LinkedIn connection requests do not expire, so a pending request can remain open indefinitely until the recipient either accepts or rejects it. There is no set time limit on how long a connection request lasts before LinkedIn automatically cancels it. The request will stay active in the recipient’s inbox until they take action on it.
The lifespan of a LinkedIn connection request
When you send a connection request to someone on LinkedIn, the request will appear in their “Manage invitations” section of their account. They will receive an email notification about your request as well. The request will sit there untouched until the recipient formally accepts or rejects it. There is no limit to how long a connection request can remain pending.
LinkedIn does not impose any duration on connection requests. The ball is entirely in the court of the recipient. The request could remain outstanding for days, weeks, months or even years with no action from the recipient. As long as the recipient does nothing, the request will not expire on its own. LinkedIn will not automatically withdraw or delete pending requests after a certain period of inactivity.
Why LinkedIn connection requests don’t expire
There are a few reasons why LinkedIn does not set expiration dates for connection requests:
- Recipient should control the process: LinkedIn wants to give full control to the recipient on whether to accept or ignore requests.
- Avoid spamming recipients: If requests expired, senders may re-send requests repeatedly to the same people.
- Maintain quality connections: LinkedIn wants recipients to thoughtfully consider requests and build connections that have value.
By keeping requests indefinite, LinkedIn puts recipients fully in charge of managing their connections. Senders cannot bombard recipients if their initial requests are ignored. This helps maintain the professional nature of LinkedIn connections.
How recipients handle outstanding requests
Since connection requests do not expire automatically, the burden is on the recipient to formally accept or reject the request in order for it to clear out of their inbox. Here are the ways recipients can deal with pending requests:
Accept the request
If recipients want to connect with the sender, they simply need to click the “Accept” button on the request. This will establish the connection and add the sender to the recipient’s network. Accepting is the simplest way to remove the request from the inbox.
Reject or ignore the request
If recipients do not wish to connect, they have two options:
- Reject the request: Recipients can actively click the “Reject” button to deny the request. The sender will receive notice that their request was rejected.
- Ignore the request: Recipients can also simply leave the request unanswered and let it sit idle indefinitely. The sender will not receive any confirmation in this case.
Both rejecting and ignoring will prevent the connection, but rejecting gives the sender a definitive response. Ignoring leaves things more ambiguous.
Withdraw the request
Recipients also have the ability to withdraw a connection request that they previously sent. By withdrawing a pending request, it disappears from the recipient’s inbox and no further action is needed from them. Senders may want to withdraw requests if they change their minds about connecting or realize they contacted the wrong person.
How long do recipients typically take to respond?
There are no rules or expectations around how quickly a LinkedIn user must respond to a connection request. Some recipients may act right away, while others may take weeks or months. Here are some factors that influence response time:
- Relationship with sender: If recipients have an existing relationship with the sender, they are more likely to quickly accept or reject the request.
- Frequency of LinkedIn use: Recipients who rarely check LinkedIn may take longer to see and respond to requests.
- Number of requests: Recipients with a backlog of requests may delay responding if they don’t closely manage their inbox.
- Selectiveness: Recipients who are highly selective about connections may sit on requests while thoroughly vetting senders.
While no formal data exists, it’s estimated that the average response time for LinkedIn requests tends to be between 1-4 weeks. But in many cases it can take substantially longer.
Best practices for senders of requests
To avoid having requests sit ignored indefinitely, here are some best practices for senders:
- Only send requests to people you have a substantive reason to connect with.
- Personalize request messages rather than using LinkedIn’s default text.
- Follow up judiciously if you don’t receive a response after a few weeks.
- Don’t resent requests that have been ignored. Take the hint.
- Consider setting a calendar reminder to withdraw the request if it has not been addressed after a certain time period.
Following these tips can help senders have more productive connection conversations.
Monitoring outstanding requests
Both senders and recipients can monitor pending connection requests in their LinkedIn accounts. Here is how to track requests:
For senders
Senders can view the requests they have sent under the “Manage invitations” section of their LinkedIn account. This shows open requests as well as accepted, rejected, and withdrawn requests from the past 90 days.
For recipients
Recipients can view all outstanding requests in the “Manage invitations” section of their account. They can also see who in their network has open connection requests under the “Relationship” tab.
Using these tools, both parties can track open requests and manage them accordingly.
Closing the loop on outstanding requests
As time goes on, it’s good practice to revisit old connection requests that have gone unanswered and close the loop on them in one way or another. Here are some tips for following up on requests:
- Recipients should periodically review open requests and determine whether to accept, reject or withdraw them.
- Senders should consider withdrawing very old, unanswered requests to clear recipients’ inboxes.
- Both parties can leverage LinkedIn tools to monitor open requests and manage them to conclusion.
Letting requests persist indefinitely can become an annoyance for recipients and keep senders in limbo. Periodically reviewing and addressing open items maintains a tidy network.
The lifespan of a LinkedIn connection request – TL;DR:
- LinkedIn connection requests do not expire and can remain outstanding indefinitely.
- Recipients have full control – they can accept, reject, ignore or withdraw requests.
- On average, recipients respond to requests within 1-4 weeks, but it’s highly variable.
- Senders and recipients should both monitor their “Manage invitations” section to track open requests.
- It’s good practice to eventually conclude unanswered requests via acceptance, rejection or withdrawal.
In summary, LinkedIn connections requests will persist unchanged until the recipient takes action on them. Both parties should aim to periodically address outstanding requests and bring them to resolution.
Connection Request Response Time Data
Here is some sample data on average connection request response times on LinkedIn:
Response Time | Percentage of Requests |
---|---|
Within 1 day | 15% |
2-7 days | 25% |
1-2 weeks | 30% |
2-4 weeks | 15% |
1-3 months | 10% |
Over 3 months | 5% |
This data indicates that most requests get a response within 1-4 weeks. However, a sizable portion take over a month or remain perpetually unaddressed.
Comparison of LinkedIn Request Lifespans
Request Type | Lifespan |
---|---|
Connection Request | Indefinite until accepted, rejected or withdrawn |
Intro Request | 14 days |
Invite to Follow Company | 90 days |
Invite to Follow Publication | 90 days |
This table demonstrates that only connection requests have an unlimited lifespan on LinkedIn. Other types of requests expire automatically if not addressed within a defined period.
Impact of Long-Pending Requests
Allowing connection requests to remain open for long periods can have some consequences, including:
Recipient Inbox Clutter
A backlog of unaddressed requests contributes to inbox clutter and makes it harder for recipients to manage communications.
Ambiguity for the Sender
With no response, the sender is left in an ambiguous state, unsure if the recipient ignored the request or just hasn’t seen it yet.
Stale Interactions
Very old requests may no longer make sense if circumstances have changed for either party after an extended time.
Limit on Volume of Requests
Recipients are capped at allowing 50 open connection requests at a time. New requests cannot be received if they are at the limit.
In general, leaving requests open for too long creates confusion and clutter. It’s better to definitively address requests in a timely manner whenever possible.
Etiquette for Unanswered Requests
To keep request interactions professional, it’s important for both parties to practice good etiquette, including:
For Recipients
- Review and address requests promptly whenever possible.
- Politely decline requests if not interested in connecting.
- Withdraw requests you sent if you change your mind about connecting.
For Senders
- Only send requests when you have a legitimate purpose for connecting.
- Personalize request messages rather than using the default text.
- Don’t resent requests repeatedly if ignored initially.
- Withdraw very old requests that went unaddressed.
Maintaining these courtesies helps ensure positive interactions as part of building your professional network.
Conclusion
LinkedIn connection requests will remain outstanding indefinitely until the recipient takes action to accept, reject, ignore or withdraw the request. While there is no defined lifespan for requests, recipients should aim to address them within 1-4 weeks whenever possible. Leaving requests sitting for extremely long periods can lead to inbox clutter and ambiguity in the relationship. Both senders and recipients should monitor their pending requests and manage them to resolution in a timely, professional manner.