How to See Pending Connections on LinkedIn

Ever sent a LinkedIn connection request and then... complete silence? You're left wondering if the person saw it, ignored it, or if it simply vanished into the digital ether. Knowing how to find and manage your pending connection requests is a small but powerful step in taking control of your professional networking strategy. This guide will walk you through exactly where to find those lingering invitations - both the ones you've sent and the ones you've received - and what to do with them once you've located them.

Why Bother Managing Pending Connections?

You might think of this as simple digital housekeeping, but strategically managing your pending connections has a real impact on your networking effectiveness on LinkedIn. Leaving dozens or even hundreds of requests hanging in limbo can do more harm than you realize. It's about maintaining a clean, professional, and effective presence on the platform.

Protecting Your Account’s Reputation

While LinkedIn doesn't publish exact numbers, there is a limit to how many connection requests you can have pending at one time. If you hit this invisible ceiling, you may be temporarily restricted from sending new ones. More importantly, having a vast and ever-growing list of unanswered requests can signal to LinkedIn’s algorithm that you might be sending low-quality or even spammy invitations. Over time, this could lead to more serious account restrictions. Regularly withdrawing very old, unanswered requests shows you're actively managing your network and fosters a healthier account status.

Focusing on Quality Over Quantity

A massive list of unanswered sent requests can also be a sign that your connection strategy needs a refresh. It might mean you’re reaching out to people who aren’t a good fit, or that your requests lack the personalization needed to get a response. By clearing out the old, you force yourself to be more intentional about who you invite next. On the flip side, ignoring a backlog of received invitations means you're potentially missing out on conversations with valuable prospects, potential employers, industry peers, or future collaborators who took the time to reach out to you.

Finding Your Pending Invitations: A Step-by-Step Guide

Locating your pending connections is straightforward once you know where to look. The process is slightly different depending on whether you're on a desktop computer or using the mobile app. We'll cover both.

How to See Pending Invitations on Desktop

1. Invitations You’ve Received

These are the easiest to find. They're what LinkedIn wants you to see first.

• Navigate to the LinkedIn homepage.
• In the top navigation bar, click on the "My Network" icon.
• A dedicated section labeled "Invitations" will appear at the top of the page. You'll see a few of your most recent pending requests here.
• To see all of them, simply click the "See all" link inside that box. This will take you to a dedicated page where you can accept or ignore each request.

2. Invitations You've Sent

This is the list most people are looking for - the requests you've sent that are still awaiting a response.

• Follow the steps above to get to your main Invitations page (My Network > See all in the Invitations box).
• At the top of this management page, you will see two tabs: "Received" and "Sent."
• Click on the "Sent" tab.

Here it is! You'll now see a complete list of every connection request you’ve ever sent that hasn't been accepted or ignored. The list shows you the person’s name, their headline, how long ago you sent the request, and a grey "Withdraw" button next to each one.

How to See Pending Invitations on the Mobile App (iOS & Android)

The process on your phone is just as simple, though the buttons are located in different spots.

1. Invitations You’ve Received

• Open the LinkedIn app and tap the "My Network" icon in the bottom menu.
• At the top of the screen, tap the hyperlinked text that says "Invitations."
• You'll be taken to a page listing everyone who has sent you a connection request, with options to "Accept" or "Ignore."

2. Invitations You've Sent

• From the main "Received" invitations screen (the one you landed on in the last step), look to the top right.
• You'll see two tabs: "Received" (which will be underlined) and "Sent."
• Tap on "Sent" to view your list of outgoing, unanswered requests. Just like on desktop, you will see who they are and have the option to "Withdraw."

Now What? How to Strategically Manage Your Pending Requests

You’ve found the lists. Now for the important part: what a social media expert would actually do with this information. It’s not just about clicking "Withdraw" on everything.

Managing Your Sent Invitations

Your list of sent requests is a footprint of your outreach efforts. Cleaning it up is good digital practice.

• Implement the Three-Week Rule: Here’s a good rule of thumb. If someone hasn’t accepted your request within three to four weeks, they are unlikely to. People who are active on LinkedIn check in more frequently than that. Anything older than a month is almost certainly a "no."
• Withdraw Old Requests Gracefully: Go through your "Sent" list and withdraw requests that are more than a month old. It’s not personal, it’s just business. This prevents your pending queue from getting clogged and keeps your account in good standing with LinkedIn’s algorithms. The recipient is not notified when you withdraw a request.
• Re-evaluate and Try Again (Sparingly): Did you send a request to a high-value contact without a personalized note? You could withdraw the old request and, after a few weeks, send a new, highly-personalized one. Don’t do this often, but for a truly crucial connection, a better-crafted second attempt might be worthwhile. A good approach is to interact with their content for a week or two - like or comment insightfully on their posts - before sending the new request.

Managing Your Received Invitations

Your inbox of received invitations is a pipeline of opportunities. Don't let it become a digital junk drawer.

• Triage Immediately: Make it a habit to review new invitations weekly, if not daily. Sort them into three categories: Definite Yes, Definite No, and Maybe.
• Accept with a Purpose: For the "Definite Yes" group - people you know, respect, or clearly share professional interests with - don't just click "Accept." Accept their request, then immediately send them a quick message. It can be as simple as: "Hi [Name], thanks for connecting. Looking forward to keeping up with your work in [their industry/field]." This small gesture transforms a passive connection into an active relationship opener.
• It’s Okay to Click Ignore: If a request is obviously a sales pitch or comes from a profile with no relevance to your career, it is perfectly fine to hit "Ignore." This is better than accepting out of obligation and watering down the quality of your network feed. You’re curating a professional circle, not collecting badges.

Best Practices for Sending Requests That Actually Get Accepted

The best way to manage your pending connections is to have fewer of them sitting unanswered in the first place. That means sending invitations that people are excited to accept.

1. Always Personalize Your Invitation

This is the most critical rule of LinkedIn networking. Never use the default "I'd like to add you to my professional network" message. It’s lazy and impersonal. Your note doesn’t need to be an essay, just a sentence or two that shows you’ve done your homework.

Example: "Hi Susan, I found your recent article on project management frameworks incredibly helpful, especially the point about agile methodologies in non-tech teams. I'm also exploring that space and would love to connect and follow your work."

2. Vouch for Yourself by Finding Common Ground

Your personalization should build an instant, authentic bridge between you and the other person. Scan their profile for 15 seconds. Did you:

• Attend the same university?
• Work at the same company in the past?
• Belong to the same LinkedIn Group?
• Hear them speak at a virtual conference?
• Interact with one of their recent posts?

Mentioning this common ground in your note establishes that you’re not just a random stranger.

3. Never Sell in the Connection Request

Your invitation is not the place to pitch your product, service, or job search. A connection request is a handshake, not a sales brochure. Asking to connect with the sole purpose of immediate financial gain is a quick way to get your request ignored and your profile potentially blocked. The goal of the connection is to open a door for a future, mutually beneficial relationship.

Final Thoughts

Regularly reviewing and managing your pending connections is a small task that pays big dividends. It helps maintain a healthy account, keeps your networking efforts sharp and focused, and ensures you're building a professional community of quality contacts who are genuinely relevant to your career goals.

Maintaining your LinkedIn network’s health is the foundation, but the next step is sharing valuable content to engage that professional network. For me, the challenge was always staying on top of planning and posting consistently, especially while juggling other platforms. I’ve found that using a simple and modern tool like Postbase takes the friction out of scheduling my content from one visual calendar. It helps turn a well-curated network into an engaged audience, which is the ultimate goal.