Are you a professional detective on LinkedIn? Do you want to remain anonymous when searching for clues on users’ profiles? This short article/tutorial will give you the ultimate trick for remaining invisible when investigating someone’s profile. Whether it’s a prospect or a candidate, this feature is interesting for a number of reasons linked to confidentiality and visibility, which we’ll look at in this article.
What are the advantages of not being seen when you visit a Linkedin profile?
When you click on a LinkedIn profile to view a person’s background and experience, they may be notified that you’ve visited their profile. In the context of prospecting on the platform, this is an important action before contacting the same person to let them know that we have consulted their profile and marked our activity in our network before sending them a message.
To see who has viewed your LinkedIn profile, you’ll need a LinkedIn Premium account. We’ve written an article on the various LinkedIn subscriptions to help you find your way around in terms of visibility and privacy.
There are many prospecting techniques on LinkedIn, and it’s important to optimize them to maximize your professional opportunities.
But in the following cases, it can be interesting to remain anonymous by using the privacy options of your profile:
- In the case of professional recruitment, where you do not want the candidate to know that you have consulted his or her profile anonymously
- When prospecting for key accounts, you want to be seen as an expert in your sector without disclosing your search preferences in advance.
- In a personal context, you simply want to stalk someone on LinkedIn confidentially.
- Or simply because you, as an individual, want to protect your anonymity on the platform!
Stalking” is an English term used in the hunting industry. It can be literally translated as “stealth stalking”. We use it in France with a gentler approach, which could be seen as a form of intense curiosity about a person. It’s a keen interest, where someone delves deeply into another person’s life, trying to find out more about their activities, tastes or habits. In some contexts, this could be compared to the way a fan takes an interest in the life of their favorite celebrity, seeking out every detail of their life.
Well, it’s the same principle for a recruiter or a salesperson.
There are many reasons for wanting to remain anonymous when visiting a LinkedIn profile. They are mainly justified by a desire on your part to remain invisible to the stalker, protecting your privacy and adjusting your profile settings. Now that you meet at least one of these criteria, let’s take a look at how to use the options available.
How can I remain anonymous?
Without further ado, here is the step-by-step method:
- Click on “Me” in the menu of your LinkedIn profile
- Then select “Settings and Privacy” in the parameters.
- Then go to the “Visibility” section
- And finally: “Profile viewing options”.
- You have three options for customizing your anonymity
a) Normal
b) Semi-private, the person will only see your company name
c) Totally private
Is it really a good idea to become totally invisible on LinkedIn? Indeed, if you select this option in your privacy settings, you also become invisible to users who are not part of your network (the more than 2nd relations). As a result, potential prospects or recruiters won’t be able to view your profile. You’ll drastically reduce the likelihood of them sending you a message. That’s why we’re giving you a tip for taking advantage of your anonymity while keeping your finger on the professional opportunities that LinkedIn can offer you.
Navigate LinkedIn without being logged in
Another method is to browse LinkedIn anonymously without even being logged into your account. To do this, you can use a search engine like Google to view a LinkedIn profile. Simply type in the person’s name followed by “LinkedIn”. This will show you basic information such as profile picture and job title without recording your visit. However, there are restrictions to this method, particularly if the profile is completely private or if the user has adjusted their privacy preferences.
The ultimate tip for maximizing visibility: MirrorProfiles
I’ll give it to you straight: MirrorProfiles. Our tool lets you rent heated and secure LinkedIn profiles, ready to use! By renting a Mirroir profile ( to see the difference with an avatar profile, click here), you’ll be able to play detective by analyzing different profiles while keeping a certain visibility in the eyes of your prospects or recruiters on your real LinkedIn account. By using the Mirroir account, you can stalk profiles in complete freedom without worrying about being discovered, while protecting the confidentiality of your activity on the platform.
The idea is as follows:
- View profile X on LinkedIn
- You connect via our launcher, which ensures a dedicated and secure digital footprint
- You select one of your Mirror accounts, configured with anonymous information and not bearing your first or last name.
- No need to activate the anonymous mode, just go to profile X to start your confidential survey.
With this trick, it’s all done! In addition to this feature, having MirrorProfiles profiles is a must-have in your technical stack in 2023, whether you’re prospecting for new customers or recruiting top talent. Here’s a full article to discover all the tips and features that using MirrorProfiles can bring, improving your visibility and optimizing your marketing strategy on LinkedIn.
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Subscribe to LinkedIn Premium to maintain your anonymity
If you activate private mode without a LinkedIn Premium subscription, you will lose access to certain information such as your profile statistics, and you will no longer be able to see who has viewed your LinkedIn profiles. However, with LinkedIn Premium, it is possible to configure your privacy options to remain in anonymous mode while retaining access to this data, which can represent an interesting compromise for users who wish to keep an eye on their interactions while consulting profiles anonymously.
Create a second account for discreet consultations
You can create a second LinkedIn profile with different information to browse the platform discreetly. But beware, Linkedin is good at detecting these accounts. Using a second account allows you to exploit different privacy options and preserve your anonymity while browsing LinkedIn. This allows you to separate your personal activities from those concerning your professional objectives, and optimize your networking strategy on the platform.
The digital age has transformed the way we interact with and learn about others. LinkedIn, as a professional platform, is a valuable tool for professionals, recruiters and companies. However, there are times when discretion is necessary, whether for professional or personal reasons. The ability to visit profiles anonymously offers this discretion, but it can also limit the opportunities available to you.
However, with innovative solutions like MirrorProfiles, it’s possible to combine the best of both worlds: discretion and visibility. By using mirror accounts, users can browse freely while preserving their professional identity. This opens the door to new strategies and approaches for prospecting, recruiting and many other areas. To find out more about how MirrorProfiles can revolutionize your LinkedIn experience, I invite you to explore this detailed article highlighting the benefits and features of this innovative solution. In a world where first impressions are often digital, having the right tools at your disposal is essential.
FAQ
How do I become anonymous on LinkedIn?
To make yourself anonymous on LinkedIn, log in to your account and access “Preferences and Privacy” via your profile photo or the “Me” icon. Go to the “Visibility” section, then select “Profile view options” and choose “Private mode”. This will hide your name and personal information when visiting other users’ profiles.
Does the person see when you look at their LinkedIn profile?
No, LinkedIn does not notify users when someone views their profile, unless you have disabled the anonymity option in your visibility settings. If you browse in private or anonymous mode, your visit will not be recorded.
Will anyone know if I search for them on LinkedIn?
No, you can browse anonymously on LinkedIn by activating “Private Mode” in the privacy settings. This allows you to visit profiles without users being informed of your visit.
How can I prevent someone from seeing my LinkedIn profile?
To prevent anyone from seeing your LinkedIn profile, access your profile and click on “Settings & Privacy” in the drop-down menu below your profile photo. Select “Visibility” in the left-hand menu, then under “Profile visibility options”, turn off the switch next to “Public visibility of your profile”. This will make your profile invisible to the public, but your connections will still be able to see it.
