Blocking stops a person from viewing your profile, sending you messages, or seeing your posts
When you block someone on LinkedIn, that person can no longer find your profile through search, see your posts or activity, send you connection requests or messages, or tag you in content. They will not receive a notification that you blocked them, but if they try to visit your profile directly, they will see a message saying the profile is not available. Blocking is permanent until you unblock them — there is no time limit.
The block applies only to that one person. Other connections of theirs can still see your profile and contact you normally. If you block someone who is already your connection, you will be automatically disconnected from them.
Key Takeaways
- Blocking someone on LinkedIn removes them from your connections, hides your profile from them, and stops all communication between you.
- You can block someone from their profile, from a message thread, or from your connections list — the result is the same either way.
- The person you block will not be notified, but they will see an error message if they try to visit your profile directly.
- You can unblock someone at any time by going to your blocked users list in your privacy settings.
- Blocking is different from ignoring a message request, which only hides messages from someone who is not yet your connection.
Block someone from their LinkedIn profile
Go to the person's profile page. You can find them by using the search bar at the top of LinkedIn, or by clicking on their name if they appear in your feed or in a message thread.
Once you are on their profile, look for the three dots (•••) in the top right corner of their profile card or header. Click those dots to open a menu. Select Block from the list. LinkedIn will ask you to confirm — click Block again to finish.
If you are already connected with this person, LinkedIn will warn you that blocking will remove the connection. This is normal. Click Block to proceed.
Block someone from a message or connection request
If someone has sent you a message or connection request, you can block them directly from that message or request without visiting their profile.
For a message: Open the message thread. Click the three dots (•••) at the top right of the conversation. Select Block from the menu.
For a connection request: Go to your Invitations section (click the person icon at the top, then Manage my network, then Invitations). Find the request from the person you want to block. Click the three dots next to their name and select Block.
Block someone from your connections list
If you want to block someone you are already connected with, you can do it directly from your connections list without opening their profile.
Click the person icon at the top of LinkedIn, then select Connections. Search for the person's name or scroll to find them. Hover over their name and click the three dots that appear. Select Block from the menu.
What the blocked person will see
The person you blocked will not receive a notification saying you blocked them. However, if they try to search for you or visit your profile directly, they will see a message that says something like "You don't have permission to view this profile" or "This profile is not available."
They will not be able to see your posts, comments, or activity. Any messages you sent them before the block will remain in their inbox, but they will not be able to reply to you or start a new conversation.
If you were connected before the block, they will see that you are no longer in their connections list, but they will not know why.
Unblock someone if you change your mind
You can unblock someone at any time. Go to your profile by clicking the person icon at the top, then select Settings and privacy. Click Privacy on the left side. Scroll down to Blocking and hiding and click Manage blocked users.
You will see a list of everyone you have blocked. Find the person you want to unblock and click Unblock next to their name. Confirm when LinkedIn asks you to.
Once you unblock someone, they can search for you and send you messages again. You will not automatically reconnect — they will need to send a new connection request if they want to connect with you.
Blocking versus ignoring messages
Blocking is different from ignoring a message request. When you ignore a message from someone who is not yet your connection, their message moves to a separate folder and you do not see notifications from them. However, they can still see your profile and send you more messages.
Blocking is stronger: it hides your entire profile from that person and stops all contact. Use blocking when you want to prevent someone from contacting you or viewing your activity. Use ignoring when you simply do not want to see notifications from someone but do not need to hide your profile from them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I blocked them?
No, they will not receive a notification. However, if they try to visit your profile or search for you, they will see that your profile is not available. Some people may figure out they were blocked based on this, but LinkedIn does not tell them directly.
Can I block someone and then unblock them later?
Yes. You can unblock someone at any time through your blocked users list in Settings and privacy. Once you unblock them, they can see your profile and contact you again, but you will not automatically reconnect.
What happens to messages I already sent to someone I blocked?
Messages you sent before the block will stay in their inbox, but they will not be able to reply to you. Any new messages they try to send will not reach you.
If I block someone, will they disappear from my connections list?
Yes. Blocking automatically removes the connection. If you were not connected before you blocked them, nothing changes on your connections list — they simply will not be able to find you or contact you.
Can I block someone without them seeing that I removed the connection?
Not completely. If you were connected, they will notice you are no longer in their connections. However, they will not receive a notification about it, and they will not know whether you blocked them, removed the connection, or deactivated your account.