How to Turn Off Comments on a LinkedIn Post

Sometimes you need to guide the conversation, and other times, you need to end it. Disabling comments on a LinkedIn post gives you complete control over the narrative, letting your message stand on its own without debate or distraction. This guide will show you exactly how to turn off comments on both new and existing posts, explore the strategic reasons for doing so, and offer a few alternatives for when you want to moderate rather than mute the discussion.

Why Would You Want to Turn Off Comments on a LinkedIn Post?

LinkedIn is built on professional conversation, so choosing to silence comments might feel counterintuitive. However, there are several smart, strategic reasons why you might want to use this feature. It isn't about avoiding feedback, it’s about controlling the environment where your content lives.

Think of it as a tool for specific communication goals:

• Preventing Spam or Trolling: High-profile accounts or posts on popular topics can sometimes attract spam bots, self-promoters, or trolls. Disabling comments is a quick and effective way to shut down noise before it starts.
• Managing Sensitive or Controversial Topics: If you're sharing an official company statement, addressing a sensitive issue, or posting content that might be misconstrued, turning off comments can prevent a productive thread from turning into a digital wildfire. This keeps the message focused and prevents damaging arguments from unfolding in public.
• Ending a Time-Sensitive Discussion: Did you post about a job opening that’s now filled? Or an event that has already passed? Turning off comments after the fact prevents latecomers from asking questions or adding to a conversation that is no longer relevant, keeping your profile's active discussions fresh.
• Directing the Conversation Elsewhere: You might want feedback, but not on LinkedIn. By disabling comments, you can add a clear call-to-action in your post, like "For all inquiries, please DM me" or "Share your thoughts on the feedback form here," driving traffic to a more controlled or productive channel.
• Reducing Moderation Overload: Not everyone has a social media manager watching over a post 24/7. If a post unexpectedly goes viral or attracts a massive volume of comments, turning them off can give you a break from the constant need to moderate, reply, and manage the discussion.

How to Turn Off Comments on a New LinkedIn Post

Proactively disabling comments is the easiest way to ensure your post goes live just the way you want it. You can set your comment preferences right from the post composer before you hit publish. It only takes a few seconds.

Here’s the breakdown:

Step 1: Start a New Post

From your LinkedIn homepage, click on "Start a post" at the top of your feed. Write your text, add your image, video, or document just like you normally would.

Step 2: Find the Comment Settings

Once your content is ready, look at the bottom section of the post composer window. To the right of the "Post" button, you’ll typically see an icon or text related to comment settings. It often defaults to "Anyone" and might show a small globe or head-and-shoulders icon.

Step 3: Change Comment Permissions

Click on the "Anyone" (or current comment) setting. This will open a small pop-up menu with three options:

• Anyone: The default setting. Any LinkedIn user can comment on your post.
• Connections only: Only your first-degree connections can leave comments. This is a great alternative for reducing spam while still allowing engagement from your trusted network.
• No one: This is the option you want. Selecting this will completely disable the comment section on your post.

Step 4: Select "No One" and Publish

Choose "No one" from the list and click "Save." The setting next to the "Post" button will now reflect this choice. Now, go ahead and click the "Post" button to share your content. The published post will appear without a comment box, ensuring your message stands alone.

How to Disable Comments on an Existing LinkedIn Post

Sometimes you don't realize you need to shut down comments until after the discussion has already started. Maybe a conversation has gone off the rails, or the post has served its purpose. Whatever the reason, you can easily disable comments on a post you’ve already published.

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Navigate to Your Post

Find the published post on your profile or your company page timeline. You can do this by scrolling through your feed, going to your "Recent activity," or visiting your profile page directly.

Step 2: Open Post Settings

In the top-right corner of your post, you'll see a three-dot menu icon (...). Click it to reveal a dropdown menu of options for that post.

Step 3: Select "Who can comment on this post?"

From the dropdown menu, find and select the option that says, "Who can comment on this post?". This will open up the same permissions menu you see when creating a new post.

Step 4: Change Permissions to "No One"

In the pop-up window, you'll see the three familiar choices: "Anyone," "Connections only," and "No one." Select "No one" to turn off commenting.

A key thing to note: When you disable comments on an existing post, all previous comments will be hidden from view. They aren't deleted - if you decide to turn comments back on later by selecting "Anyone" or "Connections only," the old comments will reappear.

Step 5: Click "Save"

After selecting "No one," click the "Save" or "Done" button. The comment section will immediately disappear from your post, and no new comments can be added.

The Middle Ground: Alternatives to Disabling Comments Completely

Turning off comments is a powerful but blunt tool. In some cases, a more nuanced approach is better for managing your community without shutting down all engagement. Before you go straight to "No one," consider these alternatives.

1. Restrict Comments to "Connections Only"

This is arguably the most useful moderation feature on LinkedIn. By limiting comments to your first-degree connections, you immediately cut out most spam, trolling, and irrelevant noise from random accounts. It allows conversation to continue but keeps it within a circle of people you know and trust. This is the perfect option for sensitive industry discussions or personal updates where you welcome input from peers but not the general public.

2. Actively Moderate and Delete Unwanted Comments

If you prefer to keep the conversation open but clean, manual moderation is the way to go. This approach requires more hands-on effort but helps you maintain your post's engagement metrics while protecting the community.

To delete a specific comment:

1. Hover over the comment you want to remove.
2. Click the three-dot menu icon (...) that appears next to it.
3. Select "Delete comment" from the dropdown. The comment will be permanently removed.

This is best for removing clear violations like spam, hate speech, or personal attacks. For simple disagreements or constructive criticism, it's usually better to reply thoughtfully rather than delete.

3. Hide an Individual Comment

Hiding a comment is a softer form of moderation than deleting it. When you hide a comment, it remains visible to the person who wrote it and their connections but is hidden from everyone else. This can be a useful way to deal with a problematic or off-topic comment without explicitly deleting it, which can sometimes escalate a situation if the commenter notices.

To hide a comment, follow the same steps as deleting but choose "Hide comment" from the menu. It's a great tool for handling comments that aren't quite spam but add no value to the discussion.

The Big Picture: When to Use (and Not Use) This Feature

Controlling comments is a tactical decision, and using it correctly separates a savvy social media pro from someone who just seems afraid of feedback.

Good times to turn off comments:

• Pure Announcements: When sharing official company statements, term changes, or data breach notices where clarification will be handled through other channels and you want to avoid speculation.
• Crisis Management: During a PR crisis, it can temporarily stop the fire from spreading while your team formulates a proper response.
• Finalizing a Process: A post announcing that "The candidate has been hired" or "This contest is now closed."

Bad times to turn off comments:

• Asking for Engagement: Never disable comments on a post where you ask a question like, "What are your thoughts?" or "Let me know what you think below!" It sends a confusing and disingenuous message.
• Building Community or Thought Leadership: If your goal is to start a conversation, spark debate, or position yourself as an expert, comments are your best friend. Shutting them down sabotages your entire goal.
• Company Culture Posts: Sharing content about your amazing team or values with comments turned off can make your company look non-transparent and unwilling to listen to real feedback.

Ultimately, a strong brand is built on two-way dialogue. Use the ability to turn off comments sparingly, like a surgical tool for specific situations, not as a shield to hide behind.

Final Thoughts

Knowing how to turn off comments on a LinkedIn post gives you a powerful tool for managing the narrative around your content. While it's a feature to be used with intention, it can save you from spam, stop unproductive arguments in their tracks, and keep your posts focused and professional.

Actively managing communities and engaging with your audience across different platforms is a ton of work, especially when juggling comments and DMs from all over. That’s why we built the unified inbox feature at Postbase, which consolidates all your messages from every social account into one simple, organized feed. It helps teams collaborate on replies and ensures no important conversation gets missed, all without the chaos of switching between ten different apps.