To delete a duplicate LinkedIn account, start by identifying the main account to keep, save the useful data of the secondary account, then choose between two options: request a merge of the accounts if you have access to it, or close the duplicate account from Settings & Privacy. Never close an account before checking its connections, messages, subscriptions and emails.

  • RememberLinkedIn does not merge everything. In some cases, only the logins and email address of the account you are closing may be transferred. Profile content, recommendations, endorsements, saved posts, groups, and pending invitations may be lost.

Quick response

The right method depends on your situation

  • if you can connect to both accounts, prepare both profile URLs and contact LinkedIn to request a merge;

  • if the duplicate account has zero connections, log in to it then close it directly;

  • if you no longer have access to the email, go through identity verification or access recovery;

  • if the account has Premium, jobs, campaigns, events or a group, settle these points before closing.

LinkedIn also indicates that creating multiple profiles is not permitted by its policies. Correcting the duplicate is therefore useful for your image, your security and the clarity of your professional signals.

Merge or delete: the decision matrix

Location Best action Critical point
Two accounts accessible, connections on both Request a merge Retrieve profile URLs
Secondary account with zero connection Close duplicate account Wait 48 hours before adding your email to the main account
Old email inaccessible Recover access or verify identity Do not create a third account
Duplicate account with recommendations Save before closing They are not necessarily merged
Account with Premium or InMail Undo or use before merge InMail credits can be lost
Account with group, event, job or ads Transfer or cancel first Closing can be blocked
  • This matrix avoids the main mistakequickly closing the account that seems secondary, then discovering that it carried the right connections, an important email or useful history.

What is transferred or lost

LinkedIn specifies that self-merge only transfers the connections and email address of the account you want to close. Several elements are not merged:

  • profile content, written or media;

  • modifications and history;

  • endorsements;

  • recommendations;

  • backup items;

  • groups;

  • pending invitations.

LinkedIn also indicates that certain accounts cannot be merged, including accounts with zero connections or more than 30,000 connections. InMail credits are lost during the merge. If you have a Premium subscription, jobs, advertising campaigns, events or a group, they must be processed before the merge.

Workflow before closing

  • 01

    Search your name in LinkedIn to identify accounts.

  • 02

    Locate the profile with the You icon: this is the account where you are connected.

  • 03

    Open each public profile and copy its URL.

  • 04

    Choose the main account to keep according to connections, history, image and email.

  • 05

    Download an archive of data for the account to be closed.

  • 06

    Copy experiences, recommendations or important texts that will not be merged.

  • 07

    Check Premium subscriptions, jobs, campaigns, events and groups.

  • 08

    Request a merge if you have access to both accounts.

  • 09

    Close the duplicate directly if LinkedIn does not allow the merge or if the account has zero connections.

To correctly find your URLs, reread how to find your LinkedIn profile link. This is useful because LinkedIn asks for the URLs of both accounts when you can connect to both.

How to close duplicate account

If you need to close the account directly

  • log in to the account to be deleted;

  • click Me;

  • open Settings & Privacy;

  • go to Account preferences;

  • in Account management, click on Change next to Close account;

  • choose a reason;

  • enter your password;

  • confirm closing.

  • On mobile, LinkedIn shows a similar path: profile photo, Settings, Account preferences, then Close account. Closing deletes the profile and removes access to your LinkedIn information. However, search engines may temporarily display certain information while their caches are updated.

After closing

LinkedIn recommends waiting 48 hours after closing an account with zero logins, then adding the email address from that closed account to the remaining account. This helps avoid creating a new duplicate later.

Also check

  • that your main account contains your current email;

  • that your public URL is clean;

  • that old important invitations have been relaunched if necessary;

  • that your prospects or recruiters do not come across the old profile;

  • that your public profile and contact information are consistent.

To reduce the risk of confusion, you can also read how to hide your email address on LinkedIn and how to prevent someone from seeing your LinkedIn profile.

Impact for sales and recruiters

A LinkedIn duplicate is not just a login problem. In B2B, it blurs the signals:

  • profile visits may go to the wrong profile;

  • messages and invitations are scattered;

  • prospects see two identities;

  • recruiters may doubt the active profile;

  • your mesh of content and comments becomes incoherent.

For a sales or recruitment team, you must therefore keep a single clean profile, linked to the correct email and the correct history. Only then do LinkedIn signals become actionable.

To structure the following

FAQ

Can we merge two LinkedIn accounts?

Yes, in some cases. LinkedIn says that if you can connect to both accounts, you must have the IDs and URLs for both accounts and then contact LinkedIn to request the merge.

What is transferred during a merge?

LinkedIn says that self-merge transfers the logins and email address of the account you are closing. Many items are not merged, including recommendations, endorsements, profile content, groups, and pending invitations.

Can you delete a duplicate LinkedIn account without a password?

Not directly. If you have the email but no longer the password, use Forgot Password. If you remember the email but no longer have access to it, LinkedIn directs you to identity verification.

What to do if the duplicate account has zero logins?

LinkedIn states that an account with zero logins cannot be merged. Log in to this account, close it, then wait 48 hours before adding their email to the remaining account.

Should you download your data before closing?

Yes. LinkedIn recommends downloading a copy of the data before closing an account, especially if you want to retain messages, contacts, texts or proof of activity.

Useful sources

Remember the essential

Deleting a duplicate LinkedIn account requires first choosing the correct account to keep, saving useful data, then requesting a merge or closing the duplicate. The real risk is not only technical: it is losing connections, proof of credibility or commercial signals.

If you want to walk away with a unique, actionable profile, test Yadulink to track LinkedIn visits, messages and signals from a cleaner business workflow.