LinkedIn is a professional social network where you build a profile around your work history, connect with colleagues and classmates, search for people and jobs, and share posts. About LinkedIn says it has more than 1 billion members in more than 200 countries and territories, and a basic account is free, with paid Premium plans on top.
Here's the part most beginners miss. LinkedIn Help splits everything into two things: a profile, which is a person, and a Page, which is an organisation. You can't run your business from a profile, because profiles must represent real people, and LinkedIn says it may log you out or restrict the account if you try. You need a profile before you can create a Page, and you can't convert one into the other.
Profile, Page or Premium: which one you need
This table pulls together what LinkedIn Help says about each, as of October 2026.
| Represents | Who can create it | Main tools | Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profile | A person | Any member, for themselves only. You can't create an account for anyone else. | Profile level meter, Who's viewed my profile, member verification | Free basic account |
| Page | An organisation, product or service | Someone who already has a LinkedIn profile | Complete your Page, Who's visited my Page, Page verification | Free to create |
| Premium | An upgrade, not a separate account | Bought directly by the account owner only | Depends on the plan: Career, Business, All-in-One, Sales Navigator, Recruiter Lite, Premium Company Page or LinkedIn Learning | Paid, with a free trial for eligible members |
If you've set up a profile for your company by mistake, LinkedIn's advice is to change the profile name to your real name and create a new Page instead, before the profile gets restricted. If that's you, my guide to creating a LinkedIn company Page walks through it.
Where LinkedIn came from and how it makes its living
About LinkedIn says the company started in co-founder Reid Hoffman's living room in 2002 and officially launched on 5 May 2003. Microsoft completed its acquisition of LinkedIn in December 2016. Its stated mission is to connect the world's professionals to make them more productive and successful.
It earns from three places, according to the same page: membership subscriptions, advertising sales and recruitment solutions. That's worth knowing as a user, because it explains why you'll see Premium prompts and ads. If the ads side interests you, here's how LinkedIn advertising works.
What people use LinkedIn for
LinkedIn Help describes your profile as a professional landing page for your personal brand, a place to show a history of your experience and achievements that a typical CV might not reflect. In practice, people use it to:
- Stay in touch with colleagues, alumni and recruiters, and find new opportunities through their network.
- Search for people, jobs, companies and posts from the search bar at the top of every page.
- Find and apply for jobs, either with Easy Apply on LinkedIn or through Apply, which sends you to the company's own site.
- Share posts and let their network know about job changes, education changes and work anniversaries.
- Learn, through LinkedIn Learning, which comes with some Premium plans.
The free account covers the basics. LinkedIn Help lists finding and reconnecting with colleagues and classmates, requesting and giving recommendations, searching for and viewing other members' profiles, and saving up to three searches with weekly alerts.
How to start on LinkedIn in five steps
- Edit your profile. On a computer, click the Me icon at the top of your homepage, choose your profile card, then click the Edit icon next to any section. Not every section can be edited in a mobile browser, so use the app or a computer.
- Add a photo that looks like you. LinkedIn allows an illustration or caricature, but it must reflect your likeness. It may remove stock images, celebrity photos or fictional characters.
- Work through the profile level meter. Everyone starts as a Beginner. Add four recommended sections to reach Intermediate, and all seven to earn an All-star rating. Only you can see your level, and a fuller profile shows up more in search.
- Connect with people you know. Select Connect on someone's profile, in People you may know, or accept invitations in My Network. You need a primary email address to send invitations.
- Search and explore. Type keywords or a plain question into the search bar, such as finance leaders at nonprofits in Boston. Don't use quotes, because natural language search doesn't support them.
Two limits to keep in mind from LinkedIn Help. You can have up to 30,000 first-degree connections, and your account can be temporarily stopped from sending invitations if people report them as unwanted or spam. For the job side, my guide to searching for jobs on LinkedIn goes deeper.
Who sees your posts and your profile
When you post, you pick an audience, and LinkedIn Help says you can't change it after sharing. Whatever you pick becomes your default for next time.
| Visibility setting | Who can see the post |
|---|---|
| Anyone | Anyone on or off LinkedIn, including people who aren't signed in and your followers who aren't connections |
| Connections only | Your first-degree connections |
| Group | Members of the group you shared it in |
Your profile is generally visible to every signed-in member. Contact details in the Contact Info section are only shown to first-degree connections. Anyone who views your profile sees your edits the moment you save them, even if you've turned off notifications to your network.
People who aren't signed in see your public profile, which LinkedIn calls a simplified version of the full thing. You choose which sections appear on the Public profile settings page. Here's the catch: after you change it, LinkedIn Help says search engines such as Google or Bing can take several weeks or months to refresh, and LinkedIn doesn't control that. Turning your public profile off completely has a downside too. LinkedIn says it could stop you recovering your account if you lose access to your primary email, because it may ask for your public profile URL.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Free LinkedIn versus Premium
Premium is optional. LinkedIn Help lists Premium Career for getting hired, Premium Business for business insights, Premium All-in-One for small businesses, Sales Navigator for leads, Recruiter Lite for hiring, Premium Company Page for Pages, and LinkedIn Learning for skills.
The free trial has strings. LinkedIn Help says you must enter a valid credit card to start it, not every member qualifies, and it converts to a paid plan unless you cancel before it ends. You can't switch plans for free during the trial, and if you cancel a trial you won't get another for at least 12 months. For current prices, see the LinkedIn Premium cost breakdown.
My advice for a first week on LinkedIn
I'd start with the free account and ignore Premium until you know what you'd use it for. Fill in your profile until the meter says All-star, add a photo that looks like you, and connect with people you've worked or studied with. If you're a business, set up a Page from your own profile, don't dress a profile up as a company. And decide on your public profile settings early, because changes can take weeks to show in Google.
Frequently asked questions
What is LinkedIn used for?
People use LinkedIn to build a professional profile, connect with colleagues and classmates, search for people and companies, find and apply for jobs, share posts and learn new skills.
Is LinkedIn free?
Yes. LinkedIn offers a free basic account. Premium plans are paid extras, and a Premium free trial needs a valid credit card and converts to a paid plan unless you cancel before it ends.
What is the difference between a LinkedIn profile and a Page?
A profile represents a person and a Page represents an organisation. You need a profile to create a Page, you can't convert a profile into a Page, and each has its own tools and verification.
Can people see my LinkedIn profile without an account?
They can see your public profile, a simplified version you control on the Public profile settings page. Search engines can take several weeks or months to show changes.
How do I start on LinkedIn?
Edit your profile, add a photo that reflects your likeness, work through the profile level meter, connect with people you know and use the search bar to find people and jobs.
Does LinkedIn show who viewed my profile?
Profiles have a Who's viewed my profile feature, and LinkedIn Help lists Who's viewed your profile insights among the features of its Premium plans.
