Finding out who removed you as a connection on LinkedIn can be tricky, as LinkedIn doesn’t directly tell you when someone removes you from their network. However, there are a few ways you can get clues about who may have removed you as a connection.
In this article, we’ll go over some quick answers to common questions about figuring out who removed you on LinkedIn, along with more in-depth explanations and analysis. We’ll also provide some tips on how to proactively monitor your LinkedIn network.
Quick Answers
How can I tell if someone removed me as a LinkedIn connection?
You won’t get a notification when someone removes you, but you may notice the connection disappearing from your network. You can also look for INDIRECT clues like them disappearing from your feed or not showing up in search results.
Can I see a list of removed connections on LinkedIn?
No, LinkedIn doesn’t provide a list of connections that removed you. You have to proactively look for signs that the connection is gone.
Does LinkedIn notify you when you get removed as a connection?
Unfortunately no, LinkedIn does not currently send any notification when someone removes you as a connection. The connection will simply disappear.
Is there a way to know who visited your LinkedIn profile?
LinkedIn’s premium account options do provide the ability to see who viewed your profile within the last 90 days. So with a premium account you can get some visibility on who is looking at your profile.
Can LinkedIn connections see when you look at their profile?
Regular LinkedIn members can’t see when you specifically view their profile. Only premium account holders get access to profile view data for their own profile.
How to Tell if a Connection Removed You
While LinkedIn doesn’t directly notify you of removed connections, there are a few ways to piece together clues that someone may have removed you from their network:
The connection disappears
The most straightforward sign is that the connection simply disappears from your LinkedIn network. You may notice this when browsing your connections or looking for someone specifically that you’re no longer connected to.
Keep in mind connections can also disappear for other reasons like the person deactivating their account. But if it’s someone you connected with recently, they likely removed you directly.
See reduced engagement
If the person used to actively engage with your feed and now their likes, comments, and shares have dropped off, that could be an indirect sign they removed you.
Of course, reduced engagement alone doesn’t necessarily mean you were removed. But if combined with the person disappearing from your network, it’s a possible sign.
You can no longer message them
On LinkedIn you can only directly message people who are 1st-degree connections in your network. So if you suddenly lose the ability to message someone you were connected to previously, that likely means they removed you.
Try searching for them and viewing their profile to see if the “Message” button is still there or not. No message ability means no connection.
See them appearing in “People Also Viewed”
When you view someone’s LinkedIn profile who you are not connected to, LinkedIn will sometimes show “People Also Viewed” suggestions of other people you may know.
So if you notice someone you thought you were connected to start appearing in the “People Also Viewed” section, they likely removed you and are now showing up as a 2nd-degree connection instead of a 1st degree.
See them in search results again
If someone removes you as a connection, they will start showing up again in your LinkedIn search results. This is because search on LinkedIn prioritizes showing people who are within your network.
So if you notice someone appearing frequently in your searches that you didn’t think you needed to search for because they were already a connection, they may have removed you.
Connection mentions disappear
When you post an update and mention connections in the post, LinkedIn will autofill their name as you type @. But if you mention someone who removed you, the autofill mention will not work anymore.
So if you notice old posts where you mentioned someone who now doesn’t autofill, that likely means they removed you as a connection.
How to Monitor Your LinkedIn Network
To stay on top of changes happening in your LinkedIn network, here are some proactive monitoring practices:
Export and save your connections list
LinkedIn allows you to export a list of your 1st-degree connections. Saving this list provides a baseline you can reference later to see if any connections disappear.
To export your list:
1. Go to your LinkedIn connections page
2. Click “Manage synced and imported contacts”
3. Select “Export LinkedIn connections”
This will export your connections as a CSV file you can save and reference.
Use LinkedIn premium services
LinkedIn premium accounts provide additional insight into your network like seeing who viewed your profile and viewing the full list of people who visited your profile.
Premium also allows you to filter your feed to only certain connections. So you could create a filter of important contacts and monitor if their engagement changes.
Some key premium features:
Premium Plan | Key Features |
LinkedIn Premium Career | – See full profile visitors list – Filtered feed – 5 profile search boosts per month |
LinkedIn Sales Navigator | – See who viewed your profile – Weekly profile visitors summary – Advanced LinkedIn search filters |
LinkedIn Recruiter | – Unlimited profile views – See profile visitor history – Talent pool organization tools |
Use browser extensions and apps
There are various browser extensions and apps available that provide additional analytics on your LinkedIn network:
– LinkedPeeper – Browser extension that shows LinkedIn profile analytics like who viewed your profile.
– SocialBro – Social media analytics app that provides insight on followers and engagement.
– Nimble – CRM app that tracks interactions across social networks.
– Sociamon – Tracks new profile views, grow your followers and manage messages.
The premium features may cost money but can provide helpful insight into keeping tabs on your most important connections. The extensions and apps also give you more visibility than the basic LinkedIn platform alone.
Proactively Managing Your Network
Beyond monitoring your network, you can also be proactive about managing your LinkedIn connections:
Connect strategically
Be thoughtful about who you connect with. Focus on connecting with those who align with your professional goals and interests. Having a targeted approach makes your connections more engaged.
Nurture relationships
Engage regularly with your key connections by liking, commenting, and sharing their posts. Also reach out directly over messages or email periodically to build the relationship. The more value you provide, the less likely they are to remove you.
Provide value
Post your own helpful insights, news, and resources to your feed. This gives your connections a reason to stay engaged with your updates. Just connecting without providing value gives them little reason to stay connected.
Segment into lists
Use LinkedIn Lists to segment your connections into different buckets like close colleagues, active leads, industry experts etc. This lets you customize the feed and messaging for each group.
Remove inactive connections
Do an annual audit of your connections and remove any that are no longer active or relevant to optimize your network. This declutters your feed and allows you to focus on nurturing the right connections.
Proactively managing your network reduces the risk of connections removing you in the future.
Reconnecting After Removal
If you determine someone did remove you as a connection, you can request to reconnect with them by sending a new connection invitation. Here are some tips on the process:
Reflect on the relationship
Think about your past interactions and relationship. Did something change between you two? Was there a disagreement or other issue that may have caused the removal? Understanding the context can help you reconnect effectively.
Be strategic with your message
When requesting to connect again, be thoughtful with any message you send along with the request. A generic message may be ignored while a personalized, value-driven message has a better chance of success.
Provide value upfront
Consider immediately providing value by sharing a relevant article, resource, or introduction to someone in their network. This shows you will bring value from the renewed connection.
Respect their decision
If your reconnect request is ignored or declined, respect their decision. Continuing connection requests after removal comes across as spammy. Focus your efforts on other connections.
With some strategic effort, you may be able to reconnect after a removal. But always respect the individual’s choices on their LinkedIn connections.
Conclusion
Finding out specifically who removed you as a LinkedIn connection can be difficult and requires proactively monitoring for signs of disappearing connections. But by looking for reduced engagement, loss of messaging ability, profile views, and other signals, you can piece together clues of removals.
The healthiest approach is being strategic about your connections from the start by connecting thoughtfully, regularly engaging, and providing value. This nurtures relationships and reduces the risk of future removals.
If someone did remove you, a personalized reconnect request may work but should always respect their decision if they decline. With some diligent relationship management, you can maintain strong, long-term LinkedIn connections that benefit you both.