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What Blocking Someone on LinkedIn Actually Does
Blocking a LinkedIn member is one of the most decisive actions available on the platform — it severs all interaction between you and that person simultaneously. Before using it, it's worth understanding exactly what changes and what doesn't.
- Removes the person from your connections (if connected)
- Prevents them from viewing your profile
- Prevents them from sending you messages or connection requests
- Removes them from your feed and search results
- Prevents them from seeing your posts or comments
- Prevents them from seeing you through mutual connections' activity
- Does not notify the blocked person — LinkedIn silently enforces the block
- Does not prevent them seeing public posts a mutual connection shares directly
- Does not delete messages already sent — previous conversations remain in your inbox
- Does not prevent them from seeing your public profile if they are logged out
6 Reasons to Block Someone on LinkedIn
Blocking should be treated as a last resort after lighter options (adjusting privacy settings, muting, or direct communication) have been considered. These are the situations where it becomes the right call.
Excessive unsolicited messages or spam
Persistent connection requests, sales pitches, or incessant messages after you've already ignored or declined contact. Blocking ends the contact permanently and keeps your inbox focused on relevant conversations.
Inappropriate or offensive content
Members sharing discriminatory, offensive, or deeply unprofessional content in your feed. Blocking prevents their content from appearing in your experience and signals to LinkedIn that a review may be warranted.
Harassment or aggressive behaviour
In serious cases of harassment — repeated aggressive messages, threatening language, or targeted behaviour — blocking is the immediate protective action. Consider also reporting the profile to LinkedIn simultaneously.
Privacy concerns
Someone repeatedly checking your profile, tracking your activity, or attempting to contact you through mutual connections. Blocking removes their ability to monitor your profile or reach you through the platform.
Protecting sensitive business information
In competitive or sensitive situations, you may choose to block individuals who shouldn't have visibility into your connections, activity, or content — for example, direct competitors or parties involved in disputes.
Suspected fraud or impersonation
Accounts engaged in scammy behaviour, fake profiles, or impersonation. Block and report simultaneously — reporting sends the account to LinkedIn's review queue and helps protect the broader community.
How to Block Someone on LinkedIn — Step by Step
The blocking process is the same on desktop and the mobile app — the interface is slightly different, but the steps are identical. Here's the full process from start to confirm.
From a profile page (desktop or mobile)
Navigate to the person's profile
Use the LinkedIn search bar at the top of any page to find the person by name. Click through to their profile page. If you want to do this anonymously (so they don't see a profile visit notification), activate private browsing mode first — see the section below for how to do this.
Click the "More" button
On their profile page, find the "More" button — it appears as three horizontal dots (⋯) next to the message and connect buttons. On mobile, it may appear as a three-dot menu in the top right corner. Click or tap it to open the options menu.
Select "Report / Block"
From the dropdown menu that appears, select "Report / Block." LinkedIn will redirect you to a new page where you can choose the specific action. You can choose to block, report, or both.
Select "Block [Name]"
On the Report/Block page, click "Block [person's name]." LinkedIn will show you a brief explanation of what blocking does — that the person will be removed from your connections, will not be able to see your profile or content, and will not be notified of the block.
Confirm the block
Click "Block" to confirm. The action takes effect immediately. The person is removed from your connections list and will see no trace of you on the platform going forward. LinkedIn does not send them any notification.
From a message / chat (if they're already messaging you)
Open their message thread
Go to your LinkedIn inbox and open the conversation with the person you want to block.
Click the three dots in the top right of the chat box
Look for the (⋯) menu at the top right corner of the message thread — not the general inbox, but within the specific conversation window.
Select "Report or Block"
Choose the appropriate option from the menu. This follows the same process as blocking from a profile page. Useful if you want to block someone who's already in your inbox without visiting their profile first.
If the reason for blocking is harassment, fraud, scam activity, or impersonation — report the account too, not just block it. Reporting sends the account for LinkedIn's review and can result in the account being restricted or removed. Blocking alone only affects your personal experience; reporting protects the wider community. Both actions can be taken in the same workflow via "Report / Block."
How to Block Someone Anonymously
The challenge: to block someone, you need to visit their profile — and LinkedIn can notify members when someone views their profile. If you want to block someone without revealing that you looked at their profile, activate LinkedIn's private browsing mode before visiting.
Go to Settings & Privacy
Click your profile photo in the top right → select "Settings & Privacy" from the dropdown menu.
Open "Visibility" → "Profile viewing options"
Navigate to the "Visibility" tab on the left side of Settings. Click "Profile viewing options" and then "Change." You'll see three options: your name and headline (public), semi-private (LinkedIn member), or fully private (anonymous member).
Select "Private mode"
Choose the fully private / anonymous option. Your profile visits will now show as "LinkedIn Member" rather than your name — the person won't know you looked at their profile.
Visit the profile and block
With private mode active, navigate to the person's profile and follow the standard blocking steps: More → Report / Block → Block → Confirm.
Restore your viewing settings
After blocking, go back to Settings → Visibility → Profile viewing options and switch back to your name and headline. Private mode limits your ability to see who has viewed your own profile while it's active — so leaving it on permanently has tradeoffs.
How to Handle Unwanted Company Page Interactions
LinkedIn does not allow you to "block" a company page in the same way you block an individual member. However, you have several options for limiting or removing company content from your experience.
Unfollow the company page
Go to the company's LinkedIn page and click "Following" → select "Unfollow." Their posts and updates will stop appearing in your feed. You remain technically connected — this is the lightest-touch option and completely reversible.
Hide specific posts or ads
Click the three dots (⋯) in the top right of any specific post or ad from the company. Select "Hide this post" or "Hide all posts from [Company]." Useful for suppressing a specific advertiser without unfollowing entirely.
Report the page
If a company is sharing inappropriate content, engaging in abusive behaviour, or violating LinkedIn's policies — go to their page, click "More," and select "Report this page." LinkedIn reviews reports and takes action against policy violations.
Remove the company from your Experience
If you have a company listed in your Experience section (past or current employer) and want to remove that association, go to your profile → Edit Experience → delete or edit the relevant entry. This removes the formal profile link between you and that company.
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How to Unblock Someone on LinkedIn
If you've blocked someone and want to reverse the decision, unblocking is straightforward — but comes with the 48-hour re-block restriction to keep in mind. Unblocking restores the other person's ability to see your profile and send you connection requests or messages (subject to your privacy settings).
Go to Settings & Privacy
Click your profile photo → "Settings & Privacy."
Navigate to "Visibility" → "Blocking and hiding"
In the Visibility tab, find "Blocking and hiding." Click it to see the full list of accounts you have blocked, displayed alphabetically.
Find the person and click "Unblock"
Locate the person's name in your blocked list. Click the "Unblock" button next to their name. LinkedIn will ask you to confirm the unblock.
Confirm
Click "Unblock" to confirm. The block is lifted immediately. The person can now find your profile, see your content (within your privacy settings), and send you connection requests or messages again.
Unblocking restores their access to you based on your current privacy settings. If you don't want them to be able to immediately send you messages or connection requests, review your privacy settings before unblocking — set "Who can send you invitations" to "Only people who know your email address or appear in your imported contacts list" to create a soft barrier without keeping the block in place.
Alternatives to Blocking: Lighter-Touch Options
Blocking is permanent and severs all connection. Before using it, consider these less drastic options that may achieve the same practical outcome with fewer consequences for your professional network.
Mute
Stops their posts from appearing in your feed without removing the connection. Use for people whose content you don't want to see but with whom you want to maintain a connection for networking purposes. Go to their profile → Following → Unfollow, or click "Hide" on one of their posts and select "Unfollow [Name]."
Adjust privacy settings
Restrict who can see your activity, send you messages, or view your connections without blocking anyone. Settings → Visibility lets you control who sees your profile, connections list, and activity feed. A useful first response to privacy concerns before escalating to a block.
Remove the connection
Removing a connection breaks the 1st-degree link without blocking — they move from 1st to 2nd degree in your network, losing the ability to message you for free (unless they have InMail or you share a Group). They are not notified when you remove them as a connection.
Message filters
LinkedIn separates messages from 1st-degree connections and InMails from others. You can archive or delete individual message threads without any action on the connection itself. For spam from 2nd/3rd degree contacts, their InMails can be filtered automatically via message settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone tell if you've blocked them on LinkedIn?
LinkedIn does not notify the person you block. However, they may infer it indirectly — if they suddenly can't find your profile in search, can't view your content, can't see you in their connections list, or can no longer send you messages, they can reasonably conclude they've been blocked. LinkedIn doesn't confirm this for them, but the absence of your profile is a clear signal. This is why using private mode before visiting their profile (to block them) is worth doing if you want to minimise any trail.
How do I block someone on LinkedIn without them knowing?
Activate LinkedIn's private browsing mode first: Settings & Privacy → Visibility → Profile viewing options → select the anonymous / private option. Then visit their profile and proceed with the block: More → Report/Block → Block → Confirm. They won't see your name in their "who viewed my profile" list, and LinkedIn doesn't notify them of the block. After blocking, return to Settings and restore your normal profile viewing preferences unless you want to keep browsing anonymously.
What happens to existing messages when I block someone?
Existing message threads are not deleted — they remain in your inbox after blocking. The blocked person's messages will still be visible to you in your conversation history. However, they will no longer be able to send new messages, and the conversation thread on their side will be effectively frozen. If you want to remove the existing messages, you'll need to delete or archive the conversation thread manually from your LinkedIn inbox.
Can I block someone and then unblock them quickly?
Yes, you can unblock someone at any time — but the 48-hour re-block rule applies. Once you unblock a person, you cannot re-block that same person for 48 hours. This means that if you unblock someone temporarily (to review their profile, send a message, or for any other reason) you need to be comfortable not being able to immediately re-block them for two full days. Plan for this before using a temporary unblock.
Is blocking the same as removing a connection on LinkedIn?
No — removing a connection is a much lighter action. Removing a connection downgrades someone from 1st-degree to 2nd-degree in your network, removing their ability to message you for free, but they can still see your profile (subject to your privacy settings), view your public posts, and may still appear in searches. Blocking, by contrast, creates a complete mutual invisibility — neither party can find, view, or interact with the other through LinkedIn. Use removing a connection when you want to quietly distance yourself; use blocking when you need hard separation.
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