Are LinkedIn notes private?
It depends on which note you mean. LinkedIn uses the word for a few different things, and only some of them are private.
- A connection request note is a short message sent with your invitation. The other person reads it. It's not a place to keep notes.
- Sales Navigator notes sit on the leads and accounts you save in Sales Navigator, LinkedIn's paid sales tool. They're useful, but they live in that seat, which is often paid for by your employer. If it's your employer's seat, you lose them when you change jobs.
- Notes in an app or extension are as private as that tool makes them. Check where they're stored and who can see them before you write anything personal.
On a regular LinkedIn account, there's no field on someone's profile where you can write something only you will see.
What about the note on a connection request?
The note you send with a connection request is not private. The person you invite reads it before they accept. Keep it short: where you met and one thing you talked about. For example: “Great meeting you at SaaStr, Jane. Good luck with the Northpeak launch.” Once they accept, save what you learned as a private note on their profile.
What are your options?
Sales Navigator
If your company already pays for it, Sales Navigator notes are handy for the leads you're working. They're tied to that seat, though, and they only show up inside Sales Navigator. If you change jobs, plan on leaving them behind.
A notes app or spreadsheet
Free and flexible. The catch is that your notes live somewhere else. When you open Jane's profile before a call, nothing reminds you that you wrote down her daughter's name three months ago. Most people stop looking, then stop writing.
A Chrome extension
An extension can put your notes right on the person's profile, so they're there when you need them. Before you pick one, check 4 things. Where are your notes stored? Can only you see them? Do they sync between computers? Do they work for people who aren't on LinkedIn?
How do you add private notes to a LinkedIn profile?
- Add Noted to Chrome. It's free. Sign up with a personal email, so your notes stay with you if you change jobs.
- Open someone's LinkedIn profile and click the Noted button.
- Write what you want to remember, in your own words. One line is plenty.
- Next time you open their profile, or see them in Gmail or Google Calendar, your notes are right there.
What should you write down?
The things that make the next conversation personal. A few good places to start:
- Where you met, and who introduced you
- Partner's and kids' names
- What they're working on, or working toward
- Teams, hobbies, trips coming up
- Anything you promised to send them
Leave out passwords, account numbers, health details and confidential work information. A good test: would you be comfortable if they read it?
Is it weird to keep notes on people?
Good salespeople, teachers and doctors have always kept notes on the people they look after. Writing a detail down shows you were listening. Keep your notes kind, keep them private, and use them to ask better questions.
Questions
Are LinkedIn notes private?
LinkedIn has no private notes field on regular profiles, and the note on a connection request is read by the person you invite. Notes you keep with Noted are private to you. They're stored in your Noted account, not on LinkedIn, so neither LinkedIn nor the person you wrote about can see them.
Do people know I keep notes on them?
No. Nobody is notified, and your notes are visible only to you.
Do I need LinkedIn Premium?
No. Noted works on LinkedIn profiles with a free LinkedIn account.
Does Noted work in Sales Navigator?
Not today. Noted works on LinkedIn profile pages. If you’d like to see support for Sales Navigator, send us an email at feedback@withnoted.com.
Does Noted message people or collect data from LinkedIn?
No. Noted reads the basic details of the profile you have open (name, title and company) so your notes attach to the right person. It never sends messages, connects with anyone, or collects anything in the background.