What Does 3rd Mean on LinkedIn? Connection Degrees Explained

You're scrolling through search results or looking at someone's profile, and next to their name there's a little label: 1st, 2nd or 3rd. It's one of those things nobody explains, so plenty of people assume 3rd means some sort of ranking, or that the person has been flagged. It's neither.

The label tells you how far away that person sits from you in your LinkedIn network. Once you know how it works, you can use it to decide who to message, who to ask for an introduction and who's worth a connection request. I'll go through it using LinkedIn's Help Center article on your network and degrees of connection.

Where the 3rd label shows up on LinkedIn

The platform shows the degree as a small icon next to a member's name, both on their profile and in search results. You'll see one of these:

• 1st: you're directly connected
• 2nd: you share at least one connection
• 3rd: you're linked through a chain of two people
• no label at all: the person is outside your network

What 3rd means on LinkedIn, in plain English

LinkedIn defines 3rd-degree connections as people who are connected to your 2nd-degree connections. Put simply, there are two people standing between you: someone you know knows someone who knows them.

Picture it like this. You're connected to Sam (1st). Sam is connected to Priya, whom you've never met (2nd for you). Priya is connected to Tom. Tom is 3rd for you. As soon as you connect with Priya, Tom moves up to 2nd, and if you connect with Tom directly, he becomes 1st.

So 3rd isn't a quality score and it isn't permanent. It's a distance, and it changes as your network grows.

1st, 2nd and 3rd on LinkedIn side by side

Label	Who these people are	What LinkedIn's help says you can do
1st	People you're directly connected to	Send them a message on LinkedIn
2nd	People connected to your 1st-degree connections	Send an invitation with the Connect button on their profile
3rd	People connected to your 2nd-degree connections	The help page doesn't list a set action; what you see depends on the profile
Out of network	Members outside all of the above	Limited profile view; send an InMail if that option appears

What you can do with a 3rd-degree LinkedIn connection

This is where people get frustrated, because LinkedIn's help doesn't promise a particular button for 3rd-degree members. In practice, what you see on their profile varies with their settings and your app version. Here's how I'd approach it:

1. Look at their profile for a Connect option. If it's there, send a short, personal note saying why you'd like to connect.
2. If you can't connect, check the mutual names. Connecting with a 2nd-degree person in the chain brings the 3rd-degree person one step closer.
3. Check whether you share a LinkedIn group. LinkedIn says fellow group members are part of your network and can be contacted by message or through the group.
4. If an InMail option appears, you can use it to introduce yourself, as LinkedIn describes for members outside your network.
5. Follow them, if that's offered, so you can comment on their posts and get on their radar first.

Why 3rd-degree LinkedIn connections matter for business

Your 1st-degree network is people who already know you. The 3rd-degree layer is where most of your future clients, collaborators and hiring managers live, simply because it's so much bigger.

For small business owners, the trick is to warm people up before you ask for anything. Comment thoughtfully on their posts, connect with the person in between, then reach out with a message that's about them, not you. If you need help with the wording, my LinkedIn DM swipe file has messages you can adapt. And once your network grows, a CRM that works alongside LinkedIn helps you keep track of who you've spoken to.

For job seekers, a 3rd-degree hiring manager can often become a 2nd-degree one with a single, well-chosen connection to someone at the company. That's far warmer than a cold application, and it gives you someone to ask about the team, the role and what the hiring manager values before you apply.

How to turn 3rd-degree LinkedIn contacts into 2nd and 1st

• Connect with people in your industry who are well connected themselves, so more strangers become 2nd-degree.
• Join and take part in groups your ideal clients or employers belong to.
• Post regularly, so people beyond your network come across you and invite you.
• Make your profile easy to find and share; my guide on sharing your LinkedIn profile with clients and leads shows how.

One limit worth knowing: LinkedIn caps 1st-degree connections at 30,000. Most of us will never get close, but it's a reminder that quality matters more than collecting names.

When the 3rd label on LinkedIn looks wrong

1. Expected 2nd but see 3rd: a mutual connection may have removed one of the links in the chain, or you may be thinking of a different person with the same name.
2. Label missing entirely: the member is outside your network.
3. Label changed after you connected with someone: that's normal, because degrees update as your network changes.
4. Still confused: LinkedIn's Help Center article on degrees of connection is the source to check, not a third-party tool.

For the rest of the series, see the LinkedIn Help: 28 Guides to Profile Views, Impressions, Algorithm and Account Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

What does 3rd mean next to a name on LinkedIn?

It means that person is a 3rd-degree connection: they're connected to one of your 2nd-degree connections, so two people sit between you.

Can I message a 3rd-degree connection on LinkedIn?

Not as you would a 1st-degree connection. Try connecting if the option appears, find a shared group, or use InMail if LinkedIn offers it on their profile.

Is 3rd better or worse than 2nd on LinkedIn?

Neither. It only shows distance. A 2nd-degree contact shares a direct connection with you, so they're usually easier to reach.

How do I turn a 3rd-degree connection into a 1st?

Send them a connection request if you can, or connect with someone in between first so they become 2nd-degree, then invite them.

What does it mean if there's no degree label?

LinkedIn treats them as out of network. You'll see less of their profile and may be able to send an InMail if the option appears.