How to View Profile on LinkedIn: A Step-by-Step Guide

Ever wonder how others actually see your LinkedIn profile?

Knowing how your profile seems from the outside makes all the difference, whether you’re using LinkedIn for networking, job hunting, or brand promotion.

It’s like looking in the mirror before a big event: you wouldn’t show up without checking if your tie is straight or your hair’s on point.

In the same way, seeing your LinkedIn profile from other people’s eyes lets you polish up anything that might be slightly off, especially the important sections like your headline or summary.

In this article, we’ll learn all about how to view profiles in LinkedIn from an outsider’s perspective and why you should do it. Read on.

How to View Your LinkedIn Profile from Different Perspectives

LinkedIn’s profile preview feature is what you need here. It’s not always apparent how the public, your connections, or even those who’ve just landed on your profile get to see it.

Each perspective gives you slightly different info, so knowing how to view your LinkedIn profile as someone else helps you get the full picture and leave the right impression on each.

Step-by-Step guide to viewing your LinkedIn profile as others see it

Let’s break down how to do this

View LinkedIn profile as Public

If you want to see what people who aren’t connected with you see, start with the public view.

Step 1: From your profile, click the Me icon in the top-right, then go to View Profile.

Step 2: Click on Settings & Privacy. On the left sidebar, click on Visibility, and head over to Edit your Public Profile.

Step 3: A window will appear with a preview of your public profile. You’re now viewing your profile as a stranger would. You can also make changes to your public profile from right here.

In this view, you can see if the right highlights (like your job title and skills) are visible, especially for people who aren’t connected with you directly.

Pro Tip: Often, people leave out sensitive info like contact details or personal summaries in their public profiles. Double-check that you’re showing enough to intrigue a new visitor without oversharing.

View LinkedIn profile as a connection

LinkedIn slightly adjusts how your profile appears to your first-degree connections. This is handy if you want to keep things slightly more private for acquaintances compared to recruiters or random visitors.

While LinkedIn doesn’t have a specific “View as Connection” button, an easy workaround is to view your profile while logged in on a different browser or device as someone you’re connected with. This lets you see exactly what a typical connection will notice—your profile photo, headline, and most recent activity, for example.

Adjusting LinkedIn’s Profile Preview Settings

The steps to adjust your LinkedIn profile preview settings are largely the same as before:

Step 1: At the top right corner of your LinkedIn homepage, click on the Me icon (your profile picture). From the dropdown menu, select Settings & Privacy.

Step 2: On the new page, look for the Visibility section in the left-hand sidebar and click on it.

Step 3: Under the Visibility of your profile & network section, click on Edit your public profile. This will allow you to control what others see when they view your profile.

You can toggle your profile’s public visibility on or off, and choose which elements (e.g., name, photo, headline) are visible to people not logged into LinkedIn. Any changes you make are automatically saved.

Did you know? Some users are surprised to find that their recent job changes or likes on certain posts are fully visible to everyone, leading to some awkward “didn’t realize you were looking” moments with colleagues. Adjust your settings to avoid sharing too much unintentionally!

Key Benefits of Viewing Your LinkedIn Profile as Others See It

Looking at your profile from an outsider’s perspective offers some surprising insights and provides the nudge you need to optimize your profile.

It lets you create a better first impression

On LinkedIn, a viewer’s initial scan of your profile determines if they stick around or bounce. And LinkedIn users aren’t known for endless scrolling. They’re often on the hunt for quick, relevant info: Are you the kind of professional they’d want to connect with, collaborate with, or even hire?

When a recruiter glances at your profile headline and summary, if it doesn’t instantly communicate your expertise, they won’t stick around to explore further.

A good first impression means having an eye-catching headline, a concise summary, and a photo that makes you look approachable yet professional. Checking your profile from the view of someone who doesn’t know you helps you perfect that initial impression.

It identifies visibility gaps and enhances engagement

Peeking at your profile from different views also reveals unexpected blind spots. Maybe your best skills or recent projects aren’t fully visible to certain connections. Or perhaps your public profile hides details that could benefit you, like volunteer work or notable achievements.

Let’s say you’re a freelance designer hoping to attract clients. If your public profile doesn’t highlight your design portfolio links or key skills, you’re missing an opportunity to engage new visitors. View your profile as others see it to identify these gaps.

LinkedIn Privacy and Visibility Settings: How to Control What Others See

LinkedIn gives you a toolkit of privacy settings to control your profile’s visibility. Customizing these settings means you’re in charge of what others see—and don’t see—on your profile.

Adjusting public profile visibility settings

To customize what parts of your profile are visible publicly, go to Settings & Privacy. Under the Visibility tab, select Edit your public profile. Here, you’ll find options for choosing which sections—like your headline, summary, and experience—are visible to everyone, not just connections.

For instance, if you want to show your recent certifications but keep your endorsements private, enable the relevant sections for public viewing while hiding others.

Adjusting like this shapes a profile that’s both informative and selectively private.

Creating a custom LinkedIn URL for better branding

If you want to make your LinkedIn profile easier to find and more professional-looking, create a custom URL (like linkedin.com/in/YourName).

To do so, head over to Edit public profile & URL in your profile settings, then click Edit your custom URL on the right. Pick something professional—usually, your full name works best unless it’s already taken.

Pro Tip: A custom URL should also be practical—for putting on business cards, email signatures, and resumes. A personalized URL reinforces your brand and makes you that much easier to remember and locate online.

Disabling the “Viewers of This Profile Also Viewed” feature

If you want visitors to stay focused on your profile, disable the Viewers of this profile also viewed section. This setting prevents LinkedIn from showing similar profiles to those checking you out.

Head to Settings & Privacy > Account Preferences > Viewers of this profile also viewed, and toggle it off.

Why it’s useful: By keeping viewers focused on your achievements, you increase the chance they’ll remember you instead of browsing other options.

Anonymous viewing and private mode

If you want to check out other profiles without leaving any trace, use LinkedIn’s Private Mode.

To activate it, go to Settings & Privacy > Visibility > Profile viewing options and select Private mode.

Note that going private means you also lose visibility on who’s viewing your profile.

Managing activity and updates visibility

LinkedIn can notify your network whenever you make profile changes or engage with content, which is sometimes helpful but can also be unnecessary noise. For instance, if you’re updating your profile multiple times while fine-tuning it, you wouldn’t want each tweak to broadcast across your network

You can control who sees your activity by adjusting your settings:

Go to Settings & Privacy > Visibility > Share profile updates with your network and toggle it off if you prefer a more discreet approach.

Pro Tips for Maximizing Your LinkedIn Profile Visibility and Professional Impact

Once you’ve mastered the basics of adjusting your LinkedIn profile’s visibility, make sure it’s getting in front of the right eye. With a few tweaks, you can boost your profile’s reach and impact.

Use a public profile badge to enhance visibility

LinkedIn offers a Public Profile Badge that you can embed on websites, email signatures, or even personal blogs to direct traffic right to your page.

To create one, head to Edit public profile & URL on your LinkedIn settings page. There, you’ll find the option to generate a custom badge with an HTML code you can copy and paste.

See who glanced through your profile and use analytics

LinkedIn’s Who Viewed Your Profile feature provides insights into your profile traffic. It reveals not just who is viewing your LinkedIn profile as public or connections, but also how often you’re being viewed. If your views increase after a recent update, it’s a sign that your content is working out.

Pro Tip: If certain roles or industries keep popping up in your viewer list, that’s a clue you’re attracting the right (or wrong) audience. For instance, if you’re a project manager but primarily salespeople are visiting, you may need to adjust keywords or refocus your content.

Regularly update your profile for a consistent public image

Your LinkedIn profile isn’t a “set it and forget it” kind of thing—it benefits from regular check-ins and updates.

Aim to review your profile every few months or after major professional shifts, like completing a certification or finishing a big project. Consistently refresh your profile so that it reflects your current skills and roles and keeps it relevant to new visitors.

Stay updated with LinkedIn’s privacy features

LinkedIn frequently rolls out new privacy and visibility features. Staying updated means you’re always equipped to make adjustments.

Check LinkedIn’s Help section or follow their blog to stay informed about the latest tools. For example, LinkedIn recently enhanced its visibility controls for posts and activity and has allowed you to publish content sharing even more precisely.

Take Control of Your LinkedIn Profile Today

Learning how to view LinkedIn profile as someone else is a simple step, but it helps you improve your headline, summary, skills, and much more to better engage your audience. Also adjust your privacy settings to control what others see.\

Need help optimizing your LinkedIn profile? Highperformr is your best bet.

Highperformr is a comprehensive Social CRM with advanced tools for profile analysis and content generation. From keyword optimization to targeted content creation, Highperformr helps you stand out with a profile that delivers what recruiters want to see.