Managing Mentions, Tags and Professional Boundaries on LinkedIn

Being mentioned in a LinkedIn post or tagged in a photo can be useful. A colleague may acknowledge your contribution to a project. An organisation may recognise your role in an event, report or industry discussion. A client, partner or professional contact may share work you have contributed to.

For executive leaders, subject-matter experts and visible professionals, these mentions can help strengthen professional reputation and make relevant work easier for others to find.

But not every mention is appropriate.

Sometimes a post does not reflect the work you want to be associated with. Sometimes you have been included in a long list of names simply to attract attention. Sometimes a photo has been shared without a proper conversation about where it will appear or how it will be used.

LinkedIn gives you some control over mentions and tags. More importantly, it gives organisations an opportunity to establish clearer expectations around professional etiquette, consent and respectful visibility.

The difference between a mention and a photo tag

A mention usually appears in the text of a post or comment. When someone types your name and selects your LinkedIn profile, your name becomes a clickable link to your profile.

A photo tag is attached directly to an image. It links your name to a particular person in the photograph.

Both can increase the visibility of a post. LinkedIn says that members can choose whether others are able to mention or tag them in new posts, comments and photos. When this setting is turned off, it does not remove mentions or tags that already exist.

For individuals, the key question is whether the mention or tag accurately reflects your involvement and whether you are comfortable being associated with the content.

For communications and marketing teams, the question is broader: have you made appropriate decisions about who is being named, why they are being included and whether the post reflects the organisation’s standards for consent and professional respect?

When a mention can be valuable

A mention can be useful when it adds genuine context.

For example, a leader may acknowledge colleagues who contributed to a major piece of work. A professional association may mention a speaker after an event. A client may thank a project team for their support. A Company Page may identify the relevant experts behind a report, initiative or announcement.

In these situations, the mention should be connected to a real contribution. It should help the reader understand who was involved and why.

Mentions become less useful when they are used simply to draw attention from people who have not agreed to take part in the conversation. Tagging a long list of people at the end of a post may increase notifications, but it can feel impersonal and can weaken trust over time.

A good rule is simple: mention people because their involvement adds meaning to the post, not because their name may increase reach.

How to remove a mention of yourself

If someone has mentioned you in a LinkedIn post or comment and you no longer want your profile linked to it, you can remove the mention.

1. Find the post or comment where you have been mentioned.
2. Click the More icon in the upper-right corner of the post.
3. Select Remove mention.
4. Confirm the change.

Your name may remain in the text of the post, but it will no longer link to your LinkedIn profile.

Removing a mention can be appropriate when the post is inaccurate, irrelevant, overly promotional or inconsistent with your professional reputation. It is also a reasonable step where you simply do not wish to be connected publicly to that particular conversation.

How to remove a tag from a photo

If you have been tagged in a LinkedIn photo, you can remove the tag from yourself.

Open the image, select the tag option and remove your name from the list of tagged people. LinkedIn notes that tagged members can remove tags of themselves from a post.

Removing the tag stops the photo linking directly to your profile. It does not necessarily remove the photo itself.

Where the image has been shared without your agreement, is misleading or creates a genuine concern, it is usually better to contact the person or organisation that posted it and ask for the image to be removed altogether.

How to stop people mentioning or tagging you in future

LinkedIn allows you to decide whether other members can mention or tag you in new posts, comments and photos.

To update this setting:

1. Click the Me icon at the top of LinkedIn.
2. Select Settings & Privacy.
3. Select Visibility.
4. Under Visibility of your LinkedIn activity, choose Mentioned by others.
5. Turn the Allow mentions setting on or off.

When this option is turned off, members cannot mention or tag you in new posts, comments or photos. Existing mentions and tags will remain unless you remove them individually.

This setting may be useful for people in sensitive roles, those managing a high volume of unwanted tagging or professionals who prefer to control more carefully when and where their name appears.

For most executive leaders and visible professionals, leaving mentions enabled can still be useful. The better approach is often to keep the setting on while having clear boundaries about the kinds of posts and images you are comfortable being associated with.

Consent matters, particularly with photos

Professional visibility should never override personal boundaries.

The eSafety Commissioner advises that people should ask for consent before sharing a photo or video and remove it if the person asks them to do so.

For organisations, this is particularly important at events, conferences, workshops, internal celebrations, site visits and community activities. People may be comfortable being photographed in one context but not comfortable having that image shared publicly on LinkedIn.

A respectful process includes explaining why photos are being taken, where they may be used and giving people a genuine opportunity to decline. It also means responding promptly and without argument if someone later asks for an image to be removed.

This is not only a question of legal compliance. It is a question of trust.

Guidance for communications and marketing teams

A clear internal approach to mentions and tags can help avoid unnecessary discomfort or confusion.

Consider agreeing on a few practical principles:

• Mention people only where their involvement is directly relevant to the post.
• Seek permission before tagging individuals in event or workplace photos.
• Avoid tagging large groups of people simply to increase visibility.
• Make sure the post reflects the role or contribution of the person being mentioned.
• Respond promptly if someone asks for a tag or image to be removed.
• Give executive leaders and employees a clear contact point if they are concerned about how they have been represented online.

For organisations building executive visibility, this kind of care matters. Leaders are more likely to participate confidently when they know their profile, name and image will be handled respectfully.

Professional visibility requires judgement

LinkedIn works best when mentions and tags help connect people to relevant work, useful conversations and genuine professional recognition.

Used thoughtfully, they can strengthen relationships and make contribution more visible.

Used carelessly, they can create pressure, misunderstanding or the sense that someone’s name and profile have become a tool for another person’s reach.

The aim is not to avoid mentions altogether. It is to use them with judgement, context and respect.

Looking for LinkedIn support in Australia?

Think Bespoke is a Melbourne-based LinkedIn consultancy supporting professionals, leaders and organisations across Australia.

LinkedIn mentoring for practical one-to-one guidance

LinkedIn profile writing for a clearer, stronger profile

LinkedIn training for leadership teams and organisations