When you view someone’s LinkedIn profile, they are notified that you visited their profile. This allows users to see who is looking at their profile, which can be useful for networking and making new connections. However, if you block someone on LinkedIn, the notifications about your views of their profile are handled differently.
If you block someone on LinkedIn, they will no longer be notified when you view their profile. LinkedIn’s help articles state that blocking another user prevents them from seeing your name or profile photo when you visit their profile. So if you block someone and then view their profile, they will not know it was you.
How blocking works on LinkedIn
When you block someone on LinkedIn, it severs the connection between your accounts in several ways:
- They can no longer view your full profile or posts.
- They are removed from your network and can no longer send you connection requests.
- Any existing conversations or messages between you are removed.
- You no longer show up in their search results.
- They stop receiving notifications when you view their profile.
So in short, blocking someone prevents them from seeing your activity, including profile views. It’s as if you are invisible to that person on LinkedIn.
What the blocked user sees
When a blocked user is visited by someone who blocked them, they simply see the notification “Someone viewed your profile” without any name or photo attached. They have no way of knowing specifically who viewed their profile.
LinkedIn does this to protect the privacy of users who block others. You can still view a blocked profile for informational purposes without worrying they will know it’s you.
Limits of blocking on LinkedIn
While blocking hides your identity when viewing someone’s profile, there are some limitations:
- Blocking only works one way. The blocked person may still try to view your profile.
- They can still view your LinkedIn activity through a secondary account.
- Blocking does not prevent them from viewing your public information or posts.
- They may still be able to find you through search engines outside of LinkedIn.
So while useful in many cases, blocking has its limits. The blocked user may still be able to learn some things about you from your public profile and posts. They just won’t know for sure when you view their profile specifically.
Unblocking a user
If you change your mind after blocking someone, you can easily unblock them. This re-establishes the connection between your accounts.
To unblock someone:
- Go to your LinkedIn Settings.
- Click Blocking.
- Locate the user you want to unblock.
- Click Unblock next to their name.
Once unblocked, they will once again receive notifications when you view their profile. Any previous messages or connections between you are also restored.
Best practices for blocking
Here are some best practices to keep in mind when blocking LinkedIn users:
- Use blocking sparingly, and only when needed. It can burn professional bridges.
- Consider hiding your profile from a user first before fully blocking.
- Blocking is best for stopping harassment or unwanted advances.
- Don’t block someone just because you disagree with their views.
- Notify the user first before blocking when appropriate.
- Be cautious when viewing a blocked profile. They may have secondary accounts.
- Unblock if the issues get resolved; blocking doesn’t have to be permanent.
LinkedIn’s blocking policies
LinkedIn has established rules around appropriate blocking behavior. Violating these could get your account restricted or suspended.
You should not block for the purposes of:
- Preventing someone from controlling their personal data.
- Harming someone’s reputation.
- Violating their legal rights.
- Stalking, harassing, or abusing other users.
Essentially, only use blocking when needed to control your own LinkedIn experience. Misusing it can prompt LinkedIn to take action on your account.
Third-party tools
While LinkedIn blocks profile view notifications for blocked users, some third-party tools claim they can identify profile visitors anyway. However, LinkedIn’s API does not provide them enough data to reliably bypass blocks.
In most cases, if you block someone on LinkedIn, third-party tools will not reveal your private profile views to them either. LinkedIn’s own blocking mechanism remains effective.
In summary
- Blocking someone on LinkedIn prevents them from knowing you viewed their profile.
- The blocked user simply sees an anonymous “Someone” message instead.
- However, blocking has limits and the user may still find some of your public activity.
- Block judiciously and only when required to manage your own LinkedIn experience.
So in conclusion, if you block someone on LinkedIn, they will not receive notifications or know your identity if you view their profile. Blocking provides control over your connections and privacy on the platform.