Open the old link and the current one, note where each actually lands, then treat the case-insensitive custom part as the key comparison. A former custom URL can stay linked to the member for six months unless it is unlinked, and unlinking has its own release delay, so a visit to the old address is not evidence of release or of a permanent new owner.
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Start with the live destination, not the name
Open the old address and the current profile link in the same session and note where each one actually lands. The linked page is the primary observation. The wording of a URL is a secondary signal. Record what you see: whether the old address still reaches the member, redirects, or returns nothing usable. Then record the same for the current link.
- Write down both addresses exactly as they appear, including letter case, without editing them
- Note the landing page for each address and whether it shows the same member
- If a control or page is unavailable, record unavailable and stop there
Compare the custom part case-insensitively
LinkedIn separates the assigned public-profile URL from a customizable one, and the custom portion is case insensitive. That means two addresses that differ only in capitalisation describe the same custom part and should not be counted as two distinct claims. Compare the remainder of the address only after setting case aside. [LinkedIn Help: public profile URL changes]
- Normalise both strings to the same case before deciding whether they match
- Do not record a capitalisation difference as a separate URL
Allow for the prior-URL association window
A former custom URL can remain linked for six months unless it is unlinked, and unlinking carries a separate release delay. This makes the old address a poor timer. A working old link during that window is consistent with a lingering association. It does not prove who holds the name afterward, and it does not prove the member intends to keep the old link. [LinkedIn Help: public profile URL changes]
- Label the old link with the approximate date you last saw it working
- Avoid concluding either release or permanent ownership from one visit
Keep language variants separate
Additional language profiles use language-specific URL forms for the same member and do not necessarily indicate separate accounts. If you encounter a second URL form, check whether it is a language variant before treating it as a different person's address. [LinkedIn Help: public profile URL changes]
- Compare the member shown on each language variant rather than the URL shape alone
A short observation table
Separate what you observed from what it cannot settle, then choose the next action from the middle column. The rows below are illustrative shapes of entries, not findings about any real profile.
| observation | limit | next step |
|---|---|---|
| Old address still opens the member's profile | May reflect the six-month linkage or a later release delay; does not show intent or permanence | Re-check the current official link and stop at that comparison |
| Old and current addresses differ only by capitalisation | Custom part is case insensitive, so this is not a second URL | Treat the two as one custom part |
| Old address no longer resolves | Does not prove another person now holds the name | Ask the member for a current link through the channel you already use |
Decide what the comparison supports
The comparison supports a narrow conclusion: which address currently reaches the member and whether two strings are the same custom part. It does not support claims about who owns a name permanently, why a change happened, or whether someone is active. Where the documented control or a permitted public artifact is not available, record unavailable and stop at the access boundary rather than guessing.
- Use the official current help if you need the exact behaviour
- Ask for a voluntarily supplied current link instead of inferring one
A couple more questions
Does a working old custom URL mean the name was released to someone else?
No. A former custom URL can remain linked to the member for six months unless it is unlinked, and unlinking has a separate release delay. A working old link is consistent with that lingering association and is not evidence of a new owner.
Should two URLs that differ only in capital letters count as different names?
No. The custom part of a LinkedIn public-profile URL is case insensitive, so a capitalisation difference alone does not make a separate custom part. Compare the rest of the address after setting case aside.
What if the old link no longer opens anything?
Record it as one dated observation, not proof that the name is free or held by another person. Ask the member for a current link through the channel you already use, and stop if the official control or a permitted public link is unavailable.
Sources & editorial notes
Official references checked on October 23, 2026. Checklists, comparison tables and example wording are DateClues editorial tools, not official tests or validated risk scores.
General information. No guide or tool can certify a person’s identity, intentions or safety. Read our editorial standards.