You can remove a connection directly from your profile or from their profile, and they won't be notified
LinkedIn doesn't send a notification when you remove someone from your connections. The person stays on the platform — they just can't see your profile, posts, or activity unless you reconnect later. You have two ways to do this: remove them from your own connections list, or visit their profile and remove the connection from there. Both take about 10 seconds.
The main thing to understand is that removing a connection is different from blocking or reporting someone. Removing just ends the connection. Blocking prevents them from finding you, messaging you, or seeing your profile at all. If someone is harassing you or you feel unsafe, blocking is the right choice. If you simply want to clean up your network or distance yourself from someone professionally, removing the connection is usually what you want.
Key Takeaways
- LinkedIn does not notify the other person when you remove them from your connections.
- You can remove a connection from your own connections list or from their profile — both methods work the same way.
- Removing a connection is different from blocking; blocking prevents them from finding or contacting you at all.
- After you remove someone, they can send you a new connection request if they want to reconnect.
Remove a connection from your connections list
Open LinkedIn and go to your profile. Click the "Connections" link near the top of your profile card — it shows a number next to the word "Connections." This opens your full connections list.
Find the person you want to remove. You can scroll through the list or use the search box at the top to type their name. Once you find them, hover over their name or card. A small menu icon (three dots) appears on the right side of their card. Click it.
A dropdown menu appears with the option "Remove connection." Click that. LinkedIn will ask you to confirm — click "Remove" again. That's it. The connection is gone, and they won't know it happened.
Remove a connection from their profile
If you're already looking at someone's profile, you can remove them without going back to your connections list. Look for the button that says "Connected" near the top of their profile, usually next to their name and headline.
Click the "Connected" button. A small menu drops down with the option "Remove connection." Click it and confirm. This does the same thing as removing them from your list — the connection ends, and they receive no notification.
What happens after you remove someone
Once you remove a connection, that person can no longer see your profile, your posts, or your activity on LinkedIn. They can't message you through LinkedIn's direct messaging system. If they search for you, your profile won't appear in their results unless you're a second-degree connection through someone else.
The person can send you a new connection request at any time. If they do, you'll see it like any other request and can accept or decline. Removing someone doesn't prevent them from sending a new request — it just ends the current connection.
When to block instead of remove
If someone is sending you unwanted messages, making you uncomfortable, or you believe they're being dishonest or harmful, blocking is stronger than removing. When you block someone on LinkedIn, they can't find your profile, see your posts, send you messages, or view your activity. They also can't see that you've blocked them — the block is silent.
To block someone, go to their profile and click the three-dot menu icon. Select "Block" from the dropdown. You'll see options to block them and optionally report them to LinkedIn if they've violated the platform's rules. Blocking is permanent until you choose to unblock them, which you can do from your settings.
Managing your connections over time
LinkedIn doesn't limit how many connections you can have, but a large network of people you don't actually know or interact with can make your feed harder to use. Some people regularly remove connections they no longer work with or don't want to stay in touch with. Others keep everyone and use LinkedIn's filtering tools to control what they see in their feed.
If you want to see fewer posts from someone without removing them, you can mute their posts instead. Go to their profile, click the three-dot menu, and select "Mute [name]." They stay in your connections, but you won't see their posts in your feed. You can unmute them anytime. This is useful if you want to stay connected professionally but don't want their content cluttering your feed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I removed them?
No. LinkedIn does not send notifications when you remove a connection. The person won't see a message or alert. They might notice over time if they check your profile and can no longer access it, but LinkedIn doesn't tell them you removed them.
Can I remove someone and then reconnect later?
Yes. After you remove someone, they can send you a new connection request, or you can send them one. Removing a connection doesn't permanently block the relationship — it just ends the current connection. If you want to prevent them from contacting you at all, you need to block them instead.
What's the difference between removing, blocking, and muting?
Removing ends the connection but they can still find your profile and send a new request. Blocking prevents them from finding you, messaging you, or seeing your profile. Muting keeps the connection but hides their posts from your feed. Use removing for people you want to distance from, blocking for people who are harassing or unsafe, and muting for people you're connected to but don't want to see posts from.
If I remove someone, can they still see my old posts they already saw?
No. Once you remove the connection, they lose access to your profile and can't see your posts, even ones they saw before. If you want them to see specific past posts, you'd need to reconnect or make those posts public, which is not recommended for most professional use.