LinkedIn is a powerful tool for networking and connecting with professionals in your industry. However, when it comes to importing your contacts from LinkedIn, you may be hesitant due to concerns about privacy.
Fortunately, there are ways to import your LinkedIn contacts while keeping your email private. In this article, we’ll explore the steps you can take to maintain your privacy while still utilizing the benefits of LinkedIn’s contact importing feature.
Why Is Privacy Important on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn is a professional networking platform, and as such, it is important to maintain a level of privacy when using it. This is especially true when it comes to your email address, as it is a valuable piece of personal information that can be used for spam or phishing attempts.
Additionally, LinkedIn has a feature that allows users to see who has viewed their profile. If you import your contacts and they receive a notification that you have viewed their profile, it may raise questions about why you are viewing their profile and potentially damage your professional reputation.
The Privacy Wall
LinkedIn has a built-in privacy wall that allows you to control who can see your email address. By default, your email address is only visible to your first-degree connections. However, if you import your contacts, they will automatically become your first-degree connections, and therefore, have access to your email address.
This is where the privacy wall comes in. By adjusting your privacy settings, you can control who can see your email address, even if they are a first-degree connection.
Chain Link Fence Privacy Slats
Think of the privacy wall as a chain link fence. While it may provide some level of privacy, there are still gaps where people can see through. This is where chain link fence privacy slats come in. These slats can be inserted into the chain link fence to provide more privacy and block the view of anyone trying to see through.
In terms of LinkedIn, the chain link fence privacy slats are the additional steps you can take to further protect your email address and maintain your privacy.
How to Import LinkedIn Contacts While Keeping Your Email Private
Now that we understand the importance of privacy on LinkedIn, let’s explore the steps you can take to import your contacts while keeping your email address private.
Step 1: Adjust Your Privacy Settings
The first step is to adjust your privacy settings on LinkedIn. To do this, follow these steps:
- Log into your LinkedIn account and click on your profile picture in the top right corner.
- Select “Settings & Privacy” from the dropdown menu.
- In the “Privacy” tab, click on “Who can see your email address” under the “How others see your LinkedIn activity” section.
- Select “Only you” from the dropdown menu.
By selecting “Only you”, you are ensuring that only you can see your email address, even if someone is a first-degree connection.
Step 2: Export Your LinkedIn Contacts
Next, you will need to export your LinkedIn contacts. To do this, follow these steps:
- Log into your LinkedIn account and click on “My Network” in the top navigation bar.
- Click on “Connections” in the left sidebar.
- Click on the gear icon in the top right corner and select “Export LinkedIn Connections” from the dropdown menu.
- Choose the file format you prefer (CSV or VCF) and click “Export”.
This will download a file with all of your LinkedIn connections’ information, including their email addresses.
Step 3: Remove Your Email Address from the Exported File
Once you have exported your LinkedIn contacts, you will need to remove your email address from the file. This can be done manually by opening the file in a spreadsheet program and deleting your email address from the appropriate column.
Alternatively, you can use a tool like https://emailprivacyprotector.com/ to automatically remove your email address from the file.
Step 4: Import Your Contacts into Your Email Client
The final step is to import your contacts into your email client. This will allow you to have all of your LinkedIn connections’ information in one place without compromising your email address.
The process for importing contacts will vary depending on your email client, but most have a feature that allows you to import contacts from a CSV or VCF file. Simply follow the instructions provided by your email client to import your contacts.
Additional Tips for Maintaining Privacy on LinkedIn
While the steps outlined above will help you maintain your email privacy when importing LinkedIn contacts, there are a few additional tips you can follow to further protect your privacy on the platform.
Be Selective with Connection Requests
When receiving connection requests on LinkedIn, be selective about who you accept. Only accept requests from people you know or have a genuine interest in connecting with. This will help prevent your network from becoming too large and potentially exposing your email address to more people.
Use LinkedIn’s InMail Feature
LinkedIn has a feature called InMail that allows you to send messages to people you are not connected with. This can be a useful tool for reaching out to potential connections without having to share your email address.
Regularly Review Your Privacy Settings
It’s important to regularly review your privacy settings on LinkedIn to ensure they are still in line with your preferences. LinkedIn may make changes to their privacy policies, so it’s important to stay informed and adjust your settings accordingly.
Conclusion
Importing your LinkedIn contacts can be a valuable tool for networking and connecting with professionals in your industry. However, it’s important to maintain your privacy when doing so. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can import your contacts while keeping your email address private and protecting your professional reputation. Remember to regularly review your privacy settings and be selective with connection requests to further protect your privacy on LinkedIn.
