LinkedIn is no longer just an online resume; it’s your complete virtual professional identity. If you’ve been wondering how to add interests on LinkedIn, you’re already ahead of the curve. Adding interests helps you tailor your experience, strengthen your profile, and get noticed by the right people.
Your interests shape everything from the type of content you see on your feed to the professionals LinkedIn recommends you connect with. Knowing how to add interests on LinkedIn also helps you align your online presence with your career goals.
When used strategically, your interests highlight your personality, industry awareness, and ambition.
Whether you're a student, freelancer, or seasoned executive, curated interests send a message about who you are and where you're headed. But many users wonder who can see my interests on LinkedIn? The answer is everyone. Interests are visible at the bottom of your profile and contribute to how others perceive your professionalism.
If you want to stand out without sending a single message, interests can be your quiet but powerful networking tool.
What Are LinkedIn Interests?
Understanding how to add interests on LinkedIn starts with knowing what LinkedIn interests actually are. They’re not random likes or preferences. They represent the professional topics, organizations, and people you choose to follow on the platform. These include companies, schools, groups, influencers, and even events.
When you add interests in LinkedIn, they are automatically listed in a dedicated section at the bottom of your profile. This includes pages you follow intentionally, such as your favorite tech startup or a respected marketing leader.
Who Can See My Interests on LinkedIn?
The interests section is public. That means anyone viewing your profile—whether you're using standard mode or LinkedIn private mode can see what you're following. This is important. It sends a silent message about your professional identity and even ties into how others interpret what is an impression on LinkedIn. Recruiters, prospects, and potential partners may all use this to form impressions.
If you're ever unsure, you can check your profile’s visibility settings, but remember: who can see my interests on LinkedIn? The answer is—just about everyone.
Why Interests Matter?
Your interests help define your brand. They influence LinkedIn’s algorithm. That algorithm controls what content you see and who LinkedIn suggests you connect with. Following relevant interests creates a smarter, more targeted experience.
These interests aren’t just decoration. They’re functional. They influence who finds your profile in search, especially when aligned with industry-relevant keywords.
For example, if you follow leaders in AI or climate tech, LinkedIn may serve you more content from those areas—and suggest people with similar interests.
Whether you're using a personal or LinkedIn business account, the interests section functions the same way. But for individuals, it adds a layer of credibility. It says, “I’m professionally curious.”
Not Just for Looks – They're Strategic
Think of your interests as SEO for your profile. You’re telling LinkedIn what circles you belong in. Recruiters often scan this section to see if you align culturally or topically with their hiring goals.
And if you're using a LinkedIn Automation Tool like LiProspect, shared interests can be powerful targeting filters. You can automate personalized outreach based on mutual interests, increasing your response rate dramatically.
Benefits of Adding Interests to Your LinkedIn Profile
You don’t need to wait for a profile audit to improve your visibility. Learning how to add interests on LinkedIn gives you an edge immediately. Interests are a behind-the-scenes ranking factor.
Smart Networking
LinkedIn’s algorithm gives weight to shared interests. It recommends connections based on them. This is great for business professionals, freelancers, students—everyone.
When your interests align with someone else's, you’re more likely to get profile visits. And more visits often lead to more opportunities.
Personalized Content
Once you add interests, your feed becomes smarter. You’ll see more relevant articles, discussions, job posts, and updates.
It’s like training LinkedIn to become your professional news assistant.
Trust Signals for Recruiters
Your interests act like endorsements for your intent. If you’re interested in AI, sustainability, or fintech, show it. Recruiters use this section to assess who’s serious about a field, similar to how they interpret what does 3rd mean on LinkedIn when viewing connection levels.
Even without using LinkedIn premium cost or checking LinkedIn Sales Navigator cost, you can stand out just by curating your interests well.
Save Time with LiProspect
LiProspect makes outreach smarter. It detects mutual interests and sends automated invites. No need to guess who might resonate—LiProspect already knows.
And instead of relying on LinkedIn chat support to help you find qualified leads, this tool does it all while you sleep.
Where to Find the Interests Section on LinkedIn
Before you dive into how to add interests on LinkedIn, you need to know where they live. They're not hidden, but many people miss them.
Desktop View
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Log into your LinkedIn account.
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Click on your profile icon > “View Profile.”
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Scroll to the bottom.
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You’ll find “Interests” broken into tabs like Companies, Influencers, Groups, and Schools.
Mobile App View
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Open the LinkedIn app.
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Tap your profile picture.
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Scroll all the way down to see your interests.
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Tap on any to explore or manage, and if you ever need to share your page, it’s helpful to know how to find LinkedIn URL for quick networking.
This works regardless of whether you're on a personal profile or a LinkedIn business account.
Unlike LinkedIn private mode, which hides your viewing activity, interests are always public.
Want to use them strategically? Let LiProspect, a powerful LinkedIn Automation Tool, help you connect with others who follow the same influencers and brands.
How to Add Interests on LinkedIn: Step-by-Step Instructions?
This is the heart of it. Here's how to add interests on LinkedIn, broken down into quick actionable steps. The best part? You can do all of it in under 10 minutes.
Step 1: Log In
Make sure your LinkedIn is updated. You can use the web or app. Both offer similar features.
Step 2: Search for Interests
Use the search bar at the top to look for:
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Companies
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Influencers
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Universities
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Events
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Groups
Click on the name to visit the profile or page.
Step 3: Click “Follow”
Once you find the page, hit Follow. Boom! That’s it. You’ve just added an interest. It will now show up in your profile's Interests section.
Let’s say you want to explore LinkedIn premium cost and features. Search and follow “LinkedIn Learning” or “LinkedIn Premium.” They’ll appear as interests.
Step 4: Join Groups
Use the “Groups” tab in the search. Type industry-specific keywords like “Marketing Strategy,” “Women in Tech,” or “SaaS Growth.”
Click Request to Join. Once accepted, it adds the group to your Interests.
LiProspect lets you filter prospects by shared group memberships. That’s hyper-targeted outreach.
Step 5: Follow Universities & Events
Follow your alma mater. Or leading universities in your industry.
Attending an event? Follow its page too. This shows you’re active in the field.
Step 6: Clean It Up
Visit your profile > Scroll to Interests > Manage Follows. Unfollow anything that’s outdated or irrelevant.
This step makes your profile look sharp and aligned.
Use LiProspect to update outreach segments based on your refreshed interests. Save time and hit the right people.
How to Edit Interests on LinkedIn?
You can’t manually type in interests. But you can edit interests on LinkedIn by following or unfollowing pages. For example, if you follow a company, it gets added as an interest. If you unfollow it, the interest disappears.
Want to refine your profile? Just visit the interest section, click on the page or group you followed, and hit “Unfollow.” This is how you remove interests on LinkedIn.
This is also how to add interests in LinkedIn—just click “Follow” on any professional page, and it gets added.
How to Hide Interests on LinkedIn?
Wondering how to hide interests on LinkedIn? Unfortunately, LinkedIn doesn’t offer a direct setting to make your interests private. Interests are public by default—even if you’re using LinkedIn private mode. The only workaround is to unfollow pages you no longer want others to see. Once you unfollow a company, group, or influencer, it disappears from your visible interest section.
How to Choose the Right Interests to Follow?
Once you know how to add interests on LinkedIn, you should choose carefully. Interests are signals. You don’t want to send the wrong ones.
Align With Your Goals
Are you targeting a role in renewable energy? Follow companies, news sources, and influencers in that space.
Interested in career growth? Follow leadership coaches, executive recruiters, and career development pages.
Using a LinkedIn Automation Tool like LiProspect helps you cluster similar profiles based on interests. This enhances your outbound campaigns.
Stay Industry-Focused
You can follow niche pages, but don’t go overboard with irrelevant stuff. For example, don’t follow celebrity gossip or entertainment if you’re aiming for a legal career.
LiProspect scrapes profile interests to detect alignment. It works best when your interests are well-curated.
Monitor and Adapt
If your career goals shift, your interests should too. Thinking of switching to tech? Start following relevant groups and companies.
Need help? Open LinkedIn chat support and ask how to explore trending pages in your industry.
Related Reading
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Adding Interests
Even if you know how to add interests on LinkedIn, mistakes can still happen. Here’s how to avoid the most common ones and keep your profile aligned with your goals.
1. Following Random Pages
Don’t hit follow just to bulk up your profile. Each interest should represent a thoughtful, strategic choice. When you’re learning how to add interests to LinkedIn, focus on relevance over quantity.
2. Ignoring the Section
You may not check your interests often, but others do. It's public-facing—even if LinkedIn private mode is turned on. A neglected interests section could suggest a lack of professional engagement.
3. Outdated Interests
Still following your college radio station from a decade ago? It’s time for a cleanup. Old, unrelated interests can weaken your credibility. Remove anything that doesn’t align with your current path.
Use LiProspect to analyze your audience and filter out prospects who follow irrelevant or spammy pages. This keeps your outreach list clean, sharp, and aligned with your actual goals.
Try Linkedin Automation tool for Marketing Managers
Advanced Tips to Leverage Interests for Networking
Now that you’ve mastered how to add interests on LinkedIn, let’s take it to the next level.
Personalize Connection Messages
"Hi Alex, I noticed you also follow HBR and TED Talks. Let’s connect—we seem to have similar interests!"
This feels real. And it works.
LiProspect lets you automate this kind of message based on detected shared interests. Human-sounding, but efficient.
Comment Strategically
Engage with posts from interest pages. Leave thoughtful comments. Others will notice, visit your profile, and engage.
Use Interests to Build Content
Following sustainability? Post your thoughts and tag the companies or influencers you follow.
This boosts visibility and authority.
Want to reach more people automatically? Let LiProspect handle it. You focus on content, it focuses on conversions.
How Interests Play Into LinkedIn’s Algorithm?
One hidden benefit of learning how to add interests on LinkedIn is understanding how it plays into the algorithm.
Smarter Feed
LinkedIn shows you more content from pages you follow. You get curated updates that matter to you.
Better Suggestions
Interests influence who LinkedIn recommends you connect with. The more aligned your interests, the better your network.
Boost in Searches
Recruiters use interests as filters. Your profile might pop up just because you follow the right company or group.
Want to automate connecting with those who already fit your interest criteria? Try LiProspect, your AI-powered networking partner.
How Often Should You Update Interests?
At least once every quarter.
Trigger points:
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Career change
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New skills
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New goals
LiProspect syncs well with evolving interests. You can build new prospecting segments based on what you follow today.
Conclusion
Now that you’ve learned how to add interests on LinkedIn, you can use this feature to shape how others see your professional identity. Interests may seem like a small detail, but they quietly influence who finds your profile, what content you see, and the connections you attract.
Being intentional about the interests you follow adds depth to your presence. It shows that you’re active, engaged, and aware of the trends and people shaping your industry.
And if you're ready to take your networking a step further, tools like LiProspect can help you connect with people who share those interests. It’s not just about automation, it’s about building smarter, more meaningful relationships through common ground.
Mastering how to add interests on LinkedIn is just the beginning. Review your interests today and start making them work for you.
