LinkedIn is a powerful professional networking platform that allows you to connect with colleagues, clients, recruiters and others in your industry. Over time, however, your LinkedIn network can become cluttered with connections that are no longer valuable. Knowing when and why to remove LinkedIn connections can help keep your profile focused and your network productive.
When is it appropriate to remove a LinkedIn connection?
Here are some common situations when removing a LinkedIn connection may be appropriate:
- The person is no longer a relevant contact. If you’ve changed jobs or shifted focus within your industry, certain connections may no longer be useful to you. Feel free to remove contacts that are no longer applicable to your career goals.
- You don’t know the person well. Some LinkedIn users have a habit of accepting connection requests from anyone. If you don’t have a strong professional relationship with a contact, it’s okay to delete the connection.
- The connection is inactive. Look for connections who never engage with your activity on LinkedIn. Inactive contacts aren’t helping you expand your network, so consider removing them.
- You want to limit connections. LinkedIn now allows up to 30,000 connections. However, keeping your network focused may be more valuable than having maximum connections. It’s fine to do occasional “spring cleaning” of your network.
- The contact behaves unprofessionally. If a connection is posting inappropriate content or frequently endorsing skills irrelevant to them, it’s understandable to remove the connection.
- The person sends too many invites. Some ambitious networkers send out LinkedIn requests en masse. If someone spams you with multiple connection invites, deleting them is an appropriate response.
Reasons to remove a LinkedIn connection
Here are several common reasons people choose to remove connections from their LinkedIn network:
The connection is no longer professionally relevant
As people change jobs or industries, many LinkedIn connections are no longer useful. Pruning your network regularly rids your profile of outdated contacts from previous jobs, schools, etc. Focus on keeping contacts relevant to your current role and career trajectory.
To protect privacy or company information
You may wish to delete connections who could have access to sensitive information via your profile. For example, job seekers often remove work contacts during a job search to keep their plans private. Always be thoughtful about who has visibility of your profile and activity.
The connection is not reciprocating
Some people collect LinkedIn connections like trophies, without actively participating in the network. If someone ignores your messages or never engages with your activity, removing them cleans up your network so it only includes mutually beneficial contacts.
To cultivate quality over quantity
Having a sprawling network of vague connections dilutes the value of LinkedIn. Periodically pruning low-value contacts helps concentrate your network to only the most engaged, relevant connections. Quality is usually better than quantity.
Bad behavior from the connection
Obnoxious self-promotion, spam messages, and inappropriate content are all good reasons to remove a connection. You don’t need rude or unprofessional contacts diminishing your networking experience.
Spam connection requests
If someone you don’t know tries to connect multiple times, deleting the request sends a signal the behavior is unwanted. Don’t feel pressured to accept persistent connection invites from someone you have no interest in networking with.
Best practices for removing LinkedIn connections
Here are some recommended best practices when removing connections from your LinkedIn network:
- Do it regularly. Set reminders to evaluate your connections quarterly or biannually.
- Comb through inactive connections. Sort connections by recency of interaction to prune inactive contacts.
- Focus on relevancy. Regularly review how each connection benefits your career goals.
- Don’t take it personally. Removing contacts is just professional housekeeping, not a personal slight.
- Consider messaging first. If the disconnect seems temporary, message them to revive the relationship before removing.
- Watch for signs they removed you. Notice if their name disappears from your connections list.
- Remove quietly. Use LinkedIn’s settings rather than publicly severing the connection.
How to remove a LinkedIn connection
It’s easy to remove a connection on LinkedIn through the website or mobile app. Here are the simple steps:
On the LinkedIn Website
- Go to the profile of the connection you wish to remove.
- Click on the “More” drop down menu next to the blue “Connect” button.
- Choose “Remove connection” from the drop down menu.
- Confirm you want to remove the connection when prompted.
On the LinkedIn Mobile App
- Go to your connections list in the app menu.
- Scroll to find the connection you want to remove.
- Tap on their name and photo.
- Tap on the “Remove Connection” button.
- Confirm you want to remove the connection.
The person will immediately disappear from your connections list. You can send them a new connection request in the future if you change your mind.
What happens when you remove a LinkedIn connection?
Here’s what happens when you remove someone as a LinkedIn connection:
- They are immediately removed from your connections list.
- Their profile photo disappears from your feed.
- You will no longer see their activity updates in your feed.
- You lose access to insights about their profile viewers and jobs.
- You can no longer message them directly.
- You disappear from their connections list as well.
However, removing a connection does NOT:
- Prevent you from viewing their public profile and activity
- Stop them from viewing your public profile
- Block them from sending a new connection request
In summary, removing a LinkedIn connection eliminates reciprocal access to private information, but does not prevent all interaction on the platform.
Should you notify contacts before removing them?
Removing someone without warning may seem harsh, but it is generally not expected to notify connections you are deleting them from LinkedIn. A few exceptions where a courtesy message may be appropriate:
- If they are a close professional contact you wish to preserve a relationship with.
- If you connected for a specific purpose (job search, project collaboration) that has ended.
- If their behavior is the reason for removal, communicate the issue respectfully.
Outside of these situations, quietly removing contacts is the LinkedIn norm. A notification message often creates more confusion or offense than a discreet removal.
Mistakes to avoid when removing LinkedIn connections
While removing connections can benefit your LinkedIn network, there are some mistakes to avoid:
- Don’t remove connections on a whim. Do it thoughtfully and intentionally.
- Don’t remove connections solely based on job title or company. Focus on the individual relationship.
- Don’t assume they’ll notice or be upset. Most removals go unnoticed.
- Don’t remove connections you may collaborate with in the near future.
- Don’t remove recruiters or hiring managers at companies on your target list.
In general, avoid removing connections in haste or based on superficial criteria. Be strategic in curating your network for maximum value.
Is it rude to remove a LinkedIn connection?
Generally speaking, it is not considered rude to remove someone from your LinkedIn connections. The platform is designed for users to curate a network that benefits their career goals. Periodic pruning of irrelevant and inactive contacts is expected. A few tips to remove connections politely:
- Do it discretely using site tools rather than a public announcement.
- Don’t discuss or criticize the removal publicly.
- Don’t dramatically react if someone removes you.
- Focus on your own reasons rather than judging their merit as a connection.
- Remain cordial if you interact with them professionally after removing.
Removing connections sparingly and gracefully keeps the move from seeming like an insult. It’s just practical network maintenance!
Can you tell who removed you on LinkedIn?
There is no official notification if someone removes you as a LinkedIn connection. However, there are a few clues that can tip you off:
- Their profile photo and updates suddenly disappear from your feed.
- The person no longer appears in your connections list.
- Your private messages to them start bouncing back undelivered.
- The number of shared connections you have decreases.
- Your connection count drops by one (or more) without you removing anyone.
While not foolproof, these signs indicate you may have been removed. Resist the urge to confront them about it or demand an explanation though.
Should you add someone back who removed you?
If you notice someone has removed you as a LinkedIn connection, should you send them a new connection invite? Some things to consider:
- Respect their decision and leave them removed if you don’t interact often.
- Consider if you may have offended them and apologize if appropriate.
- Ask if they removed you by mistake and want to reconnect.
- If you have a mutually beneficial business relationship, do request to connect again.
- If they repeatedly ignore new connection requests, move on.
In summary, tread carefully if re-requesting a connection who removed you. Ensure your reason is worthwhile before potentially irritating them.
Conclusion
Maintaining a strong, focused LinkedIn network requires periodically pruning irrelevant and unengaged connections. Do this pruning strategically and discreetly based on your career aspirations rather than emotions. The ability to remove connections is meant to empower users and keep the platform productive. Just be wise and professional as you curate your list of contacts. With a refined network, you can get the most value from a powerful career and networking tool like LinkedIn.