Understanding Connections

People in your LinkedIn network are connections, ranging between 1st - 3rd degree connections.

1st Degree:

People you're directly connected to because you have accepted their invitation to connect or they have accepted yours.

2nd Degree:

People who are connected to your 1st-degree connections. You can send them an invitation by clicking Connect, or contact them through an InMail message or an introduction.

3rd Degree:

People who are connected to your 2nd-degree connections.

  • If their full first and last names are displayed, you will be able to send them an invitation by clicking Connect.
  • If only the first letter of their last name is displayed, clicking Connect is not an option but you can still contact them through an InMail message or an introduction.

Sending a Connection Request

You can ask someone to join your professional network by sending them an invitation to connect. If they accept your invitation, they become a 1st-degree connection.

We recommend that you only send invitations to people you know well and trust. Your network is a reflection of your brand.

Your 1st-degree connections are allowed to see the primary email address on your account, and can view all of your connections (if you choose to make them visible to others).

Step 1: Find the profile of someone you want to connect with. Click Connect.

Step 2: Personalize your request to connect by following these tips:

  • Include a salutation
  • Remind the recipient how you know them
  • Reference something personal about them or their business

Step 3: Click Send Invitation.

Receiving Connection Requests

As the recipient of a connection request, don’t feel obligated to accept every request. You have three options to respond to a request: Accept, Ignore, and Reply.

Choose Reply to request  more information: “Thank you for reaching out. Please remind me – how do we know each other?”

When you click Ignore, you can additionally choose I Don’t Know [sender’s name] or Report as Spam.