LinkedIn Job Alerts: How to Set Them Up, Change Them or Turn Them Off

Job alerts are the lazy way to job hunt, and I mean that as a compliment. Set up a few good searches once and LinkedIn does the checking for you. The trick is setting them up so they send you jobs you'd apply for, not a daily pile you ignore.

Here's how to create, change and switch them off, straight from LinkedIn's help centre.

Create a job alert on a computer

1. Click the Jobs icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage.
2. Search for the role in your own words and add a location.
3. Use the filters at the top of the results to narrow it down.
4. At the bottom of the results page, switch the job alerts toggle on. You'll see a message saying your job alert was created.
5. Click Manage alerts to choose how often you hear and how you're notified.
6. Click Done.

Create a job alert in the app

1. Tap the Jobs icon.
2. Search for the job and add any filters.
3. Turn on the job alerts toggle.

In the app the alert starts as daily, sent by both email and LinkedIn notification. You can change that later from the alerts settings below.

Daily or weekly, email or app

Setting	Your options
How often	Daily (the default) or weekly
How you're told	Email, app notifications, or both
How many alerts	Up to 20 at once

If you're actively looking, daily makes sense, because good roles can fill fast. If you're just keeping an eye on the market, weekly keeps your inbox calmer.

Edit or delete an alert on desktop

1. Click the Jobs icon at the top of your homepage.
2. Go to Jobs, then Preferences, then Job alerts.
3. In the Job alerts pop-up, edit or delete the alert.
4. Click Done.

Edit or delete an alert on iPhone or Android

1. Tap Jobs, then the More icon, then Job alerts.
2. Tap the edit icon next to the alert.
3. Tap Edit job alert to change it, or Delete job alert to remove it.

Turning alerts off

On desktop, the quickest way to stop an alert from a search you're looking at is to switch that same toggle to off. To clear out several at once, use the Job alerts screen and delete the ones you no longer want. Deleting is cleaner than ignoring them, because each alert counts towards your limit of 20.

Why LinkedIn won't create your alert

LinkedIn's troubleshooting page lists three reasons you might see an error when you try to create one:

• Your email settings don't allow LinkedIn to send emails to your address.
• The search uses words LinkedIn treats as offensive.
• You've reached the maximum number of active alerts.

The last one is the usual culprit for people who've been job hunting for a while. Go to Job alerts, delete the old ones and try again.

How to get better alerts

• Use the filters before you switch the toggle on. An alert copies the search you're looking at, so a vague search gives you a vague alert.
• Make one alert per type of role, rather than one huge search that covers everything.
• Add the location or remote setting you'd really accept.
• Check your Open to Work preferences, because LinkedIn uses them to suggest roles as well.

If you haven't told recruiters you're looking yet, here's how to add Open to Work on LinkedIn, and it's worth making sure your skills are listed too, so the jobs you're shown match what you can do.

Three alerts worth setting up

• Your exact target role, in your preferred location or remote, filtered to the past week, so you see fresh roles first.
• The same role with the Under 10 applicants filter, so you can be early on quieter adverts.
• A wider version with a related title, in case employers use different wording for the same job.

Three focused alerts beat ten loose ones. You'll read them, you'll act on them and you'll stay well clear of the 20-alert limit.

What a job alert won't do

An alert only tells you a new job exists. It doesn't apply for you, it doesn't save the job and it doesn't tell the employer you're interested. When something good arrives, open it, save it with the Save button if you're not ready, and apply while it's still fresh. If you've turned on email alerts but nothing arrives, check that your LinkedIn email settings allow messages to your address, because that's also the first thing LinkedIn's troubleshooting page points to.

Review your alerts every few weeks too. If one hasn't sent you a single job worth opening, delete it or tighten the search behind it.

Alerts versus job recommendations

Alerts are built from searches you set up. Recommendations are jobs LinkedIn picks for you based on your profile and preferences. They work well together: alerts for the exact roles you want, recommendations for the ones you might not have thought to search for.

My advice

Set up three to five tight alerts rather than one broad one, keep them daily while you're actively looking and delete any that send you nothing useful. If you hit the limit or LinkedIn won't save a new alert, that's your sign to tidy up the old ones.

Related guides live in the LinkedIn Help: 28 Guides to Profile Views, Impressions, Algorithm and Account Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

How do I set up job alerts on LinkedIn?

Search for a job, add filters, then switch on the job alerts toggle at the bottom of the results page.

How many job alerts can you have on LinkedIn?

Up to 20 at once.

How do I turn off LinkedIn job alerts?

Switch the toggle off on the search, or go to Jobs, Preferences, Job alerts and delete the alert.

Can I get LinkedIn job alerts weekly instead of daily?

Yes. Use Manage alerts to choose daily or weekly, and email, app notifications or both.

Why can't I create a job alert on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn says it may be your email settings, offensive words in the search, or having reached the maximum number of active alerts.

Where are job alerts in the LinkedIn app?

Tap Jobs, then the More icon, then Job alerts.