What endorsements do and how to send one

A skill endorsement on LinkedIn is a one-click confirmation that you have worked with someone and can vouch for a specific skill they listed on their profile. When you endorse someone, their skill gets a small number next to it showing how many people have endorsed them for that ability. It takes about five seconds and requires no message or explanation.

Endorsements are not recommendations — those are longer written testimonials. Endorsements are quick, lightweight confirmations. They show up on the person's profile under the Skills section, and they can help that person's profile appear in more search results when recruiters or hiring managers look for people with those skills.

You can endorse someone whether you know them well or have only worked with them briefly. LinkedIn lets you endorse for skills you have actually seen them use, or skills you know they have. There is no formal verification — it is based on your judgment.

Key Takeaways

  • Visit the person's profile, scroll to the Skills section, and click the plus sign next to any skill you want to endorse.
  • You can endorse multiple skills at once, and the person will receive one notification rather than several separate ones.
  • Endorsements are public — anyone viewing that person's profile will see that you endorsed them for a particular skill.
  • You can remove an endorsement later by visiting the person's profile and clicking the checkmark next to the skill you endorsed.

Finding the Skills section on someone's profile

Open the person's LinkedIn profile in your browser or the LinkedIn app. Scroll down past their headline, photo, and About section. You will see a section labeled Skills with a list of abilities they have added — things like "Project Management," "Python," "Customer Service," or "Sales."

If the person has not added any skills yet, you will see an empty Skills section or no Skills section at all. In that case, you cannot endorse them until they add skills to their profile. You can still send them a message suggesting they add skills if you think it would help them.

The step-by-step process for endorsing a skill

1. Find the skill you want to endorse. Look through the Skills section on their profile. The skills are usually listed in order of how many endorsements they already have, with the most-endorsed skills at the top.

2. Click the plus sign next to the skill. On desktop, hover your mouse over the skill and a small plus sign will appear to the right of it. Click that plus sign. On the mobile app, tap the plus sign next to the skill name.

3. Confirm the endorsement. A small popup or confirmation will appear. Click "Endorse" or confirm the action. That is it — the endorsement is sent immediately.

4. Endorse more skills if you want. You can endorse multiple skills on the same person's profile without leaving the page. Just repeat steps 1 through 3 for each skill. LinkedIn will bundle all your endorsements into one notification to the person, so they will not receive five separate alerts.

What happens after you endorse someone

The person receives a notification that you endorsed them for that skill. They can see your name and profile picture in the list of people who endorsed them. The endorsement is public — anyone who visits their profile will see your name under that skill.

The person can accept the endorsement, ignore it, or remove it from their profile if they do not think it is accurate. They cannot see who endorsed them for a skill until they click on the skill to expand it and see the list of endorsers.

Endorsements do not expire or disappear over time. Once you endorse someone, that endorsement stays on their profile unless you remove it or they delete it.

Removing an endorsement you gave

If you change your mind or endorsed someone by mistake, you can take back the endorsement. Go to their profile, find the skill you endorsed, and look for a checkmark next to it. Click the checkmark and it will disappear — your endorsement is now removed.

The person will not receive a notification that you removed the endorsement. The number next to that skill will simply decrease by one.

When endorsements make sense to give

Endorse someone for a skill you have actually seen them use or know they genuinely have. If you worked together on a project that required that skill, or if you know from experience that they are strong in that area, the endorsement carries real weight. Endorsements from people who have worked with you are more valuable to recruiters than endorsements from strangers.

You do not have to endorse everyone who endorses you. If someone endorses you for a skill you do not have or do not want highlighted, you can remove it from your profile. Endorsements are not a trade — you are not obligated to endorse someone back just because they endorsed you.

If you have not worked with someone or do not know their actual abilities in a skill, it is better not to endorse them. Endorsements that do not match someone's real experience can hurt their credibility rather than help it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I endorse someone I have never worked with?

Technically yes — LinkedIn does not prevent it. But endorsements are most useful when they come from people who have actually seen the skill in action. An endorsement from a stranger carries less weight than one from a former colleague or manager.

Will the person know I endorsed them?

Yes, they will receive a notification with your name and profile picture. They can see exactly which skill you endorsed them for. The endorsement is also public on their profile.

Can I endorse someone multiple times for the same skill?

No. You can only endorse each person once per skill. If you try to endorse them again for a skill you already endorsed, nothing will happen. You would need to remove your first endorsement and then add it again, but there is no reason to do that.

What if I endorsed someone by accident?

Go back to their profile, find the skill with the checkmark next to it, and click the checkmark to remove it. The endorsement will be deleted immediately and the person will not be notified.

Do endorsements help someone get hired?

Endorsements can help someone's profile rank higher in recruiter searches and make their profile look more credible, but they are not a substitute for a strong resume, work history, or a written recommendation. They are one small signal among many that recruiters look at.