Content Creation
Yasmina Akni Ebourki
Last updated: Jun 17, 2025
Have you ever received a LinkedIn alert saying you reached your limit for connections or messages?
These LinkedIn limits are strict, and exceeding them can get your account restricted or even suspended.
Everything is tracked. Want to know what’s actually allowed and what could quietly tank your reach? Let’s dive in.
What Are LinkedIn Limits and How Do They Work in 2025?
LinkedIn limits are daily caps on how many actions you can take on the platform before your account gets restricted.
Think of them like speed limits for your networking activity.
What Are LinkedIn Limits?
Here's what gets limited:
Connection requests you can send
Messages you can send
Profiles you can view
Network size
Post characters limits
The exact numbers change based on your account type and the action you’re taking.
Why LinkedIn Implements These Limits
You might be wondering: why doesn’t LinkedIn just let you go wild with connection requests?
Well, LinkedIn implements these restrictions on both free and premium accounts for three key reasons:
Stop the spam flood Nobody wants their inbox flooded with "Hey, let's connect!" messages from complete strangers.
Block the bots and bad accounts Fake accounts and bots love to spam connection requests. By capping daily actions, LinkedIn makes it much harder for these troublemakers to operate.
Keep it professional LinkedIn wants quality conversations, not quantity. These limits push users toward meaningful connections instead of just collecting contacts like trading cards.
Here's the bottom line: These limits actually protect your reputation too.
When everyone's forced to be more selective, the connections you do make carry more weight.
Difference Between Soft Warnings and Hard Restrictions
Got a LinkedIn notification recently? Here's what it might mean.
LinkedIn doesn’t just slam the ban hammer without warning, they actually use a two-step system:
1. Soft Warnings
These appear when you're slightly exceeding LinkedIn's daily activity limits.
They're temporary notifications intended to alert you and encourage more moderate usage before stricter actions are taken.
2. Hard Restrictions
These occur when LinkedIn detects behavior that resembles automation or when previous warnings have been ignored.
The consequences hit harder:
Temporary account suspension
Message sending blocked
Connection request privileges revoked
Permanent account bans (in extreme cases)
The good news? LinkedIn usually gives you multiple chances before enforcing harsher actions.
Understanding these limits up front means you’ll never have to worry about either type of restriction.
LinkedIn Messaging Limits and InMail Restrictions
First things first, how many connection invitations can you actually send on LinkedIn?
Connection requests are your main tool for growing your LinkedIn network.
But here’s the catch: LinkedIn puts a hard cap on how many you can send.
Daily and Weekly Connection Request Limits
The standard limit is 100 connection requests per week.
But if you have a high SSI (Social Selling Index) score, you might get up to 200 requests per week.
Here’s the flexible part: you control the timing. You could:
Send all 100 requests on Monday morning
Spread them out with 20 requests daily
Go heavy on weekdays, light on weekends
Bonus tip: Only send requests to people in your industry or niche, LinkedIn’s algorithm watches for thi
When Does LinkedIn Weekly Limit Reset?
Have you gotten that LinkedIn notification saying, “You’ve reached your connection limit”?
LinkedIn will block you from sending more invitations once you hit your weekly cap.
But you’ll be able to start sending invites again exactly one week after your first request.
Here’s how it works: if you send your first invite on a Tuesday, your limit resets the following Tuesday.
It’s not based on calendar weeks, it’s a 7-day window that starts counting from the moment you send your first request.
If you pace yourself, you can keep a steady flow of new connections all week.
Total Connection Limit and Network Size
Here’s something most LinkedIn users don’t consider until it’s too late:
LinkedIn caps your total network at 30,000 first-degree connections.
That might sound like a massive number, but here’s the reality: active networkers hit this wall faster than you’d expect.
The problem? Once you hit that number, LinkedIn completely blocks you from adding new connections.
Your only options become:
Remove existing connections to free up space
Restructure your networking strategy entirely
Shift focus from connections to followers
The best advice? Be selective from day one when building your network.
Every accepted connection request takes up one of your 30,000 slots, so make sure each one supports your professional goals.
LinkedIn Message and Communication Limit
Ever wondered why some of your LinkedIn messages never seem to go through?
LinkedIn's messaging system has specific restrictions when it comes to the number of messages you can send each month.
Let's break down what each limit actually means for your outreach strategy.
Daily Message Limits by Account Type
Here's where it gets interesting. LinkedIn tracks three different types of messaging activities, and each has its own limit:
Messages to your existing connections These are people already in your network. You can send up to 150 messages per day.
Message requests to non-connections: You get 10 per week. That's for reaching people through events, groups, or mutual connections.
InMail messages (reaching people outside your network)
Free account: 5 InMails per month (Plus, if someone replies to your InMail, you get that credit back)
Premium account: 25 InMails per month
Sales Navigator: 20 to 50 InMails per month (depending on your plan)
Message Length and Attachment Restrictions
What about when you're actually writing that message? How much space do you get?
When you send messages on LinkedIn, you can use up to 8,000 characters. This limit applies to both regular DMs and InMails.
You can also attach files, but the maximum file size is 20 MB.
That's quite a bit of space to get your point across.
But here's the thing: just because you can write 8,000 characters doesn't mean you should.
The reality? Long messages get ignored.
People are busy scrolling through dozens of messages daily. Your best bet is to be clear, concise, focus on the value you’re bringing, and always personalize your approach.
Profile View and Search Limits on LinkedIn
Ever notice LinkedIn showing you who's been checking out your profile?
Here's what they don't tell you: there are strict limits on how much profile viewing you can do.
Daily Profile Viewing Limits
LinkedIn tracks every profile you visit and caps your daily views based on your account type:
Free account: Up to 80 profiles per day Premium account: 100 to 150 profiles daily (depends on your subscription type)
Sales Navigator: Up to 1,000 profiles per day
Bonus tip: Avoid hitting your maximum daily limits. Operating at around 50% of your allowance helps prevent LinkedIn's algorithm from flagging your account for suspicious activity.
Search and Discovery Limitations
The same restrictions apply when you're actively searching for prospects or potential clients on LinkedIn.
Your monthly search limits are as follows:
Free account: 300 profile searches per month
Premium account: Up to 6,000 profile searches per month
Sales Navigator: Advanced search capabilities, but still capped at 1,000 daily profile views
The catch: Even with premium accounts, you can only see the first 1,000 results in any search.
If you need more, be specific with your search terms. Use filters to find better results for what you want.
What Happens When You Exceed LinkedIn Limits
Already crossed the line?
If you’ve received a warning or restriction notice from LinkedIn, don’t panic.
There are steps you can take depending on the type of penalty you’re facing.
Here’s what you need to know:
Types of LinkedIn Restrictions and Penalties
LinkedIn applies different levels of restrictions based on the severity of the behavior:
1. Temporary Restrictions
The most common penalty. You lose access to key features like sending connection requests or messages. These restrictions can last anywhere from a few hours to several weeks, depending on the violation.
2. Account Lock
LinkedIn detects suspicious behavior (particularly automation tools) and temporarily locks your account. You can still browse the platform, but you cannot interact with others or publish content.
3. Permanent Account Ban
The most severe penalty. Repeated violations result in your entire profile, network, and content being permanently removed from the platform.
4. Shadowban (Reduced Visibility)
A subtle restriction where LinkedIn doesn’t notify you directly. Your content becomes less visible. Posts get fewer views. Your profile is harder to find in searches. Overall, your reach drops significantly without clear warning.
How Long Does It Take to Get Unblocked by LinkedIn?
The time it takes to recover from a restriction depends on the type of penalty:
Temporary blocks: From a few hours to several days. LinkedIn usually lifts these restrictions automatically.
Account locks: From 24 hours to several weeks. You will need to verify your identity and provide an explanation of your actions. The speed of your response is important.
Permanent bans: Recovery is extremely rare. You may appeal, but if LinkedIn has evidence of repeated violations, your chances of reinstatement are virtually zero.
How to Avoid LinkedIn Restrictions
As any doctor would tell you, the best cure is prevention.
Here are proven techniques to keep your LinkedIn account in good standing:
1. Maintain healthy acceptance rates
Regularly review and withdraw pending connection requests that have not been accepted. A high number of ignored requests can trigger LinkedIn's spam filters.
2. Personalize your messages and requests
Send short, personalized, and relevant messages. This increases response rates and reduces the risk of being flagged as spam.
3. Prioritize quality over quantity
Connect with people relevant to your industry or interests instead of sending mass requests to strangers. A professional, optimized profile also helps you avoid restrictions.
4. Avoid activity during unusual hours
Perform your LinkedIn activities during typical business hours in your time zone. Late-night activity can appear suspicious to LinkedIn's algorithm.
5. Warm up your account gradually
If you are new to LinkedIn or returning after inactivity, gradually
Risks of LinkedIn Automation Tools
Finally, let’s address the elephant in the room: LinkedIn automation tools.
These tools are often the main culprit behind account restrictions.
LinkedIn actively monitors for bot-like behavior and isn’t shy about penalizing accounts that use unauthorized automation.
The reality: Many professionals still use automation to scale their outreach. If you’re going to use these tools, here’s how to minimize your risk:
Stop automation immediately if restricted
The moment LinkedIn flags your account, shut down all automated tools. Continuing to use them while under restriction guarantees harsher penalties.
Mix automated and manual actions
Don’t let automation handle everything. Alternate between different types of interactions (messages, comments, likes) and add manual personalization to mimic genuine human behavior.
Choose reputable, LinkedIn-compliant tools
If you must automate, select tools that respect LinkedIn’s limits and offer customization options with speed controls. Cheap, aggressive tools are detection magnets.
Step-by-Step LinkedIn Recovery Process
If LinkedIn has restricted your account, follow these steps to recover access:
Understand the restriction
Check your email and LinkedIn messages to identify why you were restricted. LinkedIn typically sends notifications explaining the cause and the required next steps.
Verify your identity
If prompted, upload a clear photo of valid identification (passport, driver’s license, or government ID). You may also need to confirm your phone number or email address.
Contact LinkedIn Support
If restrictions aren’t lifted automatically, reach out through LinkedIn’s Help Center. Be clear, respectful, and acknowledge any potential policy violations while assuring compliance going forward.
Disconnect automation tools
Immediately disconnect any third-party automation tools. Go to “Settings & Privacy” > “Data Privacy” > “Permitted Services” and remove linked tools that may have triggered the restriction.
Wait and monitor
Temporary restrictions typically last from hours to weeks depending on the violation. Avoid creating new accounts or taking actions that could worsen your situation while waiting for resolution.
Adjust your approach
Analyze what caused the restriction and modify your LinkedIn activity to respect platform limits and policies going forward.
FAQ
How many connection requests can you send on LinkedIn per day?
LinkedIn typically allows up to 100 connection requests per week, which breaks down to about 20 per day. However, this can vary depending on your account activity, network quality, and profile reputation.
