Blocking someone on LinkedIn removes their ability to see your profile, send you messages, or find you in search results

When you block a person on LinkedIn, they cannot view your profile, send you connection requests or messages, or see your posts and activity. You will not see their profile either. The block is one-way — they may not know you blocked them, though they will notice if they try to visit your profile and cannot access it. LinkedIn does not notify blocked users, but the action is permanent until you choose to unblock them.

Blocking is different from removing a connection or ignoring a message request. If you simply remove someone as a connection, they can still see your public profile and send you new requests. Blocking cuts off all contact and visibility. This guide walks you through the blocking process on both desktop and mobile, and explains what happens after you block someone.

Key Takeaways

  • You can block someone from their profile page, from a message conversation, or from a search result in just two or three clicks.
  • A blocked person cannot see your profile, send you messages, or find you in LinkedIn search, but you will not receive a notification that they tried.
  • Blocking is reversible — you can unblock someone at any time from your blocked users list.
  • LinkedIn does not tell the blocked person who blocked them, though they will see an error if they try to visit your profile directly.
  • If someone is harassing you, blocking them is faster than reporting, but you can do both.

How to block someone from their LinkedIn profile

The most straightforward way to block someone is to visit their profile and use the menu option there. Open LinkedIn on your desktop or mobile browser, search for the person's name, and click on their profile to open it.

On desktop, look for the three-dot menu icon (•••) near the top right of their profile card, usually next to the "Message" or "Connect" button. Click it and select "Block" from the dropdown menu. A confirmation box will appear asking if you are sure — click "Block" again to confirm. On mobile, tap the three-dot menu icon at the top of their profile and select "Block" from the options shown.

After you block someone, their profile will no longer appear in your search results, and any previous messages between you will remain in your inbox but you will not be able to open them. If you were connected to this person, the connection is removed automatically.

How to block someone from a message or connection request

If someone is messaging you repeatedly or you want to block them without visiting their full profile, you can block them directly from the message thread. Open your messaging inbox, find the conversation with the person you want to block, and look for the three-dot menu icon at the top of the conversation window.

On desktop, click the three-dot menu and select "Block" from the list. On mobile, tap the three-dot menu and choose "Block" from the options. You will see a confirmation message — tap or click "Block" to finalize it. The conversation will remain in your inbox, but you will not receive any new messages from this person.

You can also block someone from a pending connection request. In your "Invitations" section, find the request from the person you want to block, click the three-dot menu next to their name, and select "Block." This prevents them from sending you future requests.

What happens after you block someone

Once you block someone, they immediately lose access to your profile. If they try to visit your LinkedIn profile directly using a saved link or by searching for you, they will see a message saying the profile is not available or that they do not have permission to view it. They will not see a message that says "you are blocked" — LinkedIn keeps the reason private.

Any messages you sent to them before the block remain in their inbox, but they cannot reply to you. Similarly, messages they sent to you stay in your inbox, but you cannot open or respond to them. If you were connected, the connection disappears from both of your networks. Your posts, comments, and activity will not appear to them anywhere on LinkedIn.

If the blocked person has your email address or phone number, they can still contact you outside of LinkedIn. Blocking only affects what they can do on the LinkedIn platform itself.

How to unblock someone if you change your mind

Blocking is not permanent. If you decide later that you want to unblock someone, you can do so from your settings. On desktop, click your profile photo at the top right, select "Settings and privacy," then click "Settings." Scroll down to find "Blocking and hiding" and click on it. You will see a list of all the people you have blocked.

Find the person you want to unblock and click the "Unblock" button next to their name. On mobile, tap your profile photo, go to "Settings and privacy," then "Settings," scroll to "Blocking and hiding," and tap "Unblock" next to the person's name. Once you unblock someone, they can see your profile again and send you messages and connection requests.

Unblocking does not automatically reconnect you — if you were connected before, you will need to send a new connection request or they will need to request to connect with you again.

The difference between blocking, reporting, and muting

LinkedIn offers three separate tools for managing unwanted contact, and they work differently. Blocking prevents someone from seeing your profile or contacting you. Reporting tells LinkedIn that someone is violating the platform's rules — for example, if they are harassing you, impersonating someone, or sending spam. Muting hides someone's posts and activity from your feed without blocking them or reporting them.

If someone is simply annoying you or posting things you do not want to see, muting is the gentler option. If someone is harassing you or breaking LinkedIn's rules, reporting is the right choice — it alerts LinkedIn's safety team. If someone is contacting you repeatedly or you want them to have no access to your profile at all, blocking is the answer. You can use more than one tool on the same person if needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone tell if I blocked them?

LinkedIn does not send a notification to tell someone they have been blocked. However, if they try to visit your profile directly, they will see an error message. If they search for you and cannot find you, they may suspect you blocked them, but they cannot confirm it through LinkedIn itself.

What if I block someone and then want to connect with them later?

You will need to unblock them first. Once unblocked, you can send them a connection request like any other user. They will not receive a message saying you previously blocked them — the history is not visible to them.

If I block someone, do they lose access to messages I already sent them?

No. Messages you sent before the block remain in their inbox and they can read them. They just cannot reply to you or send you new messages. Messages they sent to you stay in your inbox but become unreadable once they are blocked.

Does blocking someone remove them from my connections list?

Yes. If you were connected to someone before you blocked them, the connection is removed automatically. You will no longer appear in each other's networks.

Can I block someone without them knowing my reason?

Yes. LinkedIn does not tell blocked users why they were blocked or who blocked them. They only see that your profile is unavailable to them.