The basic steps to set up LinkedIn

Creating a LinkedIn account takes about five minutes. Go to linkedin.com, click "Join now," and enter your email address, password, first name, and last name. LinkedIn will send you a confirmation email — click the link in that email to verify your address. You'll then answer a few questions about your current job title and company, and your account is active.

You don't have to fill in every field LinkedIn offers during setup. The platform will prompt you to add a photo, write a headline, list your work history, and add skills, but you can skip these steps and come back to them later. The more you fill in, the more information LinkedIn has about you — which is worth thinking about before you do it.

Key Takeaways

  • LinkedIn requires only an email address, password, first name, and last name to create an account, plus email verification.
  • Every field you complete — job history, education, skills, location — becomes part of your profile that LinkedIn stores and can use for targeting ads.
  • Your profile is visible to other LinkedIn users by default, though you can change who sees what through privacy settings.
  • LinkedIn collects data about which profiles you view, which posts you interact with, and which job postings you click, not just what you write.

What information LinkedIn asks for during signup

During the initial setup, LinkedIn requires your email, password, first name, and last name. After you verify your email, the platform asks for your current job title and company name. None of these fields are optional if you want to finish the signup process.

After that, LinkedIn suggests you add a profile photo, a headline (usually your job title and company), your location, and your work history. You can decline to add these details at signup and fill them in later, or not at all. However, LinkedIn's algorithm shows profiles with more complete information to more people, so leaving fields blank may mean fewer people see your profile — which is sometimes the point if you want less visibility.

What happens to the information you provide

LinkedIn stores everything you enter and uses it for three main purposes: to show your profile to other users, to target advertisements to you, and to train its recommendation systems. When you list a job title, LinkedIn connects that to thousands of other people with the same title and shows you ads for products and services aimed at that group. When you add your location, LinkedIn uses that for location-based ad targeting. When you list skills, those become searchable tags that recruiters can use to find you.

LinkedIn also tracks behavior you don't explicitly provide. The platform records which profiles you view, which posts you like or comment on, which job postings you click, and how long you spend on each page. This behavioral data is used to refine which content appears in your feed and which ads you see. LinkedIn shares some of this information with third-party advertisers in aggregated form — meaning they see patterns about groups of users, not your individual name — but the raw data stays with LinkedIn.

How to control who sees your profile

Your LinkedIn profile is visible to all other LinkedIn users by default. To change this, go to your profile, click the "Edit public profile" button (the pencil icon next to your name), and scroll down to "Public profile visibility." You can set it to "Public" (anyone on the internet can see it), "Public to LinkedIn members only" (only people with LinkedIn accounts), or "Private" (only people you've connected with can see it).

Even if you set your profile to private, LinkedIn still collects the same data about your activity — what you view, what you click, what you like. Changing visibility only controls whether other people can see your profile page, not what LinkedIn itself knows about you. If you want to limit what LinkedIn collects about your behavior, you would need to use fewer features, not just adjust privacy settings.

Privacy settings that actually change what LinkedIn collects

LinkedIn's privacy settings are mostly about visibility, not data collection. However, a few settings do reduce what the platform gathers. In your settings, go to "Data privacy" and look for "Advertising data" — you can remove your email and phone number from being used for ad targeting, though LinkedIn will still use your profile information and behavior.

You can also turn off "Ads based on your use of LinkedIn member services on non-LinkedIn websites and apps." This prevents LinkedIn from tracking you on other websites through its tracking pixel (a piece of code that follows you across the internet). Turning this off doesn't stop LinkedIn from collecting data on the LinkedIn site itself, but it does stop cross-site tracking. Look for this setting under "Data privacy" and toggle it off.

LinkedIn does not offer a way to stop the platform from collecting your activity data entirely while keeping your account active. If data collection is a concern, the trade-off is between using LinkedIn with limited visibility or not using it.

What to know about LinkedIn's data sharing practices

LinkedIn shares your information with advertisers, but not in the way many people assume. The platform does not sell your name and email address to third parties. Instead, it uses your data to create audience segments — "people aged 25–34 in tech who viewed job postings in the past month" — and sells access to those segments so advertisers can target you. Advertisers see that you fit the segment; they don't see your individual profile unless you've already connected with them.

LinkedIn also shares data with its parent company, Microsoft, and with other companies you explicitly connect to through integrations. If you use the "Sign in with LinkedIn" button on another website, that website receives some of your LinkedIn data. If you add a Microsoft account to your LinkedIn profile, Microsoft can see your activity. Read the permissions screen before you authorize any third-party connection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I create a LinkedIn account without using my real name?

LinkedIn requires you to use your real first and last name during signup. The platform has automated systems that flag accounts with obviously fake names and may suspend them. If you have safety concerns about using your real name, you may want to reconsider whether LinkedIn is the right platform for you.

Does LinkedIn sell my email address to other companies?

LinkedIn does not directly sell your email address. However, it does share aggregated data with advertisers and allows third-party websites to target you if you've used "Sign in with LinkedIn" on their site. If you're concerned about email spam, avoid using LinkedIn to sign up for other services.

What happens if I delete my LinkedIn account?

LinkedIn will delete your profile and most associated data within 30 days. However, some information — like messages you sent to others — may remain in other users' inboxes. Backups of your data may also persist on LinkedIn's servers for a longer period for legal and security reasons.

Can recruiters see my profile if I set it to private?

If your profile is set to private, only people you've directly connected with can see it. Recruiters cannot find you through LinkedIn search unless you've already connected with them. If you want recruiters to find you, your profile needs to be visible to at least LinkedIn members.

Does LinkedIn use my data to train AI models?

LinkedIn uses your data to train recommendation algorithms and personalization systems. The platform's terms of service allow it to use your content and activity for these purposes. If you want to opt out of this, you would need to contact LinkedIn directly, though the platform may not honor such requests while your account remains active.