What blocking does on LinkedIn

Blocking someone on LinkedIn removes them from your network, hides your profile from their view, and prevents them from messaging you or seeing your posts and activity. Once you block a person, they cannot find your profile through search, cannot see your connections, and cannot interact with anything you share. The block is one-way — they may not know they are blocked, and you can unblock them later if you change your mind.

Blocking is different from removing a connection. When you remove someone, they stay in LinkedIn's system and can still see your public profile or send you a message request. Blocking cuts off all contact and visibility. Use blocking when you want to prevent someone from contacting you or viewing your activity at all.

Key Takeaways

  • Blocking someone removes them from your network, hides your profile from their search results, and stops them from messaging or viewing your posts.
  • You can block someone from their profile page, from a message thread, or from your connections list using the three-dot menu.
  • LinkedIn does not notify the blocked person that you blocked them, though they may notice they cannot find your profile.
  • You can unblock someone at any time through your privacy settings, and blocking does not delete past messages or comments they left on your posts.

How to block someone from their profile

Open the profile of the person you want to block. Look for the three-dot menu icon (often called "More") near the top right of their profile card or header. Click or tap that menu, and you will see a "Block" option. Select it, and LinkedIn will ask you to confirm. Click "Block" again to finish.

On mobile, the three-dot menu may appear in a different location depending on whether you are using the LinkedIn app or a mobile browser. If you cannot find it on the profile itself, try scrolling to the top of their profile card — the menu is usually there.

How to block someone from a message

Open the message thread with the person you want to block. Look for the three-dot menu at the top of the conversation (on desktop) or at the top right of the message thread (on mobile). Tap or click the menu, and select "Block." LinkedIn will confirm the action and close the conversation.

Blocking from a message thread is faster than navigating to their full profile, especially if you are already in the middle of a conversation you want to stop.

How to block someone from your connections list

Go to your "My Network" page and find "Connections" in the left menu. Search for or scroll to the person you want to block. Hover over their name (on desktop) or tap their card (on mobile) to reveal the three-dot menu. Select "Block," and confirm your choice.

This method works well if you want to block multiple people in a row or if you are cleaning up your network and want to remove and block several connections at once.

What happens after you block someone

The blocked person loses the ability to see your profile, send you messages, or view your posts, comments, and activity. Any past messages between you remain in your inbox, but they cannot send new ones. Comments they left on your posts before the block stay visible to others, but they cannot add new comments or reactions.

If the blocked person tries to visit your profile or search for you, they will see a message saying the profile is not available. They will not receive a notification that you blocked them, but they may figure it out if they notice they cannot find you or message you anymore.

How to unblock someone

Go to your LinkedIn settings by clicking your profile photo in the top right corner and selecting "Settings and privacy." Click "Privacy" in the left menu, then scroll down to "Blocking and hiding." You will see a list of people you have blocked. Find the person you want to unblock and click "Unblock" next to their name.

Unblocking restores your connection to that person — they can see your profile again, message you, and view your posts. It does not automatically re-add them to your connections; they will need to send a new connection request if they want to reconnect.

Blocking versus other privacy controls

LinkedIn offers other ways to control who sees your activity. You can remove a connection without blocking them, which means they stay in the system but are no longer in your network. You can also restrict who can message you by changing your messaging settings to "Connections only" or "None." You can hide your profile from specific people or from all non-connections without blocking them outright.

Use blocking when you want complete separation from someone. Use removal or privacy settings when you straightforward want to limit what they can see or how they can contact you. Blocking is the strongest action and should be reserved for situations where you do not want any contact or visibility.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the person I blocked see that I blocked them?

LinkedIn does not send a notification when you block someone. However, they may realize they are blocked if they try to visit your profile and see an error message, or if they notice they cannot find you in search results anymore. There is no way for them to know for certain without trying to access your profile.

If I block someone, do my old messages disappear?

No. Messages you sent before blocking remain in both inboxes, and the blocked person can still read them. They straightforward cannot send you new messages or reply to old ones. If you want to remove a conversation entirely, you can delete it from your inbox separately.

Can I block someone who is not in my connections?

Yes. You can block anyone on LinkedIn, whether they are a connection, a follower, or someone you have never interacted with. Blocking someone who is not connected to you prevents them from sending you a connection request or message.

What if I block someone by mistake?

You can unblock them anytime through your privacy settings. Go to Settings and privacy, click Privacy, scroll to "Blocking and hiding," find their name, and click "Unblock." They will be able to see your profile and contact you again when ready.

Does blocking someone remove them from my followers or connections?

Blocking removes them from your connections if they were connected to you. If they were only following you, blocking removes them from your followers list. Either way, they lose all access to your profile and activity.