LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform with over 850 million members. With so many professionals on LinkedIn, it’s common to receive connection requests from people you don’t know. So should you accept these requests? Here are some things to consider when deciding whether to accept connection requests on LinkedIn.
The pros of accepting connection requests
There are several potential benefits to accepting connection requests on LinkedIn:
- Expand your network – Accepting requests grows your list of connections, which can be helpful for career opportunities, advice, and exposure.
- Increase your visibility – A larger network makes your profile more visible in LinkedIn searches.
- Gain new insights – Connections share content that can offer valuable insights and perspectives.
- Support others – Accepting requests is a way to be mutually supportive of professional growth.
- Build relationships – Accepting requests opens the door to build new relationships that may benefit you down the line.
The cons of accepting connection requests
There are also some potential downsides to be aware of when accepting LinkedIn requests:
- Spam risk – Some requests come from people trying to spam or sell you something.
- Strangers – It can be risky adding someone you don’t know or trust to your network.
- Appearance of endorsement – Accepting a request doesn’t mean you’re endorsing the person or their business.
- Time commitment – Maintaining connections takes time, which can be hard to scale.
- Gatekeeping stress – You may feel pressure to limit requests to only “qualified” connections.
Tips for evaluating connection requests
When you receive a connection request, here are some tips for deciding whether to accept it:
- Check for common connections – Seeing mutual connections can give you confidence in the person.
- Review their profile – Does their experience seem legitimate and relevant?
- Assess their intentions – Try to understand why they want to connect and if you share common interests.
- Trust your instincts – Decline requests from anyone who raises red flags or makes you uncomfortable.
- Ask for an introduction – If you don’t know the person, ask for a proper introduction first.
Settings for managing requests
LinkedIn offers settings to help you manage incoming connection requests appropriately:
- Profile visibility – Adjust who can see your profile and send requests under Settings & Privacy.
- Manual approval – Require manual approval of all requests under Settings & Preferences.
- Introductions only – Only allow requests from those with introductions under Settings & Preferences.
- Message filtering – Automatically filter out messages from unknown senders under Communications.
Connection limits
LinkedIn limits the number of connections you can have to control the size of networks:
| Account Type | Max Connections |
|---|---|
| Free Account | 500 |
| Premium Business Account | 10,000 |
| Sales Navigator Account | 30,000 |
With the free version, you can only connect with 500 people. Premium paid versions allow up to 10,000 or 30,000 connections depending on the plan.
Strategies for limiting connections
If you’re approaching the connection limit for your account, here are some strategies to be more selective with connections:
- Ask “will this relationship add value?” before accepting requests from new connections.
- Review your network periodically and remove outdated or dormant connections.
- Focus on connecting only with those in your immediate professional circles and industries of interest.
- Connect with fewer personal friends and family to save room for professional contacts.
- Upgrade to a premium account if you find you consistently need more capacity.
Best practices for maintaining your network
To get the most out of your LinkedIn network, it’s important to actively maintain your connections. Here are some best practices:
- Personalize connection requests with a note so people know why you want to connect.
- Proactively reach out and communicate with connections periodically.
- Share relevant content that would interest your connections.
- Congratulate connections on work anniversaries, promotions, new jobs, etc.
- Participate in LinkedIn Groups related to your industry or interests.
- Send personalized messages when connecting with someone new.
- Every so often, review your network and remove dormant connections.
Conclusion
Being thoughtful about who you connect with on LinkedIn is important for building a valuable network. While there are benefits to accepting requests, it’s smart to be selective and strategic. Evaluate each request carefully, utilize tools to manage incoming requests, and maintain active engagement with your connections. This helps ensure your network provides meaningful professional connections that support your career goals.
