> Source: https://www.trackmedia.app/blog/what-does-1st-2nd-3rd-mean-on-linkedin · Last updated: 2026-11-04 # What 1st, 2nd and 3rd mean on LinkedIn 1st, 2nd and 3rd on LinkedIn show how far someone is from you: 1st are your direct connections, 2nd know your connections, 3rd know your 2nd-degree ones. *Guides · Published 2026-11-04* On LinkedIn, **1st**, **2nd** and **3rd** show how many steps separate you from another member. 1st means you are directly connected, 2nd means they are connected to one of your 1st-degree connections, and 3rd means they are connected to one of your 2nd-degree connections. This guide follows LinkedIn's Help page [Your network and degrees of connection](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a545636/your-network-and-degrees-of-connection) and its page on [profile view limits](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a569331/data-security-limits-on-profile-views?lang=en), both read on October 22, 2026. It explains what 3rd means, where the icon appears, what you can do with each degree, and why the label sometimes looks different. ## What do 1st, 2nd and 3rd mean on LinkedIn? They are degrees of connection. LinkedIn defines each one in a sentence, and you see the matching icon next to a name in search results and on a profile. ![Table of LinkedIn connection degrees. 1st: people you are directly connected to because one of you accepted an invitation; you can message them and can have at most 30,000. 2nd: people connected to your 1st-degree connections; click Connect on their profile to send an invitation. 3rd: people connected to your 2nd-degree connections; the page states no action.](https://www.trackmedia.app/assets/img/blog/what-does-1st-2nd-3rd-mean-on-linkedin-fig1.svg) *The three degrees as defined on LinkedIn's Help page.* - **1st-degree connections** are people you're directly connected to. LinkedIn says you are connected because one of you accepted the other's invitation. You see a "1st" icon next to their name, and you can message them on LinkedIn. - **2nd-degree connections** are people connected to your 1st-degree connections. You see a "2nd" icon, and the page says you can send an invitation by clicking **Connect** on their profile. - **3rd-degree connections** are people connected to your 2nd-degree connections, shown with a "3rd" icon. ## What does 3rd mean on LinkedIn? 3rd means the person is connected to someone you are not yet connected to, but who is connected to one of your connections. In other words, there are three steps between you: you, your 1st-degree connection, their connection, and then the 3rd-degree person. LinkedIn's page defines 3rd degree and does not mention a "3rd+" label or a separate "out of network" tag, so treat anything you read about those as unofficial. The page gives no action list for 3rd-degree members and no limits for them. ## How many connections can you have? LinkedIn's page says members can have a maximum of 30,000 1st-degree connections. It states no cap on 2nd- or 3rd-degree numbers, because those are people your connections know and not people you add. ## What can you see of each degree? LinkedIn's profile-view page says you can see the full names and profiles of your extended network, meaning 1st, 2nd and 3rd-degree members, without being connected or paying for Premium. There is one limit worth knowing. A daily cap applies to how many profiles you view, calculated from your viewing activity. If you reach it, LinkedIn says you are temporarily unable to view profiles of members who are not your connections. The page says the limit does not affect your ability to view 1st-degree connections, that LinkedIn will not show how many views you have left, and that it will not lift the limit on request. It suggests sending an invitation or an InMail to reach people instead. It gives no duration for the block. ## Why does a person's degree change? The degree is relative to you, so it moves when your network moves. If a 2nd-degree contact accepts your invitation, they become 1st. If you connect with someone who knows another person, that person can move from 3rd to 2nd. ### How do you make someone a 1st-degree connection? Send an invitation and have them accept it. LinkedIn's page says that for a 2nd-degree member you click **Connect** on their profile page. Because 1st degree is defined by an accepted invitation, the invitation only counts once the other person accepts it, as the page describes it. ## How do degrees affect who sees your posts? LinkedIn's degree page says nothing about post reach, so we cannot tell you that a post goes to 1st-degree people first. What you control is the audience setting on the post and who follows you. The practical use of degrees is networking: 2nd-degree people are one introduction away, because a mutual connection exists. Checking which of your own connections they share with you is a normal first step before you send an invitation. For your own posting rhythm, see our guide to the [best time to post on LinkedIn](https://www.trackmedia.app/blog/best-time-to-post-on-linkedin) and how to [see your LinkedIn posts](https://www.trackmedia.app/blog/how-to-see-my-linkedin-posts). ## How to see your LinkedIn numbers in TrackMedia Degrees describe your network, but you also want to know whether it is growing and whether posts reach it. TrackMedia's analytics read cross-network numbers, including posts you did not publish with us, and show clicks, visitors and referrers per post and per network. For a connected LinkedIn account, TrackMedia can report account-level numbers that LinkedIn shares, such as followers, connections and profile views, next to post metrics like reactions, comments and impressions. A "Best times" view built from your own posts shows when your network responds. Publish to LinkedIn and 20 other networks from one composer, with a version fitted to each network and preflight checks before anything goes out. Our [LinkedIn analytics tools](https://www.trackmedia.app/blog/linkedin-analytics-tools) guide compares the options, and you can [start free with TrackMedia](https://go.trackmedia.app/signup). ## Questions people also ask ### What does 3rd mean on LinkedIn? It means the person is connected to your 2nd-degree connections. You are three steps apart, and you are not connected to them or to anyone who knows them directly. ### Can I message a 2nd or 3rd-degree connection? LinkedIn's degree page says you can message 1st-degree connections and send 2nd-degree members an invitation with **Connect**. It does not list a messaging option for 3rd-degree members. The profile-view page mentions InMail as another way to reach people. ### What is the connection limit? 30,000 1st-degree connections, according to LinkedIn's Help page. ### Can I see the full profile of a 3rd-degree member? Yes. LinkedIn says you can view the full names and profiles of 1st, 2nd and 3rd-degree members, up to a daily cap on profiles of people you are not connected to. ## How we checked this We opened each page below on October 22, 2026. LinkedIn updates its Help pages, so check the live page if something differs. TrackMedia's LinkedIn metrics come from the connector's list of account and post metrics. - [Your network and degrees of connection](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a545636/your-network-and-degrees-of-connection) (LinkedIn Help): definitions of 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree, icons, actions, the 30,000 limit. - [Data security limits on profile views](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a569331/data-security-limits-on-profile-views?lang=en) (LinkedIn Help): extended-network visibility and the daily cap.