Withdrawing a connection request on LinkedIn is a simple process that can be done directly within the LinkedIn platform. There are a few reasons why you may want to withdraw a connection request that you’ve sent out to another LinkedIn member, such as if you change your mind about connecting, you realize you sent the request in error, or the recipient has not yet accepted the request. Luckily, LinkedIn makes it easy to withdraw a pending connection invitation so you can efficiently manage your network.
Why Would You Want to Withdraw a Connection Request?
Here are some common reasons you may want to withdraw a LinkedIn connection request:
- You change your mind about connecting with the person after sending the initial invitation. Maybe after further thought you realize you don’t actually have a need to connect with that individual on LinkedIn.
- You accidentally sent the connection request to the wrong person. It’s easy enough to misclick and invite someone you didn’t mean to connect with.
- The person hasn’t yet accepted your connection request. If it’s been awhile and they haven’t responded, you may want to go ahead and withdraw the outstanding request.
- You no longer want to connect with that person due to a change in circumstances. For example, you switch companies or change roles and no longer see a need to connect.
- You realize upon further reflection that the person is not a good connection for your professional network. Reviewing their full profile may reveal that you don’t actually have overlapping interests or that they work for a competing company.
- You change your mind about wanting to expand your network in general. Some people become more selective over time about who they connect with on LinkedIn.
- You decide to do some “LinkedIn housekeeping” and withdraw stale connection requests that have been pending for awhile to tidy up your network.
- You accidentally connected with someone who shares the same name as the person you intended to connect with.
- You change your privacy or account settings and decide to be more selective about your connections going forward.
As you can see, there are many good reasons why you may have a change of heart and need to withdraw a connection request. Luckily LinkedIn makes this simple to do.
How to Withdraw a Connection Request on LinkedIn
Withdrawing a pending connection request on LinkedIn is a quick and straightforward process. Here are step-by-step instructions:
- Go to your LinkedIn homepage and click on “My Network” at the top of your homepage.
- On the “Manage my network” page, click on the “Sent invitations” tab.
- This will display a list of all the connection requests you’ve sent that are still pending. Find the person you want to withdraw the invitation from and hover your cursor over their name.
- Click on the three dots that appear. This will open a drop-down menu.
- Select “Withdraw invitation” from the drop-down menu.
- On the pop-up that appears, click “Withdraw” to confirm you want to withdraw the connection request.
And that’s it! The invitation will be withdrawn and the recipient will no longer see it or have the ability to accept your connection request. Withdrawing the invitation is permanent and cannot be undone.
What Happens When You Withdraw a Connection Request?
Here’s what happens on both ends when you withdraw a pending LinkedIn connection invitation:
- For you: The connection request will immediately disappear from your “Sent invitations” tab in your account. The person will be removed from the list of pending invitations you’ve sent out. You will not be notified again if they finally accept your invitation down the line.
- For the recipient: The connection request will immediately disappear from their account. They will not receive any notification that you withdrew the invitation. If they haven’t yet accepted the invitation from their end, they will no longer have the option to accept it.
Essentially, withdrawing the request makes it disappear as if you never sent it in the first place. The recipient will have no indication that you had attempted to connect with them and then changed your mind. The withdrawal is private on your end.
What Happens if the Recipient Already Accepted Your Request?
If the recipient has already accepted your connection request, then withdrawing is no longer possible from your end. In this case, your profiles are already connected within each other’s networks.
If you need to remove the existing connection, you would need to fully disconnect from that person. Here is how to do that:
- Go to their profile and click “More” at the top of their profile.
- Select “Disconnect” from the dropdown menu.
- On the pop-up, click the “Disconnect” button to confirm you want to remove this connection.
This will remove the person from your connections and also remove you from their list of connections. Use this option if you need to fully disconnect from an existing connection, rather than withdrawing a pending request.
Can the Person Tell if You Withdrew the Request?
If the recipient has not yet accepted your connection request, then no, they have no way of knowing that you withdrew the request. It will simply disappear from their “Pending invitations” section without notification. The request will be permanently withdrawn with no notice or explanation to the recipient.
However, if they did already accept your request and you fully disconnect from them later on, they will receive a notification that you disconnected. Disconnecting from an existing connection always notifies both parties, unlike withdrawing a pending invite.
How Many Pending Requests Can You Have at Once?
LinkedIn limits the number of pending connection requests you can have outstanding at any given time. The maximum number depends on your account type:
Account Type | Maximum Pending Connections |
---|---|
Free Account | 500 |
Premium Business Account | 1,000 |
Premium Career Account | 3,000 |
Sales Navigator Account | 10,000 |
Once you hit the limit for pending invitations on your account, you will not be able to send further connection requests until your outstanding requests drop below the threshold. Withdrawing stale connection requests is a good way to free up capacity to send new requests.
Pro Tips for Managing Your LinkedIn Connections
Here are some top tips for maintaining your LinkedIn network:
- Withdraw stale requests periodically to keep your pending list fresh.
- Disconnect from existing connections that no longer serve a purpose.
- Be selective about who you choose to connect with in the first place.
- Personalize connection requests with a note reminding the person how you know them.
- Target connections who share your professional interests and can enhance your network.
- Follow up on outstanding requests after a few weeks if you haven’t heard back.
- Limit connections to those you truly want to stay in touch with.
- Remember that quality is usually better than quantity when cultivating your network.
Conclusion
Withdrawing a LinkedIn request allows you to efficiently manage your network connections. It is an easy process to revoke pending invitations with just a few clicks. The recipient will not be notified and the request disappears from both ends as if you never sent it. Withdrawing stale requests frees up capacity for new outreach. Be selective about who you connect with and proactively manage your network for the best results. Use the withdraw function as needed to ensure your LinkedIn network contains only relevant, beneficial connections that serve your professional profile.