LinkedIn introduced skill endorsements in 2012. The feature allowed members to endorse connections for specific skills with a simple click, adding a lightweight form of peer validation to the traditional profile and recommendation system.
Endorsements became part of LinkedIn's broader effort to make professional profiles easier to understand at a glance. Instead of requiring a written recommendation, a connection could confirm that someone appeared to possess a skill such as marketing, programming, or project management. Members could also choose which skills appeared on their profiles and manage the endorsements they received.
Endorsements are not the same as written recommendations. A recommendation is a personal statement authored by another member, while an endorsement is a quick confirmation attached to a listed skill. Critics have sometimes questioned their accuracy because people may endorse acquaintances without closely observing their work. LinkedIn later emphasized endorsements from coworkers and mutual connections to make them more meaningful.