via Google
Why do you need a public LinkedIn profile? Because a 2024 poll found that up to 15% of recruiters search LinkedIn outside the paid platform.
Those recruiters probably won’t find you if you don’t have a public profile.
Also, add your email address to your LinkedIn “About” section. That way, recruiters can see it and contact you without logging in to LinkedIn.
How Can I View My LinkedIn Public Profile?
If you want to see what recruiters see when they view your public LinkedIn profile, it’s easy:
- Log out of LinkedIn.
- Google: [your name] AND LinkedIn.
- Find your LinkedIn profile in the Google search results.
- Click through, and you will see what recruiters see.
More
Please invite me to connect on LinkedIn. The more I know about my readers, the more relevant I can make my blog.
Image: freshidea
Updated April 2025
© 2019 – 2025, Donna Svei. All rights reserved.
Donna Svei, an executive resume writer and former C-level executive, retained search consultant, and CPA, authors all of AvidCareerist’s posts.
She is a Fast Company Contributor and has written for and been quoted by 100+ business and general media outlets, including Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, CNBC, the New York Times, USA Today, Time, US News & World Report, CBS, the BBC, Lifehacker, Social Media Today, IT World, and Business News Daily.
Let her expertise inform your job search strategy and decision-making.
Contact Donna here to learn more about her resume and LinkedIn profile services and fee structure.
Comments 4
Great
Richa,
Thank you.
Donna
Donna, I believe having a Public LinkedIn Profile is vital, especially if you are in a job search. You want to give recruiters and hiring managers every way possible to find you. You want to make it easy for them. So glad you’ve given people this reminder!
Donna,
Thank you. I think people often skip over LinkedIn’s privacy settings and don’t understand that they’re essential to visibility on the platform.
Donna