What you can see on someone's LinkedIn profile
You can view a person's connections list on LinkedIn if they have made it public, but what you see depends on your relationship to them and their privacy settings. If someone's connections are visible, you'll see a number next to "Connections" on their profile — click that number to open their full list. You can then scroll through and see who they're connected to, along with each connection's job title and company.
The catch: not everyone makes their connections public. If someone has restricted their connections list, you'll see the total number of connections but won't be able to click through to see who those people are. LinkedIn lets users choose this setting themselves, so the visibility varies from profile to profile.
What you cannot see: you can't see private messages between that person and their connections, notes they've added about people, or when they connected with someone. You're only seeing the names and basic professional information of people they're linked to.
Key Takeaways
- Click the "Connections" number on someone's profile to view their list, but only if they've made it public.
- If their connections are hidden, you'll see a total count but won't be able to see the actual names.
- You can see each connection's current job title and company, but not private messages or relationship notes.
- Your own connection to someone doesn't change what you can see — their privacy setting is what matters.
How to find and open someone's connections list
Start by going to the person's LinkedIn profile. You can search for them by name using the search bar at the top of LinkedIn, or find them through a mutual connection's profile. Once you're on their profile page, look for the "Connections" section — it's usually on the right side of the screen on desktop, or further down the page on mobile.
Next to "Connections," you'll see a number. If that number is clickable (it appears as a link), their connections are public and you can view the list. Click the number to open it. If the number is not clickable or if you see text like "Connections are private," that person has restricted who can see their list.
Once you've opened the connections list, you can scroll through to see everyone they're connected to. You can also search within that list using the search box that appears at the top — this is useful if you're looking for a specific person or company among their connections.
What happens if someone's connections are hidden
If a person has set their connections to private, you'll see the total number of connections they have, but you won't be able to see the list itself. This is a deliberate choice they've made in their privacy settings. LinkedIn allows users to control this, and many professionals restrict their connections for privacy or competitive reasons.
If you need to know whether you have a mutual connection with someone, there's a workaround: check their profile for a "Mutual connections" section, which LinkedIn sometimes displays even when the full connections list is hidden. This shows you people you both know, without revealing their entire network.
If you're trying to reach someone and you know a mutual connection, you can always ask that person directly whether they know the person you're trying to contact. This is often more effective than trying to navigate around privacy settings anyway.
Why someone might hide their connections
People restrict their connections list for several legitimate reasons. Some professionals in competitive fields — like recruiting, sales, or consulting — keep their networks private to protect client relationships or business strategy. Others simply prefer not to have their full professional network visible to people they don't know well.
LinkedIn's default setting has changed over the years, and older accounts may have different privacy defaults than newer ones. Someone with a hidden connections list may not have actively chosen that setting — it might just be what LinkedIn defaulted to when they created their account.
Understanding this helps you avoid taking it personally if someone's connections are hidden. It's rarely about you; it's usually about their own comfort level with transparency.
How to check your own connections privacy settings
If you want to control whether people can see your connections, go to your LinkedIn profile and click the "Edit public profile" button (or the pencil icon on mobile). Scroll down to find "Public profile" settings. Look for the option that says "Connections" and toggle it on or off depending on whether you want your list visible.
You can also adjust this through your privacy settings. Click your profile photo, select "Settings and privacy," then go to "Visibility." Under "Public profile visibility," you can choose whether to show your connections to everyone, just your connections, or no one.
Keep in mind that changing this setting only affects what new people see going forward. People who already viewed your connections list before you changed the setting won't lose that information.
Using connections lists to find mutual contacts
One practical reason to look at someone's connections is to find a mutual contact who might introduce you. If you're trying to reach someone at a company and you see they're connected to someone you know, you can ask your contact for an introduction. This is often more effective than a cold message.
You can also use connections lists to research a company. If you're interviewing there, looking at employees' connections can show you the professional networks they draw from and sometimes reveal shared alumni or industry connections. This kind of research can help you prepare for an interview or understand the company's culture.
LinkedIn's "How you're connected" feature also helps with this — when you view someone's profile, LinkedIn shows you the shortest path between you and that person through mutual connections. This can be faster than manually searching through a connections list.
Privacy and safety considerations
Viewing someone's connections list is a normal, public feature of LinkedIn — there's nothing hidden or risky about it. However, use this information respectfully. Don't contact someone's entire connections list without a genuine reason, and don't use connection information to circumvent someone's privacy choices.
If someone has hidden their connections, that's a signal they prefer to keep their network private. Respect that choice rather than trying to find workarounds. If you need to reach someone, a direct message or email is more appropriate than trying to find a connection path through their network.
Be aware that LinkedIn tracks profile views in some cases. If you visit someone's profile multiple times, they may see that you've looked at it. This isn't a privacy violation — it's a built-in LinkedIn feature — but it's worth knowing if you're researching someone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone tell if I viewed their connections list?
No. LinkedIn doesn't notify someone when you view their connections list. However, LinkedIn does notify them if you view their profile itself (depending on their settings), so they may know you looked at their profile even if they don't know you specifically looked at their connections.
Why can't I see someone's connections even though they're not marked as private?
A few reasons: they may have restricted connections to only people they're connected to, you may not be logged into LinkedIn, or there may be a temporary glitch. Try logging out and back in, or check whether their profile shows any privacy restrictions. If it still doesn't work, it's likely their setting is more restrictive than it appears.
Can I see how long someone has been connected to another person?
No. LinkedIn only shows you that two people are connected; it doesn't show when they connected or how they know each other. You can see when someone joined LinkedIn overall, but not the timeline of individual connections.
Is it okay to ask someone to make their connections public?
You can ask, but they're not obligated to change their settings. If you need to know whether you have a mutual connection, it's better to ask directly or ask the mutual contact themselves rather than requesting someone change their privacy settings.
What's the difference between viewing connections and being connected to someone?
Viewing someone's connections list is public and doesn't require you to be connected to them. Being connected means you've sent them a connection request and they've accepted it (or vice versa). You can view public connections lists whether or not you're connected to that person.