ESD job search log requirements - how detailed do LinkedIn applications need to be?

You're fine. I got audited in January 2025 and ESD was reasonable about the level of detail. For LinkedIn applications, I included "LinkedIn - [Company Name]" and the date I applied. For the contact info, putting the company name and either 'HR Department' or 'Hiring Manager' was sufficient. They just need enough info to potentially verify IF they decide to check. The most important part is documenting that you're doing the required 3 activities each week. I actually think it's smart to do more than 3 but only document the strongest ones. That way if one gets questioned, you have backups.

i put literally the bare minimum lol. just 'applied via linkedin' and company name. nobody from esd is gonna track down every single application. theyre too busy. been on UI since november and no issues

I'd recommend a bit more detail than just 'LinkedIn' as a best practice. For online applications, include the company name and position title at minimum. For networking contacts, you can list their professional email or just company name + title without personal details. ESD primarily wants to verify you're making legitimate job search efforts. They rarely contact employers during routine audits, but they may spot-check obvious gaps. The more professional and complete your log looks, the less likely they'll scrutinize it closely. When I was a WorkSource employment specialist, we recommended clients keep a separate detailed log for their own use (with exact URLs, etc.) and then transfer the basic required info to the ESD form.

They're CRAZY strict about this!! My neighbor got audited and lost 6 weeks of benefits because he didn't have the exact street address for a place he had an interview. They made him pay everything back!!! Take screenshots of EVERYTHING and write down EVERY detail!!!!!

I work in HR and occasionally have to verify these ESD job search contacts. From our side, we just confirm if someone applied or not - we don't need to verify exact URLs. Basic company info + date + whether it was an application/interview/networking is sufficient. For privacy concerns with networking contacts, just use their work email or LinkedIn profile rather than personal contact info. ESD understands professional networking is part of a job search. Also worth noting: if you're having trouble getting through to ESD to ask questions like this, I recently used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an ESD agent within 20 minutes after weeks of failed call attempts. They have a video demo of how it works: https://youtu.be/7DieNd3C7zQ?si=26TzE_zGms-DODN3. The agent confirmed that reasonable detail is all that's needed for job logs.

To add another wrinkle, I'm in construction and most of my job inquiries are walking up to job sites or calling contractors. I put general addresses like "123 Main St construction site" and sometimes just company names with phone numbers. Been on unemployment off and on for years and never had issues with job search verification. I think they just want to see you're making effort. Btw - everyone's situation is different. Maybe your industry has different standards than mine.

I had my job search logs audited back in February and they mainly wanted to verify that I was actually looking for suitable work in my field. For LinkedIn applications, I included: - Company name - Job title - Date of application - A general note like "Applied via LinkedIn Jobs" For networking, I just put the person's work email or LinkedIn profile (never personal phone numbers). One important thing: make sure the positions you're applying for are reasonable for your qualifications and job history. They flagged one of my activities because I applied for a position that required 10+ years of experience when I only had 3. The auditor questioned if I was making "reasonable" job search efforts.

anyone else notice the job search log webpage is broken half the time? tried uploading mine last week and the site crashed three times lol typical esd

Just to follow up on your question about whether they actually contacted employers during my audit - they didn't contact any of them as far as I know. The auditor just reviewed my logs, asked me a few clarifying questions about two of the entries, and that was it. The whole process was much less stressful than I expected.

I'm in a similar situation - tech worker applying mostly through LinkedIn. I've been documenting mine as "LinkedIn Application - [Company Name] - [Job Title]" and for contact info I put the company's main website or careers page URL instead of the specific job posting URL. One thing I learned from calling ESD (took forever to get through) is that they mainly want to see consistent job search activity that matches your field and experience level. The agent told me that as long as you can reasonably explain what you did for each activity, you're usually fine. For networking contacts, I use their LinkedIn profile URL or work email - never personal info. And I keep a separate spreadsheet with all the detailed info (exact URLs, personal notes, etc.) just in case, but transfer only the basics to the ESD form. Been doing this for 2 months now with no issues. The key seems to be showing genuine effort rather than perfect documentation.

I've been dealing with this same anxiety! I'm also in tech and do most applications through LinkedIn. Based on everyone's experiences here, it sounds like I've been overthinking it too. I've been doing something similar - putting "LinkedIn - [Company Name]" and the position title, then for contact info I usually put the company's main website or their careers page. For networking contacts, I stick to professional info only (work email or LinkedIn profile). One thing that's helped my peace of mind is keeping track of more activities than I report, like you mentioned. I do 5-6 job search activities per week but only log the 3 strongest ones. That way if there's ever a question about one of them, I have documented alternatives. The consensus here seems to be that ESD is looking for evidence of genuine job search effort, not trying to trip people up on technicalities. As long as we're actually applying and can reasonably explain our activities, we should be fine. Thanks for asking this question - it's reassuring to know others have the same concerns!

As someone who just went through this process successfully, I can share what worked for me. I'm also in tech and was doing mostly LinkedIn applications. Here's what I documented: For LinkedIn apps: "LinkedIn Application - [Company Name] - [Position Title]" and for contact info I used the company's main careers page URL or just "LinkedIn Jobs Portal" For networking: I used work emails or LinkedIn profile URLs, never personal contact info The key thing that gave me confidence was calling ESD directly (used that Claimyr service someone mentioned above - totally worth it to skip the phone queue). The agent confirmed that they're looking for evidence of legitimate job search activity, not trying to catch people on minor documentation issues. I also kept a personal spreadsheet with full details (exact URLs, application tracking numbers, follow-up notes) but only transferred the essential info to the official ESD log. This gave me backup documentation without cluttering the official form. Been doing this for 3 months now with weekly claims approved consistently. The fact that you're being thoughtful about documentation and actually doing more than the minimum required activities shows you're approaching this the right way. Don't let the anxiety get to you - sounds like you're doing everything correctly!

I'm a case worker at a local WorkSource office and can confirm what others have shared here. ESD's main concern during job search log reviews is verifying that claimants are making genuine, consistent efforts to find work in their field. For LinkedIn applications, your approach of noting "LinkedIn - [Company Name]" with the position title is perfectly adequate. We don't expect exact URLs - those links often expire anyway. For contact information, the company's main website or careers page URL works fine, or even just "LinkedIn Jobs Portal" as one commenter mentioned. Regarding networking activities, using professional contact info (work email, LinkedIn profile) while protecting personal information is exactly what we recommend. ESD understands the importance of maintaining professional relationships. One thing I always tell clients: the fact that you're doing more than the minimum 3 activities per week shows you're taking your job search seriously. That's exactly the kind of effort ESD wants to see. Your instinct to document your strongest activities is spot-on. Keep doing what you're doing - you're clearly approaching this responsibly and thoughtfully. The anxiety is understandable but unnecessary in your case.