How to fix access to your account has been temporarily restricted LinkedIn?

Common causes for restricted access on LinkedIn

There are a few common reasons why you may encounter a “temporarily restricted” message when trying to access LinkedIn:

• Suspicious activity was detected on your account
• You violated LinkedIn’s User Agreement or Professional Community Policies
• Your account is temporarily locked as a security precaution
• You’re accessing LinkedIn from a new device or location

LinkedIn has automated systems that monitor activity across the platform to detect any suspicious or problematic behavior. If something seems off about your account activity, LinkedIn may temporarily restrict access until the issue can be investigated.

Some examples of suspicious activity that could trigger a temporary restriction include:

• Logging in from an unknown or suspicious IP address
• Sending unsolicited messages or spam
• Automated scraping or mass downloads of data
• Creating multiple fake accounts
• Aggressive following or connection requests

LinkedIn also has policies that prohibit members from harassing others, spreading misinformation, posting inappropriate content, and other problematic behaviors. If you engage in any policy-violating actions, LinkedIn may restrict your account privileges or access.

In some cases, the automated fraud detection systems may mistakenly flag your account as suspicious, especially if you abruptly change geographic locations or internet connections. LinkedIn will restrict the account first, then conduct a review, before restoring full access.

Troubleshooting steps to fix restricted access on LinkedIn

If you encounter a restricted access notification when trying to log in to LinkedIn, there are a few troubleshooting steps you can take:

1. Reset your password – In many cases, LinkedIn will require you to reset your password before regaining account access. Click the “reset password” link on the restricted access page.
2. Verify your email address – Check for any emails LinkedIn may have sent you regarding the restriction. Follow instructions to verify your email address.
3. Check help center articles – LinkedIn’s help pages may shed light on why your access was cut off and how to restore it.
4. Submit ID verification – To prove you’re the legitimate account owner, LinkedIn may prompt ID verification via scanned photo, government ID, or video selfie.
5. Reach out to customer service – If you need further support, contact LinkedIn customer service by submitting a request. Expect 1-2 days for a response.
6. Avoid suspicious activity – If your account was restricted due to violations, avoid repeating any policy-breaking behaviors once your access is restored.

The exact troubleshooting steps will depend on why LinkedIn restricted your account in the first place. The goal is to prove your identity, ensure account security, and re-gain full access privileges.

With over 850 million members, LinkedIn depends on automated systems to monitor activity, detect fraud/abuse, and enforce policies. These restrictions aim to protect the LinkedIn community, even if they occasionally flag legitimate users by accident.

Common LinkedIn access restriction messages

If your LinkedIn access is cut off, some of the common restriction messages you may see include:

• “Suspicious activity detected. Your access has been temporarily restricted.”
• “Account restricted. We detected activity that violates our policies.”
• “Unable to reach LinkedIn. Your account has been restricted.”
• “This account is temporarily unavailable due to suspicious activity. Please contact LinkedIn customer service.”

The language varies slightly depending on why the restriction was triggered, but all these messages indicate your access has been suspended pending further review or action on your part.

Screenshot examples of LinkedIn restriction messages:

Suspicious Activity Message	Account Restricted Message

The visual styling of these messages may also change over time as LinkedIn updates its UI. But the key is to recognize that a restriction has been placed and follow proper steps to restore access.

How long do LinkedIn restrictions last?

The duration of LinkedIn access restrictions can vary:

• Temporary lockouts – Lasting 24-48 hours if activity seems highly suspicious. Allows LinkedIn to investigate.
• policy violations – Typically 1-2 weeks but may be permanent bans for egregious offenses.
• ID verification requests – Restricted until you successfully verify your identity with LinkedIn.

Most short-term “suspicious activity” locks last about 48 hours before LinkedIn lifts the restrictions. But violations of policies or terms of service may result in 1-2 weeks loss of access, or permanent bans for severe abuses.

LinkedIn’s main priority is protecting the community while minimizing disruption to legitimate users. So restrictions are meant to be temporary unless behavior is intentionally malicious.

The only way to get an exact timeframe is to make contact with LinkedIn customer support after receiving a restriction. They can look up details on your account status and explain when restrictions may be lifted or what additional actions are required. Having your account restricted for weeks or months is very rare unless policy issues are involved.

Tips to avoid restrictions on LinkedIn

While occasional mistaken restrictions are hard to avoid completely, you can take some proactive measures to reduce the risk:

• Strengthen account security – Use strong unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication.
• Be selective when connecting – Only send connection requests to people you know and want to network with professionally.
• Avoid buying followers or spam tactics – Never use shady services that claim to boost your followers, connections, or post engagement via bots or spam.
• Use LinkedIn properly – Don’t misuse LinkedIn’s messaging tools or scrape data at high volumes.
• Follow all LinkedIn policies – Read and understand LinkedIn’s user rules and community guidelines to stay compliant.

Basically, treat your LinkedIn presence as you would your professional reputation. Be authentic, engage thoughtfully with your network, and demonstrate good judgement. That will minimize the risk of triggering LinkedIn’s automated restrictions designed to combat fraud and abuse.

What to do if your LinkedIn restriction won’t lift

In most cases, LinkedIn access restrictions are temporary and easily fixed by resetting your password or verifying your email and identity. But in rare scenarios, the restrictions may persist beyond 48 hours or improperly remain in place after taking corrective actions.

Here are some steps to try if your LinkedIn restriction won’t lift after 2 days:

1. Double check attempted fixes – Carefully retry password resets, ID verification, etc. in case you missed something.
2. Check different browsers / devices – Try accessing your account from a different computer or mobile device in case there is a browser-specific authentication issue.
3. Contact LinkedIn support – clearly describe your situation and restriction timeline. Provide any details requested.
4. Submit an appeal – If restrictions were due to policy violations, you can formally appeal the decision and provide your side of the story.
5. Wait for updates – LinkedIn support may require a few days to fully investigate stuck restrictions. Follow up if you don’t hear back.

For most members, LinkedIn restrictions lift within a day or two at most. But if you still can’t regain access after a week, keep pressing for updates from LinkedIn’s support team to understand what is causing the extended restriction.

Conclusion

Having your LinkedIn account restricted can be inconvenient and frustrating, especially if legitimate activity triggered an erroneous restriction. But in most cases, the limitation is temporary and following some simple troubleshooting will unlock access within a couple days at most. Focus on proving your identity, strengthening account security, and avoiding behaviors that violate LinkedIn’s policies moving forward. With a little patience and care, your full LinkedIn privileges should be restored.