Having a LinkedIn account temporarily restricted can be frustrating. LinkedIn restricts accounts for various reasons, usually related to suspicious activity or violating their terms of service. The good news is that you can resolve most temporary restrictions by verifying your identity.
Why is your LinkedIn account restricted?
There are a few common reasons LinkedIn may temporarily restrict your account:
- Suspicious activity – If LinkedIn detects unusual login patterns or activity that appears fraudulent, they may restrict your account temporarily.
- Violating terms of service – Things like spamming, scraping data, or harassing other users could trigger a temporary restriction.
- Unconfirmed identity – LinkedIn may restrict unconfirmed accounts until the user verifies their identity.
In most cases, LinkedIn restricts accounts to protect the LinkedIn community and prevent abuse of their platform. The restriction is temporary and can be reversed once you confirm your identity.
How to verify your identity on a restricted LinkedIn account
If your LinkedIn account is temporarily restricted, you’ll see a notification about it when trying to access your profile and feed. Here are the steps to verify your identity and restore access:
- Click “Verify your account” on the restriction notification page. This will take you to the LinkedIn Help Center.
- Go to the “How do I verify my account?” section and click “Verify your account now.”
- You’ll be prompted to enter your email address associated with your LinkedIn account. Enter it and click “Send verification email.”
- Check your email inbox for a message from LinkedIn Member Support. Open it and click the “Verify email address” button.
- You’ll be redirected to LinkedIn to confirm your email. Enter your LinkedIn password when prompted.
- Follow any additional on-screen instructions to complete the verification process.
Once you successfully verify your email address, LinkedIn will lift the restrictions on your account and you’ll be able to access it normally.
How long does LinkedIn identity verification take?
The amount of time it takes to verify your identity on LinkedIn can vary, but the process is usually very quick:
- Requesting a verification email takes less than a minute.
- Receiving the verification email typically happens within 5 minutes.
- Clicking the verification link and entering your password usually instantaneously confirms your identity.
- In some cases, additional verification like uploading an ID may add 1-2 days.
So in most cases, as long as you promptly complete each step after requesting the verification email, your LinkedIn account can be verified in less than 15 minutes. If you still can’t access your account after 24 hours of attempting verification, you may need to contact LinkedIn support for additional help.
What information does LinkedIn need to verify identity?
LinkedIn needs two main pieces of information to verify your identity and remove restrictions:
- Confirmed email address – The email associated with your LinkedIn account, which they will send a verification link to.
- LinkedIn password – Your account password, which you’ll enter after clicking the verification link to confirm you own the account.
In some cases, LinkedIn may also require:
- Photo ID – A scan or photo of a valid government-issued ID like a driver’s license or passport.
- Proof of address – Utility bill, bank statement, or other document showing your address.
Providing your confirmed email address and LinkedIn password is the first step in most account restrictions. If those don’t work, be prepared to provide photo ID and proof of address documentation.
What are the requirements for photo ID verification?
If LinkedIn requires you to submit photo ID to verify your restricted account, here are the requirements:
- Must be a clear, high-quality scan or photo of a valid, unexpired government-issued ID like a driver’s license, passport, national ID card, etc.
- The ID must clearly show your full name, photo, issue and expiry dates, and date of birth.
- Your details on the ID must exactly match the name, photo, and birthday on your LinkedIn account.
- LinkedIn accepts JPG, JPEG, GIF, PNG file uploads under 10MB in size.
Make sure to double check that your photo ID fully meets these requirements before uploading. This ensures the verification process goes smoothly.
What happens if you can’t verify identity on LinkedIn?
If you try but are unable to successfully verify your identity using the email confirmation process or photo ID upload, here’s what may happen:
- Your account will remain temporarily restricted until you complete identity verification.
- LinkedIn may require you to upload different forms of ID or proof of address if your initial documents don’t work.
- You won’t be able to log in, access your profile or any account features.
- After 30 days of inactivity on a restricted account, LinkedIn may permanently suspend your account.
If you’ve tried unsuccessfully several times to verify your identity, reach out to LinkedIn Customer Service through their help form. Describe your situation and what you’ve tried. They may be able to assist with alternative verification methods.
Tips for speeding up LinkedIn identity verification
Here are some tips to help expedite the identity verification process:
- Ensure the email on your LinkedIn account is valid and that you have access to it.
- Check your spam folder for the LinkedIn verification email.
- Enter your current LinkedIn password when prompted after clicking verification link.
- Use a clear, high-quality scan or photo of your government ID.
- Triple check that your ID details exactly match your LinkedIn account details.
- Provide any required secondary documentation like proof of address promptly.
- Respond quickly to any additional requests from LinkedIn Support.
Following these tips will help avoid delays and get your account restriction lifted quickly. Verification can take slightly longer during weekends or holiday periods when LinkedIn staffing is lower.
Can you use a LinkedIn account while restricted?
No, you cannot use LinkedIn normally while your account is temporarily restricted. Here’s what’s disabled:
- Logging into your account
- Viewing your LinkedIn profile and feed
- Messaging connections
- Sending connection requests
- Posting updates, articles, jobs
- Searching and viewing other profiles
Your LinkedIn activity is essentially frozen until you successfully complete identity verification. You’ll be locked out of your account and all features.
Is LinkedIn the only way to verify an account?
LinkedIn provides the main method to verify restricted accounts through their email confirmation process and support team. However, there are a couple other options to try:
- Email LinkedIn Customer Service – Reach out for support and alternative verification methods if you can’t verify via their standard process.
- Social media – Tweet @LinkedInHelp to see if their Twitter support team can assist you.
- Legal request – As a last resort, have your attorney submit a formal legal request to verify account ownership.
But the easiest and fastest way is through LinkedIn’s own verification process. Use their Help Center guidance and Support team to resolve your restriction before trying other avenues.
Can you delete a LinkedIn account that is restricted?
Yes, you can delete your LinkedIn account while it is temporarily restricted. But you need to first successfully verify your identity. Here’s how:
- Complete LinkedIn’s email verification process or provide required ID documents.
- Once your account is unrestricted, login and go to your Account Settings.
- Click “Delete your account” at the bottom of Account Settings.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to permanently delete your LinkedIn account.
Without verifying your identity first, you won’t be able to access the account settings to delete your profile. So if you wish to delete your restricted account, you need to go through LinkedIn’s verification process first.
Can someone else verify your LinkedIn account?
No, someone else cannot complete identity verification to unlock your restricted LinkedIn account. Here’s why:
- Verification requires access to your account’s registered email address.
- It also requires entering your LinkedIn account password after clicking the confirmation link.
- Uploading ID documents also requires matches to your account details.
- LinkedIn’s automated security will detect logins from new devices/locations.
So you need to personally confirm ownership of your account by verifying your email and entering your password. Security protocols prevent anyone else from accessing and verifying your restricted account.
Conclusion
Having your LinkedIn account temporarily restricted can be inconvenient, but identity verification lifts the restrictions in most cases. Confirm your email address, enter your LinkedIn password when prompted, and provide official photo ID if needed. This will unlock your account in as little as 15 minutes in most cases. If you have difficulties verifying, reach out to LinkedIn Support via their Help Center for assistance. With persistence, you can regain access to your LinkedIn profile and all its professional networking features.