Does the LinkedIn Share Button require cookie consent?

Conditionally. The LinkedIn SDK sets advertising cookies including UserMatchHistory and li_sugr on page load before any interaction, which require marketing consent under GDPR and ePrivacy. A URL-based share redirect avoids loading the tracking SDK entirely and is the recommended privacy-compliant alternative.

What cookies does the LinkedIn Share Button set?

On page load, the LinkedIn JS SDK from platform.linkedin.com sets bcookie (1-year) as a browser identifier, lidc (24-hour) for routing, UserMatchHistory (30-day) for ad targeting, and li_sugr (90-day) for non-member matching. These fire before interaction, enabling LinkedIn to identify logged-in members browsing the host site.

How does ConsentStack categorize the LinkedIn Share Button?

ConsentStack classifies the LinkedIn Share Button as functional and marketing. ConsentStack blocks the platform.linkedin.com SDK until marketing consent is granted. ConsentStack also supports replacing the SDK button with a static URL share link that performs no tracking and requires no consent gating.

LinkedIn Share Button - Social Sharing & Cookie Consent

Back to Vendor Library

Overview

LinkedIn Share Button is a social sharing widget that allows website visitors to share content directly to their LinkedIn feed. It appears as a branded button on articles, blog posts, and other shareable content. While its primary function is social sharing, the widget loads LinkedIn's platform scripts, which can set tracking cookies and identify logged-in LinkedIn members browsing the site.

What This Script Does

The LinkedIn Share Button loads scripts from platform.linkedin.com, typically via the LinkedIn JavaScript SDK. The script renders a share button (and optionally a share count) and, when clicked, opens a LinkedIn sharing dialog where the user can compose a post with the page's URL, title, and description.

Even before the user clicks the button, the script makes network requests to LinkedIn's servers that can set cookies in the user's browser:

bcookie — LinkedIn browser identifier cookie; 1-year expiry
lidc — data center routing and session cookie; 24-hour expiry
UserMatchHistory — visitor ID sync cookie used for ad targeting; 30-day expiry
li_sugr — browser identifier for matching non-LinkedIn members; 90-day expiry

These cookies allow LinkedIn to identify logged-in members visiting the host website, even if they never interact with the share button. This information feeds into LinkedIn's advertising platform for audience insights and ad targeting.

When the user clicks the share button, additional data is transmitted: the page URL, page title, any Open Graph metadata, and the user's LinkedIn identity (if logged in). The sharing dialog loads from www.linkedin.com.

The dual nature of this widget is important for consent classification: the share button provides a functional feature (sharing content) but simultaneously enables LinkedIn's advertising data collection (identifying members across websites).

Consent & Compliance

LinkedIn Share Button is classified as functional and marketing. The sharing functionality is a legitimate feature, but the cookies set on page load serve LinkedIn's advertising platform and constitute marketing tracking.

Under the GDPR, the marketing cookies set by the share button (particularly UserMatchHistory and li_sugr) require explicit consent. These cookies are used for advertising audience building, not for the share functionality itself. The functional aspect of the button (opening a share dialog) could operate without these tracking cookies.

Under the ePrivacy Directive, the tracking cookies set before any user interaction with the button are not strictly necessary for any user-requested service. Article 5(3) requires consent before placing these cookies. A privacy-respecting implementation would defer loading the LinkedIn SDK until the user explicitly interacts with a placeholder share button.

Under CCPA/CPRA, the LinkedIn member identification and cookie syncing that occurs through the share widget constitutes sharing of personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. Opt-out and GPC signal compliance is required.

Should You Block This Without Consent?

Conditional. The LinkedIn Share Button mixes functional and marketing behaviors. The marketing cookies set on page load require consent. A recommended approach is to show a static placeholder button that loads the actual LinkedIn SDK only after marketing consent is granted, or to implement sharing via a simple URL redirect (https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=...) that avoids loading LinkedIn's tracking scripts entirely.

Is LinkedIn Share Button GDPR compliant?

LinkedIn Share Button typically loads functional and marketing trackers, which are not strictly necessary for your site to work. Under the GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive, non-essential cookies and trackers must stay blocked until a visitor gives clear opt-in consent. So LinkedIn Share Button can be fully GDPR compliant, but only if your site holds its scripts until consent is granted and lets visitors decline just as easily. Compliance depends on how your site loads LinkedIn Share Button, not on LinkedIn Share Button itself.

Visit website