LinkedIn after a death: closing a profile kindly

What a family can usually do

LinkedIn generally gives a family a few paths. You can ask to have the profile turned into a memorial, which keeps the page visible but marks it as belonging to someone who has died. You can ask to download a copy of the account's information. Or you can ask to close the profile and have it removed.

Which one you pick depends on what the person would have wanted and what the family needs. A memorial keeps a record of their work history and connections. A download gives you a file of what was there. Closing removes the profile from view.

Check LinkedIn's current help page for the exact steps, the form to use, and what they ask you to send. Company rules and forms change, so the help page is the only reliable source for how it works today.

What you will likely need to hand

LinkedIn will want to confirm that the person has died and that you have a reason to act. In most cases that means some proof of death and something showing your connection to them. Have these ready before you start the request:

• A copy of the death certificate
• The person's profile link or the email on the account
• Your own contact details
• Anything showing you are family or handling their affairs, if asked

If you are not sure how many copies of the death certificate to order, our guide on death certificates and how many you need can help you plan.

Memorial, download or close: choosing

A memorial is often the gentlest choice when colleagues and friends still search for the person. It keeps the profile as a record without pretending they are still active. Ask the family first if more than one person is involved, so the decision is shared.

A download is useful if you want the work history, contacts or posts for yourself or for an estate file. Do it before you close anything, because once the profile is gone the information may not be recoverable.

Closing is the right call when the person wanted to disappear from the platform, or when the profile is causing distress. If you are handling several accounts at once, our first 48 hours guide sets out a sensible order.

If you cannot get into the account

You do not need the password to make a request. LinkedIn's process is built for people acting on someone else's behalf, and it runs through their help page rather than the login screen. Do not try to guess the password or reset it through the person's email, especially if that email is also locked.

If the email is the problem, our guide on being locked out of their email covers what to try first.

What the holder can set up now

LinkedIn does not offer a full "what happens after I die" setting the way some other services do, so the useful work happens on paper. Write down that the profile exists, the email it uses, and what you would like done with it. Put that in your envelope under Digital life.

You can also tidy the account now so the decision is easier later. Remove old email addresses you no longer use, keep the contact email current, and think about whether you want the profile to stay up as a record or come down. Say which, in plain words, next to the entry.

If you keep passwords in a password manager, note in the envelope that it exists and how to reach it, without writing the passwords themselves in the envelope. Our guide on why not to share passwords explains the reasoning.

Telling people, gently

If the person was active on LinkedIn, colleagues may not have heard. A short post from a family member or a close contact, or a note on the memorial profile, saves people from sending messages into silence. Keep it brief and say what you want people to know.

You do not owe anyone a reply. Turn off notifications on your own account for a while if the messages become too much.

Keep a record of what you did

Write down the date you made the request, which option you chose, and any reference you were given. If the profile is still visible weeks later, that note makes a follow up much easier. Keep it with the rest of the estate papers.

When the profile is handled, tick it off your list. Our checklist covers the other accounts families usually work through, and the Digital life section shows where each note belongs in your envelope.