LinkedIn is testing a new Network tab, an alternative to its main feed that shows updates only from people users have directly connected with or followed. The LinkedIn Network tab trial was announced last Friday as the platform looks for fresh ways to help members find relevant conversations and engage with one another.
Chief Product Officer Hari Srinivasan said the tab is designed to help people stay connected to those they have explicitly chosen to follow or link with. He added that LinkedIn hopes it plays a small part in rebuilding “real connection with real people.”
Tackling engagement pods and AI content
The emphasis on authenticity reflects mounting pressure on the platform. LinkedIn has been working to curb engagement pods, groups that artificially inflate post statistics, while also dealing with AI-generated content that clutters user feeds. In November 2025, the company publicly vowed to take stronger action against pods. A feed limited to known contacts could ease both issues at once and give members a clearer view of updates from people they actually know.
A history of feed experiments that stalled
Still, the prospects for the Network tab look uncertain. Last year, LinkedIn experimented with several alternative feeds to expand usage of the app. In June 2026, it also trialled topic-based suggested feeds designed to link users with trending conversations. Neither test has been rolled out more widely, suggesting the results fell short of LinkedIn’s expectations.
The Network tab may fare better because it offers a more direct route to personal connections rather than algorithmically suggested topics. Whether it graduates beyond testing will likely depend on how strongly members engage with a feed built solely around their own network, and whether it helps shift attention back to genuine conversations between real people. That would mark a meaningful shift for a platform still searching for a formula that keeps users returning regularly.