Introduction
Sometimes you may send a LinkedIn connection request to the wrong person, change your mind about connecting, or realize the person is not someone you want to connect with after all. Whatever the reason, LinkedIn makes it easy to cancel a connect request before the recipient accepts it. Here’s what you need to know about canceling a LinkedIn connection request.
Why You Might Want to Cancel a Connection Request
There are a few common reasons you may want to cancel a LinkedIn connection request:
- You connected to the wrong person – It’s easy to accidentally send a request to the wrong person if you mistype a name or select the wrong person from search results.
- You changed your mind about connecting – Perhaps after further consideration, you decided you don’t need to connect with that person after all.
- The person is not someone you want to connect with – Sometimes a connection request can sit for a while before the recipient responds. In the meantime, you may have realized that individual is not someone you want to connect with.
- You want to declutter your network – If your LinkedIn network is growing too large to manage effectively, you may opt to cancel pending requests that are not essential connections.
- You don’t know the person – Some people accept requests from anyone. If you can’t remember how you know someone, it’s reasonable to cancel the request.
Whatever the reason, it is perfectly acceptable to cancel a connection request on LinkedIn before it is accepted.
How to Cancel a LinkedIn Connection Request
The process of canceling a pending connection request on LinkedIn is simple:
- Go to your LinkedIn homepage and click “My Network” at the top of the page.
- Under the “Manage my network” section, click “Invitations sent.” This will show you a list of pending connection requests you have sent.
- Locate the person you want to cancel the request for and click “Cancel invitation” next to their name.
- Confirm you want to cancel the request by clicking “Yes, cancel connection.”
And that’s it! Once you confirm, the connection request will be canceled and the recipient will no longer see it on their end. The cancellation happens immediately.
Here is a screenshot showing where to access your sent invitations and how to cancel them:
As you can see, canceling a pending request is a straightforward process. The recipient will not receive any notification that you canceled the invitation. It will simply disappear from their list of pending requests.
What Happens When You Cancel a Request
When you cancel a connection request on LinkedIn, here is what happens:
- The request immediately disappears from the recipient’s account. They will no longer see it under pending invitations.
- You will still see the canceled request under “Invitations sent” for a short time so you have a record of canceling it.
- After about 24 hours, the canceled request disappears from your sent invitations list as well.
- The recipient will have no indication you canceled the request. As far as they know, it was never sent at all.
- You can send the connection request again in the future if you change your mind.
In essence, canceling a request simply makes it disappear as if you never sent it in the first place. It leaves no footprint behind and allows you to easily reconnect in the future if desired.
Does the Recipient Receive a Notification?
No, the recipient is not notified in any way when you cancel a pending connection invitation. This is one of the major benefits of canceling – you can essentially retract the request without the other person knowing.
The request will simply vanish from their list of pending invitations. One minute it’s there, the next it’s gone.
From the recipient’s perspective, they likely won’t think much of it. People cancel requests all the time. It’s quite common to send invitations and then cancel them for a variety of reasons.
So rest assured when you cancel a request the recipient is none the wiser. You aren’t leaving them hanging or generating any type of notification.
Is There Any Record of a Canceled Request?
The canceled request will temporarily appear in your “Invitations sent” section for around 24 hours before being deleted.
However, there is no public record or indication that you sent and then canceled the request. No one else can see that information.
After 24 hours, it is completely removed from your account as well. The entire request disappears without leaving a trace behind.
So while a canceled request lingers briefly in your sent invitations, there is no permanent account of it. Within a day it is gone entirely as if you never sent it.
Can You Send the Request Again?
Yes, absolutely. Canceling a connection request does not permanently burn any bridges. You can send a request again to the same person in the future without issue.
In fact, there is essentially no difference between sending a brand new request and re-sending a canceled one.
The recipient will not know the two requests are related in any way. Canceling does not impact their ability to accept your request in the future.
The only exception would be if the recipient specifically chose to block you after you canceled the initial request. Assuming they did not, re-sending the request works just like normal.
So don’t worry about canceling requests limiting your ability to connect with someone later on. You can always initiate a new request when the time is right.
Does Canceling Prevent You From Interacting?
Canceling a connection request does not cut off all potential interaction with that person. Here are some things you can still do even after canceling:
- Send InMail messages – You can communicate via InMail without being connected.
- Comment on and like posts – Interact with their content if you are in the same groups.
- Send an updated request – As mentioned previously, you can always re-send a request.
The main limitation is that you cannot view the person’s full profile or completely access their posts. But canceling a request does not eliminate all ways to engage or preclude future connection.
So if needed, you can still reach out and communicate with someone even if you decide not to connect right now. Don’t feel like a canceled request closes the door entirely.
Should You Notify the Recipient You Canceled?
In most cases, it is unnecessary to proactively notify someone that you canceled a request. As covered previously, they will not be alerted by LinkedIn.
Notifying them serves little purpose other than making it awkward and creating more confusion. The professional thing to do is simply let the canceled request fade away without comment.
However, there are some situations where it may be prudent to say something:
- You have an established business relationship with frequent communication. In this case, it makes sense to explain why you no longer want to connect on LinkedIn.
- Your request has been pending for a long time. Reaching out gives closure so they are not left hanging indefinitely.
- You canceled by mistake and still want to connect. Let them know that to avoid mixed signals.
Use your best judgment based on your relationship and the situation. With casual requests, discreetly canceling is usually fine. But if you have a deeper connection, sending a quick note can prevent any misunderstandings.
Pro Tips for Canceling Requests
Here are some pro tips when canceling LinkedIn requests:
- Act quickly if you change your mind – Don’t wait weeks or months. Cancel the request within a few days so the recipient is less likely to notice.
- Be thoughtful when sending requests – Only connect with people you are sure you want to interact with. This prevents having to cancel many requests.
- Use customized connection notes – Personalized notes show you are selective about who you connect with.
- Don’t worry about re-sending requests – Feel free to cancel and re-request connections. This is perfectly normal.
- Monitor your sent requests – Periodically review those you have outstanding to see if any need to be canceled.
Following these best practices will make it easier to cancel requests smoothly when needed.
Mistakes to Avoid When Canceling
While canceling a LinkedIn request is simple, there are some mistakes to avoid:
- Not canceling fast enough – Let requests linger too long and the recipient may notice if you cancel.
- Canceling and re-sending repeatedly – This can come across as indecisive or high-maintenance.
- No personalized connection note – Generic notes are easily forgotten if you want to reconnect later.
- Canceling randomly without a reason – Sporadically canceling requests sends mixed signals.
- Making the recipient feel bad – Don’t frame the cancel as rejection or indicate they did something wrong.
Be purposeful in your reasons for canceling and conscientious about how you go about it. With some finesse, it can be done tactfully.
What to Do If Someone Cancels Your Request
It can be a bit disappointing if you are eagerly waiting for someone to accept your request and they end up canceling it instead. Here are some tips on handling that situation gracefully:
- Don’t take it personally. It’s usually not about you. People cancel requests for all types of reasons.
- Don’t call them out or demand an explanation. This comes across as aggressive and entitled.
- Consider re-sending the request in a few weeks or months. Give them some space first.
- Connect with others in their network. Expand your options so one canceled request isn’t a big loss.
- Make your profile more compelling. Strengthening your brand can prompt them to re-consider.
The healthiest mindset is to let it go and focus on other opportunities. With persistence and enhancing your profile, the door may reopen later.
Conclusion
Canceling a LinkedIn connection request is easy and discreet. The recipient is not notified and within 24 hours it is removed from your network history as well.
This gives you an “out” if you change your mind about connecting with someone but avoids an awkward conversation explaining why.
Simply be thoughtful about who you send requests to and periodically review outstanding invitations. Monitoring your requests allows you to cancel any that are no longer relevant.
With the right approach, canceling requests can help declutter and organize your network without anyone being offended. It is a natural part of cultivating quality professional connections.
Handle cancels tactfully, move forward, and don’t burn bridges. Before you know it, you’ll have an enhanced LinkedIn network full of meaningful relationships to support your career goals.
