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LinkedIn rolls back algorithm change that showed old posts in feeds

The Microsoft-owned platform said the change was part of a limited-run test meant to find a balance between fresh and relevant content.

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mkeys@thedesk.net

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LinkedIn on a smart phone. (Photo by Bastian Riccardi)
LinkedIn on a smart phone. (Photo by Bastian Riccardi)

Key Points:

  • LinkedIn is rolling back an algorithm tweak that surfaced posts as old as three weeks in some user feeds.
  • The platform said the tweak was part of a limited-run test meant to strike a balance between relevant and fresh content in news feeds.
  • Users who prefer a chronological-based news feed can update a setting on their LinkedIn profile.

Professional social networking platform LinkedIn said it is rolling back a change to its algorithm that led most of its users to see old posts in their news feeds for several weeks.

The tweak was part of a limited-run experiment of a new algorithm being tested by LinkedIn, the end result of which resulted in posts as old as three weeks being shown to affected users.

The algorithm being tested was meant to find a balance between fresh and relevant posts, according to Bhairavi Jhaveri, a communications specialist with LinkedIn focused on Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

“The dramatic shift was only temporary, and it will go back to feeling far more normal now,” Javeri promised.

The test did not go unnoticed: Over a month ago, this reporter jokingly highlighted what seemed to be a bug in LinkedIn’s news feed by publishing a post designed to resurface weeks later, an intentional nod to the platform’s unusual algorithm behavior.

While the intent was to elevate impactful content, the execution led to frustration. Users expressed concern that their feeds felt stale and that newer, timely updates were being drowned out by older posts. Acknowledging the backlash, LinkedIn said it will continue to refine its algorithm based on engagement signals and ongoing feedback.

According to Jhaveri, the long-term vision for the feed is to make it “more timely, relevant, connected, and conversational,” though she noted that users should still expect “a little bit of a flex on recency” to prioritize relevance when appropriate.

LinkedIn, which has more than one billion users globally, plays a central role in digital communication strategies, particularly for marketers, recruiters, and business professionals. Changes to how the feed functions can have significant implications for content performance and visibility across the platform.

Like most social networking platforms, LinkedIn gives its users some level of control over what they see in their news feeds, but the settings are often buried in specific menus that take some finding.

For users who prefer a strictly chronological experience, LinkedIn offers a manual option to prioritize recent content. By navigating to Settings > Account preferences > Preferred feed view, users can select “most recent posts” to override the algorithmically curated feed.

LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft.

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About the Author:

Matthew Keys

Matthew Keys is the award-winning founder and editor of TheDesk.net, an authoritative voice on broadcast and streaming TV, media and tech. With over ten years of experience, he's a recognized expert in broadcast, streaming, and digital media, with work featured in publications such as StreamTV Insider and Digital Content Next, and past roles at Thomson Reuters and Disney-ABC Television Group.
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