Originally published 2013-06-18. Updated October 16, 2026.
You’re updating your LinkedIn profile, and you’d rather finish the work before drawing attention to it. I understand. A half-finished profile isn’t the introduction you want to make.
LinkedIn lets you control whether certain career updates are shared with your network. That control is useful, but it doesn’t make your profile edits private. Here’s what to check before you start.
Key Takeaways
- Profile-update sharing controls certain notifications, not who can view saved edits.
- Use Settings & Privacy, then Visibility, to find Share profile updates.
- Review the sharing choice before saving a new role or education entry.
- Use a separate post when you want to explain a meaningful change in your own words.
Written by Dotty Scott
Founder of Premium Websites, Inc.
Empowering small businesses to go from Invisible to Invincible.
What Does LinkedIn’s Sharing Setting Control?
LinkedIn’s profile-update guidance covers job changes, promotions, education changes, and work anniversaries. Sharing may produce a feed update, an app notification, or an email. Not every edit triggers one, and enabling the setting doesn’t guarantee that everyone will see an announcement.
The old advice that every profile change sends a notification was too broad. I wouldn’t plan an announcement around an automatic update alone.
Turn Profile-Update Sharing On or Off on a Computer
- Open LinkedIn and choose Me.
- Select Settings & Privacy.
- Open Visibility.
- Under Visibility of your LinkedIn activity, select Share profile updates.
- Choose Off or On. The choice saves automatically.
Some accounts may show a longer label describing job, education, and work-anniversary changes. Look for that meaning if the wording differs.
Find the Setting on Your Phone
In the LinkedIn app, open your profile photo and Settings & Privacy, then Visibility and Share profile updates. Choose the setting you want before editing. On desktop, some edit forms also include a Share with network toggle.
I suggest making one deliberate choice before a profile cleanup, rather than rushing through a series of save buttons.
Turning Sharing Off Doesn’t Hide Your Profile
Anyone who visits your profile can see edits once you save them, even with sharing off. That includes a new job entry you weren’t ready to discuss. Treat this as notification control, not a way to conceal information.
My practical approach is to prepare the wording elsewhere first. Read your headline, About section, experience, and contact details together. Then make the edits when you’re ready for visitors to see the whole picture.
For a business owner, the important question is whether the profile and website tell the same story. If your profile says one thing and your service page says another, people have to guess which is current.
Plan a Clear Announcement
When something important changes, I prefer an intentional announcement. Explain what’s new, who you help, and what someone should do next. A new title without context may leave your ideal client wondering whether you still offer the service they need.
For example, a consultant adding a new service could describe the problem it solves and link to the relevant website page. That gives people something more useful than a title change to react to.
Before you share, check the destination page and contact options. My website-as-your-hub guide explains why the next step matters as much as the social update.
Common Questions
Does this turn off notifications I receive?
No. This article covers updates sent about your profile. Notifications you receive have their own controls.
Should I turn sharing back on?
Choose based on what you want to share. There’s no requirement to announce routine maintenance.
Do I need a complete profile rewrite?
Start with accuracy. Correct outdated services, links, and contact information before polishing every sentence.
If your website and profile need a clearer connection, schedule a Discovery Call. We’ll talk through the next useful step.
Read the rest of the posts in this series: The Honest Truth about Your Website
- Is Your Website Actually Working? (Or Just Sitting There Looking Pretty)
- Why the Phone Isn’t Ringing (And It’s Probably Not What You Think)
- The Truth About AI-Built Websites (What They Don’t Tell You Before You Click Generate)
- The Truth About Wix, Squarespace, and DIY Website Builders
- What a Good Web Designer Actually Does (And Red Flags That Say Run)
- Why Your Competitor Shows Up on Google and You Don’t
- What Is Schema Markup (And Why You Should Care)
- Does Your Business Show Up in ChatGPT? Here’s How to Find Out
