A Neu5Acα2-6LacNAc trisaccharide (Neu5Acα2-6Galβ1-4GlcNAc) equipped with an amine-functionalized linker through a short propyl spacer. The primary amine can be covalently coupled with N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) activated esters to form stable amide bonds, providing a straightforward route to conjugate the glycan onto NHS-activated molecules and surfaces. Neu5Acα2-6LacNAc is a ligand for Siglecs and for influenza hemagglutinin, particularly the human-adapted strains that preferentially recognize α2-6-linked sialic acids. This probe can be used as a soluble inhibitor or immobilized on plates or sensors to investigate binding. Neu5Acα2-6LacNAc is also a substrate for sialidases, enabling its use in enzyme activity assays and in studies of sialic acid turnover.