How to send a connection request on LinkedIn
To connect with someone on LinkedIn, find their profile, click the "Connect" button (usually near their name or photo), and optionally add a personal message before sending. The person receives a notification that you want to connect. If they accept, you can message them directly and see each other's activity on the platform. If they decline or ignore the request, nothing happens — no notification goes back to you, and you remain unconnected.
The "Connect" button appears on most profiles you visit. On a desktop, it's typically in the top right area of their profile card. On the LinkedIn mobile app, swipe right on a profile or tap the person icon with a plus sign. You can also connect through LinkedIn's "People You May Know" suggestions, which appear on your home feed and sidebar.
When you click "Connect," LinkedIn gives you the option to add a note — up to 300 characters. This is optional, but adding a note (especially if you don't know the person) makes acceptance more likely. A note might say something like "I saw your work in data privacy and would like to stay connected" rather than sending a blank request.
Key Takeaways
- Connecting on LinkedIn requires only a click on their profile, and you can add a personal message to increase the chance they'll accept.
- Once someone accepts your connection request, you can send them direct messages and see their posts and activity on your feed.
- LinkedIn shows the person your name, headline, photo, and mutual connections when they receive your request — they see this information whether or not you add a note.
- Declined or ignored requests don't notify you, and you can send another request to the same person after six months if your first one goes unanswered.
- LinkedIn's algorithm tracks which profiles you visit and which requests you send, and this data is tied to your account and used to show you targeted ads.
What LinkedIn sees when you send a connection request
When you click "Connect," LinkedIn records the action on your account. The platform logs who you tried to connect with, when you sent the request, and whether you added a note. This information stays in LinkedIn's system even if the person declines or never responds.
LinkedIn also tracks which profiles you visit before sending a request. If you spend time looking at someone's profile and then send a connection request, LinkedIn's system notes that sequence. This data helps LinkedIn's recommendation engine decide which profiles to show you next and which ads might interest you based on the types of people and industries you're exploring.
The person receiving your request sees your name, job title, photo, and how many mutual connections you share. They do not see whether you visited their profile first, and they do not see any notes you added unless they open the request notification. If you add a note, it appears only when they view the request — it's not visible to anyone else.
How your profile information is shared when you connect
Once someone accepts your connection request, both of you can see each other's full profile — including your work history, education, skills, endorsements, and any recommendations you've received. You can also see each other's activity: when the other person posts, likes, or comments on content.
Your profile is also visible to their connections. If you connect with someone, all of their connections can see that you're connected to that person, and they can click through to view your profile. This is how LinkedIn builds its network graph — by showing who is connected to whom.
LinkedIn also uses your connections to personalize what content you see and what ads are shown to you. The platform analyzes your network to infer your interests and professional focus, then uses that information to target ads. For example, if you connect with many people in cybersecurity, LinkedIn may show you ads for security software or courses.
Controlling who can see your connection requests
You cannot hide the fact that you sent a connection request from LinkedIn itself — the platform records all requests. However, you can control some aspects of how visible your network is to others.
In your LinkedIn privacy settings, you can choose who sees your connections list. The options are "Public" (anyone can see who you're connected to), "Connections only" (only your connections can see your list), or "Private" (no one but you can see your connections). This setting does not hide individual connections from each other — it only controls whether strangers can browse your full network.
You can also control who can send you connection requests. By default, anyone can send you a request. You can change this to "Connections of connections only" or "Connections only" in your privacy settings. This reduces the number of requests you receive but does not affect requests you send to others.
What happens if someone declines your request
If someone declines your connection request, LinkedIn does not notify you. The request straightforward disappears from your sent requests list. You will not see a message saying "declined" — you only know the request was declined if you check your sent requests and notice it's no longer there after a long time has passed.
You can send another connection request to the same person, but LinkedIn recommends waiting at least six months before doing so. Sending multiple requests to the same person in a short time can trigger LinkedIn's spam filters, which may limit your ability to send new requests to anyone for a period of time.
LinkedIn does not tell the other person that you sent a second request. Each request is treated as a new action. However, if you send too many requests that go unanswered or are declined, LinkedIn may temporarily restrict your ability to send new requests as a spam-prevention measure.
How LinkedIn uses connection data for ads and recommendations
Every connection you make, and every profile you visit before connecting, feeds into LinkedIn's advertising system. The platform uses this data to build a profile of your professional interests, seniority level, industry, and job function. This profile is then sold to advertisers who want to reach people like you.
LinkedIn also uses your network to make recommendations. If you connect with someone in a particular field, LinkedIn may recommend other people in that field to you. If you connect with people at a specific company, LinkedIn may recommend job openings at that company. These recommendations are personalized based on your connections and activity.
You can limit some of this tracking by adjusting your ad preferences. In your LinkedIn settings, you can see what data LinkedIn has inferred about you (job title, industry, company size, etc.) and remove or correct inaccurate information. You can also opt out of certain types of targeting, though you cannot opt out of ads entirely while using LinkedIn.
Connecting with people you don't know
LinkedIn allows you to connect with anyone, whether you know them or not. However, the platform's terms of service ask users to only connect with people they know or have a legitimate reason to connect with. In practice, this rule is rarely enforced unless someone reports your account for spam.
If you send many connection requests to people you don't know, especially without adding a note, LinkedIn's system may flag your account as potentially spammy. This can result in temporary restrictions on sending new requests. The restrictions usually last a few days to a week, depending on how many requests you sent and how many were declined.
Adding a personalized note when connecting with someone you don't know significantly increases the chance they'll accept. A note shows that you have a specific reason for connecting, not that you're mass-connecting to build a large network. People are more likely to accept requests from strangers when the requester explains why they want to connect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone see that I looked at their profile before I sent a connection request?
No. LinkedIn does not show the person whose profile you visited that you looked at their page. However, LinkedIn's system tracks this information internally and uses it to personalize ads and recommendations shown to you. The person will only know you visited if you send them a connection request or message.
What's the difference between connecting and following someone on LinkedIn?
Connecting requires the other person to accept your request, and once they do, you can message them directly. Following someone means you see their posts in your feed without them accepting anything — you can follow anyone without permission. Connections are mutual; followers are one-way.
If I delete a connection, can they see that I removed them?
No. LinkedIn does not notify someone when you remove them from your connections. They will straightforward no longer see you in their connections list, and you will no longer see them in yours. You can reconnect with them later by sending a new request.
Does LinkedIn tell me if someone ignores my connection request?
No. LinkedIn does not send you a notification if someone ignores or declines your request. You can check your sent requests to see if a request is still pending, but there's no way to know for certain whether someone declined it or straightforward hasn't seen it yet.
Can I send a connection request to someone if we're already following each other?
Yes. Following and connecting are separate on LinkedIn. You can follow someone without being connected, and you can send them a connection request at any time. If they accept, you'll move from being a follower to being a connection, and you'll be able to message them directly.