LinkedIn Account Restricted: Here’s What to Do Next 

Your LinkedIn account is restricted and now you’re locked out, confused, and not sure what to do next.

Don’t worry. This happens to thousands of users every week, even IF they follow LinkedIn rules and terms of service. 

In most cases, it comes down to patterns that look automated or unsafe. Even if you didn’t intentionally violate anything.

Here’s the thing:

LinkedIn can temporarily restrict your account for reasons that aren’t always obvious. But most of the time, you CAN get your account back.

Whether you’re seeing:

• “Your LinkedIn account has been temporarily restricted”.
• “We’ve detected unusual activity”.
• “We’ve restricted your account to protect the community”.

…This guide will walk you through exactly what to do next.

Over the years, we’ve helped thousands of LinkedIn users recover accounts safely. And below, I’ll break down every scenario. Including what causes it, how to fix it, and how to prevent it from happening again.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Account restricted? Follow this quick checklist first.
• 2 Types of LinkedIn account restrictions and what they mean.
• Why LinkedIn might restrict your account even if you didn’t do anything “wrong”.
• 5 Most common reasons for account restrictions.
• 5 Best safety practices to prevent restrictions.
• 3 Don’ts if you got your LinkedIn account temporarily restricted.
• 2 Do’s when your account is restricted.

Key Takeaways

• A LinkedIn account restricted notice usually means LinkedIn detected activity that looks automated or unsafe. Not that you’re permanently banned.
• Most restrictions are temporary and can be reversed if you stop all activity, disconnect tools, and follow LinkedIn’s verification steps.
• The biggest triggers are: too many connection requests, low acceptance rates, spam-like messaging, unsafe automation tools, or unusual login behavior.
• After recovery, warm up your account slowly to rebuild trust and avoid triggering another restriction.
• For long-term safety, stick to human-like outreach, relevant targeting, and cloud-based tools designed to protect your account.

LinkedIn Account Restricted? Do This First (Quick Checklist)

Before we get into the details, here’s exactly what to do right now if your LinkedIn account is restricted:

1. Stop all activity immediately
   1. Don’t send more messages, connection requests, or profile views. Let things cool down.
2. Disconnect every LinkedIn tool
   1. Log out of all automation/scraping/scheduling tools and remove their access in:
   2. Settings → Data privacy → Other applications.
3. Check for messages from LinkedIn
   1. Look in your email and LinkedIn notifications for:

• ID verification requests
• “Unusual activity” alerts
• Policy/terms warnings
• If they ask for ID – upload it. Don’t ignore it.

4. Try logging in from your usual device + IP
   1. Use the same browser, device, and location you normally use. Avoid VPNs and new devices for now. Do NOT share your account with anyone else.
5. If access is still blocked, contact LinkedIn Support
   1. Use the official form: Help → Contact us (or this link: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/ask/gri) and briefly explain that your LinkedIn account is temporarily restricted and you’d like it reviewed.
6. Do NOT create a new account
   1. This is the fastest way to turn a temporary restriction into a permanent ban.

Now, let’s take a look at how LinkedIn account restrictions work and some actionable steps you can take to keep your account healthy.

What Does It Mean When Your LinkedIn Account Is Restricted?

When your LinkedIn account is restricted, it means LinkedIn has temporarily limited your ability to use certain features or blocked your access entirely. 

That’s because their system detected activity that looks unsafe, suspicious, or automated. 

On the bright side, a restriction does NOT mean your LinkedIn account is banned. It means LinkedIn wants to review your account before allowing full access again. 

Most users see one of these messages:

• “Your LinkedIn account has been temporarily restricted.”
• “We’ve detected unusual activity on your account.”
• “Your account has been restricted to protect the LinkedIn community.”
• “We need to verify your identity.”

A restriction often affects things like:

• Sending connection requests.
• Messaging.
• Viewing profiles.
• Posting or commenting.
• Logging in at all (in more serious cases).

Some good news though:

A restricted LinkedIn account can almost always be recovered. As long as you follow the right steps and don’t trigger more warnings.

Temporary vs. permanent LinkedIn restrictions (important difference)

Understanding this helps calm people down immediately.

90%+ of users experience temporary restrictions, which is most common.

Usually, this happens because of:

• Too many connection requests.
• Low acceptance rates.
• Suspicious messaging patterns.
• Using too many automation tools at the same time.
• Logging in from unusual locations/ IPs.
• Sudden spikes in activity.

A temporary restriction can be reversed after you complete LinkedIn’s review steps.

What happens if you get a permanent suspension though?

This is much more serious and usually happens when:

• You repeatedly violate policies.
• You use banned software aggressively.
• You ignore ID verification.
• You create multiple accounts.
• You spam or harass users.

A permanent ban is much harder, and sometimes impossible, to reverse.

But again, we’re still going to offer some solutions below to try and help.

Why LinkedIn Restricts Accounts (Even If You Didn’t Do Anything “Wrong”)

LinkedIn’s automated safety systems monitor accounts for behaviors that might violate its user agreements and professional community policies.

According to LinkedIn’s terms of service, users must:

• Use their real identity.
• Avoid automating activity.
• Not scrape or mass-collect data.
• Not engage in spammy or repetitive outreach.
• Maintain platform integrity.

Because of this, LinkedIn sometimes restricts accounts when it detects activity that resembles:

• Bots or automation tools
• Spam or mass outreach
• Rapid profile viewing or data scraping
• Fake or incomplete identity signals
• Unusual login locations or IP changes.

And this is where many users get confused. You can STILL get your account restricted even when you:

• Send legit messages.
• Use automation “safely”.
• Connect with real prospects.
• Follow LinkedIn etiquette.
• Never intended to violate any rule.

Here are the most common reasons why users get their LinkedIn accounts temporarily restricted.

Why Is My LinkedIn Account Temporarily Restricted? 5 Common Reasons 

So, LinkedIn temporarily restricted your account, how come?

Well, don’t worry, this doesn’t even mean you necessarily did something wrong.

And chances are, if access to your account has been temporarily restricted, you can still get it back. If LinkedIn thought you were doing something wrong, they could have banned you directly.

This just means LinkedIn temporarily restricted your account as a precaution or warning.

Some of the most common reasons why LinkedIn may have restricted your account include:

• Sending too many connection requests.
• Having a low acceptance rate.
• Trying to connect with people you don’t know personally or have nothing in common with.
• Using dangerous LinkedIn automation tools.
• Inappropriate, illegal, spammy activity coming from your LinkedIn account.

Let’s take a look at each reason in detail to see if you’ve been doing anything that warrants a LinkedIn-restricted account.

What if you ARE banned from LinkedIn?

Keep on reading. We’ll cover this scenario below.

1. Too many connection requests

LinkedIn expects accounts to grow gradually, not overnight.

Sending a high volume of invitations, especially on a new or inactive profile, triggers fraud and bot-detection systems.

Even if you’re connecting with real people, LinkedIn monitors:

• Sudden spikes in invitations.
• Repetitive connection patterns.
• Requests sent immediately after profile creation.
• Activity that looks automated.

As a rule of thumb, aim for 20-40 connection requests per day MAX, depending on account age, trust score, and engagement.

If you’re new (or recently inactive), keep it lower.

2. Low acceptance rate

Your “network quality” is a huge trust signal on LinkedIn.

If many people ignore your invitation, delete it, or mark “I don’t know this person”, LinkedIn sees this as low-quality outreach. Not necessarily automated, but spammy, irrelevant, and generally unwanted.

A poor acceptance rate usually happens if:

• Your profile isn’t optimized or doesn’t look trustworthy.
• You’re connecting outside your niche or industry too soon.
• Your connection request note sounds salesy or generic.
• You have no mutual connections, making you look random or irrelevant.

The lower the acceptance rate, the more LinkedIn assumes your outreach isn’t a good user experience and you’re targeting random people. Which increases your restriction risk more even if you’re doing everything manually. 

3. Too many ‘I don’t know this person’ on your invitations

When people ignore your connection request, they have the “I don’t know this person” option to click.

If too many potential connections decide to do so, LinkedIn will get a clear sign that you are not building a “natural” network but forcing connections you don’t know and have nothing in common with.

This often happens when you:

• Connect too aggressively, too soon
• Reach out with no mutual connections
• Use generic templates that look copy-pasted
• Target people with no real reason to connect

LinkedIn doesn’t want strangers pushing random invites. So this signal alone can trigger a temporary restriction.

Therefore, try to build an organic network, at least at first.

As your profile grows and gains traction, it will naturally start going in different directions, as other people will add you too.

Simply having a bigger network is a great way to reduce the chances of a LinkedIn restricted account. As you add more people, you’ll have more and more mutual connections with potential leads.

If they see you’re connected with a person they trust, they’re more likely to connect with you as well.

All of that will allow you to expand directly to potential clients, but it does require time.

4. Using dangerous LinkedIn automation tools (This is far too common! Don’t worry, we’ll help you with this below.)

This is by far one of the most common reasons people get restricted. Even if they don’t realize a tool is the problem.

LinkedIn has a sophisticated system that detects:

• Browser extensions that modify the UI.
• Tools that send actions too quickly.
• Unusual login patterns or rotating IPs.
• Repetitive message sequences sent at bot-like speed.
• Automation that runs while you’re offline/asleep.

If LinkedIn sees patterns that no human could realistically produce, your account gets flagged instantly.

This usually happens with Chrome-based tools, because they:

• Run directly on the LinkedIn front-end.
• Leave detectable footprints.
• Rely on unstable browser sessions.
• Don’t use a dedicated IP address.
• Cause login locations to change constantly.

Cloud-based tools are much safer if you’re using them with:

• Normal human speeds.
• Daily limits.
• Healthy acceptance rates.
• Personalized messaging.

Therefore, double-check any automation tool you plan to use if you want to avoid searching “why has LinkedIn blocked my account?” in the LinkedIn help online portal.

Even responsible automation can get restricted if the tool behaves in a way LinkedIn recognizes as automated. LinkedIn’s own Terms of Service policy states clearly that they prohibit:

“Bots, scrapers, crawlers, browser plug-ins, or any software that automates activity.”

This doesn’t mean all marketing tools can lead to a restricted LinkedIn account. 

While LinkedIn isn’t a huge fan of you automating your activity, it’s generally considered safe as long as you don’t overdo it.

5. Inappropriate, illegal, or spammy activity coming from the account

Not all restrictions are caused by outreach. Sometimes, LinkedIn restricts accounts because your behavior pattern triggers their safety systems. Even if you never intended to violate anything.

LinkedIn will flag your account if it detects activity that looks like:

• Mass messaging dozens or hundreds of people per day.
• Sending repetitive or templated messages at scale.
• Rapid profile viewing or scraping behavior.
• Connecting with large volumes of unrelated accounts.
• Posting inappropriate or misleading content.
• Misrepresenting identity, role, or company.
• Anything that violates the Professional Community Policies.

For example, your account might get flagged if:

• You send the same message to too many people.
• You message people immediately after connecting.
• You endorse or follow dozens of profiles in minutes.
• You jump from zero activity to aggressive outbound overnight.
• You browse LinkedIn at speeds that don’t look human.
• Someone reports your content or your connection request.

Even one or two behavior spikes can trigger automated protection systems.

LinkedIn’s rule of thumb is very simple:

If an action looks automated, spammy, or misleading, the system will restrict it. Even if your intentions were legitimate.

In a nutshell, LinkedIn wants you to be a “healthy” user of the platform. That means, improving your LinkedIn profile, not using obvious automation, and not harassing or spamming people.

Now, you might be wondering – “LinkedIn blocked my account. What do I do now?!”

Ideally, by following the best practices below, you won’t even get to that stage.

“What if it’s too late for that and I already got my LinkedIn temporarily restricted?”, you might be asking?

Skip ahead to the next section where we’ll cover this in more detail below.

Honestly, the best way not to get banned is to use safe, and tested LinkedIn practices – take it from us. So, if you’re wondering how to generate leads on LinkedIn without getting banned, check out our huge guide on this here – How to Generate Leads Through LinkedIn Automation Tools Without Getting Banned

Now, here are some other best practices and tips to avoid LinkedIn restricting your account.

5 Best Safety Practices If You Got Your LinkedIn Temporarily Restricted

Luckily, there is always a LinkedIn account restricted solution you can try to save your profile.

However, even if your account is NOT restricted, it might be well on the way to getting flagged.

Or if you just want to ensure your account stays safe, it’s always a good idea to take some safety measures and have an idea of some of the best LinkedIn practices.

The safety measures to avoid getting suspended on LinkedIn we’ll be looking at below include:

• Choosing your LinkedIn connections wisely.
• Always customizing and personalizing connection requests.
• Creating valuable content to show LinkedIn and users on the platform you’re a real person and not a bot.
• Using the right LinkedIn tools that mimic human behavior so that your activity doesn’t stand out.

Let’s cover each scenario in detail with examples.

1. Choose your connections wisely (at least initially)

When your account is small or newly active, LinkedIn monitors your connection patterns closely.

If you send too many irrelevant requests early, your account looks unnatural and may trigger restrictions.

To stay safe:

• Start by connecting with people you know.
• Add coworkers, alumni, colleagues, shared groups, or local professionals.
• Focus on people inside your industry, role, or field.
• Expand into second-degree connections after your acceptance rate improves.
• Target connections from LinkedIn’s ‘People You May Know’ section.

If you have many mutual connections with someone, chances are, they’ll accept your request too. 

Remember:

LinkedIn connections limits put most users at ~100 connection requests per week, so every request counts.

Sending irrelevant requests too early = low acceptance rate = higher risk of “LinkedIn account restricted.”

Optimize your LinkedIn profile, use personalization, create quality content, and you’ll have a much better connection acceptance rate over time.

2. Customize connection requests

This is something you should be doing in general, not just as a precaution to prevent being locked out of LinkedIn.

The worst thing you can do is to send lifeless, bot-like connection request pitches – those will end up in the ignore list more often than not.

Instead, come up with something unique, and start a conversation. You will get to the pitch later after you establish initial contact.

As long as you pick connections mindfully, you won’t need to write connection request messages every single time if you don’t want to – you can start the conversation after they accept.

If you’re sending requests like this with no personalization, almost no one is going to connect with you. While this may not directly lead getting your LinkedIn account restricted, it’s likely that LinkedIn might think you’re a bot. 

Here’s an example.

Bad LinkedIn connection request:

Copy Template

“Hey {first_name},

Love the work you do.

I help businesses like yours get more leads to scale.

Let’s connect so I can tell you more about what I do?”

Good LinkedIn connection request:

Copy Template

“Hey {first_name},

Saw your post about skyrocketing your reply rates by combining LinkedIn and email! That was super creative.

I just created a guide my sales team uses to safeguard their LinkedIn. Want to have a look?

Either way, would love to connect to keep up with your posts.”

3. Share valuable content and interact with others’ posts

A profile that only:

• Sends messages.
• Sends connection requests.
• Views profiles.

…with no posts or engagement looks like an automation bot.

To keep your account safe, consider:

• Posting something 1-2× per week (even simple, lightweight posts help). See our guide on LinkedIn content strategy for more info on this.
• Commenting on posts in your industry.
• Reacting to content from your network.
• Updating your profile regularly.

This signals to LinkedIn that you’re a real person, not a script.

LinkedIn also looks at your social selling index when analyzing your profile. A higher SSI correlates with better deal conversion rates and pipeline growth, as it signals that you’re effectively using LinkedIn to deliver more personal and authentic sales outreach. 

4. Maintain a balanced profile activity

Ensure your profile activity is balanced and doesn’t show signs of spammy behavior. 

Avoid excessively sending connection requests, messages, or endorsements in a short period. 

Engage in a variety of activities, such as posting updates, liking content, and participating in group discussions, to present a well-rounded and genuine presence on LinkedIn.

Make sure your LinkedIn profile is optimized and that you’re also posting content consistently if you want to maintain a balanced profile activity.

If your profile looks suspicious and you’re only sending messages all day, LinkedIn (as well as other people) might be more likely to think you’re a bot.

It’s all about being a “healthy” user.

5. Using the Right LinkedIn Tools

This is where MOST LinkedIn account restrictions come from.

There are two types of automation tools:

Chrome-based – highest risk

Chrome-based LinkedIn tools act as browser extensions and/or interact with LinkedIn directly from your browser.

• Runs inside your browser
• Uses your local IP (changes often)
• Uses browser cache (easy to detect)
• Requires the browser to stay open
• Triggers suspicious patterns
• Offers limited safety features

LinkedIn can detect these extensions easily. They are the #1 source of account restrictions.

Cloud-based – much safer

Cloud-based tools run on external servers and mimic human behavior:

• Use a dedicated static IP.
• Run 24/7 without your browser.
• Avoid front-end injection (much harder to detect).
• Offer randomization, warm-up, and human-like delays.
• Support multi-channel sequences safely.
• Reduce spam risk with smart limits.

Tools like Expandi are built with safety in mind and are significantly harder for LinkedIn to detect.

That said, before we move on, your account can STILL get restricted no matter which tool you use.

That’s because LinkedIn doesn’t just detect tools, they detect spammy behavior patterns. But tools like Expandi give you more safety features and options to fly under LinkedIn’s radar.

If you crank up your automation tool to start sending up to 500 connection requests per day, LinkedIn WILL still notice that.

That’s why quality outreach + safe tools + warmup = the winning combo.

Your outreach efforts also play a big part in your account safety. If your messages sound like spam, then they probably are! Check out our outreach guide for beginners, as well as proven message templates you can use here: LinkedIn Outreach Guide for Beginners – 7 Essential Rules to Keep in Mind

Now, worst case scenario – you got locked out of LinkedIn or banned from LinkedIn. 

Let’s take a look as to what happens then and what you should do in that case.

3 Don’ts If You Got Your LinkedIn Temporarily Restricted

If your LinkedIn account has been restricted, don’t assume it’s over.

Most users can recover their accounts. But only if they avoid the mistakes below. Many people make the restriction worse by reacting too quickly or doing the wrong thing.

Here’s what’s next:

1. Don’t Panic

Your account being restricted does not automatically mean:

• You’re permanently banned.
• You violated something serious.
• LinkedIn won’t give it back.

In most cases, it’s a temporary measure triggered by unusual activity patterns, not malicious behavior.

Do this instead

• Stop all outreach immediately
• Log out of any tools
• Give the account 24-72 hours before taking action

Note: If you received a warning (not a full restriction), disconnect all automation tools and slow down your activity for at least a week. Treat the warning as a “final strike.”

2. Don’t Create a New LinkedIn Account

This is the most common (and most damaging) mistake.

Creating a second account will almost always get:

• The new account restricted.
• The old account flagged permanently.
• Your entire IP/device marked as suspicious.

LinkedIn tracks patterns like:

• Same IP address.
• Same device fingerprint.
• Same browser cookies.
• Similar email or phone numbers.
• Overlapping profile data.

Trying to “start fresh” usually leads to a permanent ban, not a solution.

LinkedIn’s User Agreement explicitly prohibits creating duplicate or false accounts.

Note: Just because you might be able to create 2 LinkedIn accounts associated with 1 IP address – we would NOT recommend it. From a practical view, you will most likely never need 2 profiles, and from a safety standpoint, LinkedIn will probably figure it out and think you’re up to no good.

From LinkedIn User Agreement: You agree that you will not: Create a false identity on LinkedIn, misrepresent your identity, create a Member profile for anyone other than yourself (a real person), or use or attempt to use another’s account…

3. Don’t ignore LinkedIn ID requests

You might be thinking, I got my LinkedIn temporarily restricted, when will I get it back?

Sometimes, you might get a temporary account restriction with an ID request. If that is the case, LinkedIn suspects your account is used by a bot, probably due to message spam or similar suspicious behavior. 

This restriction is much more serious than a regular warning you get when you reach your weekly limits, so don’t gamble. Provide LinkedIn help with the requested information, and ensure you comply with the rules after they give you back access. 

That means taking it easy and slow without using any automation tools. Follow the rules to avoid risking a permanent ban. 

So, what should you do instead?

• Upload your ID immediately (passport, driver’s license, national ID).
• Make sure the image is clear and readable.
• Submit it through LinkedIn’s official support form (never email it).

Then, after verification:

• Avoid all automation for 2–3 weeks.
• Warm up your account slowly.
• Follow safe limits until your trust score resets.

2 Do’s When Your Account is Restricted

Now, if you’re here, chances are, access to your account has been temporarily restricted.

Wondering how to recover a restricted LinkedIn account?

This part will be important, so make sure you pay attention.

1. Disconnect any and all LinkedIn tools

LinkedIn’s Terms of Service very clearly prohibit most third-party automation, scraping, or browser add-ons.

From LinkedIn’s Prohibited Software & Extensions policy:

“We don’t permit the use of any third-party software, including crawlers, bots, plug-ins, or browser extensions that automate activity on LinkedIn.”

Even if automation wasn’t the reason for your restriction, you must disconnect everything before LinkedIn reviews your account.

What to do right now:

• Log out of all third-party LinkedIn tools
  
• Remove app permissions here: Settings → Data Privacy → Other Applications

• Close your browser and clear cache/cookies
  
• Stop ALL outreach activity for at least 48-72 hours

This step resets your “activity footprint,” which LinkedIn checks before restoring an account.

Tip: If your restriction was triggered by login anomalies, switch to a consistent IP address and device before trying again.

If you remove everything and wait a few days but your account is still restricted, move to the next step.

2. Time to contact LinkedIn

Now, it’s finally time to contact LinkedIn.

You can’t escape this, so might as well give it your best.

One common problem many people have is actually finding LinkedIn help online restricted account information.

We’re just going to save you a whole lot of time.

Here’s the LinkedIn Contact Us Form you should use: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/ask/gri

Note: You might be required to confirm your identity with some identification document. Have your passport, identity card, or driver’s license ready just in case.

Once there, write what happened, how your LinkedIn account got restricted, and that you’re wondering what happened.

A couple of tips when writing the ‘contact us‘ form:

• Be honest – Say if you created a new account, and get to the point.
• Don’t mention LinkedIn tools – If you used them, they already know about it. If you didn’t, it doesn’t make a difference.
• Focus on recovering the account – You want to find out two things here: why is my LinkedIn account restricted in the first place, and how to recover it and move forward.

There are 2 potential outcomes here:

1. You don’t get your account back and/or they don’t reply – in which case, try again in a month or two.
2. Your account is recovered. Here’s what to do in that case…

LinkedIn Account Recovered – What to do Next

Great news, your LinkedIn account is active again!

But this is the most critical phase.

Most users get restricted again because they return to normal activity too quickly.

Treat the first 2-4 weeks like you’re warming up a brand-new account.

Here’s exactly what to do.

1. Warm Up Your LinkedIn Account From Scratch

Your account’s safety score is temporarily low after recovery.

So you need to rebuild trust with small, natural, human activity.

Follow this warm-up protocol:

Week 1-2

• 5-10 manual connection requests/day.
• Only to people with mutual connections.
• No automation, no mass messaging.
• Like/comment on 5-10 posts/day.
• Publish 1 simple personal update (not salesy).
• Clean up your pending connection requests.

Week 3-4

• 10-20 connection requests/day (still manual).
• Start 1-1 conversations, but avoid pitching.
• Continue steady engagement.
• Slowly resume normal browsing & profile views.

Avoid for at least 2-3 weeks:

• Templates.
• Bulk outreach.
• Scraping tools.
• InMail blasts.
• Mass profile views.

This is exactly how LinkedIn rebuilds your “trust score.”

2. Use cloud-based tools (not extensions)

If automation caused the restriction, switching tools alone won’t save you.

You must switch to safe tools designed to mimic human behavior.

Why cloud tools are safer:

• Dedicated IP → LinkedIn sees consistent login behavior
• No browser fingerprinting → harder for LinkedIn to detect
• Built-in safety limits → no accidental spikes
• Human-like delays & sending patterns
• 24/7 warm-up & rotation

Chrome-based tools are still the #1 cause of restrictions in 2024-2025.

If you’re restarting outbound, choose tools that:

• Don’t overload your account
• Respect LinkedIn’s daily limits
• Rotate time delays
• Personalize messaging dynamically
• Don’t require active browser sessions

Expandi does all of this safely, with dedicated account warm-up and interaction safety settings.

LinkedIn Account Restricted: FAQ

Summary

At the end of the day, avoiding LinkedIn restrictions comes down to one thing:

Act like a human, not a bot.

Use safe LinkedIn practices, personalize your outreach, and rely on trusted tools that mimic human behavior. Then, your account will stay healthy long-term.

If you want to automate LinkedIn without worrying about bans,

Expandi is built specifically to keep your account safe while scaling your outreach.

Try it free for 7 days and see how safe automation should work.