At Harrison Sands, most of our team have done time in LinkedIn jail at some point in our careers. We’ve learned the hard way what triggers those dreaded account restrictions, and now we’re sharing our collective wisdom to help you stay on the right side of LinkedIn’s increasingly suspicious algorithm.
The platform’s restriction policy is more aggressive than ever in 2025, and even innocent actions can land you in social media prison. One moment you’re happily connecting with prospects, the next you’re staring at that soul crushing notification telling you your account has been restricted.
Why LinkedIn bans accounts: Understanding the algorithm’s triggers
LinkedIn’s primary goal is maintaining a professional network where genuine people connect in meaningful ways. Their algorithm is specifically designed to catch behaviours that don’t align with this vision.
Identity matters more than you think
The way you present yourself is LinkedIn’s first checkpoint. To stay in the clear:
- Use your real, actual name – LinkedIn’s verification process requires matching your profile to official identification, so using a fake name or alias will trigger restrictions.
- Never create a profile for your business – use a company page for that. Your personal profile must represent an actual human (you), not a brand or entity.
- Avoid keyword stuffing your name field – “Jane Smith” works. “Jane Smith | Top Recruitment Leader | Revenue Generator | Business Growth Expert 🔥” is begging for a restriction.
- Use a clear, professional headshot where your face is easily visible – LinkedIn’s verification process often requires matching your face to your ID, so blurry photos or images without your face are restriction magnets.
At Harrison Sands, several of our team members were restricted simply for having “rec2rec” in our names or using professional photos that weren’t clear enough for facial recognition.
The pace puzzle: How fast is too fast?
LinkedIn’s algorithm has the temperament of a suspicious parent chaperoning a teenage dance. If you’re moving too fast, you’ll get caught. Blasting out 100+ connection requests before your morning coffee is a red flag… the platform starts getting nervous above 60-70 daily.
What’s worse, if your acceptance rate is embarrassingly low because people are hitting “I don’t know this person” faster than you can say “let’s connect,” LinkedIn takes notice. They’re also tracking if you’ve been profile stalking like it’s your full time job. Viewing 150+ profiles in an hour looks suspiciously bot like to the algorithm.
Your pending request list is another potential landmine. Anything above 600 pending invitations puts you on thin ice, especially if you’re sending identical template messages to dozens of people in rapid succession.
The quality over quantity approach
LinkedIn would rather you make 10 meaningful connections than 100 random ones. The algorithm tracks your “I don’t know this person” rejection rate, and if it gets too high, restrictions follow.
Personalise every connection request. Reference something specific from their profile or activity. Make it clear why you’re connecting and how it benefits them.
Regularly clean up pending invitations. Anything over 500 pending requests puts you on LinkedIn’s radar, so delete those that haven’t been accepted after 2-3 weeks.
The warm up approach: How to safely grow your LinkedIn activity
Whether you’re new to LinkedIn or recovering from a restriction, the gradual approach is essential. Here’s our week by week warm up plan that has consistently worked:
Week 1: The foundation
Connect only with people you genuinely know. Like and comment on content from your existing network. Limit yourself to 5-10 total activities per day.
Week 2: Cautious expansion
Begin connecting with 2nd degree connections, always with personalised messages. Start engaging with content from thought leaders in your space. Increase to 15-20 total activities per day.
Week 3 and beyond: Building momentum
Gradually increase connection requests by 5-10 per week until you reach a comfortable level that doesn’t trigger alarms. Never exceed 50-60 total activities per day.
The automation question: Proceed with caution
Let’s address the elephant in the room: LinkedIn automation tools. Many recruiters use them, but they’re also the number one cause of account restrictions we see.
Our official stance at Harrison Sands? Proceed with caution, if at all.
If you must use automation, choose cloud-based tools that mimic human behaviour, implement “working hours,” and never automate at maximum capacity. LinkedIn is getting better at detecting bots every day.
When mistakes happen: A compassionate approach
While we’ve focused on helping genuine professionals avoid restrictions, some accounts get banned for posting inappropriate content. To be clear, we at Harrison Sands don’t condone this behaviour.
Our advice is primarily for professionals who’ve made innocent mistakes with photos, titles or connection practices. If you’re deliberately pushing boundaries with offensive content or trolling, we have less sympathy… unlucky!
Your restriction prevention checklist
- Use your real name without keyword stuffing
- Have a clear, professional profile photo
- Keep connection requests under 30-50 per day
- Personalise every connection request
- Clean up pending invitations regularly
- Maintain a steady, consistent activity pattern
- Build your activity gradually if your account is new
- Mix up your usage patterns (times, devices, etc.)
- Create valuable, non promotional content
- Be cautious (or avoid entirely) automation tools
Despite your best efforts, sometimes LinkedIn’s algorithm still flags legitimate activity. If you do find yourself facing a restriction, we’ll cover exactly how to get out of LinkedIn jail in our next blog.
