LinkedIn connection requests allow you to connect with other professionals on the platform. However, if the recipient does not respond right away, the request will remain in a “pending” status until the recipient accepts or ignores it.
What happens when you send a connection request on LinkedIn?
When you send a connection request on LinkedIn, the recipient will receive a notification that you want to connect. They then have the option to:
- Accept the request – This will add you to their network.
- Ignore the request – This will remove the request so it no longer appears pending.
- Delete the request – Same effect as ignoring, it removes the pending request.
Until the recipient takes action, your request will stay in a “Pending” state.
How long do pending connection requests last on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn does not automatically expire or delete pending connection requests. They will remain pending indefinitely until the recipient accepts or ignores the request.
There is no set time limit on how long a LinkedIn connection request can stay pending. Some requests may be accepted or ignored within days or weeks. However, others may go months or even years without a response.
Why connection requests may go long periods pending
Here are some common reasons why a LinkedIn connection request may not be addressed right away:
- The recipient is inactive on LinkedIn and does not log in frequently to check notifications.
- They intended to respond but forgot about the notification.
- They do not recognize you and are unsure about connecting.
- They wanted to review your profile first but did not get back to it.
- They have limited space in their network and are selective about new connections.
While it can be frustrating to have long pending requests, it is considered good etiquette on LinkedIn to be patient and avoid repeating connection invites.
Can you resend a pending LinkedIn request?
If your connection request has been pending for an extended time, you may wonder if you should resend it.
LinkedIn’s policy states that you should not resend connection requests that are already pending. If you repeatedly send requests, LinkedIn may restrict your account from sending invitations.
Instead, it is better to wait for the recipient to respond on their own timeline. Or, you can politely send them a message checking in and asking if they received your original request.
The only case when resending is appropriate is if you have reason to believe your original request had a technical error and was not properly received.
Does LinkedIn notify recipients of pending requests?
When you first send a connection request, LinkedIn will notify the recipient by:
- Email – They will receive an email alerting them to your request.
- Notification – A notification will appear at the top of their LinkedIn home page.
However, LinkedIn does not continue to regularly remind users about pending requests. It is up to the recipient to check their homepage notifications and pending requests to see outstanding invites.
The email notification also only goes out once. If the recipient misses or ignores that initial email, LinkedIn does not send periodic reminders.
Can you see who has pending requests to you?
As the recipient, you can check which connections are awaiting your response by viewing your pending invitations page. Here are the steps:
- Go to your LinkedIn homepage.
- Click on the “My Network” icon at the top navigation bar.
- Select “Manage my network” from the dropdown menu.
- Choose “Invitations” from the menu on the left side.
This will display all users who have sent you connection requests that are still pending.
For each request, you can choose to accept, ignore, or delete it. Accepting will add the user to your network. Ignoring or deleting will remove the pending request.
Does ignoring or deleting a request notify the sender?
When you ignore or delete a LinkedIn connection request, the sender will not receive any specific notification about that action.
The request will simply disappear from their pending list. They will not know if you actively ignored it vs. accidentally deleted it or let it expire.
All the sender will be able to see is that the request no longer displays as pending on their account. There is no notice sent indicating why it disappeared.
Can you cancel a pending request you sent?
If you change your mind after sending a connection request, there is no built-in cancellation option.
Your only choices are to either:
- Wait for the recipient to accept, ignore, or delete the request.
- Send the recipient a message asking them to disregard the request.
Once a request is sent, you cannot directly delete or retract it yourself. You must wait for the recipient to take action on the pending request first.
Does LinkedIn automatically delete old pending requests?
LinkedIn does not perform any automated clean-up or removal of pending connection requests. There is no “expiration date” when old requests will get automatically deleted.
In theory, requests could remain pending indefinitely unless the recipient chooses to act on them.
However, very old pending requests (1-2+ years) may get automatically removed during periodic system maintenance or troubleshooting. But there are no guarantees of this.
To conclude, LinkedIn connections requests have an unlimited pending period. Requests will stay in pending status until the recipient responds or the request is removed during maintenance. Senders cannot directly delete or cancel a pending request once sent. While it can get frustrating waiting, it is best to avoid resending requests marked as pending. With patience, the recipient will respond if interested in connecting.
Conclusion
The main points to remember about pending LinkedIn connection requests:
- Requests remain pending until the recipient accepts, ignores, or deletes them.
- There is no set expiration for how long requests can stay pending.
- You should not resend requests that are already marked pending.
- Recipients are only notified once about the request.
- Senders cannot directly retract or cancel a pending request.
- LinkedIn does not guarantee it will delete old, expired requests.
Being patient and avoiding perceived pestering is key. If it has been some time, try sending a polite message checking in on the status of your request. But otherwise, let recipients manage requests on their own time. With 500+ million members, it can understandably take a while to address all pending invitations.