LinkedIn is the prime place to engage with a professional audience. However, if you’re engaging too often, you can quickly find yourself facing one of LinkedIn’s infamous temporary bans.
This is especially true for anyone sending a high number of connection requests or messages per week—we’re looking at you, recruiters and salespeople! In this article, we answer the unanswered questions about LinkedIn action and connection limits.
What Type of Limits Exist on LinkedIn?
Unfortunately, LinkedIn limits just about everything you do on their platform. From the number of searches you perform to the accounts you view, LinkedIn has a limit set in place. What that limit is depends on a few things:
- Subscription Type: In simple, the more you pay for LinkedIn, the higher your action limits will be. Specific subscriptions, such as LinkedIn Recruiter, can be a powerful way to increase specific limits relevant to your industry-specific goals.
- Activity Level: How active you are on LinkedIn (the number of searches, messages, and connection requests) you’re sending plays a part in your actual limit. That being said, activity level doesn’t drastically change anything.
But here’s the kicker: even if you’re a paid subscriber and super active, LinkedIn still imposes limits on your account.
LinkedIn Limits: A Full Chart
LinkedIn is incredibly secretive about its limits. One day, you’ll be sending out what you think is a safe number of connection requests, and the next, you’ll be locked in LinkedIn jail – unable to respond to any messages.
We took it upon ourselves to scour the internet for any information regarding LinkedIn’s actions limits to put together a definitive list of what limits exist & what they’re set at. Keep in mind that these may change.
| Basic (Free) | LinkedIn Premium | Sales Navigator | LinkedIn Recruiter | Recruiter Lite | |
| Search Limit | 1,000 searches/month | Higher than Basic, exact limit undisclosed | 2,500 searches/month | 5,000 searches/month | 1,000 searches/month |
| Profile Views | 1,000 views/month | Unlimited, but monitored for spamming | 1,500-5,000 views/month, based on usage | Unlimited, monitored for spamming | Unlimited, monitored for spamming |
| Message Limit (InMails) | None (only 1st-degree connections) | 5-20 InMails/month, depending on plan | 50 InMails/month | 150-200 InMails/month | 30 InMails/month |
| Connection Requests | 100/week | 100-200/week, based on engagement | 100-200/week, based on engagement | No strict limit, but activity monitored | 100-200/week, based on engagement |
How Can I Safely Navigate LinkedIn’s Limits?
Navigating LinkedIn’s limits can be tricky for anyone running outreach at scale – especially for those on a free LinkedIn account.
Here’s what we recommend:
1. Increase Limits Using We-Connect:
We-Connect increases your action and messaging limits on LinkedIn. Additionally, you can design campaigns that automate actions such as connection requests, profile visits, skill endorsements, messages, and more!
Using We-Connect, you can send up to 200 connection requests per week, compared to only 100 without We-Connect.
2. Upgrade Your LinkedIn Plan
LinkedIn’s free plan simply isn’t enough for most users running outreach on LinkedIn. While it provides the foundation, it falls short when it comes to actual functionality.
What plan do we recommend?
- LinkedIn Premium Business: One of the cheaper LinkedIn premium plans that unlocks action limits, InMail access, advanced searches, and customer support. This is our recommendation for anyone who doesn’t need industry-specific capabilities.
- Sales Navigator: Designed specifically for sales professionals, Sales Nav increases InMail, messaging, and connection invite limits. However, it’s a hefty price for teams on a budget.
- Recruiter: Tailored for recruiters, LinkedIn Recruiter offers advanced search capabilities and candidate sourcing tools. It’s the go-to choice for anyone in recruiting.
We dedicated an entire blog to deciding whether a paid LinkedIn subscription is worth it.
3. Use LinkedIn Authentically
Just because you’re using LinkedIn to achieve a business goal doesn’t mean that you need to ‘spray and pray.’ In fact, we strongly advise against that.
Using LinkedIn authentically not only saves you from LinkedIn restrictions but also can improve your results. Here are some ways you can use LinkedIn authentically:
- Share Valuable Content: Posting is another essential part of LinkedIn. That doesn’t mean you need to post daily tips, but aim to share a valuable piece of content at least once a quarter.
- Work To Build Real Relationships: In its most basic function, LinkedIn is a networking site. Aim to get to know & establish rapport with your 1st degree connections. Who knows, it just might land you your next job.
- Engage Your Network: Remember to link, comment, and share your network’s posts. Through regular engagement, you can boost the visibility of your profile.
- Don’t Spam: If you’re automating messages, make sure they’re personalized, relevant, and to the point. Additionally, don’t mass message hundreds of contacts at the same time… That is unless you want to get banned!
By using LinkedIn authentically, you’ll not only achieve your business goals but also build a strong and engaged network.
Don’t worry too much if you get restricted on LinkedIn. Try and learn what you did wrong so you can avoid it in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions on Connection Limits
You can have up to 30,000 1st-degree connections on LinkedIn. Connect with people you know first before connecting with other professionals in your industry.
Once you hit the 30,000 connection limit, you’ll no longer be able to accept or send new connection requests. Your profile will also automatically switch to ‘creator mode,’ displaying the “Follow” button instead of the “Connect” button.
To continue expanding your network, you’ll need to make room by removing some existing connections before you can add new ones. This might seem daunting, but it’s a necessary step to keep your network engaged and relevant.
The number of connection requests you can send per week depends on your LinkedIn subscription and activity level. If you’re on a free plan, you can send 100 connection invites per week. If you are on a paid LinkedIn subscription, such as LinkedIn Premium or Sales Navigator, you can send 150-200 per week.
The number of InMails you can send depends on your LinkedIn subscription. Simply put, the higher your subscription level, the more InMails you are able to send. This limit is between 5 and 15 InMails per month unless you are on a Sales Navigator (50 InMails/month) or LinkedIn Recruiter (150 InMails/month) plan.
If you exceed LinkedIn’s limits, you may face a temporary restriction. This will lock you out of your LinkedIn account, typically for 24 to 48 hours. You may be able to get immediate access to your account by contacting LinkedIn support.
While LinkedIn doesn’t offer direct purchases for connection requests or InMails, upgrading to a premium subscription can provide increased limits and additional features. However, action limits still exist no matter what LinkedIn plan you’re using.
There is no clear way to completely make LinkedIn’s limits disappear. That being said, you can use We-Connect to automate outreach campaigns that will increase the number of connection requests you can send to 200 per week.
Final Thoughts
Understanding LinkedIn’s limits is crucial for anyone who wants to use the platform effectively. By being aware of these limitations and following LinkedIn’s guidelines, you can avoid penalties and maximize your reach.
To automate your outreach campaigns and increase your action limits, sign up for We-Connect today. Our platform provides powerful tools to help you connect with more people and achieve your goals on LinkedIn.
