The basics of connecting on LinkedIn

A connection request on LinkedIn is how you ask someone to link your professional profiles together. Once they accept, you can see each other's full profiles, message directly, and appear in each other's network. Sending a request takes about 30 seconds, but the person on the other end decides whether to accept, ignore, or decline it.

You can send a connection request to almost anyone on LinkedIn — coworkers, people you met at events, recruiters, or professionals in your field. There's no limit to how many requests you can send, but LinkedIn does monitor patterns. If you send hundreds of requests to people you don't know in a short time, LinkedIn may temporarily restrict your ability to send more.

Key Takeaways

  • Find the person's profile by searching their name or browsing LinkedIn's suggestions, then click the "Connect" button to send a request.
  • You can add a personal message to your request (up to 300 characters) to remind them who you are or explain why you want to connect.
  • LinkedIn shows connection requests in a separate inbox; the person can accept, ignore, or decline — there's no penalty for declining.
  • Connecting with people you actually know or have a genuine reason to contact gets better response rates than cold requests to strangers.
  • Once someone accepts your request, you can message them, see their full profile, and view their connections.

Finding someone to connect with

The search bar at the top of LinkedIn is the fastest way to find a specific person. Type their name, and LinkedIn will show you profiles that match. If the name is common, you can narrow the results by adding their company, job title, or location. For example, searching "Sarah Chen marketing manager San Francisco" will get you closer to the right person than just "Sarah Chen."

LinkedIn also suggests people to connect with based on your current connections, the companies you've worked at, and the schools you attended. These suggestions appear on your home feed and in a "People You May Know" section. These are often easier to connect with because you already have something in common — a shared employer, school, or mutual connection.

Sending a connection request

Once you've found the person's profile, look for a button labeled "Connect" (usually near the top of their profile, next to their name). Click it. A small window will pop up asking whether you want to send the request with or without a message.

If you choose to add a message, you get up to 300 characters to explain who you are or why you want to connect. This is optional, but it significantly increases the chance they'll accept. A message like "Hi Sarah — we both worked at Acme Corp in 2019, and I'd like to stay in touch" is much more likely to get accepted than a blank request from someone the person doesn't remember.

After you click "Send," the request goes into their connection inbox. They'll see a notification (if they have notifications turned on) and can accept, ignore, or decline whenever they want. You won't know which they chose unless they accept — ignored requests simply disappear from their inbox after a while.

What happens after they accept

Once someone accepts your connection request, you become part of each other's network. You can now see their full profile (including their contact information if they've chosen to share it), and they can see yours. You'll also appear in each other's "Connections" list, which other LinkedIn users can browse.

You can now send them direct messages through LinkedIn's messaging feature. This is different from email — messages stay within LinkedIn unless the person has set up forwarding. You can also tag them in posts, mention them in comments, or see when they update their profile or post content.

Understanding connection privacy and visibility

Your connections list is visible to other LinkedIn users by default, though you can change this in your privacy settings. If you want to keep your connections private, go to Settings and Privacy, then select "Visibility" and choose "Private" for your connections. This means only you can see who you're connected with.

When you connect with someone, they can see your activity on LinkedIn — when you like posts, comment, or update your profile. You can limit this by adjusting your activity broadcasts in your privacy settings, but you cannot hide the fact that you're connected to someone.

When a connection request doesn't work

Sometimes you won't see a "Connect" button on someone's profile. This usually means they've restricted who can send them requests, or their profile settings don't allow it. Some LinkedIn users set their profiles to "Open to work" or other modes that limit incoming requests.

If someone declines your request, you cannot send them another request for at least six months. If you accidentally send a request to the wrong person, you can cancel it before they respond by going to your "Sent" folder in your messaging section and clicking "Withdraw."

If you're trying to connect with someone at a company where you also work or worked, LinkedIn may ask you to confirm your connection to that company before allowing the request. This is a spam-prevention measure.

Building a genuine network

Connection requests work best when there's a real reason for the connection. Sending requests to hundreds of people you've never met or communicated with can trigger LinkedIn's spam filters and may result in a temporary restriction on your account. LinkedIn's algorithm also favors connections between people who have something in common — shared employers, schools, or mutual connections.

If you're trying to connect with someone you don't know, a personalized message makes a huge difference. Mention how you found them, what you have in common, or why you're interested in their work. People are far more likely to accept a request that shows you've actually looked at their profile than a generic one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I message someone on LinkedIn before connecting with them?

No, you generally cannot send a direct message to someone who isn't already your connection. However, you can comment on their posts or send them an InMail (a paid feature that lets you message non-connections). The free way is to send a connection request with a personal message.

What if someone ignores my connection request?

If they ignore it, the request will eventually disappear from their inbox, and you won't be notified. You can send another request after six months, but it's usually better to reach out through another channel first — email, a mutual connection, or a comment on their post — so they know who you are.

Do people get notified when I send a connection request?

Yes, they'll see a notification if they have notifications turned on. The notification will show your name and profile photo. If you included a message, they'll see that too. Some users turn off connection notifications in their settings, so they may not see it immediately.

Can I connect with someone I've never met?

Yes, but your request is more likely to be accepted if you include a message explaining why you want to connect. Connecting with people in your industry, at companies you're interested in, or who share your professional interests is normal on LinkedIn, as long as you're genuine about it.

What's the difference between connecting and following on LinkedIn?

Connecting creates a two-way relationship where you can message each other and see each other's full profiles. Following someone (which you can do without connecting) means you'll see their posts in your feed, but you can't message them unless you're connected. You can follow anyone without sending a request.