LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with over 800 million members worldwide. As a LinkedIn user, you can connect with other professionals in your industry to build your network. But what happens when you want to remove a connection from your network? Do they get notified when you remove them as a connection?
Notifying connections when removing them
When you decide to remove a connection on LinkedIn, that connection does not receive any notification that they have been removed from your network. Removing a connection is a one-sided action that does not require the other person to approve or be notified. So you can remove any of your connections without them knowing.
Some key things to know about removing LinkedIn connections:
- No notification is sent to the removed connection
- The removed connection will not see you listed in their connections anymore
- All association between you and the removed connection will be deleted
- No public notification of the removed connection will be displayed
Overall, removing a LinkedIn connection is a discrete action. Unless the removed connection realizes you are no longer listed in their connections, they will likely remain unaware the connection has been severed.
When to remove a LinkedIn connection
Here are some common reasons you may want to remove a connection on LinkedIn:
- The connection is no longer relevant – If you’re no longer working with someone or don’t interact with them anymore, it’s fine to remove the connection to focus your network.
- You want to limit your visible network – Reducing your connections can give you more control over who can see your full network.
- The connection behaved inappropriately – If someone acts unprofessionally, removing them as a connection sends a clear message.
- You had a falling out – A personal or professional disagreement or conflict can warrant removal.
- The connection is inactive – Prune stale connections that haven’t engaged with your profile in years.
It’s a good practice to regularly evaluate your connections and curate only the most relevant, active ones to focus your network.
How to remove a LinkedIn connection
Removing a connection on LinkedIn is a simple process:
- Go to the profile page of the connection you want to remove
- Click the “More” icon (three dots) next to the “Message” button
- Select “Remove connection” in the dropdown menu
- Confirm you want to remove the connection
And that’s it! The connection will be instantly removed from your network. You can also remove multiple connections at once by going to your My Network page and selecting “Manage my network.”
What the removed connection will see
So what exactly will the removed connection see on their end? Here’s a breakdown:
- You will no longer appear in their list of LinkedIn connections
- Any content or information shared between you and the connection will no longer be visible or accessible to the removed connection
- The removed connection will be unaware of the removal unless they proactively look for you in their connections list
Essentially, from the removed connection’s perspective, it will seem like you vanished from their network assuming they don’t notice your absence. Any associations and shared content between you two on LinkedIn will disappear.
What the person removing the connection sees | What the removed connection sees |
---|---|
Their connection is no longer in “My Network” list | The person who removed them no longer appears in their connections list |
Previous messages between them disappear | Previous messages/interactions with the remover are no longer visible |
Full control over connections | No notification that they have been removed as a connection |
When removed connections realize they’ve been removed
In most cases, removed connections will not realize they’ve been taken off your LinkedIn network. However, here are some scenarios where a removed connection might figure it out:
- They try to message you or view your profile, only to get an error that you are not in their network
- They are viewing their list of connections and notice your name is missing
- They come across old emails or messages from you and see your name as unlinked now
- A mutual connection mentions they are no longer connected to you
- They proactively monitor their list of LinkedIn connections
But in general, most people do not scrutinize their connections list on a regular basis. So taking the initiative to remove a connection usually goes unnoticed in the long run.
Possible reactions if they realize you removed them
If the removed connection does become aware you severed the LinkedIn tie, here are some possible reactions:
- Confusion or curiosity why you removed them
- Offense or anger at being cut from your network
- Indifference if the connection was not very strong anyway
- Disappointment at losing a networking contact
- Motivation to repair the relationship and reconnect
- Relief if there was animosity in the relationship
The reaction really depends on the strength and nature of your relationship with that person. But most mature professionals will not make a big deal out of a removed LinkedIn connection, especially if the relationship faded over time.
Pros of removing LinkedIn connections
Here are some benefits of periodically removing LinkedIn connections:
- Focus your network – Keep only your most engaged, relevant contacts.
- Maintain privacy – Reduce connections’ visibility into your profile and network.
- Project a professional brand – Showcase only active professional relationships.
- Sever problematic ties – Disassociate from inappropriate or negative connections.
- Improve signal-to-noise – Decrease unimportant updates flooding your feed.
In essence, pruning your LinkedIn network helps refine it and shape the narrative it tells about your career. It also promotes quality over quantity when it comes to your profile.
Cons of removing LinkedIn connections
Some potential downsides of removing LinkedIn connections include:
- Hurt feelings or burned bridges – The removed connection may resent the dissolution of the relationship.
- Lost opportunities – That connection could have provided value down the road through insights, referrals, or partnerships.
- Appearance of arrogance – Frequently removing connections may come across as elitist behavior.
- Fewer 2nd degree connections – Your overall network breadth will shrink when you remove direct connections.
- FOMO about news or changes – You may miss out on major updates if you remove connections.
Therefore, it’s wise to be selective about which connections you remove and do so infrequently. Don’t go overboard pruning your network.
Best practices for removing LinkedIn connections
To make the most of removing LinkedIn connections, keep these tips in mind:
- Do so rarely and only when necessary to avoid mass culling.
- Target inactive connections whose removal will go unnoticed.
- Consider messaging the connection first if the relationship could be repaired.
- Remove connections individually rather than broadcasting mass removals.
- Focus on strengthening your most meaningful, mutually beneficial connections.
Conclusion
Removing LinkedIn connections is a discrete, one-sided action that does not trigger any notification to the removed connection. While the connection may eventually notice your absence, in most cases they remain unaware of the severed tie. Periodically pruning lackluster connections can help streamline your network, but be judicious.
Maintaining an active, quality group of connections on LinkedIn has many benefits for your career advancement. By selectively removing outdated or irrelevant connections, you can cultivate a network that provides optimal value.