LinkedIn recommendations and endorsements are different kinds of professional evidence. A recommendation is a detailed written testimonial, while an endorsement is one-click validation of a specific skill according to Careerflow.

A practical approach is two-track: request the LinkedIn data that applies to your account, then keep a separate, readable copy of the evidence you want to retain.

Preserve your wider LinkedIn presence with a backup that uses only a public @handle, not a password or login. Start your backup

What to back up: recommendations vs. endorsements

Recommendations are personalized paragraphs in which someone in your network vouches for your skills, work ethic, and character. They can also include specific work or project examples, adding context beyond a skill label according to Careerflow.

Endorsements are the shorter record: a one-click validation of a specific skill according to Careerflow. Preserve the two separately in your own archive so a written testimonial does not get confused with a skill signal.

How to download LinkedIn recommendations on desktop

LinkedIn’s official desktop route is:

  1. Click the Me icon at the top of your LinkedIn homepage.
  2. Select Settings & Privacy from the dropdown.
  3. Click Data Privacy on the left rail.
  4. Under How LinkedIn uses your data, click Download your data.
  5. Select specific data categories or a larger download.
  6. Select the data you are looking for and choose Request archive.

These steps follow LinkedIn’s current help instructions according to LinkedIn Help.

For a recommendations-specific walkthrough, Guideflow records this path: Me > Settings & Privacy > Data privacy > Get a copy of your data > select the Recommendations checkbox > Request archive as documented by Guideflow. The walkthrough is third-party, so treat LinkedIn Help as the primary source for the data-download process.

Timing, device, and archive limits

LinkedIn says a specific data request is emailed within minutes, while the email for a larger download can arrive within 24 hours. The download is available for 72 hours, so download it promptly after the email arrives according to LinkedIn Help.

The data-download feature is currently not available on mobile. LinkedIn also advises using a personal computer rather than a public computer when downloading account data according to LinkedIn Help.

The archive is limited to your own personal data, not other members’ data. LinkedIn says you receive only data categories applicable to your account and activities. That means a category may be absent when it does not apply to the account according to LinkedIn Help.

If you want a daily backup for public social content alongside LinkedIn’s own archive, SocialGuardian backs up LinkedIn using only a public @handle and no password or login. Set up a no-password backup

How to preserve endorsements and the Skills section

LinkedIn’s documented control lets you request specific data categories or a larger download according to LinkedIn Help. Use the category-based request for the data that applies to your account, and keep a separate visual record of endorsement evidence you need to reference later.

For written recommendations, a LinkedIn-published contributor recommends manually copying each recommendation into a secure document or a dedicated computer folder as suggested in this contributor article.

For endorsement evidence where visual context matters, use this capture checklist:

  • Capture the Skills/endorsements view with enough surrounding layout to identify the profile section.
  • For each skill you want to preserve, capture the skill name and any endorsement count or endorsers that are visible. Do not crop away the context that makes the item identifiable.
  • Keep screenshots in the same order as the Skills/endorsements view. If one view does not show everything, continue with numbered screenshots rather than combining unrelated items.
  • Label each file consistently, for example: linkedin-YYYY-MM-DD-skill-01.png, linkedin-YYYY-MM-DD-skill-02.png, and so on.
  • Add one line for each screenshot to your archive index: filename, skill shown, and capture date.

This applies the contributor’s recommendation to take organized screenshots: screenshots preserve the visual layout and formatting, although they are less convenient than copied text as suggested in this contributor article.

A contributor also mentions third-party services and browser extensions that may export LinkedIn data in a structured format, but that is not an official LinkedIn guarantee as noted in this contributor article. Keep the official archive and your own copied or screenshot evidence as the dependable record.

Build a usable evidence archive before you lose access

Download the archive while its link is available for 72 hours. If you plan to close your account, do this first: LinkedIn says you will no longer have access to your LinkedIn account data after closing it according to LinkedIn Help.

Use a small, predictable structure so the export and the visual evidence can be found later:

linkedin-evidence/
  00-index.md
  01-official-export/
    original-download
  02-recommendations-text/
  03-skills-endorsements/
  04-verification/

Use the index as the map. For example, name recommendation copies linkedin-YYYY-MM-DD-recommendation-01.txt, name endorsement screenshots linkedin-YYYY-MM-DD-skill-01.png, and record the original downloaded archive under 01-official-export/ without changing its original filename. Keep the original export separate from any edited, copied, or renamed working files.

After downloading, run this verification checklist:

  • Confirm the download completed before the 72-hour link expired.
  • Open the original archive or its extracted files and record what categories are present in 00-index.md.
  • If a category is missing, check whether it applies to your account before treating the result as incomplete. LinkedIn says you only receive categories applicable to your account and activities according to LinkedIn Help.
  • Confirm every recommendation text copy has a matching index entry and that it is readable.
  • Confirm every Skills/endorsement screenshot opens, is numbered, and matches the skill recorded in the index.
  • Keep the original export unchanged and store the copied text and screenshots in a secure location. A contributor specifically recommends saving copied recommendations to a secure document or dedicated folder as suggested in this contributor article.

If a recommendation or endorsement later becomes harder to view, a saved archive, secure text copy, or organized screenshot gives you a record to consult. A LinkedIn-published contributor warns that when a person leaves LinkedIn or deactivates an account, endorsements vanish from public view; this is a contributor’s warning, not an official LinkedIn policy as noted in this contributor article.

SocialGuardian can cover the recurring backup layer for the wider public profile: its homepage says backups run every day and lists LinkedIn among the supported platforms according to SocialGuardian. Its listed protected content includes posts, photos, videos, reels and shorts, stories, captions and metadata, follower and following lists, and engagement according to SocialGuardian. For recommendation and endorsement evidence specifically, keep using the LinkedIn export and capture steps above.

Keep an exportable archive of your wider social presence: SocialGuardian says you can export your full archive anytime with no lock-in. Create your backup

FAQ

Are LinkedIn recommendations included in a data download?

LinkedIn supports a category-based data request, and a recommendations-specific walkthrough documents selecting a Recommendations checkbox before requesting the archive. LinkedIn says only categories applicable to your account and activities are included LinkedIn Help.

How do I download my LinkedIn recommendations?

On desktop, use Me > Settings & Privacy > Data Privacy > Download your data, select the relevant data, and choose Request archive LinkedIn Help. The recommendations-specific walkthrough uses Get a copy of your data > Recommendations > Request archive Guideflow.

How can I back up LinkedIn endorsements or my Skills section?

Request applicable data categories, then capture the Skills/endorsements view and each relevant skill with organized screenshots. Preserve the visible layout and formatting, label the files consistently, and map them in an index LinkedIn contributor.

Can I download LinkedIn data from the mobile app?

LinkedIn’s help page says this data-download feature is currently not available on mobile LinkedIn Help.

How long is a LinkedIn data archive available after LinkedIn emails it?

The download is available for 72 hours LinkedIn Help.

What should I do if a recommendation disappears or the writer closes their account?

Keep the archive, a secure text copy, or organized screenshots. LinkedIn says closing your own account removes access to your account data; a contributor separately warns that endorsements can vanish from public view when someone leaves LinkedIn or deactivates an account LinkedIn Help LinkedIn contributor.

What is the difference between a LinkedIn recommendation and an endorsement?

An endorsement is one-click validation of a specific skill. A recommendation is a detailed written testimonial about your work Careerflow.