Have you ever suspected a previous LinkedIn connection may have quietly removed you from their network?
Unlike more transparent social platforms, LinkedIn unfortunately does not directly notify users if they have been removed as a contact by someone else.
Your existing connections simply show in an alphabetical list without indications of current status from the other party.
This guide will arm you with methods to detect if you have been removed as a LinkedIn contact including:
- Profile investigation tricks
- Reverse search tests
- Re-connection attempts
Let’s investigate signs of quiet LinkedIn contact deletion…
Table of Contents
Does LinkedIn Notify You if A Contact Removes You?
The first clue is that unlike other social networks, LinkedIn provides no direct notifications if another user removes you from their connections.
Platforms like Facebook will explicitly alert you if unfriended by someone in email or notifications tabs:
With LinkedIn however, there is no official confirmation surfaced to your account if disconnected by a contact.
Instead connections remain listed alphabetically with no immediate indicators on current status.
You only notice an issue indirectly if attempting to view their profile or message them, and suddenly get prompted to “Connect” instead.
So what signs can help determine if this connects request is due to them removing you versus never connected originally?…
Also read: How to See Who Viewed Your LinkedIn Profile for Free: The Ultimate Guide
How to Know If Someone Disconnected You on LinkedIn
Without explicit removal alerts, here are top tactics to determine if a profile removed you as a contact from areas you should have access to if connected:
1. You Lose Shared Connections Visibility
As a 1st degree contact, you should see the full list of mutual connections you share with someone.
But if suddenly the shared connections counter disappears from their profile, it means you have been demoted externally to the 2nd-degree status reserved for the general public versus connections.
2. Profile Photo Vanishes
Similarly, being able to view someone’s profile photo and backdrop header image indicates a 1st degree of connection status.
But if you suddenly notice those photos replaced with blank generic silhouette icons, it signals a severed connection dropping you to outside public status:
Without that familiar photo visibility confirming active linking, likely indicates they disconnected privately.
3. Messaging and Notifications Become Unavailable
As an existing 1st level connection, options to message someone directly via LinkedIn or receive notifications on their activity remain available.
But if you lose visibility into messaging threads history and notifications tab for that contact, suggests tied access has been cut by removing you as a connection.
4. Reconnect Prompts Appear
The clearest sign comes directly through site UI such as relationship status badges and call-to-actions.
If where an established “Connect” relationship existed now asks you to “Connect” again, self-evidently signals the tie previously in place has been deleted elsewhere without your awareness.
For example, notice on profiles how active connections showcase a 1st degree “Connected” tag:
But if now “Connect” displays instead, confirms that a severing from their end removes existing access:
Most telltale sign if suspicious!
Also read: Why My LinkedIn Account is Restricted: A Troubleshooting Guide
Test Sending Them an InMail to Confirm Removal
If still uncertain from the profile signals above, the foolproof method comes from directly attempting to message the contact in question via LinkedIn’s InMail system for confirmed members.
If able to successfully deliver an InMail message to their inbox, definitively proves still connected as 1st-degree contact with access.
However, if receiving a blocked sender notice or requests to upgrade an account to message them, solidifies your ties have been erased:
This failed sending diagnostic puts all doubt to rest on if removal occurred based on hard messaging evidence.
While the inability to message could also come from that user configuring limited contact settings, the combination of the other profile investigation checks earlier suggests intentioned disconnection instead.
Common LinkedIn Disconnecting Scenarios
While annoying rejection stings, don’t take a LinkedIn removal too personally. Many standard reasons exist for contacts sever ties such as:
- General network culling and cleanup
- Job change or departure necessitating a new focus
- Inactive use of their account altogether
Specifically, seasoned LinkedIn users often conduct quarterly audits removing old connections irrelevant to current opportunities.
Especially those getting peppered by too many notifications and irrelevant updates from tertiary contacts who feel the need to trim network density back to only critical relationships.
So range of practical factors motivate pruning versus any offense or judgment about you specifically!
In other cases, friendlier solutions exist like politely messaging the party in question and asking to reconnect strengthening bonds for the future.
Either way – knowing the tactics to validate removals or re-establish contact arms you with needed clarity.
Let’s recap key takeaways:
No notification if removed – Unlike Facebook, LinkedIn does not directly alert if connections remove you
Profile changes signal status – Losing shared contacts, messaging ability and connect prompts signal potential removal
InMail failures confirm removal – Blocked attempts to message a contact prove externally deleted access
I hope these tips empower you to tactfully assess relationships if you suspect a treasured LinkedIn contact disengaged without your knowledge.
Sometimes digital contacts come and go with career or personal evolutions. Don’t interpret loss as permanent if the opportunity arises to reconnect down the road.
Let me know if any other LinkedIn questions!
Also read: Can You Have 2 LinkedIn Accounts With the Same Email?
FAQs
Here are some additional frequently asked questions about finding out if someone removed you as a LinkedIn contact:
