27 March 2009 / 34 ReTweets

How Do I Disconnect from Someone on LinkedIn?

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It is amazing how often I not only get asked this question of how to disconnect from someone and remove LinkedIn connections from my own personal network but also how frequently it appears on LinkedIn Answers.  If you think of connecting to someone as their joining your virtual world, if the relationship does not work out because you feel you are being spammed or for another reason, you do have the option of disconnecting from them and removing them as a connection.  Connecting with someone is not a marriage by any means!  Hopefully this gives those who want to build out a large virtual network or even those who want to start slowly connecting to people that you virtually meet on LinkedIn some sense of security in doing so.

Disconnecting and removing a connection is as easy as going to the “Contacts” screen, pressing “Remove Connections” at the top right-hand side, and then choosing and confirming who you want to disconnect from and remove from your LinkedIn connections.

The beauty of using this Remove Connections functionality to disconnect is that:

  • Your contact will not be informed that you removed them from your connections.
  • Should your disconnected connection wish to invite you to connect again, even after you remove them as a connection, they will get an error message saying something to the effect that “This user cannot be invited at this time”. If they contact you directly about this be prepared to explain (I have been in the same situation in the past so you will have to explain in your own words).
  • You can re-invite the person you disconnected from, in which case the connection will be fully restored as if you never removed them.

The ability to remove connections and disconnect should give you the confidence that should, for whatever reason, you want to disconnect with one of your connections, the option is there. And it is easy to do as well.

For more tips about using LinkedIn, make sure you check out my book Windmill Networking: Understanding, Leveraging & Maximizing LinkedIn.

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  • http://TheVirtualHandshake.com/ Scott Allen

    LinkedIn should realize from how often that question gets asked how utterly counter-intuitive this is. Where it SHOULD be is on the profile of the person your connected to. It should be an available action there — “Disconnect from this person.”

  • http://TheVirtualHandshake.com Scott Allen

    LinkedIn should realize from how often that question gets asked how utterly counter-intuitive this is. Where it SHOULD be is on the profile of the person your connected to. It should be an available action there — “Disconnect from this person.”

  • Neal Schaffer

    Scott,

    You are bang on. I think LinkedIn really needs to revamp the entire User Interface. There is too much bouncing around different screens in order to accomplish something on LinkedIn. This definitely contributes to the poor user performance that we feel everyday. Not to mention that you can’t delete your Inbox messages, leading to more data in the servers than LinkedIn needs. Definitely time for an overhaul.

    On a separate note, it is an honor to receive a comment from you on my blog. “I Am Not a Number” is a classic article in Networking circles. I often blog about the “virtual network” which is an extension of your “virtual handshake”. Thank you and looking forward to further communications with you!

  • Neal Schaffer

    Scott,

    You are bang on. I think LinkedIn really needs to revamp the entire User Interface. There is too much bouncing around different screens in order to accomplish something on LinkedIn. This definitely contributes to the poor user performance that we feel everyday. Not to mention that you can’t delete your Inbox messages, leading to more data in the servers than LinkedIn needs. Definitely time for an overhaul.

    On a separate note, it is an honor to receive a comment from you on my blog. “I Am Not a Number” is a classic article in Networking circles. I often blog about the “virtual network” which is an extension of your “virtual handshake”. Thank you and looking forward to further communications with you!

  • http://www.linkedin.com/in/burda Steven Burda

    “You can re-invite the person you disconnected from, in which case the connection will be fully restored.”

    This is not so. YOU CANNOT re-invite the person after disconnecting.

    -Steven

  • http://www.linkedin.com/in/burda Steven Burda

    “You can re-invite the person you disconnected from, in which case the connection will be fully restored.”

    This is not so. YOU CANNOT re-invite the person after disconnecting.

    -Steven

  • Neal Schaffer

    Steven,

    Unless things have changed recently, I was able to do this for one of my connections just a few months ago. Have you experienced this recently?

    Cheers,
    Neal

  • Neal Schaffer

    Steven,

    Unless things have changed recently, I was able to do this for one of my connections just a few months ago. Have you experienced this recently?

    Cheers,
    Neal

  • http://www.linkedin.com/in/burda Steven Burda

    recently – yes.

  • http://www.linkedin.com/in/burda Steven Burda

    recently – yes.

  • Neal Schaffer

    I actually experimented with this with a friend of mine and I was able to disconnect and then invite, so it still works. I think that LinkedIn must have placed the restriction on you because of the artificial ceiling they put on your connections…

  • Neal Schaffer

    I actually experimented with this with a friend of mine and I was able to disconnect and then invite, so it still works. I think that LinkedIn must have placed the restriction on you because of the artificial ceiling they put on your connections…

  • shiyun chung

    Hmm, this is interesting.

    Both of you are very helpful for the new LinkedIn user.
    Especially clear out all those cynical views on social networking.

    I like to connect to both of you. If I just send a simple invite, what will be the msg I will get?

    Thanks,

  • shiyun chung

    Hmm, this is interesting.

    Both of you are very helpful for the new LinkedIn user.
    Especially clear out all those cynical views on social networking.

    I like to connect to both of you. If I just send a simple invite, what will be the msg I will get?

    Thanks,

  • Neal Schaffer

    Shiyung,

    I am an open networker and will accept your invite! Please feel free to send me an invite! And if I can help you out any way let me know!

    Cheers,
    Neal

  • Neal Schaffer

    Shiyung,

    I am an open networker and will accept your invite! Please feel free to send me an invite! And if I can help you out any way let me know!

    Cheers,
    Neal

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  • LSR

    The “Connections” screen? You mean “Contacts” on the left hand side of the screen?

  • http://windmillnetworking.com/ nealschaffer

    Actually they both lead you to the same screen, so either one will do!

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  • http://www.goodpeople.jp GoodPeopleJapan

    OK so what if you want to disconnect from someone, but you want 'them' to have the option of reconnecting…?

  • http://windmillnetworking.com/ nealschaffer

    Under the current LinkedIn paradigm, that is not possible. And if you think about it, you normally are disconnecting from someone for a reason, no?

  • http://windmillnetworking.com/ nealschaffer

    Under the current LinkedIn paradigm, that is not possible. And if you think about it, you normally are disconnecting from someone for a reason, no?

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  • http://www.homemadeheaven.net Hottie Von Dottie

    Thanks a bunch! That really helped me. It’s simple, but not always easy to find that important, little button… ;-)

  • http://windmillnetworking.com/ Neal Schaffer | Social Media

    I hear ‘ya!

  • SouthOfBoston69

    I understand a connection can “disconnect” from your connections list. Can that same person delete a letter of recommendation they previously sent to you and was posted on your profile?  It appears a letter has disappeared from a “disconnection” of mine.  My feeling is once someone gives you a letter, it belongs to you, not only the writer.  Please let me know how I can retreive this letter. Thanks.

  • http://windmillnetworking.com/ Neal Schaffer

    I believe that through Manage Recommendations you cannot delete past recommendations, but you can hide them from display. That is probably what happened…

  • Chris Belke1

    I am not a linked in member but foolishly i agreed to be linked in to just two other people, now I keep getting requests and wate of time emails from these two people of who they are linked in with.  I want out. How do I get of this roundabout????????

  • http://windmillnetworking.com/ Neal Schaffer

    Go to your LinkedIn account settings and cancel your account – or disconnect from those connections of yours!

  • http://windmillnetworking.com/ Neal Schaffer

    Chris,

    I don’t know your exact situation, but probably what you should do is one of the following:

    - Cancel your account (in your Settings screen)
    - Disconnect from your connections
    - Adjust your settings so that you don’t accept introduction requests

    Does this help?

  • http://windmillnetworking.com/ Neal Schaffer

    Chris,

    I don’t know your exact situation, but probably what you should do is one of the following:

    - Cancel your account (in your Settings screen)
    - Disconnect from your connections
    - Adjust your settings so that you don’t accept introduction requests

    Does this help?

  • http://twitter.com/Lori_Naz Lori Naz

    Thank you for your informative article. I looked up this information month’s ago and even the FAQ’s on Linkedin said it wasn’t possible. the information you provided was very useful. I appreciate it.

  • http://windmillnetworking.com/ Neal Schaffer

    You’re very welcome Lori! If you have a burning LinkedIn question that hasn’t been answered elsewhere, please let me know so that I can write a blog post on it! Thanks!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=732912617 Donald Macleay

    Yeah, they could take a look at any other social networking site.  Having to go to the other page, and then choose to remove and then find the name again without a search function,…. well, you really have to want to get rid of the person badly … 

  • http://windmillnetworking.com/ Neal Schaffer

    I hear ‘ya…

  • http://windmillnetworking.com/ Neal Schaffer

    Yes – without them knowing it!

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