There are a few common reasons why you may be unable to connect with someone on LinkedIn:
- They have reached their connection limit
- Your account looks suspicious or fake
- You don’t share any common connections
- They don’t recognize you or remember connecting with you
- They are only connecting with people they know well
- They are selective about who they connect with
- Your invitation to connect message was poorly written
- You have different privacy settings enabled
- They found you through searches and don’t actually know you
- They don’t check LinkedIn very often
Let’s explore each of these reasons in more detail:
They Have Reached Their Connection Limit
LinkedIn limits the number of connections members can have based on their account type. The limits are:
- Basic: 30,000 connections
- Sales Navigator Team: 30,000 connections
- Business Plus: 30,000 connections
- Sales Navigator Professional: 30,000 connections
- Recruiter Lite: 30,000 connections
- Premium Business: 25,000 connections
- Premium: 15,000 connections
- Free: 500 connections
If the person you are trying to connect with has reached the limit for their account type, LinkedIn will not allow new connections until they purge some existing connections. This is a common reason connection requests go unanswered.
How to Tell if Someone Has Reached Their Limit
Unfortunately there is no indicator on LinkedIn profiles showing if someone has maxed out their connections. The only way to tell is if you receive a notice after sending a connection request that “This member has reached the limit of connections they can maintain” or something similar.
Some signs that someone may have hit their limit include:
– They have a lot of existing connections displayed on their profile for their account type
– They work in sales, recruiting, or other networking-focused roles
– They’ve been on LinkedIn for many years
If you suspect someone has reached their connection limit, it’s best to focus your efforts on connecting with others who are more likely to still have open slots.
Your Account Looks Suspicious or Fake
LinkedIn aims to maintain a professional community of legitimate users. If your account appears suspicious, inauthentic or fake, other members may decline connecting with you. Some signs that could make your account seem questionable include:
- Having very few connections
- Little to no profile information entered
- Default or generic profile photo
- Profile photo that looks artificially generated
- Incomplete work experience and education history
- Connection requests sent out en masse
- Profile has been reported to LinkedIn as fake
To avoid this issue, put care into setting up your LinkedIn profile. Enter detailed work histories, fill out the about section, use a professional photo of yourself, and customize your public profile URL. Build connections organically over time. Proactively report fake accounts you come across.
How to Tell If Your Account Looks Suspicious
Review your profile objectively from another user’s perspective. Ask colleagues or friends to assess your profile and give feedback on any areas that seem sparse, questionable or artificial.
Look for any notifications from LinkedIn questioning your account validity. Beef up weak areas and provide additional proof to re-establish your reputation.
You Don’t Share Any Common Connections
LinkedIn suggests 3rd degree connections to its members as people they may want to connect with. 3rd degree connections mean you don’t share any 1st or 2nd degree connections, but you still have some overlap through the broader network.
When you try connecting with a 3rd degree member directly without an introduction, they are less likely to recognize you or understand how you may be connected. This uncertainty makes them more inclined to ignore your request.
How to Connect When You Have No Connections in Common
If you want to connect with a 3rd degree member:
– Personalize your connection request with a message explaining who you are and why you want to connect.
– Try connecting with a shared 2nd degree connection first and then asking that person for an introduction.
– Identify any groups, companies or education you have in common and mention them in your request.
– Connect around shared interests, groups or content before directly approaching the person.
Investing some time to establish common ground first often leads to better connection outcomes when no obvious overlap exists.
They Don’t Recognize You or Remember Connecting With You
When people you may have briefly met in-person send a connection request, it’s not uncommon for them to have forgotten that interaction. Especially if you met once at an event or conference, they may not recall meeting you.
Without context, they may assume your request is spam or random if they don’t remember you. Providing some brief background jogs their memory so they can comfortably accept.
Some ways to remind them of how you met or connected:
– Mention when and where you met in your request message
– Reference a conversation you had or topic discussed
– Note any mutual connections who introduced you or were present
– Include the name of the event, group, or company where you connected
Essentially your goal is to provide enough specifics that they think “Oh yes, I do remember talking to this person!” and feel reassured accepting your request.
They Are Only Connecting With People They Know Well
Not everyone views LinkedIn connections as collecting contacts. Some people prefer only establishing connections with individuals they know well and interact with frequently.
Reasons for this approach include:
- Wanting to keep their network focused on close professional contacts
- Using LinkedIn more for staying in touch than making new contacts
- Reserving connections for family, friends, current coworkers and classmates
- Not wanting an overly large network they can’t realistically maintain
If someone seems selective about their connections, it may be difficult connecting unless you have a substantial relationship. Focus your efforts instead on those more open to new connections.
Signs Someone Is Highly Selective With Connections
Here are some indicators an individual is choosy about who they connect with:
– Small total number of connections
– Profile emphasizes close friends and family
– Connections are mostly coworkers or alumni
– Little connection activity over time
– Sparse recommendations and endorsements
Respect their restraint and be judicious when approaching contacts that fit this description.
They Are Selective About Who They Connect With
While some people exercise selectivity and limit connections to those they know well, others are open to expanding their network but still selective about it.
Reasons someone may be choosy include:
- Concern about spam and connection requests from strangers
- Wanting to build connections relevant to professional goals
- Not fully understanding the benefits of connecting
- Preferring quality connections over quantity
- Being in a client-focused field like sales or recruiting
In these cases, personalized outreach emphasizing your common interests and relevance tends to work best.
Strategies for Connecting with Selective People
If someone seems open yet discerning with connections, tailor your approach:
– Research their background so you can speak to shared connections
– Explain why you specifically want to connect with them
– Highlight groups and content you have in common
– Connect around niche professional interests
– Ask an existing mutual connection for an introduction
Investing time in a customized request demonstrates your genuine interest in connecting with that person specifically.
Your Invitation Message Was Poorly Written
How you word your connection invitation also influences whether it gets accepted. Generic or sloppy messages are less likely to receive a response.
Examples of poor invitation messages:
- “Let’s connect!”
- “I’d like to add you to my professional network.”
- “I think we could help each other out.”
- “Looking to grow my LinkedIn network.”
These give the recipient no context on who you are or why you want to connect. They may assume you spam everyone the same message.
How to Write Effective Connection Requests
Make your messages personal, specific, and thoughtful:
– Mention how you found them or where you met
– Explain who you are and why you want to connect
– Share specific common interests or connections
– Use a warm and sincere tone
– Keep it brief yet customized; don’t overdo it
Putting effort into your invitation note makes a big difference in acceptance rates.
You Have Different Privacy Settings Enabled
LinkedIn allows members to customize their privacy settings and what profile information is visible to others. If your settings are restrictive, others may have difficulty identifying or learning about you.
Having an overly bare or private profile can make you seem mysterious and untrustworthy. People will be hesitant to connect if they can see very little about you upfront.
At a minimum, displaying your industry, education, basic work history, and some profile details helps give connections enough context. Hiding too much makes outreach challenging.
How to Balance Privacy and Connections
Here are some ways to maintain privacy while still allowing connections:
– Show your industry, headline, and current position
– Display past 2-3 positions with option to show more
– List schools attended but not graduation years
– Give overview in about section but leave out personal details
– Show connections and groups but not individual profiles
– Enable options like “Connect directly only with people who know your email address or appear in your imported contacts list”
Adjusting some defaults still allows selectively while not totally restricting your visibility.
They Found You Through Searches and Don’t Know You
LinkedIn surfaces “People Also Viewed” and “People You May Know” suggestions based on profile attributes like industry, education, location and connections.
Sometimes people will connect with these suggestions even if they don’t actually know you. That unfamiliarity can lead to awkward interactions or conversations down the road.
To preempt this:
- Politely ask in your invitation how they found you or where you may have met
- Clarify you don’t recall meeting them previously if needed
- Suggest linking on LinkedIn but also meeting in-person to get acquainted
Proactively addressing the blind connection helps set appropriate expectations.
They Don’t Check LinkedIn Very Often
Some LinkedIn members rarely log in or check notifications. Even if they are open to connecting, it may take them weeks or months to respond.
Signs someone is not an active daily user:
- Profile lacks recent position changes
- Same responsibilities and overview text over time
- Sparse or no activity on posts and articles
- Few new connections over years
- No profile photo or still stock photo
Following up your request by also connecting via email or social media may be needed to capture their attention for inactive users. Don’t take lack of response as a slight if they simply don’t check LinkedIn frequently.
Conclusion
Connecting with new professional contacts is one of the primary benefits of LinkedIn. However, receiving no response to your outreach can be discouraging.
Often times it simply indicates the other person requires more context or that circumstances like privacy settings or inactivity are hindering the request. Other times it may mean your approach needs refinement or that person is overly restrictive with connections.
Reviewing the possible reasons above helps you evaluate next steps when faced with an unanswered invitation. Continue seeking quality connections that mutually benefit both parties. With persistence and care, you can gradually expand your network.
| LinkedIn Account Type | Maximum Connections Allowed |
|---|---|
| Basic | 30,000 |
| Sales Navigator Team | 30,000 |
| Business Plus | 30,000 |
| Sales Navigator Professional | 30,000 |
| Recruiter Lite | 30,000 |
| Premium Business | 25,000 |
| Premium | 15,000 |
| Free | 500 |
This table outlines the maximum number of LinkedIn connections allowed for each account type. People on the free version can only connect with 500 others, while paid account holders can connect with between 15,000 to 30,000 people depending on tier. If you receive notice someone hit their account limit, focus your connection efforts elsewhere.
