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Deletion guides / LinkedIn

How to delete your LinkedIn account and data

Closing your LinkedIn account is how you delete your data. Here's how to close it, what LinkedIn keeps afterward, and what to do first.

Last checked October 2026

Quick answer

Closing your account is LinkedIn's deletion process. Go to Settings & Privacy, then Account preferences, then Close account. LinkedIn generally deletes your data within 30 days, with some exceptions.

Step 1: Download your data first

Once your account is closed, you lose access to your connections, messages, and everything else. To keep a copy, go to Settings & Privacy → Data privacy → Get a copy of your data and request the archive. LinkedIn emails you when it's ready.

Step 2: Close your account

  1. Select your profile picture (Me), then Settings & Privacy.
  2. Open Account preferences and scroll to Account management.
  3. Choose Close account, pick a reason, and enter your password.

If you have LinkedIn Premium, cancel it first so you aren't billed again. If you change your mind, you can usually reopen the account within 14 days.

What LinkedIn keeps afterward

According to LinkedIn's privacy policy, your profile generally disappears from LinkedIn within 24 hours, and LinkedIn generally deletes closed-account information within 30 days. It may keep some data longer for legal reasons, fraud prevention, or security. Messages and posts you shared with other people stay visible to them, and search engines may show your old profile until they refresh.

Data breach history. LinkedIn had a password breach in 2012. If you've reused your LinkedIn password anywhere else, change it on those sites too.

If you need more than closing the account

For questions about data that closing your account doesn't cover, LinkedIn's privacy policy (linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy) explains how to contact its privacy team.

LinkedIn is probably not the only one

Most people have dozens of companies holding their information, from old shopping accounts to apps they've forgotten. DataTrail scans your inbox (read-only) to find them all, flags the ones with data breaches, and writes the deletion requests for you.

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DataTrail isn't affiliated with LinkedIn. Menus and policies change; if a step looks different, check LinkedIn's help center. This guide is general information, not legal advice.