How to Block a Follower on LinkedIn

Sometimes you need to create a little professional distance on LinkedIn, and blocking a user is the most direct way to do it. Whether you're dealing with spam, unprofessional comments, or simply want to curate a more positive online space, this feature gives you full control. This guide will walk you through exactly how to block someone, what happens when you do, and some alternative options for managing your network.

When Is It Time to Block Someone on LinkedIn?

While LinkedIn is a platform for building professional connections, not every interaction is valuable. Blocking isn't just for extreme cases, it's a practical tool for maintaining the health and quality of your professional network. Think of it as setting a necessary boundary in your digital office.

You might consider blocking someone for several common reasons:

• Persistent, Unwanted Sales Pitches: We've all received a connection request followed immediately by a generic, pushy sales message. If a user repeatedly ignores your lack of interest and continues to flood your inbox with spam, blocking puts a firm stop to it.
• Inappropriate or Unprofessional Behavior: If someone leaves harassing, rude, or offensive comments on your posts or sends inappropriate messages, blocking them is a necessary step to protect your online safety and an important form of community management.
• Maintaining Privacy from Certain Individuals: You may not want a former colleague, a competitor, or a specific individual tracking your career updates or seeing your professional activity. Blocking them is a simple way to create that privacy.
• Stopping Negative Interactions: If a past professional relationship ended poorly, staying connected on LinkedIn can be awkward or even stressful. Blocking removes that digital reminder and prevents any potential negativity from spilling into your professional feed.
• Competitors Poaching Talent: For business owners and managers, blocking can be a strategic move. If a competitor is constantly combing through your employee list and sending recruitment messages, some leaders choose to block them from viewing their company's network.

Ultimately, a block removes a source of distraction, stress, or unprofessionalism from your experience. This step lets you focus your energy on engaging with the communities and connections that truly matter to your career.

The Step-by-Step Guide to Blocking Someone on LinkedIn

Blocking a user on LinkedIn is a straightforward process, whether you're using a computer or the mobile app. The steps are nearly identical, but the location of the buttons can vary slightly.

On a Desktop Browser:

Using LinkedIn on your desktop provides the most screen real estate, making the options easy to find.

1. Navigate to Their Profile: First, go directly to the profile of the person you wish to block. You can do this by searching for their name in the LinkedIn search bar or clicking on their name from a comment or message.
2. Find the "More" Button: Directly below their profile picture and headline, you'll see a row of buttons, such as "Message," "Connect," or "Pending." To the right of these, there is a button labeled "More."
3. Initiate the Block: Click the "More" button. A dropdown menu will appear with several options. Near the bottom of this list, you'll see "Report / Block." Click this option.
4. Confirm the Block: A new pop-up window will appear asking what you want to do. Select the option that says "Block [Person's Name]."
5. Final Confirmation: LinkedIn will give you one last confirmation screen that explains what happens when you block someone. Simply click the blue "Block" button to finalize the action.

On the LinkedIn Mobile App (iOS &, Android):

The process on the mobile app is just as simple, but it relies on icons instead of labeled buttons.

1. Go to the User's Profile: Open the LinkedIn app and navigate to the person's profile page.
2. Locate the Three-Dot Menu: To the right of their name and headline section, you'll see a three-dot icon (...). Tap on it.
3. Select "Report or Block": A menu will slide up from the bottom of your screen. Tap on the option that says "Report or Block."
4. Choose to Block: Like on the desktop, a new screen will ask what action you want to take. Choose "Block" from the options.
5. Confirm the Action: A final screen will pop up to confirm your decision. Tap "Block" one last time to complete the process.

And that's it. The user has been successfully blocked from your LinkedIn network without any notification sent to them.

The Aftermath: What Happens When You Block a Follower?

When you block someone on LinkedIn, the platform creates a complete digital separation between your two profiles. It's more than just breaking a connection - it's like making both of you invisible to each other across the entire platform.

• You Cannot See Each Other's Profile: This is the most significant effect. If you try to view their profile, you'll get a "Profile not found" error. Likewise, when they try to view yours, they'll see the same thing. For all intents and purposes, you cease to exist to each other on LinkedIn.
• All Connections and Following Status Are Removed: If you were 1st-degree connections, that link is permanently broken. If you were following each other, that is also stopped. You will be completely removed from each other's follower and connection counts.
• All Communication Is Halted: You will no longer be able to send messages or InMail to each other. Your previous message history may also become unavailable.
• Endorsements and Recommendations Vanish: Any recommendations or skill endorsements you once shared will be permanently removed. You cannot get these back even if you unblock them later.
• Your Content Becomes Hidden: They will no longer see your articles, posts, likes, or comments anywhere on LinkedIn, including their main feed, in groups, or on public hashtags. The same is true for you - their activity will be invisible to you.
• You Won't Get Notified About Them: You won't appear in their "Who's Viewed Your Profile," and they won't appear in yours. All notifications related to them will stop.

A key takeaway is that LinkedIn prioritizes your privacy in this process. The person you block is never notified that you've done so. From their perspective, your profile will have simply disappeared from the platform.

How to View and Manage Your LinkedIn Block List

Did you block someone by mistake or have a change of heart? LinkedIn makes it simple to manage everyone you've blocked - and to unblock them if necessary.

Here's how to find your block list:

1. Go to your LinkedIn homepage and click on your profile picture icon, which says "Me," in the top navigation bar.
2. From the dropdown menu, select "Settings &, Privacy."
3. On the left-hand navigation bar, click on the "Visibility" tab.
4. Scroll down to the section titled "Visibility of your profile &, network." You will see an option for "Blocking." Click "Change."
5. This will take you to a page that lists every person you have blocked on LinkedIn. You can see up to 1,400 members.

From here, you can unblock someone by finding their name on the list and clicking the "Unblock" button next to it. Be aware of one important rule: once you unblock someone, you must wait 48 hours before you can block them again. Because unblocking re-opens the door, this waiting period prevents the feature from being used impulsively.

Softer Options: Alternatives to an Outright Block

Blocking is total and often permanent. It's perfect for serious issues, but sometimes a less drastic measure is a better fit. Before blocking someone, consider if one of these softer options might achieve your goal.

Removing a Connection

If you simply want to end a direct professional tie but don't feel the need for total invisibility, removing the connection is a good choice. They will still be able to see your public profile and your public posts, but you'll be downgraded from a 1st-degree connection. This is a great way to tidy up your network without creating any friction. To do this, visit their profile, click "More," and then choose "Remove Connection." They aren't notified.

Unfollowing a Connection

Do you have a connection whose posts you just don't find relevant? Maybe they post too frequently or share content that doesn't align with your professional interests. You can unfollow them. This keeps the professional connection intact (they still appear in your network), but their posts will no longer show up in your feed. To do this, simply find one of their posts, click the three-dot menu on the post, and select "Unfollow." It's a silent and effective way to clean up your home feed.

Restricting Who Can Follow You

If you're getting followed by too many spam accounts or people outside your industry, you can change your privacy settings to prevent it. Head to "Settings &, Privacy" >, "Visibility" >, "Followers." Here, you can change who is allowed to follow you from "Everyone on LinkedIn" to only your "Connections." This offers proactive control over who can see your updates, helping you maintain a high-quality community from the start. A few simple adjustments on your privacy profile page can maintain a great personalized experience for you on LinkedIn.

Final Thoughts

Managing your LinkedIn network - whether by blocking, removing, or unfollowing someone - is a necessary part of curating a professional and positive online space. Understanding how each of these tools works gives you the control to build a network that protects your time, serves your career goals, and genuinely contributes to your professional growth.

Once your network is dialed in, keeping it engaged with consistent, high-quality content is the next logical step. At Postbase, we built our platform to make that part a simple and stress-free process. By helping you schedule all your social media content from one beautiful calendar and manage engagement in a unified inbox, we handle the organizational hurdles of building your brand so you can stay on top of your professional presence without the background noise of juggling endless social pages.