Privacy, speed and SEOBy the LinkedInEmbed team · Updated
Does a LinkedIn widget use cookies or track visitors?
Short answer
LinkedInEmbed widgets don't set cookies or use fingerprinting, and Google Analytics isn't loaded inside them. The only data recorded is aggregated daily counts of widget views and clicks. LinkedIn's own embeds and plugins are a different matter: they load from linkedin.com, and LinkedIn's Cookie Policy covers them.
What a LinkedInEmbed widget does and doesn't do
Because the widget runs in its own frame from another domain, it can't read cookies or data from your website, and your site's scripts can't read inside it. Your own analytics and tag manager keep working exactly as before.
When a visitor clicks through to a post or profile, they're on LinkedIn, and from then on LinkedIn's own policies apply.
| LinkedInEmbed widget | |
|---|---|
| Cookies | None set by the widget |
| Fingerprinting | None |
| Google Analytics or ad trackers | Not loaded inside widgets |
| What's recorded | Aggregated daily counts of views and clicks per widget |
| Where it loads from | An iframe from linkedinembed.com |
LinkedIn's native embeds and plugins
LinkedIn's “Embed this post” code and plugins such as the Follow Company button load from linkedin.com. LinkedIn's Cookie Policy says its plugins use cookies and other technologies to provide analytics and recognize you on LinkedIn and third-party sites. If you use them, read that policy and reflect it in your own privacy and cookie notices.
What to put in your privacy policy
- Mention that your site embeds third-party content from LinkedInEmbed and, if you use them, LinkedIn's own embeds or plugins.
- Explain that the widget shows public LinkedIn content and links to LinkedIn.
- If your consent tool blocks all embedded content until visitors agree, decide whether that should include the widget, since it sets no cookies.
- Keep the description short and factual: what the widget shows, where it loads from and that it sets no cookies.
- Link to LinkedInEmbed's privacy policy if you want visitors to be able to read the details.
Whether you need consent for a particular embed depends on your country's rules and how you run your site. This isn't legal advice; if you're unsure, ask a privacy lawyer.
What the view and click counts are
A view is counted when an embedded widget actually appears on a visitor's screen; previews in your own dashboard aren't counted. Clicks are visitors following a link in the widget to LinkedIn or to your website. Both are stored as totals per widget per day, not as records of individual visitors, so they can't be used to follow anyone across sites. They're there to help you see whether a widget earns its place on the page.
Sources
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