How to tell if you were previously connected to someone on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform with over 722 million members worldwide. With so many professionals on LinkedIn, it’s common to connect with someone and then forget that you’re connected, especially if you haven’t interacted with them in a while. So how can you tell if you were previously connected to another LinkedIn member? Here are some quick answers and tips:

• Check your connections list – LinkedIn shows all your 1st degree connections here. Scroll through the list to see if the person is currently connected.
• Look for the “Connect” button – If you see a “Connect” button instead of “Message” on someone’s profile, it means you are not currently connected.
• See if you have a shared connection – LinkedIn will show shared connections on member profiles if you have them. Having a shared connection typically means you were connected in the past.
• Look for past messages – Check your LinkedIn messages to see if you have a history of communication.
• Think back to past jobs/roles – If you think you may have connected with someone through a previous company or role, there’s a good chance you were connected.

If you use these quick checks and still can’t determine if you were previously connected, there are a few additional steps you can take to investigate further.

Check Your Contacts and Exported Data

LinkedIn allows you to export a list of your connections and also gives you the option to synchronize your contacts. Checking these resources can help uncover previous connections:

• LinkedIn Connections CSV – LinkedIn allows you to export your 1st degree connections to a CSV file. Download and scan this file to see if the person is listed.
• LinkedIn Contacts – If you have synchronized your email contacts with LinkedIn, see if the person is listed under “LinkedIn Contacts”.
• Your Email/Address Book – Even if not synchronized, scan your main contacts list or address book to see if you have/had their contact info.

These sources provide concrete connection data that can confirm if there was a previous LinkedIn connection.

Search Your InMail and Message History

If you have a paid LinkedIn account, searching your archived InMail and message history can uncover evidence of a past connection:

• LinkedIn Messages – Thoroughly read through your message history with other users. Look for any messages exchanged with the target individual.
• LinkedIn InMail – Check archived sent/received InMail interactions. InMail requires a paid account and 1st degree connection, so any history of InMail is proof of a past connection.

While time consuming if you have an extensive message history, this approach can definitively confirm or rule out a previous 1st degree connection.

Check for Visits to Their Profile

Your LinkedIn visit history can also provide clues on past connections:

• Visit History – LinkedIn shows profiles you have visited under “Discovery” history. If the target individual is listed there, it suggests you have viewed their profile before.
• Search History – Even if not visiting their profile directly, LinkedIn tracks searches. If you have searched for the person’s name/company before, there’s a good chance you were connected or evaluating a connection.

Seeing their profile and/or name in your visit history indicates you likely had a previous 1st degree connection enabling that visibility.

Use Google Search Tricks

If you have a Google account, there are some clever Google search operators that can surface past connections:

• site:linkedin.com – Search for the person’s name with “site:linkedin.com” to surface public LinkedIn pages referencing them.
• “their name” + “your name” -Put your name and their name in quotes to surface any public pages that contain both names – potentially referencing a past connection.
• cache:linkedin.com – Add “cache:” before linkedin.com to see cached versions of LinkedIn pages from Google’s index history, which may reveal a previous connection.

While not definitive, finding instances of your name alongside theirs on LinkedIn pages and in cached LinkedIn content suggests you were likely connected.

Ask Around Your Network

Speaking to contacts who may know you both can help determine if a connection existed:

• Common Connections – Reach out to shared connections and ask if they know or remember you being connected.
• Old Colleagues – If you think the person may be a past co-worker, ask former colleagues if they are aware of a previous connection.
• Your Network – Even if no shared connections, check with your overall network to see if anyone can confirm you were connected.

While time consuming, crowd sourcing among real people who may have knowledge of your work history can provide answers a simple online search cannot.

Ask Them Directly

If you have not been able to uncover definitive proof through other methods, there’s nothing wrong with asking directly:

• Send a Message – Send a polite message asking if you were previously connected on LinkedIn or worked together in the past.
• Give Context – Provide any context about where you may have connected, such as past company, industry event etc.
• Provide Examples – To jog their memory, give examples of any messages, InMail or other interactions you may have had.

While some ignore cold outreach, a customized message may prompt them to check their records or memorialize if there was in fact a previous 1st degree connection.

Conclusion

Rediscovering previous LinkedIn connections can be tricky given the platform’s massive size and gaps in memory. However, using the quick tips and focused strategies outlined above, you can uncover and prove past 1st degree connections:

• Check LinkedIn data like connections, messages and profile visits for evidence.
• Inspect your contact data both on and off LinkedIn to confirm.
• Use Google search operators to surface relevant public pages.
• Ask your shared and overall network if they recollect a connection.
• Reach out to the person directly if needed.

With a combination of technical tools, personal network outreach and some old fashioned investigative questioning, you can definitively determine if a previous LinkedIn connection existed. This will give you confidence about re-connecting in an appropriate, non-intrusive manner consistent with your actual relationship history.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions about checking previous LinkedIn connections:

Is there a way to see all my previous LinkedIn connections?

Unfortunately, there is no single place within LinkedIn that lists all your previous 1st degree connections. LinkedIn only shows your current connections. You have to piece together evidence from contact history, messages, search visits and other sources to confirm previous connections.

Can I tell when I first connected with someone on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn does not display connection dates. The best way to approximate when you first connected is to search for the oldest message or InMail exchange you can find. This will give you a general sense of roughly when you first became 1st degree connections.

Is it possible to reconnect with a 2nd degree connection on LinkedIn?

Yes, you can reconnect with a 2nd degree connection by sending them a connection invitation. Keep in mind you should have some context for why you are reconnecting, whether previous 1st degree connection, common colleagues, same industry etc. Blind connection invitations are often ignored.

What’s the easiest way to check past connections on LinkedIn?

The easiest approach is looking for the “Connect” vs “Message” button – “Connect” means you are not currently linked. Also check your LinkedIn contacts synchronization or exported connections list to confirm current vs past connections.

Is there a LinkedIn connection history downloader tool?

LinkedIn does not provide an official tool to download your full connection history. However, there are some third-party browser extensions that claim to extract more detailed LinkedIn connection data. Use at your own risk as these likely violate LinkedIn’s terms of service.

Key Takeaways

– Check your LinkedIn connections list, contacts sync, messages and profile visits for signs of a past connection.

– Inspect your overall contact data and visit history externally for evidence.

– Smart Google searches can surface relevant public pages indicating a connection.

– Ask your shared and overall network if they remember you being connected.

– Reach out directly with context and examples to jog the person’s memory.

– There’s no single solution – combining approaches is required for a definitive answer.

Next Steps

– Make a list of your top past employers, roles, conferences etc. where you made key connections.

– Search your LinkedIn network by these companies and events to surface potentially forgotten connections.

– Consider exporting your LinkedIn data to have a backup of your connections, messages etc.

– Set a reminder to review your LinkedIn network at least quarterly to rediscover and engage with dormant connections before they are lost.

– Evaluate premium LinkedIn features like InMail that may provide more insight on present and past connections in your network.

Table of strategies to uncover previous LinkedIn connections

Sample Outreach Message to Previous Connection

Hi [Name],

Hope you are doing well! I was recently thinking about my time at [Company X] and wanted to reconnect with former colleagues. I believe we were connected on LinkedIn back then, but it looks like we are no longer directly connected.

Were we connected previously when working in the [Industry Y] space? If so, I’d love to reconnect here on LinkedIn to stay updated on your latest projects and roles. Please let me know if you do recall us being connected!

Thanks,
[Your Name]

Conclusion

Discovering previous LinkedIn connections is achievable even without perfect data. Follow the strategies here of checking LinkedIn activity, browsing contact history, consulting your network and asking directly. With a dedicated effort, you can confirm lost LinkedIn connections and thoughtfully reconnect with those dormant relationships. Maintaining your professional network is important, so invest the time to rediscover those long-forgotten 1st degree connections.