What Is LinkedIn Creator Mode?
Founder of ContentIn — I've built LinkedIn tools since 2023 and test every competitor with a real account.
Key Takeaways
- Creator Mode was a profile toggle (launched 2021) that switched the primary button to Follow and unlocked creator tools and analytics.
- LinkedIn removed the on/off toggle in March 2024 and removed profile hashtags/topics in February 2024.
- The bundled features (LinkedIn Live, Audio Events, Newsletters, creator analytics, custom profile link) remain available to eligible members without a toggle.
- You can still set Follow as your profile's primary action; it now defaults to Follow unless you change it.
- There is no Creator Mode to switch on in 2026; the concept has been merged into every eligible profile.
How Creator Mode Worked
LinkedIn Creator Mode launched in 2021 as a toggle in the Resources section of your profile. Turning it on changed how your profile behaved: the primary button switched from Connect to Follow, your follower count moved up into your introduction, you could display the topics you post about as hashtags, and you unlocked access to tools such as LinkedIn Live, Audio Events, video posts, and Newsletters. LinkedIn described the goal as helping members access "more sharing tools, analytics" and set up their profile to show their audience what they post about.[1]LinkedIn Help. "Updates to Creator Mode." View source
The Follow-first change was the point most creators cared about. With Connect as the primary button, growth leaned on the two-way handshake of a connection. With Follow primary, anyone could subscribe to your posts one-directionally, which suited people building an audience of followers rather than connections. Creator Mode also made you eligible to be surfaced as a suggested creator to follow, which could raise your visibility to potential followers.
Beyond the Follow button, Creator Mode acted as a gateway to a bundle of publishing features. Eligible members got the creator analytics dashboard—combined post performance plus audience insights—a custom link or button in the profile introduction to drive traffic to a website or event, and a shareable Follow link for use off-platform. For many, the appeal was simply that flipping one switch signalled "I publish here" and organized the profile around content rather than a resume.
What Happened to Creator Mode
Between February and March 2024, LinkedIn dismantled Creator Mode as a distinct feature. According to its Help Center, "the toggle to turn creator mode on and off in the Resources section of your profile" was removed in March 2024, and profile hashtags/topics were removed in February 2024.[1]LinkedIn Help. "Updates to Creator Mode." View source
Why dissolve a popular feature? LinkedIn's stated reason was simplification—removing an extra decision from the profile so the sharing tools reach more people by default. There is a strategic read, too: LinkedIn has leaned hard into content as the engine of the platform, and gating creation behind an opt-in toggle worked against that. Making the tools default nudges every eligible member toward publishing, whether or not they think of themselves as a "creator." Nothing about existing reach or follower counts changed in the transition.
Crucially, the tools did not disappear—only the toggle did. LinkedIn's guidance is explicit: "You will still have access to the same sharing tools and analytics."[1]LinkedIn Help. "Updates to Creator Mode." View source If you had LinkedIn Live, Audio Events, and Newsletters before, you keep them. Creator analytics still live in the Analytics section of your profile. You can still choose Follow or Connect as your primary action—it simply defaults to Follow and stays there unless you change it. You remain eligible to appear as a suggested creator, which ties into how LinkedIn's relevance systems recommend people to follow.[2]LinkedIn Help. "LinkedIn relevance - Optimizing the member experience." View source In short, Creator Mode was absorbed, not cancelled.
Example of the Change
Say your profile had Creator Mode on in early 2024 with 4,000 followers, a Follow primary button, and five hashtags—#B2BMarketing, #DemandGen, and so on—under your name. After the March 2024 update, three things happen. The hashtags under your intro vanish (removed platform-wide in February). The Follow button stays exactly as it was, because Follow remains your chosen primary action. And your creator analytics stay reachable from the Analytics section and the post-impressions count on your feed. From a visitor's perspective, almost nothing changes; from a settings perspective, the on/off toggle you used to flip is simply gone. (Illustrative example.)
If you never used Creator Mode, the change is even simpler: you were not missing anything gated behind it, and the same tools are available to you now based on eligibility rather than a toggle. The practical upshot for anyone starting today is that there is no Creator Mode to turn on. If you want Follow as your primary button, set it directly in your profile's edit options. If you want to publish long-form, start a newsletter or go live—no toggle stands between you and those tools anymore. What matters now is publishing consistently, which is where a workflow tool like ContentIn's AI post generator helps.
The Bottom Line
LinkedIn Creator Mode was a profile switch that turned on Follow-first behavior, creator tools, and analytics. LinkedIn retired the toggle in March 2024 and removed profile hashtags in February 2024, distributing the underlying features to all eligible members by default. Creator Mode never directly changed your reach—that has always depended on content quality and engagement, not a toggle. So if you are looking for "Creator Mode" in 2026, you will not find it, but everything it used to unlock is still there, just always on. The switch is gone; the capability is not. Focus on the tools and your content, not the setting.
What people get wrong about Creator Mode
The biggest misconception is that Creator Mode was ever a reach cheat code, that flipping it on told the algorithm to boost you. It never did. It was a profile configuration, not a distribution setting, and turning it on did nothing to your ranking. That is exactly why LinkedIn could dissolve it without anyone's reach changing: there was no lever to pull. The second mistake, common in 2026, is chasing outdated guides that tell you to "enable Creator Mode" as step one. That toggle has been gone since March 2024. If a tutorial still opens with it, it has not been updated, and you should be skeptical of the rest. The honest takeaway is unglamorous: the tools matter, the toggle never did, and your reach was always a function of what you publish.
| Creator Mode | Top Voice Badge | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A retired profile toggle that bundled creator tools and Follow-first | A LinkedIn-awarded badge signalling recognized expertise |
| How you got it | A self-serve switch (until March 2024) | Earned and awarded by LinkedIn, not self-activated |
| Status in 2026 | Removed as a toggle; features now default | Still active |
| Effect on reach | Never directly boosted reach | Signals credibility but no guaranteed reach boost |
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does LinkedIn Creator Mode still exist?
- No. LinkedIn removed the Creator Mode on/off toggle in March 2024. The features it bundled (creator tools, analytics, and a Follow-first button) now apply to eligible profiles by default, so there is nothing to switch on.
- How do I turn on Creator Mode in 2026?
- You can't; the toggle is gone. Instead, set Follow as your primary button in your profile settings and use the creator tools (Live, Audio Events, Newsletters) directly, since they are now available without Creator Mode.
- Did I lose my creator tools when Creator Mode was removed?
- No. LinkedIn states you keep the same sharing tools and analytics. LinkedIn Live, Audio Events, Newsletters, and creator analytics remain accessible if you were eligible before.
- What happened to profile hashtags?
- LinkedIn removed profile hashtags/topics in February 2024 to simplify the profile introduction. You can no longer display the topics you post about as hashtags under your name.
Article Sources
ContentIn requires writers to use primary sources — official LinkedIn documentation, engineering publications, and original platform data. Learn more in our editorial standards.