LinkedInBot user agent
LinkedInBot is the crawler LinkedIn uses to fetch a shared URL and read its Open Graph metadata so it can render the link preview attached to a post. It is a preview-generation bot, not a human visit, and identifies itself with a documented LinkedInBot user-agent token plus a self-identifying URL.
What this means
When a link is shared on LinkedIn, LinkedIn sends LinkedInBot to fetch the URL and read its Open Graph tags (og:title, og:image, og:description) to build the preview card on the post.
The preview reflects the metadata LinkedInBot read, not a human visit. LinkedIn caches the preview, so a stale card usually means an old fetch is being reused. The Post Inspector tool can refresh it.
How LinkedInBot identifies itself
LinkedIn's crawler uses the user-agent token LinkedInBot, and its user agent includes a self-identifying URL. Match on the stable LinkedInBot token rather than a version suffix.
The user agent is a claim and can be copied. LinkedInBot reads server-rendered Open Graph tags; tags added only by client-side JavaScript are typically not picked up.
- User-agent token: LinkedInBot
- User agent includes a self-identifying LinkedIn URL
- Reads Open Graph / meta tags; preview is cached
Debugging a stale preview
If a LinkedIn preview is wrong or outdated, run the URL through LinkedIn's Post Inspector to force a fresh LinkedInBot fetch and refresh the cached card. Confirm the page returns 200 with valid og: tags in the initial HTML and no redirect or login wall.
Seeing the LinkedInBot token in your logs for the shared URL confirms the fetch reached your server.
How it appears in analytics and logs
A request whose user agent contains the LinkedInBot token means LinkedIn fetched a URL to build a post preview. It is triggered by sharing and is bot traffic; LinkedIn caches previews, so re-fetches may be needed to refresh them.
Diagnostic use case
Confirm whether LinkedInBot fetched a page after sharing, debug a missing or stale LinkedIn preview, and exclude its requests from human analytics.
What WebmasterID can help detect
WebmasterID classifies LinkedInBot server-side as a social-preview bot and surfaces its fetches on the bot-intelligence view, so preview crawls do not inflate human page views or appear as LinkedIn referral sessions.
Common mistakes
- Counting LinkedInBot preview fetches as human LinkedIn referral sessions.
- Relying on JavaScript-injected Open Graph tags LinkedInBot does not execute.
- Forgetting LinkedIn caches previews — use Post Inspector to refresh.
Privacy and accuracy notes
LinkedInBot detection uses only the user agent. No human identity is attached to the preview fetch. WebmasterID records it as a social-preview bot event, separate from human analytics.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I refresh a LinkedIn link preview?
- Use LinkedIn's Post Inspector to re-send LinkedInBot and clear the cached Open Graph data, then the preview will reflect your current og: tags.
Related pages
- facebookexternalhit user agent
facebookexternalhit is the user-agent token used by Meta's crawler when it fetches a shared URL to read Open Graph metadata and render a link preview on Facebook and Messenger. It is a preview-generation bot, not a human visit, and is documented in Meta's sharing tooling.
- Twitterbot user agent
Twitterbot is the crawler operated by X (formerly Twitter) to fetch a shared URL and read its Open Graph and Twitter Card metadata so it can render a preview card in a post. It is a link-unfurling bot, not a human visit, and identifies itself with a documented Twitterbot user-agent token.
- Social preview bot user agents
When someone pastes your link into a social or messaging app, a preview bot fetches the page to build a card from your Open Graph and Twitter Card tags. Bots like facebookexternalhit, Twitterbot, Slackbot, Discordbot, and LinkedInBot identify themselves by token. This page covers what they are and why they hit you.
- Bot intelligence
Server-side classification of preview crawlers and other bots.
Sources and verification notes
- LinkedIn — Making your website shareable (Post Inspector)Documents LinkedInBot preview behaviour and the Post Inspector.
Last reviewed 2026-06-24. Facts are checked against primary/official sources where available; uncertain specifics are marked “Data not yet verified” rather than guessed.