If another LinkedIn member blocks you, you will no longer be able to view their full profile or see any updates from them in your feed. However, you will still be able to see limited information about the member who blocked you:
- Their photo (if they have one)
- Their name
- Their current position and company (if listed on their profile)
So in summary, if someone blocks you on LinkedIn, you won’t have access to view their full profile anymore, but you will still be able to see some basic profile information like their photo, name, and current job title and company.
Why you may not be able to view someone’s full LinkedIn profile
There are a few reasons why you may not be able to see someone’s full LinkedIn profile:
- They blocked you – As mentioned above, if another member specifically blocks you, you’ll no longer be able to view their full profile.
- Their profile is set to private – LinkedIn members can choose to set their profile visibility to private, which means their full profile is hidden from people who are not connected to them.
- You’re not logged in – To view full profiles on LinkedIn, you need to be logged into your account. If you’re browsing LinkedIn while logged out, you’ll only see limited profile information.
- They changed their privacy settings – Members can adjust their privacy settings at any time to control what profile information is visible to others.
So if you try looking up someone’s profile and can only see their photo, name, and current position, it’s likely because they either blocked you specifically or have increased their overall profile privacy settings. The most common reason is that the member set their profile to private and is only allowing their connections to view the full profile.
How to tell if someone blocked you on LinkedIn
Because blocked members will still show up with limited profile information, it’s not always obvious when someone has specifically blocked you on LinkedIn. Here are a few signs that can indicate you may have been blocked:
- You get an error message when trying to view their profile – If you repeatedly get an error or fail to load their profile, it’s possible they blocked you.
- You can no longer see updates from them – If you used to see their posts and updates in your feed but no longer do, they may have blocked you.
- You are no longer connected – If you were previously connected on LinkedIn but are now disconnected, it could be because they blocked you.
- You can no longer message them – If you can no longer send them messages on LinkedIn, this is a strong indicator that you have been blocked.
There is no LinkedIn notification that tells you if someone has blocked you. The signs above are really the main ways of figuring out if someone has blocked you or not.
What happens when someone blocks you on LinkedIn
Here’s a summary of what happens when another member blocks you on LinkedIn:
- You can no longer view their full profile
- You will stop seeing their posts and updates
- Any existing connection will be removed
- You will not be able to message them or contact them
- You can still see their photo, name, and current position
- You will not receive any notification that you’ve been blocked
So in effect, blocking serves as a one-way privacy screen. The person who blocked you will no longer see any of your activity or be able to interact with you, but it’s designed so that you can still view limited profile information in case you need to identify them for professional purposes.
Why would someone block you on LinkedIn?
There are a few common reasons why a LinkedIn member may choose to block another user, including:
- Harassment or inappropriate behavior – If you are harassing the member, sending inappropriate messages, or otherwise making them uncomfortable, they may block you.
- Difference of opinion – Some members block those who express opinions they strongly disagree with or find offensive.
- Job rejection – A member you applied to work for may block rejected candidates.
- Previous bad business relationship – Members you had a poor working experience with may block you to avoid future contact.
- Competitors – Some block connections from competing companies to limit information sharing.
- Personal reasons – Individuals you know personally may block you due to personal differences or issues.
These are some of the most common motivations for blocking on LinkedIn. If someone blocked you, it may have been for one of these reasons or it could also be for some other rationale.
What to do if someone blocks you on LinkedIn
If you realize someone has blocked you on LinkedIn, here are some recommended actions:
- Reflect on your past interactions with the person and consider if you said or did anything that may have caused offense.
- Respect their decision and do not attempt to circumvent the blocking by contacting them from a different account.
- Move on and focus on more positive relationships and interactions on LinkedIn.
- If you require professional contact for legitimate business reasons, try communicating through a trusted mutual connection.
- Do not retaliate or block them back, as that could escalate the situation.
While being blocked can feel frustrating or upsetting, it’s important to respect the other person’s wishes. In most cases, it’s best to move on and refrain from trying to work around the blocking. But if you need professional contact for a valid business purpose, carefully reaching out through a mutual connection is an option.
How to unblock someone on LinkedIn
If you change your mind and want to unblock someone you previously blocked on LinkedIn, here is how you can do it:
- Go to your LinkedIn Settings.
- Under the Privacy tab, click “Blocking.”
- You will see a list of members you have blocked. Click the “Unblock” button next to the name of the member you want to unblock.
- Confirm that you want to unblock the member.
Unblocking will restore the member’s ability to view your full profile and see your posts and activity in their feed. An unblock notification is not automatically sent, so if you want them to know they have been unblocked, you will need to directly communicate that through a message or other contact.
Key takeaways
- If someone blocks you on LinkedIn, you can still see some of their profile information like photo, name, and current job.
- Signs you may have been blocked include not seeing their updates, losing an existing connection, and getting errors when viewing their profile.
- When you’re blocked, you can no longer see the person’s full profile, connect with them, message them, or see their posts.
- Reasons for being blocked range from harassment to rejecting a job application to personal differences.
- If blocked, take time for self-reflection, respect their decision, and move forward productively.
- You can unblock people in your LinkedIn settings under the Blocking tab.
So in summary, while blocking limits interaction, it does not make members completely invisible on LinkedIn. And in most cases, the healthiest approach is accepting the blocked connection and moving on constructively.
