LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform, with over 810 million members worldwide as of October 2022. With its massive reach, LinkedIn provides valuable opportunities for establishing connections, building your professional brand, networking, and more. However, many LinkedIn users wonder – how many people can you realistically connect with on LinkedIn? There are no definite limits, but there are some best practices to keep in mind.
What is the Purpose of Connections on LinkedIn?
The main purpose of LinkedIn connections is to build mutually beneficial professional relationships. Connecting with the right people can lead to career opportunities, business deals, valuable advice, introductions, and more. However, the quality of your connections matters more than the quantity. Random connection requests will not provide much value. The goal should be to connect with professionals who you have something in common with or who would benefit from knowing each other.
How Many Connections Can You Have on LinkedIn?
There is no strict limit to the number of connections you can have on LinkedIn. Some individual LinkedIn members have over 10,000+ connections. However, LinkedIn does have safeguards in place to prevent spammy connection behavior. If you send a high volume of connection requests too quickly, especially to people you have no obvious connection to, LinkedIn may temporarily restrict your ability to send invitations.
How Many Connections Should You Aim For?
Rather than aiming for a specific number of connections, focus on connecting with professionals who would be most relevant and beneficial to your goals on LinkedIn. Here are some tips:
- Connect with colleagues, clients, partners, vendors, and others you have an existing professional relationship with.
- Look for and connect with professionals who work in your industry or niche.
- Connect with prospects, potential partners, or clients you would like to do business with.
- Connect selectively with recruiters and hiring managers at companies you want to work for.
- Connect with thought leaders, experts, and influencers in your field.
Quality connections who know, like and trust you are far more important than random contacts who do not engage with your profile. Most LinkedIn experts recommend aiming for around 500-1000 carefully curated connections for the average professional.
How to Send Connections Requests on LinkedIn
Here are some best practices for sending effective LinkedIn connection requests:
Personalize the Request with a Note
Always customize your connection request with a brief personal note, rather than just clicking the default “I’d like to add you to my network” message. Mention where you met them, what you have in common, or why you want to connect. This makes acceptances much more likely.
Connect with People You Know First
Start by connecting with people you already know well and have an established relationship with, such as current and former colleagues, clients, college alumni, etc. This builds up your base network.
Be Selective When Connecting with Strangers
When reaching out to connect with someone you do not know, be selective and make sure you share common interests, goals, networks, etc. Personalize the note to reference shared connections, groups, experience, or interests that provide a basis for the connection.
Follow Up After Networking In-Person
If you meet someone in-person at an event, conference, meeting, etc. – send them a customized connection request soon after while the meeting is still fresh in their mind. Reference your in-person interaction.
Connect After Interacting Online
If you have engaged with someone on LinkedIn through likes, comments, shares, or messaging – sending a connection request afterwards continues the relationship. Reference the online interaction in your note.
Connection Type | Customization Tips |
---|---|
People you already know well | Mention how you know each other and your shared connection |
Industry peers and prospects | Note common interests, experiences, connections |
After in-person networking | Remind them where you met and conversation highlights |
Following online interactions | Reference your previous LinkedIn engagement |
Send Thoughtful InMail to Really Connect
For professionals you do not already know, instead of a connection request, consider sending a thoughtful InMail message introducing yourself and why you would like to connect. This is often appreciated. You get a limited number of free InMails per month.
How to Accept or Ignore Connection Requests
As your LinkedIn network grows, you will start receiving more connection requests as well. Here are some tips for thoughtfully managing requests:
Accept Requests from People You Know
Accept connection requests from people you have an established relationship with. Keep your network populated with current colleagues, former coworkers, clients, partners, college alumni, and others you know well.
Review Common Interests and Connections
For requests from people you do not know, check for common interests, experiences, networks, and groups you both belong to. These shared ties help evaluate if the connection would be mutually beneficial.
Ignore Random Requests Lacking Personalization
Feel free to ignore or decline generic requests that were clearly bulk sent without personalization. These random connections are unlikely to be worthwhile.
Politely Decline Irrelevant Requests
For requests that seem completely irrelevant, it is fine to politely decline by selecting “I don’t know this person” as the reason. You can also report suspicious behavior.
Reply to Note-Worthy Requests
If a request includes an intriguing personalized note explaining why the sender wants to connect, consider replying, even if you decline the request. This keeps the door open for future relevant interactions.
Connection Request Type | Recommendation |
---|---|
From known contacts | Accept request |
With strong common ties | Accept request |
Generic, bulk requests | Ignore or decline request |
Completely irrelevant | Politely decline request |
Intriguing personalized note | Reply, even if declining |
Maintaining Your LinkedIn Connections
It is not enough to just connect with people on LinkedIn. To get value from your network, you need to actively maintain your connections by engaging with your contacts. Here are some tips:
Congratulate Connections on Work Anniversaries, Promotions, New Jobs
When you see updates from your connections about significant career achievements – reach out to congratulate them personally. This keeps you top of mind.
Comment and Like Frequently
Look for opportunities to engage with your connections by commenting on their posts, liking their content, and responding to their comments on your posts. This shows you pay attention.
Share Relevant Articles and Resources
If you come across content that may be useful to connections based on their interests and goals, share it with them through LinkedIn messaging. Demonstrate you want to provide value.
Recommend Connections for Opportunities
Keep your eyes open for job openings, projects, freelance work, etc. that might appeal to specific connections in your network and share these opportunities with customized messages.
Follow Up Periodically
Check in with key connections periodically, even if there is no obvious trigger event like a new job or promotion. Thoughtful follow up messages maintain bonds even during periods of less frequent engagement.
Engagement Type | Examples |
---|---|
Congratulate on achievements | Work anniversaries, promotions, new jobs |
Comment and like frequently | Posts, articles, updates |
Share relevant resources | Useful articles, tools, tips |
Recommend opportunities | Job openings, gigs, projects |
Follow up periodically | Check-in messages |
Conclusion
There is no magic number for how many connections to have on LinkedIn. Focus on quality over quantity by connecting thoughtfully with professionals who align with your goals and interests. Actively engage with your network by sharing updates, resources, and opportunities. If done strategically, you can reach and build relationships with hundreds or even thousands of relevant contacts on LinkedIn.