How to See Sent Connection Requests on LinkedIn (and Withdraw)

LinkedIn quietly keeps a list of every connection request you've sent that hasn't been accepted yet. It's worth checking now and then: old requests to people who never responded clutter the list, and some may have gone to the wrong person. Here's where to find them on desktop and mobile, how to withdraw one, and the three-week rule to know before you do.

Find sent requests on a computer

1. Click the My Network icon at the top of LinkedIn.
2. In the Invitations section, click Show all. If you have no pending invitations, click Manage instead.
3. Click the Sent tab under Manage invitations.

You'll see every invitation you've sent that's still pending, so you can work through them one by one.

Find sent requests on your phone

1. Tap the My Network tab.
2. Tap Invitations.
3. Tap the Sent tab.

Withdraw a request

Next to any pending invitation, click or tap Withdraw, then confirm. LinkedIn says you can withdraw invitations to connect, and invitations to follow a Page or join an Event, any time before they're accepted.

What happens when you withdraw

Question	LinkedIn's answer
Is the person notified?	No
Do reminder emails stop?	Yes
Can I invite them again straight away?	No, not for up to three weeks
Can I undo a withdrawal?	No, withdrawn invitations can't be restored
Can I withdraw lots at once?	No, there's no bulk option

The three-week rule

This is the bit to remember. LinkedIn says that once you withdraw an invitation, you can't send a new one to the same person for up to three weeks. So don't withdraw a request just to resend it with a better note: you'll be locked out for a while. If you want to add a personal message, it's better to wait and see if they accept the original.

Why bother clearing old requests?

• Reminder emails stop, so you're not nudging someone who's clearly not interested.
• Your Sent list becomes a useful to-do list rather than a graveyard.
• You can spot requests sent by mistake, like a tap on the wrong name.
• You get a clearer picture of which kinds of requests people accept, so you can improve your approach.

There's no bulk withdraw, so if you've built up a long list, set aside ten minutes and work through the oldest ones first.

Use the Sent tab as a follow-up list

Your pending requests are also a list of people you wanted to know. Before withdrawing anyone, think about whether there's another way to reach them. If you've met them at an event or worked with them before, a short email or a comment on one of their posts can prompt them to accept. If the request went to someone you only admired from afar, give it time; plenty of people only check their invitations occasionally. Treat the Sent tab as a gentle follow-up list rather than a pile of rejections.

How long to leave a request before withdrawing

There's no official answer, but a sensible rule is a few weeks to a couple of months. LinkedIn's reminder emails keep nudging the person while an invitation is pending, so if they haven't accepted after several reminders, they're probably not going to. Withdrawing at that point stops the reminders, which is kinder to both of you, and it keeps your list tidy. Just remember the three-week wait before you could invite them again.

Invitations to Pages and Events

The same Sent tab also shows invitations you've sent to follow a LinkedIn Page you manage or to join an Event you're hosting, and LinkedIn says you can withdraw those in the same way. It's worth reviewing these after an event, so people don't keep receiving invitations to something that's already happened.

If they've already accepted

Once someone accepts, the invitation is gone from your Sent list because you're connected. If you didn't mean to connect, LinkedIn lets you remove the connection separately.

Send better requests in the first place

Most unanswered requests are the ones with no context. A short personal note, saying how you know each other or why you'd like to connect, makes a big difference to acceptance. Mention a shared event, a mutual contact or something specific from their profile. My guide to LinkedIn automation tools covers the tools people use for outreach, but for connection requests, a real, personal line beats any template.

How many requests should you send?

Quality beats quantity. A handful of thoughtful requests a day to people you have a real reason to know will build a more useful network than mass requests to strangers, and you'll have far fewer sitting unanswered in your Sent tab. For a sense of how the platform works at scale, my roundup of LinkedIn statistics is a good read.

My verdict

My Network, Show all or Manage, then the Sent tab shows every pending request. Withdraw the ones you no longer want; the person won't know, but you can't invite them again for up to three weeks, so don't withdraw just to resend. Better notes on new requests mean fewer to clear later.

Frequently asked questions

How do I see my sent connection requests on LinkedIn?

Click My Network, then Show all or Manage in the Invitations section, and open the Sent tab.

Does LinkedIn notify someone when you withdraw a request?

No. LinkedIn says the recipient isn't notified when you withdraw an invitation.

Can I resend a LinkedIn request after withdrawing it?

Not straight away. LinkedIn says you can't invite the same person again for up to three weeks.

Can I withdraw all my LinkedIn requests at once?

No. LinkedIn doesn't offer a bulk withdraw option.

Can I restore a withdrawn LinkedIn invitation?

No. LinkedIn says withdrawn invitations can't be restored.